清淨道論 白話全本 · 冊22Visuddhimagga · Complete Vernacular · Vol. 22

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine); see this unit’s apparatus for the base-text particulars.

§1 The Scope of Purification by Knowledge and Vision and the Arising of Change-of-Lineage Knowledge 〔CSCD §806〕

Chapter Twenty-Two: Explanation of Purification by Knowledge and Vision

From this point onward comes change-of-lineage knowledge. Because it occupies the position of adverting to the path, it belongs neither to purification by knowledge and vision of the way nor to purification by knowledge and vision; between the two, it is not classed as either.¹ Yet because it falls within the stream of insight, it is still called insight. The knowledge in the four paths—the path of stream-entry, the path of once-returning, the path of non-returning, and the path of arahantship—is called purification by knowledge and vision.

Here, one who wishes to accomplish knowledge of the first path has nothing further to do. For everything to be done has already been done when insight ending in conformity arose. After the three instances of conformity knowledge, each according to its own strength, have made the gross darkness concealing the truths disappear, the mind no longer plunges into, stands upon, resolves upon, adheres to, clings to, or becomes bound to anything among all formations. Like water on a lotus leaf, it draws back, contracts, and recoils. Everything that has the sign as object and everything that has occurrence as object manifests as an impediment. When everything having the sign and occurrence as object has thus manifested as an impediment, then, at the end of the repetition of conformity knowledge, [a knowledge] arises that takes the signless, non-occurrence, the unformed, cessation, and nibbāna as object; surmounts the lineage, designation, and plane of the ordinary person; enters the lineage, designation, and plane of the noble ones; is the first turning, first inclination, and first directing of attention toward nibbāna as object; fulfills its condition for the path in six modes—as proximity, contiguity, repetition, decisive support, absence, and disappearance; has reached the summit and become insight’s summit; and does not turn back. Such is the arising of change-of-lineage knowledge.

It was with reference to this that the following was said:

“How is the understanding of emergence outwardly and of turning away change-of-lineage knowledge? It is change-of-lineage because it surmounts arising. It surmounts occurrence … up to (expanded as above) … it surmounts distress, and so it is change-of-lineage. It surmounts the sign of formations externally, and so it is change-of-lineage. It plunges into non-arising, and so it is change-of-lineage. It plunges into non-occurrence … up to (expanded as above) … it plunges into non-distress, cessation, and nibbāna, and so it is change-of-lineage. Having surmounted arising, it plunges into non-arising, and so it is change-of-lineage.”—all of this should be stated in full.

§2 The Simile of Crossing a Ditch—The Difference in Object Between Conformity and Change-of-Lineage Within One Cognitive Process 〔CSCD §807〕

Here is a simile illustrating how conformity and change-of-lineage, although occurring with one adverting in one cognitive process, occur upon different objects. Suppose a person wishing to leap over a great ditch and stand on the far bank runs swiftly, grasps a rope or pole hanging from a tree branch on the near bank, and leaps. With the body inclining, tending, and leaning toward the far bank, the person reaches a point above it, lets go, falls swaying onto the far bank, and slowly gains firm footing. In the same way, this meditator wishes to stand in nibbāna, the far bank of the kinds of existence, birth, destination, station, and abode. Running swiftly through contemplation of arising and passing away and the rest, the meditator, with the adverting of conformity, grasps the rope of materiality hanging from the tree branch of the individual existence—or a pole consisting of any one among feeling and the rest—and takes it as impermanent, suffering, or not-self. Without releasing it, the meditator leaps with the first conformity consciousness; with the second, the mind inclines, tends, and leans toward nibbāna, just as the body inclines, tends, and leans toward the far bank; with the third, the meditator comes close to the nibbāna now to be attained, just as the person reaches a point above the far bank. When that consciousness ceases, the meditator releases the formations-object and, with change-of-lineage consciousness, falls into the unformed nibbāna that is the far bank. Yet, having obtained no repetition upon that single object, the meditator is not yet firmly established, like the person who is swaying; firm establishment comes afterward through path knowledge.

§3 The Division of Work Between Conformity and Change-of-Lineage—The Simile of the Moon and Clouds 〔CSCD §808〕

Here, conformity can dispel the defilement-darkness concealing the truths, but it cannot take nibbāna as object; change-of-lineage can take only nibbāna as object, but it cannot dispel the darkness concealing the truths. The following is a simile. It is said that a person with sight, thinking, “I shall determine the conjunction of the stars,” went out at night and looked upward to see the moon. Because the moon was covered by clouds, it did not appear. Then a wind arose and scattered the gross clouds; a second scattered the medium clouds; and a third scattered the fine clouds. The person then saw the moon in the cloudless sky and determined the conjunction of the stars.

Here, the three clouds are like the gross, medium, and fine defilement-darkness concealing the truths; the three winds are like the three conformity consciousnesses; the person with sight is like change-of-lineage knowledge; and the moon is like nibbāna. Each wind’s successive scattering of the clouds is like each conformity consciousness’s dispelling of the darkness concealing the truths; the person’s seeing the clear moon in a sky from which the clouds have vanished is like change-of-lineage knowledge’s seeing purified nibbāna when the darkness concealing the truths has been removed.

Just as the three winds can only scatter the clouds covering the moon and cannot see the moon, so the instances of conformity can only dispel the darkness concealing the truths and cannot see nibbāna. Just as the person can only see the moon and cannot scatter the clouds, so change-of-lineage knowledge can only see nibbāna and cannot dispel the defilement-darkness. It is precisely for this reason that it is called adverting to the path. Although it is not itself adverting, it stands in the position of adverting, gives the path a signal as though saying, “Arise in this way,” and then ceases. Without relinquishing the signal it has been given, the path immediately follows that knowledge in an unbroken continuity and arises piercing and splitting apart the aggregates of greed, hate, and delusion that have never before been pierced or split apart.

§4 The Archer Simile and the Nine Benefits of the Path 〔CSCD §809–810〕

Here is a simile. It is said that an archer set up one hundred boards at a distance of eight usabhas,² covered his face with cloth, readied bow and arrow, and stood on a revolving mechanism. Another person turned the mechanism and, when the boards came directly before the archer, gave a signal there with a stick. Without losing the stick’s signal, the archer released the arrow and pierced the one hundred boards. Here, the stick’s signal is like change-of-lineage knowledge, and the archer is like path knowledge. The archer’s piercing the hundred boards without losing the stick’s signal is like path knowledge, without losing the signal given by change-of-lineage knowledge, taking nibbāna as object and piercing and splitting apart the aggregates of greed, hate, and delusion that have never before been pierced or split apart.

This path not only pierces the aggregates of greed and the rest. It also dries up the ocean of suffering in the beginningless round, closes every door to bad destinations, brings the seven noble treasures into one’s presence, abandons the eightfold wrong path, stills every enmity and fear, brings one to the status of a true-born child at the breast of the Rightly and Fully Enlightened One, and leads to the acquisition of hundreds of other benefits. The knowledge associated with the path of stream-entry that bestows so many benefits is called knowledge in the path of stream-entry.

　　Here ends the account of first-path knowledge.

§5 The Number of Fruition Consciousnesses and the Stream-Enterer’s Five Reviews and the Nineteen Reviews 〔CSCD §811–812〕

Immediately after this knowledge, two or three fruition consciousnesses arise as its result. It is precisely because the result of supramundane wholesomeness is immediate that such statements are made as, “They call that concentration immediate,”³ and “One slowly attains the immediate [condition] leading to the destruction of the influxes.” Some, however, say that there are one, two, three, or four fruition consciousnesses; that should not be accepted.

For change-of-lineage knowledge arises at the end of the repetition of conformity, and so there must be at least two conformity consciousnesses. A single consciousness does not obtain repetition condition, and a cognitive process with one adverting has a maximum of seven consciousnesses. Therefore, for one who has two instances of conformity, the third is change-of-lineage and the fourth is path consciousness, leaving three fruition consciousnesses. For one who has three instances of conformity, the fourth is change-of-lineage and the fifth is path consciousness, leaving two fruition consciousnesses. Hence it was said, “Two or three fruition consciousnesses arise.”

