清淨道論 白話全本 · 冊7Visuddhimagga · Complete Vernacular · Vol. 7

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine), made from the public-domain PTS text.

§1.1 Dasa anussatiyo, general heading of the ten forms of recollection and the beginning of recollection of the Buddha 〔Vism VII·pp.197–198〕

Chapter Seven

Exposition of the six recollections

Among the ten forms of recollection (anussati) listed after the foul (asubha)¹, mindfulness² (sati) itself is called “recollection” because it arises again and again. Or it is called recollection because it occurs only where it ought to occur and is a mindfulness befitting a son of good family who has gone forth out of faith.

(1) recollection that arises with reference to the Buddha is recollection of the Buddha; this is the designation for “mindfulness whose object (ārammaṇa) is the Buddha’s qualities.” (2) recollection that arises with reference to the Dhamma is recollection of the Dhamma; this is the designation for “mindfulness whose object is the Dhamma’s qualities, beginning with being well-proclaimed.” (3) recollection that arises with reference to the Saṅgha is recollection of the Saṅgha; this is the designation for “mindfulness whose object is the Saṅgha’s qualities, beginning with practicing well.” (4) recollection that arises with reference to virtue is recollection of virtue; this is the designation for “mindfulness whose object is the qualities of virtue, beginning with being unbroken.” (5) recollection that arises with reference to generosity is recollection of generosity; this is the designation for “mindfulness whose object is the qualities of generosity, beginning with being free-handed.” (6) recollection that arises with reference to deities is recollection of deities; this is the designation for “mindfulness that places the deities in the position of witnesses and takes the practitioner’s own qualities of faith and the rest as its object.” (7) recollection that arises with reference to death is recollection of death, or mindfulness of death; this is the designation for “mindfulness whose object is the cutting off of the life faculty.” (8) Because it has gone throughout the material body distinguished as hair and the rest, or because it has gone into the body, it is called “gone to the body” (kāyagatā). Since it is both “gone to the body” and “mindfulness,” it ought to be called kāyagatasati; but without shortening the vowel it is called kāyagatāsati (mindfulness of the body). This is the designation for “mindfulness whose object is the sign of the bodily parts beginning with hair.” (9) Mindfulness of the in-breath and out-breath is mindfulness of breathing (ānāpānasati); this is the designation for “mindfulness whose object is the sign of the in-breaths and out-breaths.” (10) recollection that arises with reference to peace (upasama) is recollection of peace; this is the designation for “mindfulness whose object is the peace of all dukkha.”

Among these ten forms of recollection, a meditator who first wishes to cultivate recollection of the Buddha should possess verified confidence (aveccappasāda), retire alone in a suitable lodging, and perform recollection of the qualities of the Buddha, the Blessed One, in this way: “That Blessed One is indeed the Worthy One, the Rightly and Fully Enlightened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, the Well-Gone, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed Tamer of Persons, the Teacher of Gods and Humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One.”

The method of recollection here is this: “For this reason that Blessed One is the Worthy One; for this reason he is the Rightly and Fully Enlightened ... pe ... and so on, as stated at length above ... for this reason he is the Blessed One.” “For this reason” (iti pi) means “because of this reason.”

§1.2 Arahaṃ, the Worthy One 〔Vism VII·pp.198–201〕

First, recollection should take the Blessed One as the “Worthy One” (arahaṃ) for these reasons: because he is far away (āraka); because he has destroyed the enemies (ari) and the spokes (ara); because he is worthy (arahati) of requisites and the rest; and because there is no secrecy (raha) in his doing evil.

He is far from all defilements. Having destroyed the defilements together with their habitual traces by the path, he abides exceedingly far away; because he is far away, he is the Worthy One.

Whoever is not associated with a thing is said to be far from it; the Protector is not associated with faults, and so is reckoned far removed.

Those enemies that are the defilements have also been destroyed by him through the path; because he has “destroyed the enemies,” he is the Worthy One:

Because the Protector, with the sword of wisdom, destroyed every enemy called greed and the rest, he too is reckoned the Worthy One.

Then there is the wheel of saṃsāra, with ignorance and craving for existence as its hub, meritorious formations and the rest as its spokes, and aging-and-death as its rim. It is pierced by an axle made of the arising of the taints, mounted on the carriage of existence, and has revolved without pause since beginningless time. At the site of awakening, standing with effort as his feet on the slope of virtue, he took up with faith as his hand the axe of knowledge that brings kamma to exhaustion and destroyed all the spokes. Therefore he is the Worthy One.

Or it may be stated this way: the “wheel of saṃsāra” means the beginningless round of saṃsāra. Ignorance is its hub because it is the root; aging-and-death is its rim because it is the endpoint; and the other ten factors are its spokes because they are rooted in ignorance and bounded by aging-and-death.

Here, not knowing dukkha and the rest is ignorance. Ignorance in sense-sphere existence is a condition for formations in sense-sphere existence; ignorance in form-sphere existence is a condition for formations in form-sphere existence; ignorance in immaterial existence is a condition for formations in immaterial existence. Formations in sense-sphere existence are a condition for rebirth-linking consciousness in sense-sphere existence; the same method applies to the other modes, including immaterial existence. Rebirth-linking consciousness in sense-sphere existence is a condition for name-and-form in sense-sphere existence; so too in form-sphere existence; in immaterial existence it is a condition only for “name.” Name-and-form in sense-sphere existence is a condition for the six bases there; name-and-form in form-sphere existence is a condition for three bases there; the single mind base in immaterial existence is a condition for the single contact there. The six contacts in sense-sphere existence are conditions for the six feelings there; the three contacts in form-sphere existence are conditions for the three feelings there; the single contact in immaterial existence is a condition for the single feeling there. The six feelings in sense-sphere existence are conditions for the six classes of craving there. In the same way, each kind of craving in each realm is a condition for its kind of clinging; clinging and the rest are conditions for existence and the rest.

How is this so? Someone here thinks, “I will enjoy sense pleasures,” and, conditioned by clinging to sense pleasures, commits misconduct by body, speech, and mind. When the misconduct is complete, that person is reborn in a bad destination. The kamma that causes this arising is active existence; the aggregates produced by kamma are rebirth existence; the arising of the aggregates is birth; their maturation is aging; their dissolution is death. Someone else thinks, “I will enjoy the success of a heavenly realm,” and likewise performs good conduct. When the good conduct is complete, that person is reborn in a heavenly realm. The kamma that causes this arising is active existence—the same method applies below. Another thinks, “I will enjoy the success of a brahmā realm,” and, conditioned by clinging to sense pleasures, cultivates goodwill, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. When cultivation is complete, that person is reborn in a brahmā realm. The kamma that causes this arising is active existence—the same method applies. Another thinks, “I will enjoy the success of immaterial existence,” and likewise cultivates the attainments beginning with the base of infinite space. When cultivation is complete, that person is reborn in the corresponding realm. The kamma that causes this arising is active existence; the aggregates produced by kamma are rebirth existence; the arising of the aggregates is birth; their maturation is aging; their dissolution is death. The combinations rooted in the other kinds of clinging are to be understood by the same method.

Thus, “Ignorance is a cause; formations arise from a cause; both of these arise from causes.” The wisdom that grasps conditions in this way is knowledge of the stability of phenomena. “Whether in a past period or a future period, ignorance is a cause; formations arise from a cause; both of these arise from causes—the wisdom that grasps conditions in this way is knowledge of the stability of phenomena.” This should be expanded in detail according to the method already stated.

Ignorance and formations form one synopsis; consciousness, name-and-form, the six bases, contact, and feeling form one; craving, clinging, and existence form one; birth and aging-and-death form one. The first synopsis here is the past period, the two middle synopses are the present period, and birth and aging-and-death are the future period. When “ignorance and formations” are taken, craving, clinging, and existence are included, so these five phenomena constitute the past round of kamma. When “craving, clinging, and existence” are taken, ignorance and formations are included, so these five phenomena constitute the present round of kamma. Since birth and aging-and-death are taught through the portion beginning with consciousness, these five phenomena constitute the present round of result. In aspect they total twenty. Here there is also one junction³ between formations and ignorance, one between feeling and craving, and one between existence and birth.

In this way the Blessed One knows, sees, understands, and penetrates in every aspect this dependent origination, which has four synopses, three periods, twenty aspects, and three junctions. It is knowledge in the sense of knowing and wisdom in the sense of fully understanding. Therefore it is said: “The wisdom that grasps conditions is knowledge of the stability of phenomena.” With this knowledge, the Blessed One knew those phenomena as they really are, became disenchanted with them, grew dispassionate toward them, and was liberated from them; thus he broke, struck down, and shattered them. Because he destroyed the spokes in this way, he is also the Worthy One:

Because the Protector of the world, with the sword of knowledge, destroyed the spokes of the wheel of saṃsāra, he is called the Worthy One.

