Visuddhimagga

• Front
  • Prefaces
    • Copyright notice
    • Buddhist Publication Society edition note
    • Message from his Holiness the Dalai Lama
    • Publisher’s Foreword to Third Edition
    • Publisher’s Foreword to Fourth Edition
    • Translator’s Dedication
    • Translator’s Preface
  • Bibliography
    • Printed Editions of the Visuddhimagga
    • Translations of the Visuddhimagga
    • Other works
    • List of abbreviations for texts used
      • Other abbreviations
  • Introduction
    • Background and Main Facts
    • The Visuddhimagga and its Author
    • The Vimuttimagga
    • Trends in the Development of Theravāda doctrine
    • The Paramatthamañjūsā
    • Some Main Threads in the Visuddhimagga
    • Concerning the Translation
    • Concluding remarks
• Part I. Virtue (Sīla)
  • I. Description of Virtue
    • 1 I. Introductory
    • 2 II. Virtue
    • 3 (i) What is virtue?
    • 4 (ii) In what sense is it virtue?
    • 5 (iii) What are its characteristic, etc.?
    • 6 (iv) What are the benefits of virtue?
    • 7 (v) How many kinds of virtue are there?
      • 7.1 1. Monad
      • 7.2 2.–8. Dyads
      • 7.3 9.–13. Triads
      • 7.4 14.–17. Tetrads
        • 7.4.1 Virtue of the fourfold purification
          • 7.4.1.1 (a) Virtue of Pātimokha restraint
          • 7.4.1.2 (b) Virtue of restraint of the sense faculties
          • 7.4.1.3 (c) Virtue of livelihood purification
          • 7.4.1.4 (d) Virtue concerning requisites
          • 7.4.1.5 (a) Pātimokha restraint by means of faith
          • 7.4.1.6 (b) Restraint of the sense faculties by means of mindfulness
          • 7.4.1.7 (c) Livelihood purification by means of energy
          • 7.4.1.8 (d) Virtue dependent on requisites by means of understanding
      • 7.5 18.–19. Pentads
    • 8 (vi), (vii) What are the defiling and the cleansing of it?
  • II. The Ascetic Practices
    • 1 The 13 kinds of Ascetic Practices
    • 2 Meaning
    • 3 Characteristic
    • 4 Undertaking, directions, etc.
      • 4.1 Refuse-rag-wearer
      • 4.2 Triple-robe-wearer
      • 4.3 Alms-food-eater
      • 4.4 House-to-house seeker
      • 4.5 One-sessioner
      • 4.6 Bowl-food-eater
      • 4.7 Late-food-refuser
      • 4.8 Forest-dweller
      • 4.9 Tree-root-dweller
      • 4.10 Open-air-dweller
      • 4.11 Charnel-groud-dweller
      • 4.12 Any-bed-user
      • 4.13 Sitter
    • 5 Profitable triad
    • 6 Ascetic and so on distinguished
    • 7 Groups
    • 8 Singly
• Part II. Concentration (Samādhi)
  • III. Taking a Meditation Subject
    • 1 (i) What is concentration?
    • 2 (ii) In what sense is it concentration?
    • 3 (iii) What are its characteristic, etc.?
    • 4 (iv) How many kinds of concentration are there?
    • 5 (v), (vi) What are the defiling and the cleansing of it?
    • 6 (vii) How is it developed?
    • 7 A. Development in Brief
    • 8 B. Development in Detail
      • 8.1 The ten impediments
      • 8.2 Meditation subjects etc.
      • 8.3 The good friend
      • 8.4 Temperaments
        • 8.4.1 Source of temperaments
        • 8.4.2 Recognition of temperament
        • 8.4.3 What suits one of what kind of temperament?