Some say that, for one who has four instances of conformity, the fifth is change-of-lineage and the sixth is path consciousness, leaving one fruition consciousness. But this account has been rejected because absorption occurs only in the fourth or fifth consciousness and does not occur after that owing to the nearness of the life-continuum. It should therefore not be regarded as sound.

At this point the person becomes what is called a stream-enterer,⁵ the second noble person. Even if exceedingly negligent, after coursing and wandering at most seven times among devas and humans, the stream-enterer is capable of making an end of suffering. At the conclusion of fruition the mind descends into the life-continuum; then, interrupting the life-continuum, mind-door adverting arises for the purpose of reviewing the path. When that has ceased, seven impulsions reviewing the path occur in succession. After descending into the life-continuum again, adverting and the rest arise in the same manner to review fruition and the other objects. With their arising, the person reviews the path, reviews fruition, reviews the defilements abandoned, reviews the defilements remaining, and reviews nibbāna.

The person reviews the path thus: “I have indeed come by this path.” Then fruition: “This is the benefit I have obtained.” Then the defilements abandoned: “These are the defilements I have abandoned.” Then the defilements to be abandoned by the three higher paths: “These are the defilements remaining in me.” Finally the deathless nibbāna: “This is the Dhamma I have penetrated by way of the object.” Thus the noble disciple who is a stream-enterer has five reviews. As with the stream-enterer, so too with the once-returner and non-returner. The arahant, however, has no review of remaining defilements. Taken together, these are called the nineteen reviews.

This is only the highest limit. For trainees may or may not review the defilements abandoned and those remaining. It was precisely because this review was absent that Mahānāma asked the Blessed One, “What state remains unabandoned within me, such that at times states of greed obsess my mind?”—all of this should be understood in full.

Notes

¹ Not classed as either (abbohārika): the expression determining that change-of-lineage knowledge stands between purification by knowledge and vision of the way and purification by knowledge and vision without being counted under either.

² Usabha: an ancient Indian measure of distance. Here it indicates only how far away the archer stood; the treatise does not define its length, and this edition does not determine it on the treatise’s behalf.

³ Concentration (samādhi): the equal settling of mind and mental factors upon one object without distraction. According to its level, it has two stages: access concentration, in which the hindrances have been suppressed but absorption has not yet been entered, and absorption concentration, in which the mind has fully entered its object without wavering. Here, however, the cited “immediate concentration” refers to the concentration of the path.

⁴ Life-continuum: the underlying current of mental continuity, from which a cognitive process turns out when it begins and into which it descends again when the process ends. Its occurrence is explained in the chapter on the aggregates, in the unit on the consciousness aggregate.

⁵ Stream-enterer (sotāpanna): one who has entered the stream of the noble path. The treatise identifies this person as the second noble person, who makes an end of suffering within at most seven returns.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine); see this unit’s apparatus for the base-text particulars.

§1 Knowledge of the Second Path—Attaining the Path of Once-Returning by Attenuating Sensual Desire and Ill Will 〔CSCD §813〕

Having reviewed in this way, that noble disciple who is a stream-enterer, whether seated on that very seat or at another time, undertakes the practice to attenuate sensual desire and ill will and to attain the second plane. He brings together the faculties, powers, and awakening factors,¹ and with knowledge kneads and turns over that same mass of formations, distinguished as form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness, as impermanent, suffering, and not-self, thus entering the course of insight. As he practices in this way, in the manner already stated, conformity knowledge and change-of-lineage knowledge arise with a single adverting at the end of equanimity about formations; immediately after change-of-lineage, the path of once-returning arises. The knowledge associated with it is knowledge of the path of once-returning.

　　The second knowledge is finished.

§2 Knowledge of the Third Path—The Once-Returner’s Position and the Complete Abandonment of Sensual Desire and Ill Will 〔CSCD §814〕

The fruition consciousnesses immediately following this knowledge should also be understood in the manner already stated. At this point this person becomes what is called a once-returner, the fourth noble person, capable of making an end of suffering after coming to this world only once. Subsequent reviewing is likewise as already stated.

Having reviewed in this way, that noble disciple who is a once-returner, whether seated on that very seat or at another time, undertakes the practice to abandon sensual desire and ill will without remainder and to attain the third plane. He brings together the faculties, powers, and awakening factors, and with knowledge kneads and turns over that same mass of formations as impermanent, suffering, and not-self, thus entering the course of insight. As he practices in this way, in the manner already stated, conformity knowledge and change-of-lineage knowledge arise with a single adverting at the end of equanimity about formations; immediately after change-of-lineage, the path of non-returning arises. The knowledge associated with it is knowledge of the path of non-returning.

　　The third knowledge is finished.

§3 Knowledge of the Fourth Path—The Non-Returner’s Position and the Complete Abandonment of the Five Higher Fetters 〔CSCD §815〕

The fruition consciousnesses immediately following this knowledge should also be understood in the manner already stated. At this point this person becomes what is called a non-returner, the sixth noble person, one who is spontaneously reborn, attains final nibbāna there, is by nature not bound to return, and in terms of rebirth-linking does not come to this world again. Subsequent reviewing is likewise as already stated.

Having reviewed in this way, that noble disciple who is a non-returner, whether seated on that very seat or at another time, undertakes the practice to abandon without remainder desire for form, desire for the formless, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance,³ and to attain the fourth plane. He brings together the faculties, powers, and awakening factors, and with knowledge kneads and turns over that same mass of formations as impermanent, suffering, and not-self, thus entering the course of insight. As he practices in this way, in the manner already stated, conformity knowledge and change-of-lineage knowledge arise with a single adverting at the end of equanimity about formations; immediately after change-of-lineage, the path of arahantship arises. The knowledge associated with it is knowledge of the path of arahantship.

　　The fourth knowledge is finished.

§4 The Arahant’s Position and the Summary of the Four Knowledges 〔CSCD §816〕

The fruition consciousnesses immediately following this knowledge should also be understood in the manner already stated. At this point this person becomes what is called an arahant, the eighth noble person: one whose influxes are greatly destroyed, bearer of the final body, one who has laid down the burden, one who has attained his own true good, one whose fetters of becoming are exhausted, one liberated through right knowledge, and the foremost person worthy of offerings in the world with its devas and human beings.

Thus, the earlier statement, “The path of stream-entry, the path of once-returning, the path of non-returning, and the path of arahantship—the knowledge in these four paths is called purification by knowledge and vision,” was said with reference to these four knowledges, which are to be attained in this sequence.

Notes

¹ Faculties, powers, and awakening factors: three groups included among the thirty-seven requisites of awakening; their items and the exposition of their meanings appear in this chapter’s unit on the requisites of awakening.

² Fourth, sixth, and eighth noble persons: among the four pairs and eight persons, the even positions are those in the four fruitions, while the odd positions are those on the four paths; the treatise names only the even positions, not the odd ones.

³ Desire for form, desire for the formless, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance: the five higher fetters; the ten fetters are enumerated and explained in this chapter’s unit on the abandonment of what is to be abandoned.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine); see this unit’s apparatus for the base-text particulars.

§1 The Two Summary Verses on Four Matters and the Meaning of the Thirty-Seven Phenomena 〔CSCD §817–818〕

Discussion of the Requisites of Awakening

Now, in order to understand the power of this very purification by knowledge and vision consisting in the four knowledges—

The completeness of the requisites of awakening, the correspondence of emergence with the powers; / what phenomena are to be abandoned by what, and their abandonment; / and the functions beginning with full understanding spoken of at the time of direct realization¹— / all these should be known according to their individual nature.

Here, “the completeness of the requisites of awakening” means the state of completeness of the requisites of awakening.² The four establishments of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors, and the noble eightfold path—these thirty-seven phenomena are called “requisites of awakening” because they stand in a portion of the noble path called “awakening” in the sense of awakening. “Standing in a portion” means standing in the position of assistance.

§2 The Meaning and Number of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness and Four Right Efforts 〔CSCD §819–820〕

Because it occurs by plunging and leaping into this or that object, it is “establishment.”³ Mindfulness⁴ itself is establishment, and therefore it is an “establishment of mindfulness.” It occurs with respect to body, feeling, mind, and phenomena by apprehending the modes of unattractiveness, suffering, impermanence, and not-self, and also by accomplishing the function of abandoning perceptions of beauty, pleasure, permanence, and self. It is therefore divided fourfold. Thus the “four establishments of mindfulness” are spoken of.