Because he is supremely worthy of gifts, he is worthy of robes and other requisites and of exceptional offerings. Thus, when a Tathāgata arises, powerful gods and humans make offerings nowhere else. Brahmā Sahampati, for example, offered the Tathāgata a jeweled garland as large as Mount Sineru; other gods and humans, such as King Bimbisāra and the king of Kosala, made offerings according to their means. Even after the Blessed One’s final nibbāna, King Asoka gave away ninety-six koṭis of wealth on his behalf and established eighty-four thousand monasteries throughout Jambudīpa—to say nothing of other exceptional offerings. Because he is worthy of requisites and the rest, he is also the Worthy One:

Because this Protector of the world is worthy of exceptional offerings and requisites, in this sense the world calls him the “Worthy One”; therefore the Victor merits this name.

Some fools in the world who imagine themselves wise commit evil in secret because they fear a bad reputation; he never does so. Because there is no secrecy in his doing evil, he is also the Worthy One:

Since for such a person no secrecy exists in evil deeds, because there is “no secrecy,” he is renowned as the Worthy One.

To summarize all of this:

That Sage is far from the enemies that are defilements and has destroyed them; he has destroyed the spokes of the wheel of saṃsāra and is worthy of requisites and the rest; he does no evil in secret; therefore he is called the Worthy One.

§1.3 Sammāsambuddho, the Rightly and Fully Enlightened 〔Vism VII·pp.201–202〕

Because he awakened (buddha) rightly (sammā) and by himself (sāmaṃ) to all phenomena, he is the Rightly and Fully Enlightened (sammāsambuddho).

That is, as the Rightly and Fully Enlightened he awakened to all phenomena: he awakened to what must be directly known as it must be directly known; fully understood what must be fully understood as it must be fully understood; abandoned what must be abandoned as it must be abandoned; realized what must be realized as it must be realized; and cultivated what must be cultivated as it must be cultivated. Therefore he said:

What was to be directly known has been directly known, what was to be cultivated has been cultivated; what was to be abandoned I have abandoned; brahmin, therefore I am awakened.

Furthermore, the eye is the truth of dukkha; the former craving that brings it into being as its root cause is the truth of arising; the nonoccurrence of both is the truth of cessation; and the way that understands cessation is the truth of the path. By drawing out each term in this way, he rightly and by himself awakened to all phenomena. The same method applies to the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

By the same method, the six bases beginning with forms; the six classes of consciousness beginning with eye-consciousness; the six contacts beginning with eye-contact; the six feelings beginning with feeling born of eye-contact; the six perceptions beginning with perception of forms; the six volitions beginning with volition about forms; the six classes of craving beginning with craving for forms; the six thoughts beginning with thought about forms; the six examinations beginning with examination of forms; the five aggregates beginning with the form aggregate; the ten kasiṇas; the ten forms of recollection; the ten perceptions beginning with the perception of the bloated; the thirty-two aspects beginning with hair; the twelve bases; the eighteen elements; the nine modes of existence beginning with sense-sphere existence; the four jhānas beginning with the first; the four immeasurables beginning with the cultivation of goodwill; the four immaterial attainments; and the factors of dependent origination beginning with aging-and-death in reverse order and ignorance in forward order are all to be combined in the same way. Here is the combination for a single term as an example: aging-and-death is the truth of dukkha; birth is the truth of arising; escape from both is the truth of cessation; the way that understands cessation is the truth of the path. By drawing out each term in this way, he rightly and by himself awakened, followed in awakening, and fully awakened to all phenomena. Therefore it was said: “Because he awakened rightly and by himself to all phenomena, he is the Rightly and Fully Enlightened.”

§1.4 Vijjācaraṇasampanno, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct 〔Vism VII·pp.202–203〕

Because he is endowed with knowledges (vijjā) and conduct (caraṇa), he is Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct (vijjācaraṇasampanno).

Here, “knowledge” means both the three knowledges and the eight knowledges. The three should be understood according to the method stated in the Discourse on Fear and Dread, and the eight according to the Ambaṭṭha Discourse. There the six direct knowledges, together with insight knowledge and mind-made supernormal power, are collected as the eight knowledges. “Conduct” should be understood as these fifteen phenomena: restraint by virtue, guarding the sense doors, moderation in eating, devotion to wakefulness, the seven true qualities, and the four form-sphere jhānas. Because it is by these fifteen phenomena that a noble disciple conducts themself and goes toward the deathless direction, they are called “conduct.” As it is said, “Mahānāma, here a noble disciple is virtuous”—all of this should be understood according to the method stated in the Middle Fifty.

The Blessed One is endowed with these knowledges and with this conduct, and so is called Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct.

The accomplishment of knowledge completes the Blessed One’s omniscience; the accomplishment of conduct completes his great compassion. Through omniscience he knows the welfare and harm of all beings; through great compassion he leads them away from harm and establishes them in welfare, as is proper for someone Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct. Therefore his disciples practice well rather than badly, unlike the disciples of those deficient in knowledge and conduct, such as those who torment themselves.

§1.5 Sugato, the Well-Gone 〔Vism VII·pp.203–204〕

Because his going is beautiful (sobhaṇa-gamana), because he has gone to a beautiful place, because he has gone rightly, and because he speaks (gadati) rightly, he is the Well-Gone (sugato).

“Going” is also called gata, and the Blessed One’s going is beautiful, pure, and characterized by blamelessness. What is that going? It is the noble path. By this going he has gone without obstruction to the secure direction; because his going is beautiful, he is the Well-Gone.

He has also gone to a beautiful place—the deathless nibbāna; because he has gone to a beautiful place, he is the Well-Gone.

Again, “he has gone rightly” means that the defilements abandoned by each path do not return. This has been stated: “Those defilements abandoned by the path of stream-entry he does not go back to, turn back to, or return to, and so he is the Well-Gone ... pe ... and so on, as stated at length above ... those defilements abandoned by the path of arahantship he does not go back to, turn back to, or return to, and so he is the Well-Gone.”

Or “he has gone rightly” means that, from the feet of the Buddha Dīpaṅkara up to the site of awakening, by the right practice that fulfilled the thirty perfections he worked only for the welfare and happiness of the whole world, without falling into such extremes as eternalism, annihilationism, indulgence in sensual pleasure, and self-torment. Because he has gone rightly, he too is the Well-Gone.

He also speaks rightly: in the appropriate place he speaks only appropriate words; because he speaks rightly, he too is the Well-Gone. The Establishing Discourse is the authority here: “The Tathāgata knows a statement to be untrue, not factual, and unbeneficial, and it is disliked and disagreeable to others; the Tathāgata does not utter such a statement. The Tathāgata knows a statement to be true and factual but unbeneficial, and it is disliked and disagreeable to others; the Tathāgata does not utter that statement either. The Tathāgata knows a statement to be true, factual, and beneficial, while it is disliked and disagreeable to others; for such a statement the Tathāgata knows the time, and he explains it at the proper time. The Tathāgata knows a statement to be untrue, not factual, and unbeneficial, while it is liked and agreeable to others; the Tathāgata does not utter such a statement. The Tathāgata knows a statement to be true and factual but unbeneficial, while it is liked and agreeable to others; the Tathāgata does not utter that statement either. The Tathāgata knows a statement to be true, factual, and beneficial, while it is liked and agreeable to others; for such a statement the Tathāgata knows the time, and he explains it at the proper time.” Because he speaks rightly in this way, he should be understood as the Well-Gone.

§1.6 Lokavidū, the Knower of the World 〔Vism VII·pp.204–207〕

Because he has known the world (loka) in every way, he is the Knower of the World (lokavidū).

The Blessed One has known, understood, and penetrated the world in every way: by its nature, by its arising, by its cessation, and by the means to its cessation. As he said: “Friend, I do not say that the place where there is no birth, aging, death, passing away, or reappearance can be known, seen, or reached by walking, as though it were the end of the world. Yet, friend, neither do I say that the end of dukkha can be made without reaching the end of the world. Rather, friend, it is in this very fathom-long body, with its perception and mind, that I declare the world, the arising of the world, the cessation of the world, and the way leading to the cessation of the world.

By walking, the end of the world can never be reached; yet without reaching the world’s end there is no release from dukkha.

Therefore that sage who knows the world, having reached the world’s end and lived the holy life, knows the world’s end and is at peace, longing for neither this world nor another.”

Furthermore, there are three worlds: the world of formations, the world of beings, and the world of space (okāsaloka)⁴. Where the statement “One world: all beings subsist on nutriment” occurs, the world of formations should be understood. Where the statements “the world is eternal” or “the world is not eternal” occur, the world of beings should be understood.

As far as moon and sun travel, illuminating and making the directions shine, the world extends a thousandfold; within it your power operates—

Where this statement occurs, the world of space should be understood; the Blessed One also knew this world in every way.

That is, he knew it thus: one world—all beings subsist on nutriment. Two worlds—name and form. Three worlds—the three feelings. Four worlds—the four nutriments. Five worlds—the five aggregates subject to clinging. Six worlds—the six internal bases. Seven worlds—the seven stations of consciousness. Eight worlds—the eight worldly conditions. Nine worlds—the nine abodes of beings. Ten worlds—the ten bases. Twelve worlds—the twelve bases. Eighteen worlds—the eighteen elements. In this way the world of formations too was known in every way.