      • 8.5 Definition of meditation subjects
      • 8.6 Self-dedication
      • 8.7 Ways of expounding
  • IV. The Earth Kasiṇa
    • 1 The eighteen faults of a monastery
    • 2 The five factors of the resting place
    • 3 The lesser impediments
    • 4 Detailed instructions for development
    • 5 The earth kasiṇa
      • 5.1 Making an earth kasiṇa
      • 5.2 Starting contemplation
      • 5.3 The counterpart sign
    • 6 The two kinds of concentration
    • 7 Guarding the sign
    • 8 The ten kinds of skill in absorption
    • 9 Balancing the effort
      • 9.1 The five similes
    • 10 Absorption in the cognitive series
    • 11 The first jhāna
    • 12 Extension of the sign
    • 13 Mastery in five ways
    • 14 The second jhāna
    • 15 The third jhāna
    • 16 The fourth jhāna
    • 17 The fivefold reckoning of jhāna
  • V. The Remaining Kasiṇas
    • 1 The Water Kasiṇa
    • 2 The Fire Kasiṇa
    • 3 The Air Kasiṇa
    • 4 The Blue Kasiṇa
    • 5 The Yellow Kasiṇa
    • 6 The Red Kasiṇa
    • 7 The White Kasiṇa
    • 8 The Light Kasiṇa
    • 9 The Limited-Space Kasiṇa
    • 10 General
  • VI. Foulness as a Meditation Subject
    • 1 General Definitions
    • 2 The Bloated
    • 3 The Livid
    • 4 The Festering
    • 5 The Cut Up
    • 6 The Gnawed
    • 7 The Scattered
    • 8 The Hacked and Scattered
    • 9 The Bleeding
    • 10 The Worm-Infested
    • 11 A Skeleton
    • 12 General
  • VII. Six Recollections
    • 1 (1) Recollection of the Enlightened One
      • 1.1 Accomplished
      • 1.2 Dependent origination
      • 1.3 Fully Enlightened
      • 1.4 Endowed With Clear Vision and Virtuous Conduct
      • 1.5 Sublime
      • 1.6 Knower of Worlds
      • 1.7 Incomparable Leader of Men to be Tamed
      • 1.8 Teacher of Gods and Men
      • 1.9 Enlightened
      • 1.10 Blessed
    • 2 (2) Recollection of the Dhamma
      • 2.1 Well Proclaimed
      • 2.2 Visible Here and Now
      • 2.3 Not Delayed
      • 2.4 Inviting of Inspection
      • 2.5 Onward-Leading
      • 2.6 Is Directly Experienceable by the Wise
    • 3 (3) Recollection of the Saṅgha
      • 3.1 Entered on the Good, Straight, True, Proper Way
      • 3.2 Fit for Gifts
      • 3.3 Fit for Hospitality
      • 3.4 Fit for Offering
      • 3.5 Fit for Salutation
      • 3.6 As an Incomparable Field of Merit for the World
    • 4 (4) Recollection of Virtue
    • 5 (5) Recollection of Generosity
    • 6 (6) Recollection of Deities
    • 7 General
  • VIII. Other Recollections as Meditation Subjects
    • 1 (7) Mindfulness of Death
      • 1.1 Definitions
      • 1.2 Development
      • 1.3 Eight ways of recollecting death
        • 1.3.1 Having the appearance of a murderer
        • 1.3.2 Ruin of success
        • 1.3.3 By comparison
        • 1.3.4 Sharing of the body with many
        • 1.3.5 Fraility of life
        • 1.3.6 Signless
        • 1.3.7 Limitedness of the extend
        • 1.3.8 Shortness of the moment
      • 1.4 Conclusion
    • 2 (8) Mindfulness Occupied with the Body
      • 2.1 Text
      • 2.2 Word Commentary
      • 2.3 Development
        • 2.3.1 The Sevenfold Skill in Learning
        • 2.3.2 The Tenfold Skill in Giving Attention
        • 2.3.3 Starting the Practice
        • 2.3.4 The Thirty-two Aspects in Detail
          • 2.3.4.1 Head Hairs
          • 2.3.4.2 Body Hairs
          • 2.3.4.3 Nails
          • 2.3.4.4 Teeth
          • 2.3.4.5 Skin (Taca)
          • 2.3.4.6 Flesh
          • 2.3.4.7 Sinews
          • 2.3.4.8 Bones
          • 2.3.4.9 Bone Marrow
          • 2.3.4.10 Kidney
