解脫道論 白話全本 · 冊1

Homage

Homage to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully Enlightened One.

This is the first sentence of the whole treatise. Three titles stand side by side, and the one to whom homage is paid is a single person.

The Verse of Homage

There follows a verse in four-syllable lines, sixteen characters in all, which the base text sets as four lines written across two rows: virtue, concentration, wisdom; unsurpassed freedom; the one who awakened in accordance with this Dhamma is that renowned Gotama.

The preceding sentence of homage is prose; these four lines are verse. The treatise contains fifteen verse passages in all, and this is the first of them.

Why the Treatise Was Composed

If there is a person who has escaped many hardships, who has been able to leave the various attachments, who has attained something in the higher stages, whose mind fears birth, ageing, and death, who delights in what is good and delights in freedom, who wishes to reach the bliss of nibbāna; and if there are those who have not yet arrived and still stand on this shore, they too are to be brought to fulfilment. Such a person asks broadly about the matters of sutta, abhidhamma, and vinaya.

This path of freedom I shall now declare. Listen well.

The words rendered “listen well” occur only once in the whole treatise.

Glossing the Verse Word by Word: Nine Items

Question: what is virtue?

Answer: virtue means deportment; concentration means non-distraction; wisdom means knowing and awareness; freedom means release from bondage; unsurpassed means without influxes; awakening in accordance means knowing and attaining; this Dhamma means the Dhamma of the four noble states; Gotama means the clan name; renowned means the Blessed One.

One thing must be recorded here exactly as the treatise has it: the question asks about one word only, virtue, while the answer glosses nine items in sequence—precisely the nine items of the verse above, with none omitted and none added.

A second thing is likewise recorded as it stands: the order of the nine items does not entirely follow the order of the verse. The verse reads “unsurpassed freedom,” while the gloss takes freedom first and unsurpassed second; the verse reads “renowned Gotama,” while the gloss takes Gotama first and renowned second. The other seven items follow the order of the verse.

The Verse's Sense Gathered

By virtue, concentration, wisdom, and freedom—these excellent qualities—one is able to reach the most excellent renown, which is beyond measure.

What the Path of Freedom Means

What does the path of freedom mean?

Freedom is treated first. There are five kinds of freedom: freedom by suppression, freedom by that part, freedom by cutting off, freedom by tranquillisation, and freedom by leaving behind.

What is freedom by suppression? Presently practising the first jhāna and suppressing the hindrances: this is called freedom by suppression.

Freedom by that part is presently cultivating the concentration of penetrative partaking, whereby there is freedom from the views: this is called freedom by that part.

Freedom by cutting off is cultivating the supramundane path, whereby the remaining fetters can be destroyed: this is called freedom by cutting off.

Freedom by tranquillisation is, as when the fruit is attained, that the mind is at ease in bliss: this is called freedom by tranquillisation.

Freedom by leaving behind is nibbāna without residue: this is called freedom by leaving behind.

Among the five items, only the first is introduced by a question; the remaining four begin directly with the naming particle. This is recorded exactly as the treatise has it, without supplying the missing questions.

The expression “five kinds of freedom” occurs, as a term, only in this passage of the whole treatise.

Restating the Undertaking

This path of freedom exists for the attainment of freedom; it is the complete path; and by virtue, concentration, and wisdom it is called the path of freedom.

The path of freedom I shall now declare.

The words “I shall now declare” were already spoken once above. They are spoken again here. In the whole treatise these are the only two occurrences.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Homage and the Outline of the Path · Vernacular · Summer 2026

Why Teach the Path of Freedom?

Question: what use is there in teaching the path of freedom?

Answer: A good person may delight in attaining freedom, yet because they have not heard freedom taught, have not suppressed freedom, and have not rightly suppressed freedom, they are like a blind person who travels alone to a distant country without a guide: they only undergo all kinds of suffering and do not attain freedom. They wish to attain freedom but lack that “cause.”

Three lacks are set out here in one breath: not hearing it taught, not suppressing it, and not rightly suppressing it. The passage below answers them one by one, in the same order.

The First Lack: Not Hearing It Taught

Why is teaching freedom a cause?

As the Buddha said: if there are beings whose defilements are slight, because they have not heard the Dhamma, in the end they too will fall back.

Again, as the Buddha said: bhikkhus, two causes and two conditions can give rise to right view. Which two? First, hearing from another; second, one’s own right mindfulness.

This is why freedom is taught.

The phrases “defilements are slight” and “two causes and two conditions” each occur only once in the entire treatise. This passage cites the Buddha twice in succession, with only one line between them.

The Second and Third Lacks: Not Suppressing and Not Rightly Suppressing

For one who has not suppressed freedom, freedom is taught in order to give rise to disenchantment.

For one who has not rightly suppressed freedom, freedom is taught in order to remove the wrong path and attain the jhāna path of freedom.