He also knows the inclinations of all beings, knows their underlying tendencies, knows their conduct, and knows their resolve. He fully knows beings with little dust and much dust, sharp faculties and dull faculties, good dispositions and bad dispositions, easy to teach and hard to teach, capable and incapable. Thus the world of beings too was known by him in every way.

As with the world of beings, so too with the world of space. A single world-system is 1,203,450 yojanas (yojana, approximately fourteen kilometers) in length and breadth. Its circumference is:

Altogether three million six hundred thousand around, plus ten thousand and three hundred fifty.

Within it:

Two hundred thousand and four nahutas— such is the reckoned thickness of this great earth.

What supports this earth is:

Four hundred thousand and eight nahutas— such is the thickness of the water standing on wind.

What supports that water in turn is:

Nine hundred thousand, not surging up from above, plus sixty thousand—so the world is established.

In this world so established, measured in yojanas:

Sineru (Sineru), highest of mountains, sinks eighty-four thousand into the ocean and rises the same distance above it.

Thereafter, each in turn is half the measure before, sinking and rising, divine and adorned with many kinds of gems:

Yugandhara (Yugandhara), Īsadhara (Īsadhara), Karavīka (Karavīka), Sudassana (Sudassana), Nemindhara (Nemindhara), Vinataka (Vinataka), and Assakaṇṇa (Assakaṇṇa)—all are mighty mountains. These seven great mountains encircle Sineru; they are the abodes of the Great Kings, inhabited by gods and yakkhas.

The Himalaya is five hundred yojanas high, and three thousand yojanas in length and breadth, adorned with eighty-four thousand peaks.

The jambu tree known simply as “the Tree” has a trunk fifteen yojanas in circumference; its trunk rises fifty yojanas, and its branches extend fifty in every direction.

It is one hundred yojanas wide and just as high; through the power of this jambu tree, Jambudīpa received its name.

The mottled pāṭali tree of the asuras, the simbali tree of the garuḷas, the kadamba tree of Aparagoyāna, the wish-fulfilling tree of Uttarakuru, the sirīsa tree of Pubbavideha, and the pāricchattaka tree of the Thirty-Three are all the same size as the jambu tree. Therefore the Ancients said:

The pāṭali, simbali, jambu, and the gods’ pāricchattaka, the kadamba and wish-fulfilling tree, with the sirīsa as the seventh.

The encircling mountain sinks eighty-two thousand into the ocean and rises the same distance above it; it stands surrounding the entire world.

Here the disk of the moon is forty-nine yojanas, the disk of the sun fifty yojanas, and the realm of the Thirty-Three ten thousand yojanas; the realm of the asuras, the Avīci great hell, and Jambudīpa are the same. Aparagoyāna is seven thousand yojanas, as is Pubbavideha; Uttarakuru is eight thousand yojanas. Each great continent here is surrounded by five hundred smaller islands. All of this together constitutes a single world-system, a single world. In the spaces between them lie the inter-world hells.

World-systems of this kind are limitless, and worlds are limitless; the Blessed One knew, understood, and penetrated them with limitless Buddha-knowledge. Thus the world of space too was known by him in every way. Because he knew the world in every way, he is the Knower of the World.

§1.7 Anuttaro purisadammasārathi, the Unsurpassed Tamer of Persons 〔Vism VII·pp.207–208〕

Because no person surpasses him in qualities, “there is none higher than him,” and so he is unsurpassed (anuttaro). He surpasses the entire world in the quality of virtue, and likewise in the qualities of concentration, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge and vision of liberation. In the quality of virtue he is without equal, equal only to those without equal, without counterpart, without rival, and without peer. As it is said: “In the world with its gods and Māras ... pe ... and so on, as stated at length above ... among the hosts of gods and humans, I see none more fully endowed in virtue than myself”—this should be expanded in full. Discourses such as the Discourse on Supreme Confidence and verses such as “I have no teacher” should likewise be expanded.

Because he “guides persons who should be tamed,” he is the Tamer of Persons (purisadammasārathi). This means that he tames and instructs. Here “persons who should be tamed” means those not yet tamed who ought to be tamed, including animal persons, human persons, and nonhuman persons. The Blessed One tamed animal persons such as the nāga king Apalāḷa, the nāgas Cūḷodara, Mahodara, Aggisikha, and Dhūmasikha, the nāga king Āravāḷa, and the elephant Dhanapālaka, removing their venom and establishing them in refuge and virtue. He also tamed and instructed human persons such as Saccaka the Nigaṇṭha’s son, the young Ambaṭṭha, Pokkharasāti, Soṇadaṇḍa, and Kūṭadanta; and nonhuman persons such as the yakkhas Āḷavaka, Sūciloma, and Kharaloma and Sakka king of the gods. He tamed and instructed them by varied methods of discipline. “Kesi, I train a person to be tamed with gentleness, with harshness, and with gentleness and harshness together”—the discourse here should be expanded in full.

Furthermore, the Blessed One teaches the first jhāna and the rest to those whose virtue is pure, and teaches the practice of the higher paths to stream-enterers and the rest; therefore he continues to tame even those already tamed.

Or “Unsurpassed Tamer of Persons” may be understood as a single complete phrase. The Blessed One guides persons who should be tamed in such a way that, while seated in only a single cross-legged posture, they run unobstructed in the eight directions. Therefore he is called the Unsurpassed Tamer of Persons. “O bhikkhus, an elephant to be tamed, guided by an elephant trainer, runs in only one direction”—the discourse here should be expanded in full.

§1.8 Satthā devamanussānaṃ, the Teacher of Gods and Humans 〔Vism VII·pp.208–209〕

He instructs beings as appropriate concerning the present life, the future life, and the ultimate good, and so he is the Teacher (satthā). Furthermore, he is a teacher “like a caravan” (sattha): the Blessed One is a caravan leader. Just as a caravan leader takes a caravan across a wilderness—the wilderness of thieves, wild beasts, famine, and lack of water—bringing them across, over, and through it to safe ground, so the Blessed One, as teacher and caravan leader, takes the caravan across the wilderness and brings them across the wilderness of birth. The meaning here should be understood according to the method of exposition beginning with “and so on” in the Niddesa.

“Of gods and humans” means of gods and of humans. This is stated in terms of the limit set by the foremost and by those who are capable. Yet the Blessed One is also the Teacher of animals by giving instruction, for by hearing the Blessed One’s Dhamma they attain the fullness of decisive support. Through that very fullness of decisive support, in their second or third life they partake of the path and fruit. The frog deity and others are examples here.

It is said that while the Blessed One was teaching the Dhamma to the residents of Campā beside Gaggarā Lotus Pond, a frog took the Blessed One’s voice as a sign. At that time a cowherd stood leaning on a stick, and the tip of the stick pressed down on the frog’s head. The frog died at once and was reborn in a golden mansion twelve yojanas wide in the realm of the Thirty-Three, as though waking from sleep. Seeing himself there surrounded by a host of celestial nymphs, he thought, “Ah! I have been reborn here. What kamma did I perform?” On reviewing the matter, he saw nothing except that he had taken the Blessed One’s voice as a sign. He immediately came with his mansion and paid homage at the Blessed One’s feet. Although the Blessed One knew, he asked:

Who, blazing with supernormal power and fame, illuminates every direction with surpassing beauty and pays homage at my feet?

Formerly I was a frog, living in water and feeding in water; while I was listening to you teach the Dhamma, a cowherd killed me.

The Blessed One taught him the Dhamma. Eighty-four thousand beings attained direct realization of the Dhamma, and that deity was established in the fruit of stream-entry and departed smiling.

§1.9 Buddho, the Buddha 〔Vism VII·p.209〕

Whatever is called something to be known, he has awakened to all of it; by virtue of knowledge at the culmination of liberation (vimokkhantika-ñāṇa, the complete and ultimate knowledge accomplished at the moment of supreme liberation), he is the Buddha (buddho, Awakened). Or he is the Buddha for such reasons as these: he awakened to the four truths himself and caused other beings to awaken. To make this meaning known, the entire method of the Niddesa or the Paṭisambhidāmagga that proceeds as “He awakened to the truths, therefore he is the Buddha” and “He causes people to awaken, therefore he is the Buddha” should be expanded in full.

§1.10 Bhagavā, the Blessed One 〔Vism VII·pp.209–212〕

The word “Blessed One” (bhagavā) is a designation for him who, distinguished by his qualities, is supreme among all beings and worthy of honor and reverence. Therefore the Ancients said:

“Blessed One” is the finest expression; “Blessed One” is the highest expression; he is worthy of honor and reverence, and so he is called the Blessed One.

There are four kinds of name: names of a period, names of a mark, causal names, and arbitrary names. In worldly usage, “arbitrary name” means “a name taken according to whatever is desired.” Here “calf” (vaccha), “steer to be tamed” (damma), “bull” (balivadda), and so on are names of a period. “Staff-bearer” (daṇḍī), “parasol-bearer” (chattī), “topknotted” (sikhī), parī⁵, and so on are names of a mark. “Possessor of the three knowledges” (tevijja), “possessor of the six direct knowledges” (chaḷabhiñña), and so on are causal names. “Increase of Splendor” (Siri-vaḍḍhaka), “Increase of Wealth” (Dhana-vaḍḍhaka), and so on are arbitrary names, given without regard for their meaning.