One exerts by means of it, and so it is “effort.” Excellent effort is right effort. Or, one exerts rightly by means of it, and so it is right effort. Or it is excellent because it is free from the ugliness of defilements, and it is effort because it brings forth excellence by accomplishing welfare and happiness and because it is the cause of the state of exertion; thus it is right effort. This is a designation for energy. This energy accomplishes the functions of abandoning arisen unwholesome phenomena and preventing unarisen ones from arising, and of bringing unarisen wholesome phenomena into being and maintaining arisen ones. It is therefore fourfold, and thus the “four right efforts” are spoken of.

§3 The Meaning of the Four Bases of Power and Their Mundane and Supramundane Distinction 〔CSCD §821〕

It is “power” in the previously stated sense of success. It is the foot of power because it precedes the power associated with it and because it is the prior-part cause of the power that is its result; hence it is a “basis of power.” It is fourfold according to desire and the rest, and thus the “four bases of power” are spoken of. As it is said: “Four bases of power: the basis of power consisting in desire, the basis of power consisting in mind, the basis of power consisting in energy, and the basis of power consisting in investigation.⁵” These are supramundane only. Mundane bases of power, however, are the phenomena obtained through the predominance of desire and the rest, according to such statements as, “Bhikkhu, if by making desire predominant he obtains concentration and obtains unification of mind, this is called concentration due to desire.”

§4 The Meaning of the Five Faculties, Five Powers, Seven Awakening Factors, and Eight Path Factors 〔CSCD §822–823〕

Because they overcome lack of faith, idleness, negligence, distraction, and delusion, they are “faculties” in the sense of predominance called overcoming. Because they are not overcome by lack of faith and the rest, they are “powers” in the sense of unshakability. Both are fivefold according to faith and the rest, and thus the “five faculties and five powers” are spoken of.

The seven phenomena beginning with mindfulness are the “seven awakening factors” because they are factors of the being who awakens. The eight phenomena beginning with right view are the “eight path factors” in the sense of leading out. Thus “the seven awakening factors and the noble eightfold path” are spoken of.

§5 When They Are Obtained—Obtained in Different Minds in the Prior Part and in One Mind at the Path Moment; Fourteen Undivided Phenomena 〔CSCD §824–826〕

Thus, while mundane insight is occurring in the prior part, these thirty-seven requisites of awakening are obtained as follows. In one who apprehends the body in fourteen ways there is the establishment of mindfulness consisting in contemplation of the body; in one who apprehends feeling in nine ways, the establishment consisting in contemplation of feeling; in one who apprehends mind in sixteen ways, the establishment consisting in contemplation of mind; and in one who apprehends phenomena in five ways, the establishment consisting in contemplation of phenomena. When one sees an unwholesome phenomenon that had not previously arisen in this individual existence but has arisen in another person and exerts to prevent its arising, thinking, “It arose in one who practiced in such a way; I shall not practice in that way, and so it will not arise in me,” this is the first right effort. When one sees an unwholesome phenomenon that has come into occurrence in oneself and exerts to abandon it, this is the second. When one exerts to arouse a jhāna or insight that had not previously arisen in this individual existence, this is the third. When one repeatedly arouses what has arisen so that it does not decline, this is the fourth right effort. When one places desire in the yoke and arouses the wholesome, this is the basis of power consisting in desire. When one abstains from wrong speech, this is right speech. In this way, the requisites of awakening are obtained in different minds. But when these four knowledges arise, they are obtained in a single mind. At the fruition moment, the remaining thirty-three phenomena are obtained, apart from the four right efforts.

Among the phenomena obtained in this way in a single mind, the one mindfulness having nibbāna as its object is called the “four establishments of mindfulness” because it accomplishes, with respect to body and the rest, the function of abandoning perceptions of beauty and the rest. Likewise, the one energy is called the “four right efforts” because it accomplishes the functions beginning with preventing the unarisen from arising. Among the remaining phenomena, there is no decrease or increase.

Moreover, among them—

Nine phenomena are single; one is twofold, then one fourfold and one fivefold; / one is eightfold and one ninefold—thus they form six groups.

“Nine phenomena are single”: desire, mind, rapture, tranquillity, equanimity, intention, speech, action, and livelihood—these nine are single as the basis of power consisting in desire and so forth and do not enter any other class. “One is twofold”: faith stands in two classes, as a faculty and as a power. “Then one fourfold and one fivefold” means that another phenomenon stands in four classes and another in five. The one concentration stands in four classes, as faculty, power, awakening factor, and path factor. Wisdom stands in five, as those four and the class of the bases of power. “One is eightfold and one ninefold” means that another one stands in eight classes and one in nine. Mindfulness stands in eight, as the four establishments of mindfulness, faculty, power, awakening factor, and path factor. Energy stands in nine, as the four right efforts, basis of power, faculty, power, awakening factor, and path factor. Thus—

These requisites of awakening are only fourteen distinct phenomena; / by class they are sevenfold, by division thirty-seven. / Because each performs its own function and because they are spoken of according to their individual nature, / they all arise when the noble path arises.

Here the completeness of the requisites of awakening should first be understood in this way.

Notes

¹ Direct realization (abhisamaya): penetration of the four truths by path knowledge in a single moment; its four functions are explained in this chapter’s unit “The Functions Beginning with Full Understanding.”

² Requisites of awakening (bodhipakkhiya): the thirty-seven phenomena that stand in a portion of the noble path and assist it; the treatise here explains the meaning of each name and the basis for each number.

³ Establishment (paṭṭhāna): the treatise itself establishes its meaning here—occurring by plunging and leaping into an object. The same word is the name of the treatise Paṭṭhāna in the chapter “The Soil of Wisdom”; the two usages belong to different categories.

⁴ Mindfulness (sati): the mental factor that remembers its object and does not lose it; throughout the treatise it operates together with knowledge, energy, and concentration. It belongs to a different category from the generic awareness often meant by the currently common expression “mindfulness,” and should be read according to the definition established in this treatise.

⁵ Investigation (vīmaṃsā): the fourth of the four predominances, namely the wisdom that examines and discriminates.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine); see this unit’s apparatus for the base-text particulars.

§1 Three Positions of Emergence—Mundane Insight, Change-of-Lineage, and the Four Paths 〔CSCD §827〕

Discussion of the Correspondence of Emergence with the Powers

“The correspondence of emergence¹ with the powers” comprises two matters: emergence and the correspondence with the powers. Because mundane insight has a sign as its object and has not cut off origin, the cause of occurrence, it emerges neither from the sign nor from occurrence. Because change-of-lineage knowledge² has not cut off origin, it does not emerge from occurrence; but because it has nibbāna as its object, it emerges from the sign. Thus it is emergence from one side. Hence it is said, “Wisdom in turning away by emergence externally is change-of-lineage knowledge.” Likewise, “It turns away from arising and plunges into non-arising, and therefore it is change-of-lineage; it turns away from occurrence …,” and all the rest should be understood. These four knowledges, however, emerge from the sign because they have the signless as their object, and emerge from occurrence because they cut off origin. Thus they emerge from both sides.

§2 The Cited Passage—At the Moment of Each of the Four Paths, Every Factor of the Noble Eightfold Path Emerges from Its Wrong Counterpart and from Fetters and Latent Tendencies 〔CSCD §827〕

Therefore it is said:

“How is wisdom in turning away by emergence from both sides knowledge of the path?”

“At the moment of the path of stream-entry, right view in the sense of seeing emerges from wrong view; it emerges from the defilements and aggregates that follow it, and it emerges externally from all signs. Therefore it is said: wisdom in turning away by emergence from both sides is knowledge of the path. Right intention in the sense of placing [emerges] from wrong intention … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … right speech in the sense of embracing [emerges] from wrong speech; right action in the sense of originating; right livelihood in the sense of cleansing; right effort in the sense of exerting; right mindfulness in the sense of establishing; and right concentration in the sense of non-distraction emerges from wrong concentration, from the defilements and aggregates that follow it, and externally from all signs. Therefore it is said, ‘Wisdom in turning away by emergence from both sides is knowledge of the path.’”