It is like a traveller on a long journey who obtains a good guide.

Earlier, a blind person had no guide and travelled alone to a distant country; here, a traveller on a long journey obtains a good guide. One is negative and one positive, forming a pair across the passage. Each of the three lacks receives one answer, and all three answers close with the same words, “therefore freedom is taught.”

The Path of Suppressed Freedom and the Three Aggregates

This is the path of suppressed freedom, in which the three aggregates are complete.

Which three? The aggregate of virtue, the aggregate of concentration, and the aggregate of wisdom.

What is the aggregate of virtue? Right speech, right action, and right livelihood, together with anything of the same kind included in the aggregate of virtue, or the various accumulations of virtuous qualities.

What is the aggregate of concentration? Right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration, together with anything of the same kind included in the aggregate of concentration, or the various accumulations of the qualities of concentration.

What is the aggregate of wisdom? Right view and right intention, together with anything of the same kind that is included, or the various accumulations of the qualities of wisdom.

Two things about these three formulas should be remembered exactly as they stand. First, the three aggregates list eight items in all: precisely the eight factors of the noble eightfold path, assigned to the three aggregates in groups of three, three, and two. Second, the wording of the three formulas is not entirely the same: the formula for the aggregate of virtue says “of the same kind, included in the aggregate of virtue,” and the formula for concentration says “of the same kind, included in the aggregate of concentration,” while the formula for wisdom says only “of the same kind, included,” omitting the two characters that name the aggregate of wisdom. This is recorded exactly as the treatise gives it, without supplying them.

When these three aggregates are complete, this is the path of suppressed freedom.

Earlier it says, “This is the path of suppressed freedom; the three aggregates are complete.” Here it says, “These three aggregates being complete, this is the path of suppressed freedom”—the same two things stated once each in reverse order.

The Three Trainings: The Same Set, Stated Three Times

One should train in the three trainings: the higher training in virtue, the higher training in mind, and the higher training in wisdom.

There is virtue and there is the higher training in virtue; there is concentration and there is the higher training in mind; there is wisdom and there is the higher training in wisdom.

Again, there is virtue—training in virtue; virtue—the higher training in virtue; concentration—training in mind; concentration—the higher training in mind; wisdom—training in wisdom; wisdom—the higher training in wisdom.

The treatise states the same set of three trainings three times in succession, each time in a different form: the first states only three items, all bearing “higher”; the second states six items, setting the three plain terms alongside the three higher ones; the third also states six items, but each item is prefixed by its own plain term. This is recorded exactly as it stands.

Training in Virtue and the Higher Training in Virtue

Question: what is the training in virtue?

Answer: what is called virtue with a sign is named the training in virtue; what is called virtue of penetrative partaking is the higher training in virtue.

Again, the virtue of an ordinary person is named the training in virtue; noble virtue is the higher training in virtue.

A single question receives two rounds of answers, each offering a pair.

The Training in Mind

Question: what is the training in mind?

Answer: what is called desire-concentration.

This question and answer contain fourteen characters including punctuation, making it the shortest section in the passage; and the answer stops there, without adding a sentence such as “This is called the training in mind,” as the neighboring section does. This is recorded exactly as it stands, without supplying one.

The Higher Training in Mind and the Training in Wisdom

Question: what is the higher training in mind.

—The base text has a period here, not a question mark; this is recorded exactly as it stands.

Answer: form concentration and formless concentration; this is called the higher training in mind.

Again, concentration with a sign is the training in mind; the concentration of penetrative partaking and the concentration of the path are called the higher training in mind.

What is the training in wisdom? What is called worldly wisdom is named the training in wisdom; knowledge resembling the four truths and path knowledge are called the higher training in wisdom.

One more point must be recorded exactly as it stands: the question “What is the training in wisdom?” does not begin a new paragraph as the preceding three questions do; it is embedded within the paragraph on the higher training in mind. Thus this passage contains four questions, but only three form paragraphs of their own.

The Three Trainings and Three Kinds of Faculties

As the Blessed One taught: the higher training in virtue for those of dull faculties, the higher training in mind for those of middling faculties, and the higher training in wisdom for those of sharp faculties.

Across its beginning and end, this passage cites the Buddha three times, using three different introductory forms: “as the Buddha said,” “again, as the Buddha said,” and “as the Blessed One.”

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Why the Path of Freedom Is Taught and the Three Trainings · Vernacular · Summer 2026

What Does “Training” Mean?

Question: what does training mean?

Answer: Training in what can be trained, training in the higher training, and training in what is beyond training are all called training.

To train in these three trainings in this way is called the path of suppressed freedom.

This is the first time in this passage that a sentence closes with “this is the path of suppressed freedom.” Below, it will close four more times, each time closing a different part.