“Blessed One” is a causal name. It was not given by Mahāmāyā, by King Suddhodana, by the eighty thousand relatives, or by eminent deities such as Sakka and Santusita. The Marshal of the Dhamma likewise said: “The name ‘Blessed One’ was not given by his mother ... pe ... and so on, as stated at length above ... This is the designation established by direct realization for the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, at the foot of the Bodhi tree, arising together with the attainment of omniscient knowledge and culminating in liberation: namely, ‘Blessed One.’”

This is a causal name established by qualities. To display those qualities, people recite this verse:

Having a share, frequenting, endowed with shares, analyzing, who has made a breaking, venerable, endowed with fortune; who has well cultivated himself by many methods, and reached the end of modes of existence—therefore he is called the Blessed One.

The meaning of each phrase here should be understood according to the method stated in the Niddesa.

There is also another method:

Endowed with fortune, having broken, conjoined, and analyzing modes of existence; devoted to cultivation, having cast away going among modes of existence—therefore he is the Blessed One.

Taking such methods of etymological analysis as “addition of a letter” and “reversal of letters,” or, according to linguistic science, the rule of inserting a kindred sound: because he possesses the fortune (bhāgya) that produces worldly and supramundane happiness and has been gained by bringing generosity, virtue, and the rest to perfection, he ought to be called “one endowed with fortune” (Bhāgyavā), but is called “Blessed One” (Bhagavā). This is how it should be understood.

Again, he has broken greed, aversion, delusion, distorted attention, shamelessness, fearlessness of wrongdoing, anger, resentment, contempt, rivalry, envy, stinginess, deceit, fraud, obstinacy, presumption, conceit, overestimation, pride, negligence, craving, and ignorance; the three unwholesome roots, three kinds of misconduct, three defilements, three stains, three distorted perceptions, three thoughts, and three proliferations; the four distortions; the four taints, bonds, floods, yokes, wrong courses, cravings, and clingings; the five mental barrennesses, mental bondages, hindrances, and delights; the six roots of dispute and six classes of craving; the seven underlying tendencies; the eight wrong states; the nine states rooted in craving; the ten courses of unwholesome kamma; the sixty-two views; the one hundred and eight kinds of craving’s behavior; and the hundred thousand kinds of all anguish, fever, and defilement. Or, in brief, he has broken the five Māras: Māra as defilement, Māra as aggregates, Māra as formations, Māra as deity, and Māra as death. Because he has broken these dangers, he ought to be called “breaker of the obstacles” (Bhaggavā), but is called “Blessed One” (Bhagavā). It is said here:

Greed broken, aversion broken, delusion broken, without taints; his evil qualities are broken—therefore he is called the Blessed One.

Because he is endowed with fortune, as bearer of the marks produced by a hundred merits the accomplishment of his material body is displayed; because he has broken faults, the accomplishment of his Dhamma-body is displayed. Likewise displayed are these facts: he is esteemed by the world’s discerning people and should be approached by householders and renunciants; he is capable of removing bodily and mental dukkha from those who approach him; he benefits them through gifts of material things and gifts of Dhamma; and he is capable of joining them to worldly and supramundane happiness.

Furthermore, in the world the word bhaga applies to six qualities: sovereignty, Dhamma, fame, splendor, desire, and effort. He possesses supreme sovereignty over his own mind and has fully perfected in every aspect such worldly-recognized powers as becoming small and light. Likewise, he possesses the supramundane Dhamma; exceedingly pure fame, attained through true qualities and pervading the three realms; and splendor complete in every aspect and in every major and minor limb, capable of engrossing those who see his material body in looking and giving rise to confidence in their eyes. Whatever welfare for himself or for others he desires and seeks is accomplished just as he desires, so he possesses desire called “the fulfillment of what is desired.” He also possesses effort called right effort, the cause of attaining the reverence of the entire world. Because he is conjoined with these bhagas—because “he possesses blessings”—he is called the Blessed One in this sense.

Again, he analyzes all phenomena by such divisions as wholesome and unwholesome, or analyzes wholesome and other phenomena by aggregates, bases, elements, truths, faculties, dependent origination, and so forth. He analyzes the noble truth of dukkha in the senses of oppression, being conditioned, burning, and change; arising in the senses of accumulation, cause, bondage, and obstruction; cessation in the senses of escape, seclusion, the unconditioned, and the deathless; and the path in the senses of leading out, cause, vision, and dominance. “Analyzer” means that he divides, discloses, and teaches. Therefore he ought to be called “analyzer” (Vibhattavā), but is called “Blessed One” (Bhagavā).

Again, because he has repeatedly cultivated and frequented the divine abodes, brahmā abodes, and noble abodes; seclusion of body, mind, and substratum; the liberations of emptiness, wishlessness, and signlessness; and other superior human qualities, worldly and supramundane, he ought to be called “one devoted to cultivation” (Bhattavā), but is called “Blessed One” (Bhagavā).

Again, because he has vomited out the “going” called craving among the three modes of existence, he ought to be called “having cast away going among modes of existence” (bhavesu vantagamano). Thus, taking the sound bha from bhava, ga from gamana, and va from vanta, and lengthening it, they are combined as “Blessed One” (Bhagavā). It is just as in the world mehanassa khassa mālā ought to be said, but me, kha, and lā are taken from it and combined as mekhalā (girdle).

§1.11 Buddhānussati, cultivation and benefits of recollection of the Buddha 〔Vism VII·pp.197–213〕

When a practitioner engages in recollection of the Buddha’s qualities in this way—“For this reason and that reason, that Blessed One is the Worthy One ... pe ... and so on, as stated at length above ... for this reason and that reason he is the Blessed One”—at that time their mind is not obsessed (pariyuṭṭhita) by greed, not obsessed by aversion, and not obsessed by delusion; at that time their mind is upright with reference to the Tathāgata.

Thus, because there is no obsession by greed and the rest, the hindrances are suppressed. Their mind is upright because it faces the meditation subject (kammaṭṭhāna)⁶, so thought (vitakka) and examination (vicāra) inclined toward the Buddha’s qualities occur. As they repeatedly think about and examine the Buddha’s qualities, joy (pīti) arises. For a person with joy, tranquility, whose proximate cause is joy, stills the fever of body and mind. When fever has been stilled, bodily and mental pleasure arise. For a person with pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated with the Buddha’s qualities as its object. Thus, in sequence, the jhāna factors arise in a single moment. Yet because the Buddha’s qualities are profound, or because resolve is directed to recollection of qualities of many kinds, it cannot reach absorption (appanā); the jhāna reaches only access concentration (upacāra, the level of concentration immediately before absorption)⁷.

Since this jhāna arises through recollection of the Buddha’s qualities, it is called “recollection of the Buddha.”

A bhikkhu devoted to this recollection of the Buddha has reverence and deference toward the Teacher; attains greatness of faith, mindfulness, wisdom, and merit; has abundant joy and gladness; can endure fear and dread and can endure pain; acquires the perception of dwelling together with the Teacher; and their body, because it is pervaded by recollection of the Buddha’s qualities, becomes worthy of offerings like a shrine. Their mind inclines toward the plane of a Buddha. When they encounter something they might transgress, shame and fear of wrongdoing become manifest as if they were face to face with the Teacher. Even if they penetrate no higher attainment, they are destined for a good rebirth.

Therefore a wise person should continually practice heedfulness in this recollection of the Buddha, so mighty in power.

This is the detailed exposition of recollection of the Buddha.

Notes

¹ The ten perceptions of the foul (asubha) and their cultivation are expounded in Chapter 6; the ten forms of recollection listed in this chapter follow immediately afterward.

² Mindfulness (sati) is the mental factor that retains its object without forgetting it; throughout the treatise it operates together with knowledge, effort, and concentration. It belongs to a different category from the broad awareness commonly meant today by the word “mindfulness” and should be read according to the framework established in this treatise.

³ The compound in the base text here places the junction between “formations and ignorance,” whereas the standard account of the three junctions places it between “formations and consciousness.” This edition follows the base text without alteration.

⁴ The world of space (okāsaloka) is the spatial world on which beings depend. This rendering follows the original sense of “space, place” rather than the older rendering “receptacle world.”

⁵ Parī: the meaning intended by this fourth example is unclear. This edition preserves the original term untranslated and does not substitute a conjectured meaning.

⁶ Meditation subject (kammaṭṭhāna): the object or topic taken up for cultivation; the treatise lists its forty meditation subjects in Chapter 3, “Taking Up a Meditation Subject.”

⁷ access concentration (upacāra-samādhi) is the level of concentration in which the hindrances have been suppressed but absorption has not yet been entered. In absorption concentration (appanā-samādhi), the mind achieves full settling and remains unwavering on its object.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine), made from the public-domain PTS text.