“At the moment of the path of once-returning, right view in the sense of seeing … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … through right concentration in the sense of non-distraction emerge from the gross fetter of sensual desire and the gross fetter of aversion, and from the gross latent tendency to sensual desire and the gross latent tendency to aversion … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage …”

“At the moment of the path of non-returning, right view in the sense of seeing … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … through right concentration in the sense of non-distraction emerge from the fetter of sensual desire and the fetter of aversion accompanied by what is subtle, and from the latent tendency to sensual desire and the latent tendency to aversion accompanied by what is subtle … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage …”

“At the moment of the path of arahantship, right view in the sense of seeing … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … through right concentration in the sense of non-distraction emerge from desire for form, desire for the formless, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance; from the latent tendencies to conceit, craving for becoming, and ignorance; from the defilements and aggregates that follow them; and externally from all signs. Therefore it is said, ‘Wisdom in turning away by emergence from both sides is knowledge of the path.’”

§3 The Correspondence of the Two Powers of Tranquillity and Insight—Yoked Together at the Noble-Path Moment 〔CSCD §828〕

While the eight mundane attainments are being developed, the power of tranquillity is predominant; while contemplation of impermanence and the rest are being developed, the power of insight is predominant. At the moment of the noble path, however, those phenomena occur yoked together in the sense that neither surpasses the other. Thus the two powers correspond in each of these four knowledges. As it is said:

“For one emerging from the defilements and aggregates associated with restlessness, the concentration that is unification of mind and non-distraction has cessation as its range. For one emerging from the defilements and aggregates associated with ignorance, insight in the sense of contemplation has cessation as its range. Thus tranquillity and insight become of one flavor in the sense of emergence, become yoked together, and neither surpasses the other. Therefore it is said: one develops tranquillity and insight yoked together in the sense of emergence.”

Here the correspondence of emergence with the powers should be understood in this way.

Notes

¹ Emergence (vuṭṭhāna): emerging from both object and continuity; this unit distinguishes three positions—mundane insight, change-of-lineage knowledge, and knowledge of the four paths—through the two aspects “emergence from the sign” and “emergence from occurrence.”

² Change-of-lineage knowledge (gotrabhu-ñāṇa): the single consciousness that first takes nibbāna as its object and marks the crossing from the ordinary lineage into the noble; it is established in this chapter’s unit “First-Path Knowledge and the Stream-Enterer.”

³ Latent tendency (anusaya): a defilement lying latent after it has reached strength and serving as a cause for defilement to arise again; it and an actively occurring obsession are two positions of the same defilement.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine); see this unit’s apparatus for the base-text particulars.

§1 General Statement of the Eighteen Groups to Be Abandoned and the Meaning of the First Eight 〔CSCD §829〕

Discussion of the Abandonment of What Is to Be Abandoned

“What phenomena are to be abandoned by what, and their abandonment”: among these four knowledges,¹ which phenomena are to be abandoned by which knowledge, and their abandonment, should be understood. For these knowledges, as appropriate, perform the abandonment of phenomena called fetters, defilements, wrongnesses,² worldly conditions,³ stinginesses, distortions, bonds, wrong courses, influxes, floods, yokes, hindrances, misapprehension,⁴ clingings, latent tendencies, stains, unwholesome courses of action, and unwholesome consciousness-arisen states.

Here, “fetters”: ten phenomena beginning with desire for form are so called because they bind aggregates to aggregates, kamma to result, or beings to suffering. For as long as they remain, these do not cease. Among them, desire for form, desire for the formless, conceit, restlessness, and ignorance are called the five higher fetters because they bind aggregates and the rest born in the higher realms. Identity view, doubt, grasping at precepts and observances, sensual desire, and aversion are called the five lower fetters because they bind aggregates and the rest born in the lower realms.

“Defilements”: ten phenomena—greed, aversion, delusion, conceit, view, doubt, sloth, restlessness, shamelessness, and fearlessness of wrongdoing—because they are themselves defiled and defile the phenomena associated with them.

“Wrongnesses”: eight phenomena—wrong view, wrong intention, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, and wrong concentration—because they occur wrongly; or ten together with wrong liberation and wrong knowledge.

“Worldly conditions”: gain, loss, fame, disrepute, pleasure, pain, blame, and praise—these eight because they do not cease so long as worldly occurrence continues. Here, however, it should be understood that, by figuratively naming the cause, what the expression “worldly conditions” includes is attraction that takes gain and the rest as its basis, and aversion that takes loss and the rest as its basis.

“Stinginesses”: stinginess about a dwelling, family, gain, Dhamma, and praise—the five stinginesses that occur through being unable to bear sharing a dwelling and the rest with others.

§2 The Meaning of the Remaining Ten of the Eighteen Groups 〔CSCD §829〕

“Distortions”: the three distortions of perception, mind, and view that occur toward things that are impermanent, suffering, not-self, and unattractive as “permanent, pleasant, self, and beautiful.”

“Bonds”: the four beginning with covetousness, because they bind the mental body and the material body. Thus they are spoken of as the bodily bond of covetousness, the bodily bond of aversion, the bodily bond of grasping at precepts and observances, and the bodily bond of insistence that “this alone is truth.”

“Wrong course”: a designation for doing what should not be done and not doing what should be done through desire, aversion, delusion, and fear. Because this is a course that noble ones should not take, it is called a “wrong course.”

“Influxes”: a designation for sensual desire, craving for becoming, wrong view, and ignorance, because they flow by way of objects up to change-of-lineage and up to the peak of becoming; or because they flow out through unguarded doors as water flows through holes in a broken vessel, in the sense of continual leaking; or because they flow out into the suffering of saṃsāra. “Floods,” in the sense of dragging one through the ocean of becoming and being hard to cross, and “yokes,” because they do not allow separation from objects or separation from suffering, are also designations for those same phenomena.

“Hindrances”: the five beginning with sensual desire, in the sense of obstructing, hindering, and covering the mind.

“Misapprehension”: a designation for wrong view, because it occurs in the mode of touching a nonexistent nature elsewhere, passing beyond the individual nature of each phenomenon.

“Clingings”: the four beginning with clinging to sensuality, already explained in every aspect in the exposition of dependent origination.

“Latent tendencies”: the seven beginning with sensual desire, stated as the latent tendency to sensual desire, then aversion, conceit, view, doubt, craving for becoming, and ignorance, in the sense of having reached strength. Because they have reached strength and truly lie latent as causes for sensual desire and the rest to arise repeatedly, they are “latent tendencies.”

“Stains”: greed, aversion, and delusion, because, like the mud of oily soot, they are themselves impure and make other things impure.

“Unwholesome courses of action”: ten—killing living beings, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, idle chatter, covetousness, aversion, and wrong view—because they are unwholesome action and paths to bad destinations.

“Unwholesome consciousness-arisen states”: twelve—eight rooted in greed, two rooted in aversion, and two rooted in delusion.

§3 Item-by-Item Assignment of What the Four Knowledges Abandon 〔CSCD §830〕

Thus these knowledges perform, as appropriate, the abandonment of the fetters and the other phenomena. How?

First, among the fetters: identity view, doubt, grasping at precepts and observances, and the sensual desire and aversion that lead to bad destinations—these five phenomena are to be abandoned by the first knowledge. The remaining gross sensual desire and aversion are to be abandoned by the second knowledge, the subtle by the third knowledge, and the five beginning with desire for form only by the fourth knowledge. Below, wherever we do not qualify a statement with the word “only,” whenever we say that something is “to be abandoned by a higher knowledge,” it should be understood that the preceding knowledges have already destroyed its character of leading to bad destinations and the rest, after which it is abandoned by the higher knowledge.

Among the defilements: view and doubt are to be abandoned by the first knowledge, aversion by the third, and greed, delusion, conceit, sloth, restlessness, shamelessness, and fearlessness of wrongdoing by the fourth.

Among the wrongnesses: wrong view, false speech, wrong action, and wrong livelihood are to be abandoned by the first knowledge; wrong intention, divisive speech, and harsh speech by the third—here “speech” should be understood as volition. Idle chatter, wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration, wrong liberation, and wrong knowledge are to be abandoned by the fourth.