          • 2.3.4.11 Heart
          • 2.3.4.12 Liver
          • 2.3.4.13 Midriff
          • 2.3.4.14 Spleen
          • 2.3.4.15 Lungs
          • 2.3.4.16 Bowel
          • 2.3.4.17 Entrails (Mesentery)
          • 2.3.4.18 Gorge
          • 2.3.4.19 Dung
          • 2.3.4.20 Brain
          • 2.3.4.21 Bile
          • 2.3.4.22 Phlegm
          • 2.3.4.23 Pus
          • 2.3.4.24 Blood
          • 2.3.4.25 Sweat
          • 2.3.4.26 Fat
          • 2.3.4.27 Tears
          • 2.3.4.28 Grease
          • 2.3.4.29 Spittle
          • 2.3.4.30 Snot
          • 2.3.4.31 Oil of the Joints
          • 2.3.4.32 Urine
        • 2.3.5 The Arising of Absorption
    • 3 (9) Mindfulness of Breathing
      • 3.1 Text
      • 3.2 Word Commentary
      • 3.3 Word Commentary Continued—First Tetrad
        • 3.3.1 Method of Development
          • 3.3.1.1 Counting
          • 3.3.1.2 Connection
          • 3.3.1.3 Touching & fixing
          • 3.3.1.4 Observing … turning away
      • 3.4 Word Commentary Continued—Second Tetrad
      • 3.5 Word Commentary Continued—Third Tetrad
      • 3.6 Word Commentary Continued—Fourth Tetrad
      • 3.7 Conclusion
    • 4 (10) Recollection of Peace
  • IX. The Divine Abidings
    • 1 (1) Loving-Kindness
      • 1.1 Getting Rid of Resentment
      • 1.2 The Breaking Down of the Barriers—The Sign
      • 1.3 Texts and Commentary
    • 2 (2) Compassion
    • 3 (3) Gladness
    • 4 (4) Equanimity
    • 5 General
      • 5.1 Meanings
      • 5.2 Characteristic etc.
      • 5.3 Purpose
      • 5.4 The Near and Far Enemies
      • 5.5 The Beginning, Middle and End, Etc.
      • 5.6 The Order in Extension
      • 5.7 The Outcome
      • 5.8 Four Questions
      • 5.9 As Producing Three Jhānas and Four Jhānas
      • 5.10 The Highest Limit of Each
  • X. The Immaterial States
    • 1 (1) The Base Consisting of Boundless Space
      • 1.1 Text and commentary
    • 2 (2) The Base Consisting of Boundless Consciousness
      • 2.1 Text and commentary
    • 3 (3) The Base Consisting of Nothingness
      • 3.1 Text and commentary
    • 4 (4) The Base Consisting of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception
      • 4.1 Text and commentary
    • 5 General
  • XI. Concentration—Conclusion: Nutriment and the Elements
    • 1 Perception of Repulsiveness in Nutriment
    • 2 Defining of The Elements
      • 2.1 Word Definitions
      • 2.2 Texts and Commentary in Brief
      • 2.3 In Detail
      • 2.4 Method of Development in Brief
      • 2.5 Method of Development in Detail
        • 2.5.1 (1) With Constituents in Brief
        • 2.5.2 (2) With Constituents by Analysis
        • 2.5.3 (3) With Characteristics in Brief
        • 2.5.4 (4) With Characteristics by Analysis
      • 2.6 Additional Ways of Giving Attention
    • 3 Development of Concentration—Conclusion
      • 3.1 The Benefits of Developing Concentration
  • XII. The Supernormal Powers
    • 1 The Benefits of Concentration (Continued)
    • 2 The five kinds of direct-knowledge
    • 3 (1) The Kinds of Supernormal Power
      • 3.1 Supernormal power as resolve
      • 3.2 Supernormal power as transformation
      • 3.3 Supernormal power as mind-made body
  • XIII. Other Direct-knowledges
    • 1 (2) The Divine Ear Element
    • 2 (3) Penetration of Minds
    • 3 (4) Recollection of Past Lives
    • 4 (5) The Divine Eye—Knowledge of Passing Away and Reappearance of Beings
    • 5 General
• Part III. Understanding (Paññā)
  • XIV. The Aggregates
    • 1 A. Understanding
      • 1.1 (i) What is understanding?