§2.1 Svākkhāto, well-proclaimed 〔Vism VII·pp.213–215〕

A practitioner who wishes to cultivate recollection of the Dhamma (dhammānussati, recollection with reference to the Dhamma) should likewise go into seclusion and withdraw alone, recollecting in this way: “The Dhamma is well-proclaimed by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting inspection, leading onward, to be known by the wise, each for themselves.” Thus the practitioner recollects the qualities of the teaching Dhamma (pariyattidhamma, the Dhamma transmitted in the teachings) and of the nine supramundane phenomena (lokuttaradhamma)¹.

“well-proclaimed”—the teaching Dhamma is included in this expression; only the supramundane Dhamma is included in the other expressions. First, the teaching Dhamma is well-proclaimed because it is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, and because it discloses a holy life meaningful in content, meaningful in expression, complete, and pure.

Even if the Blessed One teaches only a single verse, because the Dhamma is entirely excellent that verse is good in the beginning with its first line, good in the middle with its second and third lines, and good in the end with its final line.

A discourse with a single connection² is good in the beginning through its introduction, good in the end through its conclusion, and good in the middle through the remainder.

A discourse with many connections is good in the beginning through the first connection, good in the end through the final connection, and good in the middle through the remaining connections.

Furthermore, it is good in the beginning because it has an introduction and an occasion; good in the middle because it accords with the people to be tamed, is unerring in meaning, and is furnished with reasons and examples; and good in the end because it gives rise to faith in the listeners and closes with a conclusion.

The entire Dhamma of the teaching is good in the beginning through virtue, which is its own meaning; good in the middle through serenity, insight, path, and fruit; and good in the end through nibbāna.

Or it is good in the beginning through virtue and concentration, good in the middle through insight and path, and good in the end through fruit and nibbāna.

Or it is good in the beginning through the Buddha’s quality of having awakened well, good in the middle through the Dhamma’s quality of being true Dhamma, and good in the end through the Saṅgha’s quality of practicing well.

Or it is good in the beginning through the unsurpassed Rightly and Fully Enlightened awakening to be attained by someone who, having heard this Dhamma, practices accordingly; good in the middle through a paccekabuddha’s awakening; and good in the end through a disciple’s awakening.

Furthermore, when this Dhamma is heard, it brings good merely through hearing because the hindrances are suppressed, and so it is good in the beginning. When it is practiced, it brings the pleasure of serenity and insight and thus brings good through practice, so it is good in the middle. When the fruit of practice is completed for someone who practices in this way, it brings suchness through that fruit and thus brings good through the fruit of practice, so it is good in the end. Because it is good in the beginning, middle, and end in this way, it is well-proclaimed (SVĀKKHĀTO).

Furthermore, when the Blessed One teaches this Dhamma, he discloses the holy life of the teaching and the holy life of the path and clarifies them in many ways. As appropriate, this Dhamma is meaningful in content because its meaning is complete, and meaningful in expression because its wording is complete.

—It is meaningful in content because it is furnished with declarations and phrases of meaning that indicate, clarify, disclose, analyze, and reveal; it is meaningful in expression because it is complete in letters, words, linguistic forms, etymologies, and explanations.

—It is meaningful in content because its meaning is profound and its penetration is profound; it is meaningful in expression because its Dhamma is profound and its teaching is profound.

—It is meaningful in content because it is the domain of the discriminations of meaning and perspicuity³; it is meaningful in expression because it is the domain of the discriminations of Dhamma and language.

—It is meaningful in content because it is known by the wise and inspires confidence in those of equal discernment; it is meaningful in expression because it can be trusted and inspires confidence in ordinary people.

—It is meaningful in content because its purport is profound; it is meaningful in expression because its sentences are plain.

—Because nothing can be added, it is fully complete; because nothing can be removed, it is faultless and pure.

—Furthermore, it is meaningful in content because of mastery in attainment brought about by practice; it is meaningful in expression because of mastery in the transmission handed down in the teaching. It is fully complete because it is conjoined with the five aggregates of phenomena beginning with virtue. It is pure because it is remote from defilements, proceeds for the sake of crossing over, and is unconcerned with worldly gain. Because it discloses a holy life meaningful in content, meaningful in expression, complete, and pure in this way, it is well-proclaimed (SVĀKKHĀTO).

Or it is well-proclaimed (SVĀKKHĀTO) because its meaning is undistorted and it has been proclaimed well. In the teachings of other sectarians, meaning falls into distortion: what they call obstructive phenomena do not in fact obstruct, and what they call phenomena of escape do not in fact lead to escape. Those teachings are therefore merely badly proclaimed. The meaning of the Blessed One’s Dhamma is not like that and does not fall into distortion. “These phenomena are obstructive; these phenomena lead to escape”: the phenomena stated in this way do not depart from the actuality expressed. Thus the teaching Dhamma is well-proclaimed (SVĀKKHĀTO).

As for the supramundane Dhamma, it is well-proclaimed (SVĀKKHĀTO) because the practice proclaimed accords with nibbāna and the nibbāna proclaimed accords with the practice. As it is said: “The Blessed One has well laid down for his disciples the way of practice leading to nibbāna; nibbāna and the way of practice harmonize. Just as the waters of the Ganges and Yamunā harmonize and meet, so the Blessed One has well laid down for his disciples the way of practice leading to nibbāna; nibbāna and the way of practice harmonize.” Here the noble path does not fall into either extreme; it is itself the middle way, and because it is proclaimed as the “middle way,” it is well-proclaimed. The fruits of recluseship have their defilements stilled, and because they are proclaimed as “the stilling of the defilements,” they are well-proclaimed. By nature, nibbāna is permanent, deathless, a safeguard, a refuge, and so forth; because it is proclaimed as possessing those natures beginning with permanence, it is well-proclaimed. Thus the supramundane Dhamma too is well-proclaimed (SVĀKKHĀTO).

§2.2 Sandiṭṭhiko · Akāliko · Ehipassiko · Opanayiko · Paccattaṃ veditabbo viññūhi, directly visible · immediate · inviting inspection · leading onward · to be known by the wise, each for themselves 〔Vism VII·pp.215–217〕

“directly visible”—first, the noble path is directly visible because it is seen personally by the noble person who makes greed and the rest absent within their own continuum (santāna)⁴. As it is said: “Brahmin, a person stained by greed, overcome by greed, with a mind fully seized by greed, thinks of harming themself, thinks of harming another, and thinks of harming both, and experiences mental dukkha and grief. Once greed has been abandoned, that person does not think of harming themself, another, or both and does not experience mental dukkha and grief. Brahmin, this is also how the Dhamma is directly visible.”

Furthermore, whichever of the nine supramundane phenomena a person attains, that person leaves behind the need to proceed by faith in another and sees it for themself with reviewing knowledge (paccavekkhaṇa-ñāṇa, the knowledge that examines their own attainment); therefore it is directly visible (SANDIṬṬHIKO).

Or a praiseworthy view is called sandiṭṭhi, “praised view”; what triumphs by means of praised view is sandiṭṭhiko. Here the noble path triumphs over the defilements by means of the conjoined praised view that causes the noble fruit, while nibbāna triumphs over the defilements by means of praised view whose object it is. Thus, just as someone who triumphs by means of a chariot is a charioteer, all nine supramundane phenomena “triumph by praised view” and are therefore directly visible (SANDIṬṬHIKO).

Or diṭṭha means “seeing” (dassana). What is seen is sandiṭṭha, meaning complete seeing. What deserves sandiṭṭha is sandiṭṭhiko. The supramundane Dhamma wards off the fear of the round precisely when it is seen through the direct realization involved in cultivation and the direct realization involved in personally verifying it. Thus, just as a person who deserves cloth is called “cloth-worthy,” it “deserves complete seeing” and is therefore directly visible (SANDIṬṬHIKO).

With regard to giving its own fruit, there is no time to be waited for, so it is akālo; this very akālo is akāliko—immediate, without waiting for time. It does not give fruit only after an interval of five days, seven days, or the like. Rather, it gives fruit in the moment immediately following its own arising. This is the meaning.

Or something whose fruit takes a long time to arrive is kāliko. What is that? A wholesome worldly phenomenon. This path, however, is not kāliko because its fruit follows immediately; therefore it is immediate (AKĀLIKO). This is stated exclusively with reference to the path.

“inviting inspection” means: “Come! Inspect this Dhamma!” A Dhamma fit for this invitation to come and inspect is ehipassiko, inviting inspection. Why is it fit for such treatment? Because it really exists and because it is pure. Even if someone says that gold or silver is present in an empty fist, they cannot say, “Come! Inspect this!” Why not? Because it does not exist. And even actual feces or urine cannot be presented by saying “Come! Inspect this!” to display an attractive appearance and for the purpose of gladdening the mind. Far from it: such a thing is fit only to be covered with grass or leaves. Why? Because it is impure.

These nine supramundane phenomena, however, really exist by their own nature and are as pure as the full disk of the moon in a cloudless sky and as a superb jewel set on yellow cloth. Because they exist and are pure, they deserve inviting inspection—the invitation “Come and inspect”—and are therefore inviting inspection (EHIPASSIKO).