Among the worldly conditions: aversion is to be abandoned by the third knowledge and attraction by the fourth. Some say that attraction toward fame and praise is to be abandoned by the fourth knowledge. The stinginesses are to be abandoned only by the first.

Among the distortions: the distortions of perception, mind, and view that take the impermanent as permanent and not-self as self, and the distortions of view that take suffering as pleasure and the unattractive as beautiful, are to be abandoned by the first knowledge. The distortions of perception and mind that take the unattractive as beautiful are to be abandoned by the third; those that take suffering as pleasure, by the fourth.

Among the bonds: the bodily bond of grasping at precepts and observances and the bodily bond of insistence that “this alone is truth” are to be abandoned by the first knowledge, the bodily bond of aversion by the third, and the remaining bond of covetousness by the fourth.

Wrong courses are to be abandoned only by the first knowledge.

Among the influxes: the influx of views is to be abandoned by the first knowledge, the influx of sensual desire by the third, and the remaining two by the fourth. The same method applies to the floods and yokes.

Among the hindrances: the hindrance of doubt is to be abandoned by the first knowledge; sensual desire, aversion, and remorse by the third; and sloth and torpor together with restlessness by the fourth.

Misapprehension is to be abandoned only by the first knowledge.

Among the clingings: because all mundane phenomena are called “sensuality” by way of objective sensuality, desire for form and desire for the formless also fall within clinging to sensuality. Therefore that clinging is to be abandoned by the fourth knowledge, while the remaining clingings are to be abandoned by the first.

Among the latent tendencies: the latent tendencies to view and doubt are to be abandoned only by the first knowledge, the latent tendencies to sensual desire and aversion by the third, and the latent tendencies to conceit, craving for becoming, and ignorance by the fourth.

Among the stains: the stain of aversion is to be abandoned by the third knowledge, and the remaining stains by the fourth.

Among the unwholesome courses of action: killing living beings, taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, false speech, and wrong view are to be abandoned by the first knowledge; divisive speech, harsh speech, and aversion by the third; and idle chatter and covetousness by the fourth.

Among the unwholesome consciousness-arisen states: the four associated with view and the one associated with doubt—these five—are to be abandoned only by the first knowledge; the two associated with aversion by the third; and the rest by the fourth.

Whatever is to be destroyed by a particular knowledge is said to be abandoned by it. Hence it is said: “Thus these knowledges perform, as appropriate, the abandonment of these phenomena beginning with fetters.”

§4 The Difficulty Concerning Abandoning Past, Present, and Future Phenomena and Its Resolution 〔CSCD §831〕

Do these knowledges abandon those phenomena that are past and future, or those that are present? What difficulty is there here? First, if they abandon past and future phenomena, effort becomes fruitless. Why? Because what is to be abandoned does not exist. If they abandon present phenomena, effort is still fruitless, because what is to be abandoned exists simultaneously with the effort; moreover, path development becomes defiled, or the defilements become dissociated—yet there is no such thing as a present defilement dissociated from consciousness.

This difficulty is not peculiar to this treatise. For in the canonical text it is first said, “This practitioner abandons defilements: past defilements, future defilements, and present defilements.” Then it says, “If one abandons past defilements, one exhausts what has been exhausted, ceases what has ceased, makes disappear what has disappeared, and makes set what has set; one abandons what does not exist in the past.” It then rejects this: “One does not abandon past defilements.”

Likewise: “If one abandons future defilements, one abandons what is unborn, unproduced, unarisen, and unmanifested; one abandons what does not exist in the future.” It then rejects this: “One does not abandon future defilements.”

Likewise: “If one abandons present defilements, one who is lustful abandons greed, one who is angry abandons aversion, one who is deluded abandons delusion, one who is bound abandons conceit, one who has misapprehended abandons view, one who is distracted abandons restlessness, one who is uncertain abandons doubt, and one whose latent tendency has reached strength abandons latent tendency; black and white phenomena then occur yoked together, and path development becomes defiled.” It then rejects all three: “One does not abandon past defilements, future defilements, or present defilements.” At the end of the question it says, “Then there is no path development, no realization of fruition,⁵ no abandonment of defilements, and no realization of phenomena.”⁶ It concedes, “It is not that there is no path development … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … no realization of phenomena.” When asked, “Then how is it?” this was said:

“Suppose there were a young tree that had not yet borne fruit, and someone cut it off at the root. The unborn fruit of that tree would remain unborn and not be born, unproduced and not be produced, unarisen and not arise, unmanifested and not become manifest. In the same way, knowing that arising is the cause and condition for the production of defilements, one sees danger in arising and the mind plunges into non-arising. Because the mind plunges into non-arising, those defilements that would be produced with accumulation as condition remain unborn and are not born … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … remain unmanifested and do not become manifest. Thus with the cessation of the cause comes the cessation of suffering. Occurrence is a cause … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … the sign is a cause … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … accumulation is a cause … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … because the mind plunges into non-accumulation, those defilements that would be produced with accumulation as condition remain unborn … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … remain unmanifested and do not become manifest. Thus with the cessation of the cause comes the cessation of suffering. In this way there is path development, realization of fruition, abandonment of defilements, and realization of phenomena.”

§5 Four Kinds of What Has Arisen and the Distinction between Ground and Ground-Obtained 〔CSCD §832–834〕

What does this show? It shows the abandonment of ground-obtained defilements. Are ground-obtained defilements past, future, or present? They are specifically called “ground-obtained arisen.”

For “arisen” has many divisions according to what is occurring, what has been and gone, what has had an opportunity made, and what is ground-obtained. Of these, everything said to possess arising, presence, and dissolution is called “present-arisen.” Wholesome and unwholesome phenomena that have ceased after experiencing the flavor of an object, called “experienced-and-gone,” and the remaining conditioned phenomena that ceased having reached the three occasions beginning with arising, called “been-and-gone,” are called “been-and-gone arisen.” Kamma spoken of by such methods as “whatever former deeds he has done,” though past, stands after obstructing another result and making an opportunity for its own result; and the result for which an opportunity has thus been made, though unarisen, will necessarily arise in the opportunity so made. This is called “opportunity-made arisen.” Unwholesome phenomena not uprooted in the various grounds are called “ground-obtained arisen.”

Here the difference between “ground” and “ground-obtained” should be understood. “Ground” is the five aggregates in the three planes that serve as objects of insight. “Ground-obtained” is the group of defilements capable of arising in those aggregates. Because the ground is obtained by that group, it is called “ground-obtained,” but this is not said by way of object. For if it were by way of object, defilements would arise taking as object all past and future aggregates, even aggregates that have been fully understood and belong to those whose influxes are destroyed—as defilements arose in the merchant Soreyya, the brahmin student Nanda, and others by taking as object the aggregates of Mahākaccāna, Uppalavaṇṇā, and others. If that too were called “ground-obtained,” then because it cannot be abandoned, no one could abandon the root of becoming. “Ground-obtained” should therefore be understood by way of basis.⁷ Wherever aggregates not fully understood by insight arise, the group of defilements that is the root of the round⁸ lies latent in them from the moment they arise. That should be understood as called “ground-obtained” in the sense of being unabandoned.

§6 Aggregates as the Basis of Defilements—The Great-Tree Simile and Poison-Thorn Simile 〔CSCD §835–836〕

Wherever a person’s defilements lie latent in particular aggregates in the sense of being unabandoned, those aggregates belonging to that person are the basis of those defilements, not aggregates belonging to another. Defilements lying latent unabandoned in past aggregates have past aggregates alone as their basis, not the others. The same method applies to future aggregates and the rest. Likewise, defilements lying latent unabandoned in sense-sphere aggregates have sense-sphere aggregates alone as their basis, not the others. The same method applies to fine-material- and immaterial-sphere aggregates. Among stream-enterers and the rest, when the group of defilements that is a root of the round in a noble person’s aggregates has been abandoned by a particular path, those aggregates are no longer the basis of those abandoned root-of-the-round defilements and are therefore no longer called “ground.” Because the roots of the round are wholly unabandoned in an ordinary person, whatever kamma that person performs becomes wholesome or unwholesome; thus the round revolves for that person with kamma and defilements as conditions. It should not be said that this root of the round is only in the form aggregate and not in feeling and the rest, or only in the consciousness aggregate and not in form and the rest. Why? Because it lies latent without distinction in all five aggregates.

