THE PATH
OF PURIFICATION
(VISUDDHIMAGGA)
BY
BHADANTACARIYA BUDDHAGHOSA
Translated from the Pali
by
BHIKKHU NANAMOLI
FIFTH EDITION
BUDDHIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY
Kandy Sri Lanka
123. Now the words and he should apprehend are illustrated as follows.
After approaching the good friend of the kind described in the explana-
tion of the words then approach the good friend, the giver of a medita-
tion subject (§28 and §57-73), the meditator should dedicate himself to
the Blessed One, the Enlightened One, or to a teacher, and he should ask
for the meditation subject with a sincere inclination [of the heart] and
sincere resolution.
124. Herein, he should dedicate himself to the Blessed One, the Enlight-
ened One, in this way: 'Blessed One, I relinquish this my person to
you'. For without having thus dedicated himself, when living in a remote
abode he might be unable to stand fast if a frightening object made its
appearance, and he might return to a village abode, become associated
with laymen, take up improper search and come to ruin. But when he
has dedicated himself in this way no fear arises in him if a frightening
object makes its appearance; in fact only joy arises in him as he reflects:
'Have you not wisely already dedicated yourself to the Enlightened
One?'
125. Suppose a man had a fine piece of Kasi cloth. He would feel grief if
it were eaten by rats or moths; but if he gave it to a bhikkhu needing
robes, he would feel only joy if he saw the bhikkhu tearing it up [to
make his patched cloak]. And so it is with this.
126. When he dedicates himself to a teacher, he should say: * I relinquish
this my person to you, venerable sir'. For one who has not dedicated his
person thus becomes unresponsive to correction, hard to speak to, and
unamenable to advice, or he goes where he likes without asking the
teacher. Consequently the teacher does not help him with either material
things or the Dhamma, and he does not train him in the cryptic books.
35
Failing to get these two kinds of help [116] he finds no footing in the
Dispensation, and he soon comes down to misconducting himself or to
the lay state. But if he has dedicated his person, he is not unresponsive to
correction, does not go about as he likes, is easy to speak to, and lives
only in dependence on the teacher. He gets the twofold help from the
teacher and attains growth, increase and fulfilment in the Dispensation.
Like the Elder Cula-Pindapatika-Tissa's pupils.
127. Three bhikkhus came to the elder, it seems. One of them said, 'Ven-
erable sir, I am ready to fall from a cliff the height of one hundred men,
if it is said to be to your advantage'. The second said, 'Venerable sir, I
am ready to grind away this body from the heels up without remainder
on a flat stone, if it is said to be to your advantage'. The third said,
'Venerable sir, I am ready to die by stopping breathing, if it is said to be
to your advantage'. Observing 'These bhikkhus are certainly capable of
progress', the elder expounded a meditation subject to them. Following
his advice, the three attained Arahantship.
This is the benefit in self-dedication. Hence it was said above 'dedi-
cating himself to the Blessed One, the Enlightened One, or to a teacher'.
128. With a sincere inclination [of the heart] and sincere resolution (§123):
the meditator's inclination should be sincere in the six modes beginning
with non-greed. For it is one of such sincere inclination who arrives at
one of the three kinds of enlightenment, according as it is said: 'Six
kinds of inclination lead to the maturing of the enlightenment of the
Bodhisattas. With the inclination to non-greed Bodhisattas see the fault
in greed. With the inclination to non-hate Bodhisattas see the fault in
hate. With the inclination to non-delusion Bodhisattas see the fault in
delusion. With the inclination to renunciation Bodhisattas see the fault in
house life. With the inclination to seclusion Bodhisattas see the fault in
society. With the inclination to relinquishment Bodhisattas see the fault
in all kinds of becoming and destiny' (?). For stream-enterers, once-
returners, non-returners, those with cankers destroyed (i.e. Arahants),
Paccekabuddhas, and Fully Enlightened Ones, whether past, future or
present, all arrive at the distinction peculiar to each by means of these
same six modes. That is why he should have sincerity of inclination in
these six modes.
129. He should be whole-heartedly resolved on that. The meaning is
[117] that he should be resolved upon concentration, respect concentra-
tion, incline to concentration, be resolved upon nibbana, respect nibbana,
incline to nibbana.
130. When, with sincerity of inclination and whole-hearted resolution in
this way, he asks for a meditation subject, then a teacher who has ac-
quired the penetration of minds can know his temperament by surveying
his mental conduct; and a teacher who has not can know it by putting
such questions to him as 'What is your temperament?' or *What states
are usually present in you?' or 'What do you like bringing to mind?' or
'What meditation subject does your mind favour?'. When he knows, he
can expound a meditation subject suitable to that temperament. And in
doing so, he can expound it in three ways: it can be expounded to one
who has already learnt the meditation subject by having him recite it at
one or two sessions; it can be expounded to one who lives in the same
place each time he comes; and to one who wants to leam it and then go
elsewhere it can be expounded in such a manner that it is neither too
brief nor too long.
131. Herein, when first he is explaining the earth kasina, there are nine
aspects that he should explain. They are the four faults of the kasina, the
making of a kasina, the method of development for one who has made it,
the two kinds of sign, the two kinds of concentration, the seven kinds of
suitable and unsuitable, the ten kinds of skill in absorption, evenness of
energy, and the directions for absorption.
In the case of the other meditation subjects, each should be ex-
pounded in the way appropriate to it. All this will be made clear in the
directions for development. But when the meditation subject is being
expounded in this way, the meditator must apprehend the sign as he
listens.
132. Apprehend the sign means that he must connect each aspect thus:
'This is the preceding clause, this is the subsequent clause, this is its
meaning, this is its intention, this is the simile'. When he listens atten-
tively, apprehending the sign in this way, his meditation subject is well
apprehended. Then, and because of that, he successfully attains distinc-
tion, but not otherwise. This clarifies the meaning of the words 'and he
must apprehend'.
133. At this point the clauses approach the good friend, the giver of a
meditation subject, and he should apprehend from among the forty medi-
tation subjects one that suits his own temperament (§28) have been ex-
pounded in detail in all their aspects.
The third chapter called 'The Description of
Taking a Meditation Subject' in the Treatise on
the Development of Concentration in the Path of
Purification composed for the purpose of glad-
dening good people.
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