It should be brought near, and so it is opanayiko, leading onward. The analysis here is this: bringing near (upanayana) is “leading” (upanaya). Even if the practitioner’s clothes or head are on fire, it deserves to be brought near to the practitioner’s own mind through cultivation, putting those fires aside; therefore it is leading onward. This explanation applies to the conditioned supramundane phenomena, the four paths and four fruits. As for the unconditioned, nibbāna deserves to be brought near by the practitioner’s own mind, and is therefore leading onward (OPANAYIKO). The meaning is that it is worthy of being approached by direct realization.

Or the noble path leads a person to nibbāna and so “should be led”; the fruit and nibbāna should be led toward attainment and so “should be led.” What “should be led” is leading onward (OPANAYIKO).

“to be known by the wise, each for themselves”—it should be known by every kind of wise person, from those of swift intuition onward, each within their own mind: “The path has been cultivated by me; the fruit has been attained; cessation has been directly realized.” The path cultivated by a preceptor cannot abandon the defilements of the pupil who lives with them. The pupil does not dwell in ease because of the preceptor’s attainment of fruition, nor can the pupil directly realize the nibbāna directly realized by the preceptor. This Dhamma should not be seen as though looking at an ornament on someone else’s head; it should be seen only within the practitioner’s own mind. “It should be personally experienced by the wise”—this is the meaning. Yet this Dhamma is not the domain of fools.

§2.3 Dhammānussati, cultivation and benefits of recollection of the Dhamma 〔Vism VII·pp.213–218〕

Furthermore, this Dhamma is well-proclaimed. Why? Because it is directly visible. It is directly visible because it is immediate; immediate because it is inviting inspection; and whatever is inviting inspection is called leading onward. When a practitioner recollects the Dhamma’s many qualities beginning with being well-proclaimed in this way, at that time their mind is not obsessed (pariyuṭṭhita) by greed, not by aversion ... pe ... and so on, as stated at length above ... and not by delusion; at that time their mind is upright with reference to the Dhamma. Thus, as stated before, just as the hindrances are suppressed, the jhāna factors arise in a single moment. Yet because the Dhamma’s qualities are profound, or because resolve is directed to recollecting qualities of many kinds, the jhāna does not reach absorption (appanā) but reaches only access (upacāra). Since this jhāna arises from recollecting the Dhamma’s qualities, it is called recollection of the Dhamma.

Moreover, a bhikkhu devoted to this recollection of the Dhamma thinks: “In the past I saw no Teacher endowed with this quality, who teaches a Dhamma that is leading onward; and now too I see none apart from that Blessed One.” Seeing the Dhamma’s qualities in this way, the bhikkhu has reverence and deference toward the Teacher, holds the Dhamma in reverence, attains growth in faith and the rest, has abundant joy and gladness, can endure fear and dread, can endure pain, and acquires the perception of dwelling together with the Dhamma. Their body, filled by recollection of the Dhamma’s qualities, becomes worthy of offerings like a shrine. Their mind inclines toward attainment of the unsurpassed Dhamma. When they encounter something they might transgress, the manifestation of shame and fear of wrongdoing arises as they recollect the Dhamma’s quality of being well-proclaimed. Even if they penetrate no higher attainment, they are destined for a good rebirth.

Therefore let the wise continually practice heedfulness in this recollection of the Dhamma, so mighty in power.

This is the detailed exposition of recollection of the Dhamma.

Notes

¹ The nine supramundane phenomena (lokuttaradhamma) are the four paths, four fruits, and nibbāna. When explaining “leading onward” below, the first eight are distinguished as conditioned and nibbāna as unconditioned.

² Connection (anusandhi): the thread of meaning that joins what precedes and follows within a discourse.

³ There are four discriminations: meaning (attha), Dhamma (dhamma), language (nirutti), and perspicuity (paṭibhāna). This passage pairs them two by two.

⁴ Continuum (santāna): an Abhidhamma term for the continuous flow of mind.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine), made from the public-domain PTS text.

§3 Saṅghānussati, recollection of the Sangha 〔Vism VII·pp.218–221〕

A practitioner who wishes to cultivate recollection of the Sangha (saṅghānussati) should likewise go into seclusion and withdraw alone, recollecting the qualities of the noble Sangha thus: “The Blessed One’s Sangha of disciples is practicing the good way; the Blessed One’s Sangha of disciples is practicing the upright way; the Blessed One’s Sangha of disciples is practicing the true way; the Blessed One’s Sangha of disciples is practicing the proper way. That is, the four pairs of persons, the eight individuals—this is the Blessed One’s Sangha of disciples: worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.”

“practicing the good way” means practicing well: practicing the right path, the non-retreating path, the conforming path, the non-opposing path, and the path in accord with the Dhamma in every detail—this is the meaning stated. Because they respectfully listen to the Blessed One’s instruction and teaching, they are disciples (sāvaka).

The assembly of disciples is the “Sangha of disciples.” This means a community of disciples that has attained concord through common virtue and view.

That right practice is also called “upright”—not bent, crooked, or distorted; it is also called “noble” and the “true way”¹; and because it is fitting, it is called “proper.” Therefore the noble Sangha that practices this path is also called practicing the upright way, practicing the true way, and practicing the proper way. Here, members established in the path are practicing the good way because they possess right practice; members established in fruition are practicing the good way because they have attained what is to be attained through right practice—understood with reference to their practice in the past.

Furthermore, because they practice as instructed within the well-proclaimed Dhamma and Discipline, and because they practice the path of blamelessness, they are practicing the good way. Because they practice the middle way without approaching either extreme, and because they practice to abandon defects of bodily, verbal, and mental bentness, crookedness, and distortion, they are practicing the upright way. The term nibbāna is called the “true way”; because they practice for that purpose, they are practicing the true way. Those who practice in this manner become worthy of proper regard; because they practice in this manner, they are practicing the proper way.

“That is” means “these.”

“The four pairs of persons”—reckoned by pairs, a member established in the first path and a member established in its fruition constitute a single pair; in this way there are four pairs of persons.

“The eight individuals”—reckoned as individual persons, a member established in the first path is a single individual and a member established in its fruition is a single individual; by this method there are precisely eight individuals. Here, “person” and “individual” have the same meaning; the two words are used with reference to those who are to be guided.

“This is the Blessed One’s Sangha of disciples”—reckoned by pairs, these are the four pairs of persons; reckoned separately, these are the eight individuals: this is the Blessed One’s Sangha of disciples.

“Worthy of offerings”² and the rest: something brought and to be offered is called āhuna; the meaning is that even when brought from far away, it should be given to those endowed with virtue—this is a designation for the four requisites: robes, alms-food, lodging, and medicines. The Sangha is fit to receive that offering because it makes the offering yield great fruit, and is therefore “worthy of offerings.” Or, because a person arriving even from far away should offer all their possessions here, it is āhavanīya; or because even Sakka and the other deities should make offerings to it, it is āhavanīya. The brahmins, moreover, have a fire called āhavanīya; their doctrine holds that what is offered there yields great fruit.

If a recipient is called worthy of offerings because what is offered yields great fruit, then the Sangha alone is worthy of offerings, for what is offered to the Sangha yields great fruit. As it is said:

Though a being tends a fire in the forest for a hundred years, yet honors a developed person even for a moment, that act of honor is better than an offering made for a hundred years.

The term āhavanīyo found in another recension and the term “worthy of offerings” (āhuneyyo) found here are the same in meaning; there is only a slight difference in wording. Therefore it is “worthy of offerings.”

“worthy of hospitality”—here pāhuna, a guest-gift, means a gift prepared with honor for dear and agreeable relatives and friends who have arrived from every direction. Yet even such a guest-gift should be set aside and given solely to the Sangha, and the Sangha is fit to receive it. No guest is like the Sangha: it appears only within a single Buddha-period and continues there in unbroken succession; it is also endowed with qualities that make it dear and agreeable. Thus the guest-gift should be given to it, and it is fit to receive the guest-gift, so it is “worthy of hospitality.” As for those whose recitation has pāhavanīyo, because the Sangha is worthy of receiving the first offering, the gift should be brought before all else and offered here, and hence it is pāhavanīyo; or it is pāhavanīyo because it deserves offerings in every manner. Here the same meaning is expressed by “worthy of hospitality.”

“Gift” (dakkhiṇā) means a gift to be given out of faith in the world to come. The Sangha deserves that gift, or the Sangha is helpful to the gift—because it purifies the gift by making it yield great fruit—and therefore is “worthy of gifts.”

By placing both hands upon the head, the whole world performs this act of reverential salutation. The Sangha deserves it and is therefore “worthy of reverential salutation.”

“The unsurpassed field of merit for the world” is the incomparable place where merit grows for the entire world. Just as the place where a king’s or minister’s rice or barley grows is called the “king’s rice field” or “[the king’s] barley field,” so the Sangha is the place where the entire world’s merit grows: dependent on the Sangha, merit of many kinds that brings welfare and happiness to the world grows. Therefore the Sangha is called “the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.”