How? Like the essence of earth and the rest in a tree. A great tree stands supported by the ground and dependent on the essences of earth and water; conditioned by them, it grows with roots, trunk, branches, twigs, shoots, leaves, flowers, and fruits until it fills the sky, and it stands perpetuating its lineage of trees by a succession of seeds until the end of an aeon. It should not then be said that the essence of earth and the rest is only in the roots and not in the trunk and the rest … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … or only in the fruit and not in the roots and the rest. Why? Because it pervades without distinction all the roots and the rest.

Suppose a person disgusted with that tree’s flowers and fruits drove into it from four directions poison thorns called “frog thorns.” Touched by that poison and having exhausted the essences of earth and water, the tree would become incapable of growing and could no longer produce a continuation. In the same way, a good person disgusted with the occurrence of the aggregates undertakes the development of the four paths in his own continuity, just as that person puts poison into the tree from four directions. The continuity of aggregates, touched by the poison of the four paths and having completely exhausted the defilements that are roots of the round, reaches the state in which every kind of kamma, bodily kamma and the rest, is merely functional.⁹ It becomes incapable of producing renewed existence in the future and cannot produce a continuation in another existence. With only the cessation of the final consciousness, it attains final nibbāna without clinging, like a fire without fuel. The distinction between ground and ground-obtained should be understood in this way.

§7 Four Other Kinds of What Has Arisen and Those That Can Be Abandoned 〔CSCD §837–838〕

There is also another fourfold “arisen,” according to active occurrence, seizure of an object, non-suppression, and non-uprooting. Of these, present-arisen itself is “actively arisen” here. When an object comes into the range of the eye and the rest, a group of defilements may not have arisen in the prior part, yet because the object has already been seized, it will necessarily arise in the subsequent part; it is therefore called “object-seized arisen”—like the group of defilements that arose in the Elder Mahātissa while he was walking for alms in the village of Kalyāṇi on seeing a form of the opposite sex. A group of defilements not suppressed by either tranquillity or insight, though it has not mounted the continuity of consciousness, is called “unsuppressed arisen,” because no cause prevents its arising. A group of defilements, though suppressed by tranquillity and insight, is called “unuprooted arisen” because it has not been uprooted by the noble path and has not transcended the nature of arising—like the group of defilements that arose in an elder who had attained the eight attainments and was traveling through the air when he heard a woman, gathering flowers in a grove of flowering trees, singing in a beautiful voice. These three—object-seized, unsuppressed, and unuprooted arisen—should be understood as included under ground-obtained.

Thus, among the various kinds of “arisen” stated above, the four called present, been-and-gone, opportunity-made, and actively arisen are not to be abandoned by any knowledge, because they are not to be abandoned by the path. But the arisen called ground-obtained, object-seized, unsuppressed, and unuprooted are all to be abandoned, because each mundane or supramundane knowledge arises destroying its status of having arisen.

Here, what phenomena are to be abandoned by what and their abandonment should be understood in this way.

Notes

¹ Four knowledges: knowledge of the first, second, third, and fourth paths—the knowledges of the paths of stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and arahantship. The expressions “first knowledge” through “fourth knowledge” in this unit refer to them respectively.

² Wrongness (micchatta): the eight phenomena opposed to the factors of the noble eightfold path, or ten with wrong liberation and wrong knowledge added.

³ Worldly conditions (lokadhamma): the eight beginning with gain and loss; the unit expressly states that what is actually included here is attraction and aversion taking them as their basis.

⁴ Misapprehension (parāmāsa): passing beyond a phenomenon’s individual nature and touching a nonexistent nature elsewhere; a designation for wrong view.

⁵ Realization (sacchikiriyā): directly touching and realizing through immediate knowledge; the third of the four functions, corresponding to the truth of cessation.

⁶ Direct realization (abhisamaya): penetration of the four truths by path knowledge in a single moment; its four functions are explained in this chapter’s unit “The Functions Beginning with Full Understanding.”

⁷ Basis (vatthu): the aggregates on which defilements depend. The treatise establishes “ground-obtained” by way of basis rather than object; thus, although the aggregates of one whose influxes are destroyed may be the object of another person’s defilements, they are not called ground.

⁸ Root of the round (vaṭṭamūla): the fundamental defilements that sustain the round and lie latent in aggregates not yet fully understood.

⁹ Functional (kiriya): consciousness and action that act without becoming kamma or producing result; the bodily action and the rest of one whose influxes are destroyed reach only this position.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine); see this unit’s apparatus for the base-text particulars.

§1 Establishing the Four Functions and the Lamp Simile 〔No number〕

Discussion of the Functions Beginning with Full Understanding

And the functions beginning with full understanding that were stated to occur at the time of direct realization¹—all these should be known according to their individual nature.

For at the time of direct realization of the truths, each of these four knowledges is said, in a single moment, to have the four functions beginning with full understanding: full understanding, abandoning, realization,² and development. They should all be known according to their individual nature. The teachers of old³ said:

“Just as a lamp performs four tasks in a single moment, neither earlier nor later—it burns the wick, dispels darkness, manifests light, and consumes the oil—so path knowledge directly realizes the four truths in a single moment, neither earlier nor later: it directly realizes suffering by direct realization as full understanding, origination by direct realization as abandoning, the path by direct realization as development, and cessation by direct realization as realization. What does this mean? It means that, taking cessation as its object, it reaches, sees, and penetrates all four truths.”

It was also said: “Bhikkhus, whoever sees suffering also sees the origination of suffering, also sees the cessation of suffering, and also sees the way leading to the cessation of suffering”—all of this should be understood. It was further said: “The knowledge of one endowed with the path is knowledge of suffering, knowledge of the origination of suffering, knowledge of the cessation of suffering, and knowledge of the way leading to the cessation of suffering.”

Here, as the lamp burns the wick, so path knowledge fully understands suffering. As it dispels darkness, so it abandons origination. As it manifests light, so by the condition of conascence and the rest it develops the path consisting of phenomena beginning with right intention. As it consumes the oil, so it realizes cessation, which is the exhaustion of defilements. The correspondence of the simile should be understood in this way.

§2 The Sun Simile 〔CSCD §840〕

Another method: just as the rising sun, simultaneously with its appearance, performs four tasks neither earlier nor later—it illuminates visible forms, dispels darkness, manifests light, and stills the cold—so path knowledge … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … directly realizes cessation by direct realization as realization. Here too, as the sun illuminates visible forms, so path knowledge fully understands suffering. As it dispels darkness, so it abandons origination. As it manifests light, so by the condition of conascence and the rest it develops the path. As it stills the cold, so it realizes cessation, which is the stilling of defilements. The correspondence of the simile should be understood in this way.

§3 The Ship Simile 〔CSCD §841〕

Another method: just as a ship performs four tasks in a single moment, neither earlier nor later—it leaves the near shore, cuts the current, carries cargo, and reaches the far shore—so path knowledge … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … directly realizes cessation by direct realization as realization. Here too, as the ship leaves the near shore, so path knowledge fully understands suffering. As it cuts the current, so it abandons origination. As it carries cargo, so by the condition of conascence and the rest it develops the path. As it reaches the far shore, so it realizes cessation, which is the far shore. The correspondence of the simile should be understood in this way.

§4 The True Meaning in Sixteen Aspects and the Single Inclusion and Single Penetration of the Four Truths 〔CSCD §842〕

Thus, at the time of direct realization of the truths, this knowledge, occurring in a single moment by way of the four functions, has its four functions as one penetration through the true meaning⁴ in sixteen aspects. As it is said:

“How are the four functions one penetration through the true meaning? Through the true meaning in sixteen aspects, the four functions are one penetration. The meaning of oppression, the meaning of being formed, the meaning of burning, and the meaning of change in suffering are true meanings. The meaning of accumulation, the meaning of being a source, the meaning of binding, and the meaning of obstruction in origination are true meanings. The meaning of escape, the meaning of seclusion, the meaning of being unformed, and the meaning of the deathless in cessation are true meanings. The meaning of leading out, the meaning of being a cause, the meaning of seeing, and the meaning of predominance in the path are true meanings. Through the true meaning in these sixteen aspects, the four truths are included in one. Whatever is included in one is a unity. Whatever is a unity is penetrated by one knowledge; therefore the four truths are one penetration.”