First Account: The Three Purities

Purity is accomplished through the three trainings: purity of virtue, purity of mind, and purity of view.

Here, virtue is purity of virtue, concentration is purity of mind, and wisdom is purity of view.

Virtue washes away the stain of violating the precepts, and concentration washes away the stain of entanglement; this is called purity of mind. Wisdom removes the stain of not knowing; this is called purity of view.

One thing is recorded here exactly as it stands: each of the three items has a stain that it washes away, but there are only two closing formulas—“this is called purity of mind” and “this is called purity of view.” The item on virtue has no closing formula. The two formulas also use different characters: one is “是謂” and the other “此謂”. No closing formula is supplied, and the two are not made uniform.

Again, virtue removes the stain of bad action, concentration removes the stain of entanglement, and wisdom removes the stain of underlying tendencies.

The same three items now have a different set of stains to remove: in the first round they are the stains of violating the precepts, entanglement, and not knowing; in this round they are the stains of bad action, entanglement, and underlying tendencies. Only the item on concentration is the same in both.

Thus, through the three purities, this is the path of suppressed freedom.

Second Account: The Three Goods

Again, the path is subdued through three goods: goodness in the beginning, goodness in the middle, and goodness in the end. Virtue is the beginning, concentration the middle, and wisdom the end.

How is virtue goodness in the beginning? A person with energy accomplishes non-regression; because of non-regression there is joy, because of joy there is exhilaration, because of exhilaration there is bodily repose, because of bodily repose there is pleasure, and because of pleasure the mind becomes concentrated—this is called goodness in the beginning.

For concentration as goodness in the middle, through concentration one has knowledge-and-vision according to reality; this is called goodness in the middle.

For wisdom as goodness in the end, having already gained knowledge-and-vision according to reality, one becomes disenchanted; because of disenchantment there is dispassion, because of dispassion there is liberation, and because of liberation self-knowledge is accomplished.

The explanations of the three goods differ greatly in length: goodness in the beginning has a chain of six items, goodness in the middle only one sentence, and goodness in the end four items. The sentence on goodness in the middle ends at “knowledge-and-vision according to reality,” and goodness in the end begins again from “having already gained knowledge-and-vision according to reality”—the end of the preceding item is the beginning of the one that follows. This is recorded exactly as it stands.

One more thing must be recorded exactly as it stands: goodness in the beginning has the closing formula “this is called goodness in the beginning,” and goodness in the middle has “this is called goodness in the middle,” but goodness in the end has no closing formula and runs directly into the next sentence. The preceding group of three purities likewise has three items but only two closing formulas, missing the first; this group misses the last. No closing formula is supplied.

With the path of the three goods thus accomplished, this is already the path of suppressed freedom.

Third Account: The Three Blisses

Three kinds of bliss are attained: blameless bliss, the bliss of cessation, and the bliss of right awakening.

Through virtue he attains blameless bliss, through concentration the bliss of cessation, and through wisdom the bliss of right awakening.

When the three kinds of bliss are thus attained and accomplished, this is the path of suppressed freedom; leaving the two extremes behind, one attains fulfillment of the middle way.

Fourth Account: Fulfillment of the Middle Way

Through this goodness of virtue, one removes attachment to the various desires and gives rise to gladness in blameless bliss; through concentration, one removes bodily weakness and increases joy in the bliss of cessation; through wisdom, one distinguishes the Four Truths, fulfills the middle way, and deeply delights in the bliss of right awakening.

The three blisses are stated here a second time. The first time says only what virtue, concentration, and wisdom each attain; the second adds two things to each item—what is removed (attachment to desires, bodily weakness, and distinguishing the Four Truths through wisdom) and the attitude that arises (gladness arises, joy increases, and deep delight is felt).

Thus, leaving the two extremes behind and attaining fulfillment of the middle way is the path of suppressed freedom.

The expression “中道”—two characters, rendered “middle way”—occurs only these three times in the entire treatise, all in this passage.

Final Turn: Three Removals and the Four Fruits

Through virtue one removes bad destinations, through concentration the sense realm, and through wisdom all becoming.

By cultivating virtue much and concentration and wisdom little, one becomes a stream-enterer or once-returner. By cultivating virtue and concentration much and wisdom little, one becomes a non-returner. By bringing all three to fulfillment, one becomes an arahant and attains unsurpassed freedom.

This final turn no longer has a closing formula. The preceding five sections each close with “this is the path of suppressed freedom”; here there is none. The treatise stops directly with the four fruits, and the Chapter on Causes and Conditions ends there as well. Nor does it add a separate closing formula attaching “is complete” to the chapter title—other chapters in this treatise have such formulas, but this one does not. This is recorded exactly as it stands; no formula is supplied.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Purity and Accomplishment of the Three Trainings · Vernacular · Summer 2026