When a practitioner recollects the various qualities of the Sangha beginning with practicing the good way, at that time their mind is not obsessed by greed, not by aversion ... pe ... and so on, as stated at length above ... and not by delusion; at that time their mind is upright with reference to the Sangha. Thus, as stated before, the jhāna factors arise in a single moment as the hindrances are suppressed. Yet because the Sangha’s qualities are profound, or because of resolve upon recollecting qualities of many kinds, this jhāna does not reach absorption but reaches access alone. Because this jhāna arises from recollecting the Sangha’s qualities, it is called recollection of the Sangha.

Moreover, a bhikkhu devoted to this recollection of the Sangha has reverence and deference toward the Sangha, attains growth in faith and the rest, abounds in joy and gladness, can endure fear and dread, can endure pain, and acquires the perception of dwelling together with the Sangha. Their body, filled by recollection of the Sangha’s qualities, becomes worthy of offerings like an uposatha hall³ in which the Sangha has assembled. Their mind inclines toward attainment of the Sangha’s qualities. When they encounter something they might transgress, the manifestation of shame and fear of wrongdoing arises as though they saw the Sangha before them. Even if they penetrate no higher attainment, they are destined for a good rebirth.

Therefore let the wise continually practice heedfulness, in this recollection of the Sangha, so mighty in power.

This is the detailed exposition of recollection of the Sangha.

Notes

¹ “True way” and “practicing the true way” above both derive from the same Pāli word, ñāya. This edition uses “true way” when the word stands alone and “true” within the compound.

² This “worthy of offerings” renders āhuneyya; in the Chinese it is written in the same form as, though it translates a different Pāli word from, the “Worthy One” that renders arahaṃ among the Buddha’s nine qualities in section 1; this edition retains both without distinguishing them.

³ Uposatha hall (uposathāgāra): the hall where the Sangha assembles fortnightly to recite the monastic code.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine), made from the public-domain PTS text.

§4 Sīlānussati, recollection of virtue 〔Vism VII·pp.221–222〕

A practitioner who wishes to cultivate recollection of virtue (sīlānussati) should go into seclusion and withdraw alone, recollecting their own virtues through the quality of being “unbroken”¹ and the rest in this way: “Truly my virtues are unbroken, untorn, unspotted, unmottled, liberating, praised by the wise, ungrasped, and leading to concentration.” A householder recollects householder virtues, while a monastic recollects monastic virtues.

Whether they are householder virtues or monastic virtues, virtues of which not even a single precept has been broken at the beginning or the end are not broken like a cloth whose edge is damaged; therefore they are “unbroken.”

Virtues of which not even a single precept has been broken in the middle are not pierced like a cloth with a hole in its center; therefore they are “untorn.”

Virtues of which neither two nor three consecutive precepts have been broken are not spotted like a cow whose body is of some other color, with patches of dissimilar color such as black or red in long, round, and similar shapes rising on its back or belly; therefore they are “unspotted.”

Virtues that have not been broken at intervals are not mottled like a cow variegated with spots of dissimilar color; therefore they are “unmottled.”

Or, stated without distinction, because none of the virtues have been damaged by the seven kinds of sexual involvement² or by harmful phenomena such as anger and resentment, they are unbroken, untorn, unspotted, and unmottled.

Those virtues, by being released from slavery to craving and brought into a state of freedom, are “liberating.” Because they are praised by the wise, beginning with the Buddha, they are “praised by the wise.”

Because they are ungrasped by craving and [wrong] views, or because no person can grasp at them and say, “This is a fault in your virtues,” they are “ungrasped.”

Because they lead to access concentration and absorption concentration, or to path concentration and fruition concentration, they are “leading to concentration.”

When a practitioner recollects their own virtues through the quality of being “unbroken” and the rest, at that time their mind is not obsessed by greed, not by aversion ... pe ... and so on, as stated at length above ... and not by delusion; at that time their mind is upright. “with reference to virtue”—as stated before, the jhāna factors arise in a single moment as the hindrances are suppressed. Yet because the qualities of virtue are profound, or because of resolve upon recollecting qualities of many kinds, this jhāna does not reach absorption but reaches access alone. Because this jhāna arises through recollecting the qualities of virtue, it is called recollection of virtue.

Moreover, a bhikkhu devoted to this recollection of virtue is respectful toward the training, is amiable in conduct (that is, lives harmoniously with fellow practitioners of the holy life), is heedful in hospitable greeting, is free from the fear of self-reproach and the like, sees danger even in the slightest faults, attains growth in faith and the rest, and abounds in joy and gladness. Even if the bhikkhu penetrates no higher attainment, they are destined for a good rebirth.

Therefore let the wise continually practice heedfulness, in this recollection of virtue, so mighty in power.

This is the detailed exposition of recollection of virtue.

Notes

¹ The defilement and purification of the virtue on which the eight qualities beginning with “unbroken” depend are treated in full in “Defilement and Purification of Virtue” in Chapter 1, “Virtue.”

² The seven kinds of sexual involvement are also enumerated individually in “Defilement and Purification of Virtue” in Chapter 1, “Virtue”; this section gives only their name.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine), made from the public-domain PTS text.

§5 Cāgānussati, recollection of generosity 〔Vism VII·pp.223–224〕

A practitioner who wishes to cultivate recollection of generosity (cāgānussati; here “generosity” means generous giving [cāga], not the equanimity meant by upekkhā) should be naturally inclined toward generosity and should regularly practice giving and sharing. Alternatively, a practitioner beginning the cultivation should undertake this resolution: “From now on, whenever there is a recipient, I will not partake of food without giving at least a single mouthful.” On that day the practitioner should then give, by way of sharing and according to their means and strength, among recipients distinguished in virtue; take that act as the sign; and then go into seclusion and withdraw alone, recollecting in this way: “Truly there are gains for me, truly well gained for me! Among a people obsessed by the stain of stinginess, I abide with a heart freed from the stain of stinginess: free-handed (muttacāgo; giving without reservation), with cleansed hand (payatapāṇi; the hand always kept clean for giving), delighting in relinquishment, responsive to requests, delighting in giving and sharing.” In this way, the practitioner should recollect their own generosity by way of the qualities of being freed from the stain of stinginess and the rest.

Here, “Truly there are gains for me” means: I truly have gains [indeed, excellent gains]. For the Blessed One praised the giver’s gains in these ways: “Having given life, the giver comes to share in life, whether divine or human”; again, “A giver is dear; many associate with the giver”; and again, “A giver is dear, following the way of the good.” I shall certainly come to share in those gains.

“Truly well gained for me” means: this dispensation and this human state that I have gained are truly well gained! Why? “Among a people obsessed by the stain of stinginess ... pe ... (and so on, as stated at length above) ... delighting in giving and sharing.” Here:

“Obsessed by the stain of stinginess” means overcome by the stain of stinginess.

“People”: sentient beings are called “people” in respect of coming to birth. Thus the meaning here is: among those sentient beings overcome by the stain of stinginess—the stain of stinginess being one of the dark states that defile the mind’s natural luminosity, with the characteristic of intolerance that their own possessions should be held in common with others.

“With [a heart] freed from the stain of stinginess”: because the other stains, greed, aversion, and the rest, as well as stinginess, have departed, the expression “freed from stain and stinginess” is used.

“I abide with [such] a heart” means: I abide having become possessed of a heart of the kind described above. In the discourses, however, because the teaching was given in terms of support-dwelling¹ when Mahānāma the Sakyan, who was a stream-enterer, asked about support-dwelling, the wording is “I dwell at home.” The meaning here is: I abide having overcome [the stain of stinginess].

“free-handed” means that the practitioner’s generosity has been released.

“with cleansed hand” means with a hand made pure. That is, in order respectfully to give with their own hand what is to be given, the practitioner always keeps the hand washed clean.

“delighting in relinquishment”: vossajjana (relinquishing) is vossagga (relinquishment), whose meaning is pariccāga (giving up). Because the practitioner delights in that relinquishment through constant application, they are “delighting in relinquishment.”

“responsive to requests” means: because the practitioner gives whatever others ask for, item by item, they are fit to be asked. There is also the reading yājayogo², meaning yoked to the sacrifice called an offering.

“delighting in giving and sharing”: the practitioner delights both in giving and in sharing. The meaning is that they recollect in this way: “I both make gifts and share from what I myself should use, and I rejoice in both.”

When the practitioner thus recollects their own generosity by way of the qualities of being freed from the stain of stinginess and the rest, at that time their mind is not obsessed by greed, not by aversion ... pe ... (and so on, as stated at length above) ... and not by delusion; at that time their mind is upright. “with reference to generosity”—as described earlier, at the very moment the hindrances are suppressed, the jhāna factors arise. Yet because the qualities of generosity are profound, or because of resolve upon recollecting qualities of generosity of many kinds, this jhāna does not attain absorption (appanā); it reaches only access (upacāra). Since this jhāna arises through recollecting the qualities of generosity, it is called recollection of generosity.

Moreover, a bhikkhu devoted to recollection of generosity becomes increasingly inclined toward generosity, has a disposition of non-greed, acts in conformity with goodwill, is self-confident and fearless, and abides abounding in joy and gladness. Even if the bhikkhu penetrates no higher attainment, they are destined for a good rebirth.