§5 Why Only Four Meanings Are Established—the Twelve Correspondences of One’s Own and Three Others 〔CSCD §843〕

Here someone may ask: since suffering and the rest also have other meanings, such as disease and tumor, why are only four stated? We answer: because these four become manifest by seeing the other truths. For knowledge of truth is stated with each individual truth as its object by such methods as, “Here, what is knowledge of suffering? The understanding, the knowing, that arises with reference to suffering …”; and it is also stated as accomplishing the functions regarding the remaining truths while taking one truth as object, by such methods as, “Bhikkhus, whoever sees suffering also sees origination.”

Here, when each truth is taken as object, first, although suffering has oppression as its characteristic by its own nature, it is accumulated, formed, and heaped up by origination, whose characteristic is accumulation; therefore, by seeing origination, its meaning of being formed becomes manifest. And because the path removes the burning of defilements and is exceedingly cool, by seeing the path its meaning of burning becomes manifest—just as the unattractiveness of Sundarī became evident to the Venerable Nanda when he saw celestial nymphs. By seeing cessation, whose nature does not change, its meaning of change becomes manifest—no more need be said here.

Likewise, although origination has accumulation as its characteristic by its own nature, by seeing suffering its meaning of being a source becomes manifest—as food is known to be the source of an illness by seeing an illness produced by unsuitable food. By seeing cessation as disconnection, its meaning of binding becomes manifest; by seeing the path as leading out, its meaning of obstruction becomes manifest.

Likewise, although cessation has escape as its characteristic, by seeing origination as nonseclusion its meaning of seclusion becomes manifest. By seeing the path, its meaning of being unformed becomes manifest: for in beginningless saṃsāra this path has never been seen before, yet because it has conditions it is still formed; thus the unformed nature of the unconditioned phenomenon becomes exceedingly clear. And by seeing suffering, its meaning of the deathless becomes manifest, for suffering is poison and nibbāna is the deathless.

Likewise, although the path has leading out as its characteristic, by seeing origination one knows, “This is not the cause of attaining nibbāna; this is the cause,” and thus its meaning of being a cause becomes manifest. By seeing cessation, its meaning of seeing becomes manifest—just as one who sees extremely subtle visible forms thinks, “How clear my eye is,” and thereby knows the eye’s clarity. By seeing suffering, its meaning of predominance becomes manifest—just as the greatness of a sovereign becomes known by seeing many people afflicted by illness, misery, and poverty. Thus, here, the first meaning of each truth becomes manifest through its own characteristic, while the remaining three meanings become manifest through seeing the other truths; because they become manifest in this way, each truth is said to have four meanings. At the path moment, all these meanings are penetrated solely by the one knowledge that performs four functions regarding suffering and the rest. As for those who maintain separate direct realizations at different times, the reply to them has already been given in the Kathāvatthu of the Abhidhamma.

Notes

¹ Direct realization (abhisamaya): penetration of the four truths by path knowledge in a single moment; this unit distinguishes four modes of direct realization—as full understanding, abandoning, development, and realization.

² Realization (sacchikiriyā): directly experiencing through immediate knowledge; the third of the four functions, corresponding to the truth of cessation. The fixed sequence of the four functions is full understanding, abandoning, realization, and development.

³ Teachers of old (porāṇā): earlier commentators in the lineage inherited by this treatise; the four tasks of the lamp are quoted as their words.

⁴ True meaning (tathaṭṭho): each of the four meanings of each truth is real and not false, and so is called a true meaning; because all sixteen meanings are included in one, they are penetrated by one knowledge.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine); see this unit’s apparatus for the base-text particulars.

§1 The Verse of Division and the Three Kinds of Full Understanding 〔CSCD §844–847〕

Discussion of the Divisions of Full Understanding and the Rest

Now, among the four functions beginning with full understanding that were stated above:

Full understanding is threefold, as are abandoning and realization; / development is accepted as twofold—their determination should be known here.

“Full understanding is threefold”: full understanding as knowing, full understanding as investigation, and full understanding as abandoning—full understanding is threefold in this way. Of these, the exposition that first gives the heading “the understanding of direct knowledge is knowledge in the sense of what is known,” then says briefly, “Whatever phenomena have been directly known, those phenomena are known,” and then gives the detailed treatment by such methods as, “Bhikkhus, all should be directly known. And what, bhikkhus, is the all that should be directly known? The eye, bhikkhus, should be directly known,” is called full understanding as knowing. Its distinctive domain¹ is the direct knowing of conditioned name-and-form.

The exposition that first gives the heading “the understanding of full understanding is knowledge in the sense of investigation,” then says briefly, “Whatever phenomena have been fully understood, those phenomena have been investigated,” and then gives the detailed treatment by such methods as, “Bhikkhus, all should be fully understood. And what, bhikkhus, is the all that should be fully understood? The eye, bhikkhus, should be fully understood,” is called full understanding as investigation. Its distinctive domain extends from comprehension by groups onward, occurring by way of investigation as “impermanent, suffering, and not-self,” as far as conformity.

The exposition that first gives the heading “the understanding of abandoning is knowledge in the sense of relinquishing,” and then gives the detailed treatment, “Whatever phenomena have been abandoned, those phenomena have been relinquished”—occurring by such methods as, “Through contemplation of impermanence one abandons the perception of permanence”—is full understanding as abandoning. Its domain extends from contemplation of dissolution² up to path knowledge; this is what is intended here. Or, because full understanding as knowing and full understanding as investigation are precisely for its sake, and because the phenomena to be abandoned must already have been known and investigated, it should be understood that, according to this method, all three kinds of full understanding are functions of path knowledge.

§2 Abandonment by Suppression 〔CSCD §848〕

“Abandoning likewise”: for abandoning, like full understanding, is also only threefold—abandonment by suppression,³ abandonment by substitution,⁴ and abandonment by cutting off.⁵ Here, whenever opposing phenomena such as the hindrances are suppressed by this or that mundane concentration, as duckweed is suppressed when a pot is plunged into water covered with duckweed, this is called abandonment by suppression. The canonical text says, “For one developing the first jhāna, there is abandonment of the hindrances by suppression,” mentioning only the suppression of the hindrances; it should be understood that this is stated because it is evident. For the hindrances do not suddenly overwhelm the mind either in the preliminary or subsequent phase of jhāna, whereas applied thought and the rest are suppressed only at the moment of absorption. Therefore the suppression of the hindrances is evident.

§3 Abandonment by Substitution—the Thirteen Kinds and the Eighteen Great Insights 〔CSCD §849〕

Whenever a particular factor of knowledge that forms part of insight abandons, by way of its opposite, the particular phenomenon to be abandoned, as darkness is abandoned by a lamp lit at night, this is called abandonment by substitution. It occurs as follows: definition of name-and-form abandons identity view. Discernment of conditions abandons views of no cause and an unequal cause, as well as the stain of doubt. Comprehension by groups abandons the collective grasping of “I” and “mine.” Determination of path and not-path abandons the perception of path in what is not the path. Seeing arising abandons the view of annihilation. Seeing cessation abandons the view of eternity. Appearance as terror abandons the perception of safety in what is dangerous. Seeing danger abandons the perception of gratification. Contemplation of disenchantment abandons the perception of delight. Desire for deliverance abandons the state of not desiring deliverance. Reflection⁶ abandons non-reflection. Equanimity abandons nonequanimity. Conformity abandons grasping contrary to the truths.

Further, among the eighteen great insights:⁷ contemplation of impermanence abandons the perception of permanence. Contemplation of suffering abandons the perception of pleasure. Contemplation of not-self abandons the perception of self. Contemplation of disenchantment abandons delight. Contemplation of dispassion abandons lust. Contemplation of cessation abandons origination. Contemplation of relinquishment abandons grasping. Contemplation of destruction abandons the perception of compactness. Contemplation of dissolution abandons accumulation. Contemplation of change abandons the perception of lastingness. Contemplation of the signless abandons the sign. Contemplation of the desireless abandons desire. Contemplation of emptiness abandons insistence. Higher-wisdom insight into phenomena abandons insistence on grasping a core. Knowledge and vision according to reality abandons insistence born of delusion. Contemplation of danger abandons insistence born of attachment. Contemplation of reflection abandons non-reflection. Contemplation of turning away abandons insistence on bondage. This too is abandonment by substitution.