Therefore let the wise continually practice heedfulness, in this recollection of generosity, so mighty in power.

This is the detailed exposition of recollection of generosity.

Notes

¹ The matter of the stream-enterer’s support-dwelling in the Mahānāma Discourse is discussed more fully in section 7, “Miscellany Discussion,” of this chapter.

² This alternate reading is supplied by the author of the treatise; the collated text has only yācayogo, with no occurrence of yājayogo.

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine), made from the public-domain PTS text.

§6 Devatānussati, recollection of deities 〔Vism VII·pp.225–226〕

A practitioner who wishes to cultivate recollection of deities (devatānussati) must first be endowed with qualities of faith and the rest arrived at by way of the noble path.

Once so endowed, the practitioner should go into seclusion and withdraw alone (rahogata-paṭisallīna), recollecting in this way: “There are deities of the realm of the Four Great Kings (Cātumahārājikā); there are deities of the Thirty-Three (Tāvatiṃsā), the Yāma realm (Yāmā), Tusita (Tusitā), Those Who Delight in Creating (Nimmānaratī), and Those Who Wield Power over the Creations of Others (Paranimmita-vasavattī); there are deities of the Brahmā realm (Brahmakāyikā); and there are deities in realms still higher than these. Those deities passed away from here and were reborn there because they possessed faith of that kind; I too possess faith of that kind. Because they possessed virtue of that kind . . . learning of that kind . . . generosity of that kind . . . wisdom of that kind, those deities passed away from here and were reborn there; I too possess wisdom of that kind.” In this way, having placed the deities in the position of witnesses (sakkhiṭṭhāne ṭhapetvā), the practitioner recollects their own qualities of faith and the rest.

The discourse, however, says: “Mahānāma, when a noble disciple recollects their own faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom together with those of the deities, at that time their mind is not obsessed by greed.” Although the discourse says this, it should still be understood that the statement serves to point out the parity of the deities’ qualities of faith and the rest with the practitioner’s own (samānaguṇa-dīpanattham), and that the deities are still to be placed in the position of witnesses. For the Commentary¹ has already stated emphatically: “Having placed the deities in the position of witnesses, the practitioner recollects their own qualities.”

Thus, in the former part (pubbabhāga) the practitioner recollects the qualities of the deities, and in the latter part (aparabhāga) recollects the qualities of faith and the rest that are present in themself. While recollecting in this way, their mind is not obsessed by greed, not by aversion . . . and so on, as stated at length above . . . and not by delusion; at that time their mind is upright. “with reference to the deities”—as described earlier, at the very moment the hindrances are suppressed, the jhāna factors arise. Yet because the qualities of faith and the rest are profound, or because of resolve upon recollecting qualities of many kinds, this jhāna does not attain absorption (appanā); it reaches only access (upacāra). Since this jhāna arises through recollecting qualities of faith and the rest that resemble the qualities of the deities, it is called recollection of deities.

Moreover, a bhikkhu devoted to recollection of deities becomes dear and beloved to the deities, attains fullness of faith and the rest in greater measure, and abides abounding in joy and gladness. Even if the bhikkhu penetrates no higher attainment, they are destined for a good rebirth.

Therefore let the wise continually practice heedfulness, in this recollection of deities, so mighty in power.

This is the detailed exposition of recollection of deities.

Notes

¹ Commentary (Aṭṭhakathā): the ancient Pāli commentarial literature on which this treatise draws; this unit cites it to establish the reading “place the deities in the position of witnesses.”

The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine), made from the public-domain PTS text.

§7 Pakiṇṇaka-kathā, Miscellany Discussion 〔Vism VII·pp.226–228〕

Further, in the detailed teaching of these [recollections], after such statements as “with reference to the Tathāgata, at that time the practitioner’s mind becomes upright,” it is said: “Mahānāma, the noble disciple whose mind is upright gains satisfaction-in-the-meaning (atthaveda), gains satisfaction-in-the-text (dhammaveda), and gains gladness conjoined with the Dhamma (dhammūpasaṃhita-pāmojja); for the gladdened disciple, joy (pīti) arises.”

Here, “gains satisfaction-in-the-meaning” is said with reference to the contentment (tuṭṭhi) that arises in reliance on the meaning of such expressions as “Such indeed is the Blessed One.” “Gains satisfaction-in-the-text” is said with reference to the contentment that arises in reliance on the wording of the canonical text. It should be understood that “gains gladness conjoined with the Dhamma” is said by way of both together.

Again, the expression “with reference to the deities” in recollection of deities should be understood as said in two ways: (a) by way of the mind that proceeds in the former part with reference to the deities; or (b) by way of the mind that proceeds with reference to qualities similar to the deities’ qualities, qualities that bring about the deity state.

These six recollections, however, succeed only for noble disciples (ariyasāvaka), because the qualities of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha are clearly manifest to them. They are also endowed with virtue having the quality of being unbroken and the rest, with generosity freed from the stain of stinginess, and with qualities beginning with faith that resemble the qualities of deities of great power.

Again, in the Mahānāma Sutta, when the Blessed One was asked about the support-dwelling (nissaya-vihāra) of a stream-enterer (sotāpanna), these [recollections] were explained in detail precisely to show the stream-enterer’s support-dwelling.

The Gedha Sutta also says: “Bhikkhus, here a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata: ‘Such indeed is the Blessed One ... pe ... (and so on, as stated at length above) ...’; at that time the disciple’s mind becomes upright, gone out from, freed from, and emerged from craving. ‘Craving,’ bhikkhus, is here a designation for the five strands of sense-pleasure (pañca kāmaguṇā). Bhikkhus, with this as object, some beings here are thus purified.” This was said so that a noble disciple, having purified the mind by way of recollection, might proceed to the higher attainment of highest purity.

The Sambādhokāsa Sutta spoken by the Venerable Mahā-Kaccāna also says: “Wonderful, friends! Amazing, friends! How fully the Blessed One—the knowing one, the seeing one, the Arahant, the Rightly and Fully Enlightened One—has awakened to an opening within constraint, for the purification of beings ... pe ... (and so on, as stated at length above) ... for the realization of nibbāna: namely, the six bases of recollection. Which six? Here, friends, a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata ... pe ... (and so on, as stated at length above) ... some beings here thus become possessed of the dhamma of purity.” This was said by way of attaining an opening, on the ground that only a noble disciple possesses the dhamma of highest purity.

The Uposatha Sutta¹ also says: “Visākhā, how does the noble uposatha (ariyūposatha) come to be? Visākhā, there is purification of a defiled mind through exertion. And how, Visākhā, does purification of a defiled mind occur through exertion? Here, Visākhā, a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata.” This was said by way of the mind-cleansing meditation subject (citta-visodhana-kammaṭṭhāna) for a noble disciple observing the uposatha, in order to show that the uposatha is of great fruit.

The Ekādasanipāta² also says: “Mahānāma, a person with faith is a fulfiller; a person without faith is not. A person with energy aroused . . . mindfulness established, concentration attained, and wisdom present, Mahānāma, is a fulfiller; the dull-witted person is not. Established in these five qualities, Mahānāma, you should cultivate six qualities further. Here, Mahānāma, you should recollect the Tathāgata: ‘Such indeed is the Blessed One ... pe ... (and so on, as stated at length above) ... Buddha, Blessed One.’ . . .” This too was said only for a noble disciple: the questioner had asked, “Venerable sir, by which mode of dwelling should we who dwell by diverse modes of dwelling (nānā-vihāra) abide?” and it was said to show the mode in which to abide.

This being so, an ordinary person (puthujjana) endowed with such qualities as purified virtue should also bring [these six recollections] to mind. For even when merely recollecting the qualities of the Buddha and the rest by way of recollection, the mind invariably becomes serene. Through the power of that [serenity], the practitioner may suppress the hindrances, experience abundant gladness, take up insight (vipassanā), and even realize Arahantship—like Phussadeva-thera, the dweller in Kaṭakandhakāra (the Black Forest).

It is told that the Venerable Phussadeva saw a Buddha-form magically created by Māra and thought: “This figure is still possessed of greed, aversion, and delusion, yet it shines so. How then would the Blessed One not shine?³ For he is wholly free from greed, aversion, and delusion.” Having thus obtained joy with the Buddha as object, the elder developed insight and finally attained Arahantship.

Thus, in the Path of Purity composed for the joy of good people, in the Section on the Cultivation of Concentration, the chapter called the Discussion of the six recollections is the seventh chapter.

Notes

¹ The Uposatha Sutta is a discourse in the Book of the Threes of the Aṅguttara Nikāya. The uposatha is the day on which the monastic community assembles fortnightly to recite the disciplinary code; the “noble uposatha” (ariyūposatha) is the observance in which recollection is used as exertion for the purification of a defiled mind.

² “Ekādasanipāta” means the Book of the Elevens in the Aṅguttara Nikāya. Here the treatise identifies the collection but not the discourse by name.

³ The negative particle in this rhetorical question is an editorial supplement enclosed in square brackets in the base text. Without it, the polarity would be reversed, yielding “the Blessed One does not shine.” The present rendering follows the supplemented reading.