§4 Individual Explanation of the Eighteen Great Insights 〔CSCD §850〕

Here, how the first seven, beginning with contemplation of impermanence, abandon the perception of permanence and the rest has already been stated under contemplation of dissolution.

“Contemplation of destruction” is the knowledge of one who, having analyzed compactness, sees destruction in the formula “impermanent in the sense of destruction”; through it the perception of compactness is abandoned.

“Contemplation of dissolution” is:

Through inference from the object, the establishing of both as one; / resolution upon cessation—this is insight into the characteristic of dissolution.

The contemplation of dissolution stated in this way is resolution upon that cessation called dissolution after seeing the dissolution of formations both on the plane of direct experience and on the plane of inference; through it accumulation is abandoned. For when one who would otherwise accumulate for the sake of those phenomena contemplates, “They are subject to dissolution in this way,” the mind no longer inclines toward accumulation.

“Contemplation of change” is seeing occurrence in an altered way after passing beyond each particular delimitation by the seven methods for materiality and the rest; alternatively, it is seeing the change of what has arisen in the two aspects of aging and death. Through it the perception of lastingness is abandoned.

“Contemplation of the signless” is contemplation of impermanence; through it the sign of permanence is abandoned.

“Contemplation of the desireless” is contemplation of suffering; through it desire and aspiration for pleasure are abandoned.

“Contemplation of emptiness” is contemplation of not-self; through it the insistence “there is a self” is abandoned.

“Higher-wisdom insight into phenomena” is:

Reflecting upon the object and contemplating its dissolution; / and the appearance of emptiness—this is higher-wisdom insight.

The higher-wisdom insight into phenomena stated in this way is insight that knows an object such as materiality, then sees the dissolution of both that object and the consciousness that takes it as object, and, knowing that “formations alone break up; this is the death of formations; nothing else whatsoever exists,” occurs by apprehending emptiness through dissolution. Because it is both higher wisdom and insight into phenomena, it is called “higher-wisdom insight into phenomena.” Because it sees well the absence of any enduring core and the absence of any self-core, through it insistence on grasping a core is abandoned.

“Knowledge and vision according to reality” is the apprehension of conditioned name-and-form; through it insistence born of delusion that occurs by way of such questions as “Did I exist in the past?” and such views as “The world arose from a creator god” is abandoned.

“Contemplation of danger” is knowledge arisen by way of appearance as terror that sees danger in all becoming and the rest; through it insistence born of attachment is abandoned because “nothing whatsoever to cling to is seen.”

“Contemplation of reflection” is reflecting knowledge that fashions a means of deliverance; through it non-reflection is abandoned.

“Contemplation of turning away” is equanimity about formations together with conformity. For it is said that at that time the mind retracts, retreats, and recoils from all formations, like a drop of water on a slightly tilted lotus leaf. Thus through it insistence on bondage is abandoned. The meaning is that insistence consisting in defilements such as the bond of sensual desire is abandoned—that the occurrence of defilements is abandoned. Abandonment by substitution should be understood in detail in this way. The canonical text, however, states only in brief: “For one developing concentration that partakes of penetration, there is abandonment of views by substitution.”

§5 Abandonment by Cutting Off 〔CSCD §851〕

Whenever noble path knowledge abandons phenomena such as fetters in such a way that they do not occur again, like a tree struck by a thunderbolt-wheel that no longer grows, this is called abandonment by cutting off. In reference to this it is said: “For one developing the supramundane path leading to destruction, there is abandonment by cutting off.” Thus among these three kinds of abandoning, only abandonment by cutting off is intended here. Yet because the meditator’s preliminary abandonment by suppression and abandonment by substitution are precisely for its sake, it should be understood that, according to this method, all three kinds of abandoning are functions of path knowledge. For when someone has slain the rival king and gained the kingdom, everything done before that is spoken of as “this and that was done by the king.”

§6 Three Kinds of Realization, Two Kinds of Development, and the Chapter Close 〔CSCD §852–853〕

“Realization likewise”: although realization is divided into the two kinds of mundane and supramundane realization, it becomes threefold because the supramundane is divided according to seeing and development. Here, the experiencing of the first jhāna and the rest, expressed by such methods as, “I am an attainer of the first jhāna, a master of it; the first jhāna has been realized by me,” is called mundane realization. “Experiencing” means that, having attained it and thinking, “This has been attained by me,” one touches it directly with the touch of knowledge. It is in reference to this meaning that the heading “the understanding of realization is knowledge in the sense of touching” is first stated, after which the explanation of realization says: “Whatever phenomena have been realized, those phenomena have been touched.”

Further, even without having arisen in one’s own continuity, whatever phenomena are known solely by knowledge independent of another are also realized. Thus it is said: “Bhikkhus, all should be realized. And what, bhikkhus, is the all that should be realized? The eye, bhikkhus, should be realized,” and so forth. It is also said: “One who sees materiality realizes it. One who sees feeling … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … one who sees consciousness realizes it. One who sees the eye … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … aging-and-death … and so on, as in the foregoing full passage … one who sees nibbāna, which enters into the deathless, realizes it. Whatever phenomena have been realized, those phenomena have been touched.”

Seeing nibbāna at the moment of the first path is realization by seeing; at the moments of the remaining paths it is realization by development. These two are what is intended here. It should therefore be understood that realizing nibbāna by seeing and by development is the function of this knowledge.

“Development is accepted as twofold”: only two kinds of development are accepted, mundane development and supramundane development. Here, the arising of mundane virtue, concentration, and wisdom, and the perfuming of the continuity by them, is mundane development. The arising of supramundane virtue, concentration, and wisdom, and the perfuming of the continuity by them, is supramundane development. Of these two, the supramundane is what is intended here. For these four knowledges bring supramundane virtue and the rest into being; and because they are conditions for them by conascence and the rest, they also perfume the continuity with them. Therefore supramundane development is their function.

Thus:

And the functions beginning with full understanding that were stated to occur at the time of direct realization— / all these should be known according to their individual nature.

And thus far:

“A wise person established in virtue develops mind and wisdom.”

—thus, in order to show the method of developing wisdom introduced in its own form, the statement “Having fulfilled the two purifications that are the root, it should be developed by one fulfilling the five purifications that are the body” has now been explained in detail. And the question “How should it be developed?” has now been answered.

Thus, in the Visuddhimagga, composed for the gladness of good people, / in the section on the development of wisdom, / the exposition called “Purification by Knowledge and Vision” / is the twenty-second chapter.

Notes

¹ Distinctive domain (āveṇikā bhūmi): the range unique to each kind of full understanding; the boundaries of the three kinds are distinguished by these domains.

² Contemplation of dissolution (bhaṅgānupassanā): knowledge that attends only to the dissolution aspect of formations; it is established in the chapter on purification by knowledge and vision of the way.

³ Abandonment by suppression (vikkhambhanappahāna): suppressing opposing phenomena such as the hindrances through mundane concentration, as a pot plunged into water temporarily parts the duckweed.

⁴ Abandonment by substitution (tadaṅgappahāna): abandoning a phenomenon by its opposite through a knowledge that is one factor of insight.

⁵ Abandonment by cutting off (samucchedappahāna): the abandoning by which noble path knowledge prevents phenomena from occurring again; this is what is intended in the present unit.

⁶ Reflection (paṭisaṅkhā): examining the characteristics of formations as a means of seeking deliverance; its knowledge is established in the chapter on purification by knowledge and vision of the way.

⁷ Eighteen great insights (aṭṭhārasa mahāvipassanā): eighteen kinds of insight beginning with contemplation of impermanence, each of which abandons one phenomenon; this unit lists each abandoning and what it abandons.

⁸ Two purifications and five purifications: purification of virtue and purification of mind are the two root purifications; purification of view, purification by overcoming doubt, purification by knowledge and vision of what is path and not-path, purification by knowledge and vision of the way, and purification by knowledge and vision are the five purifications that form the body. The full sequence of seven purifications concludes with this chapter.