      • 1.2 (ii) In what sense is it understanding?
      • 1.3 (iii) What are its characteristic, etc.?
      • 1.4 (iv) How many kinds of understanding are there?
      • 1.5 (v) How is it developed?
    • 2 B. Description of the Five Aggregates
      • 2.1 The Materiality Aggregate
      • 2.2 The Consciousness Aggregate
        • 2.2.1 The 89 Kinds of Consciousness—see Table III
          • 2.2.1.1 I. Profitable
          • 2.2.1.2 II. Unprofitable
          • 2.2.1.3 III. Indeterminate
        • 2.2.2 The 14 Modes of Occurrence of Consciousness
      • 2.3 The Feeling Aggregate
      • 2.4 The Perception Aggregate
      • 2.5 The Formations Aggregate—see Tables II & IV
        • 2.5.1 According to Association with Consciousness
    • 3 C. Classification of the Aggregates
      • 3.1 Materiality
      • 3.2 Feeling
      • 3.3 Perception, Formations and Consciousness
    • 4 D. Classes of Knowledge of the Aggregates
  • XV. The Bases and Elements
    • 1 A. Description of the Bases
    • 2 B. Description of the Elements
  • XVI. The Faculties and Truths
    • 1 A. Description of the Faculties
    • 2 B. Description of the Truths
      • 2.1 The Truth of Suffering
        • 2.1.1 (i) Birth
        • 2.1.2 (ii) Ageing
        • 2.1.3 (iii) Death
        • 2.1.4 (iv) Sorrow
        • 2.1.5 (v) Lamentation
        • 2.1.6 (vi) Pain
        • 2.1.7 (vii) Grief
        • 2.1.8 (viii) Despair
        • 2.1.9 (ix) Association with the Unloved
        • 2.1.10 (x) Separation from the Loved
        • 2.1.11 (xi) Not to Get What One Wants
        • 2.1.12 (xii) The Five Aggregates
      • 2.2 The Truth of the Origin of Suffering
      • 2.3 The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering
        • 2.3.1 Discussion on Nibbāna
        • 2.3.2 The Truth of the Way
    • 3 General
  • XVII. The Soil of Understanding—Conclusion: Dependent Origination
    • 1 A. Definition of Dependent Origination
    • 2 B. Exposition
      • 2.1 I. Preamble
      • 2.2 II. Brief Exposition
      • 2.3 III. Detailed Exposition
        • 2.3.1 (1) Ignorance
        • 2.3.2 (2) Formations
          • 2.3.2.1 The 24 conditions
          • 2.3.2.2 How Ignorance is a Condition for Formations
          • 2.3.2.3 No Single Fruit from Single Cause
        • 2.3.3 (3) Consciousness
          • 2.3.3.1 1. Kinds of Mundane Resultant Consciousness
          • 2.3.3.2 2. The Occurrence of Resultant Consciousness
          • 2.3.3.3 3. How Formations are a Condition for Consciousness
        • 2.3.4 (4) Mentality-Materiality
        • 2.3.5 (5) The Sixfold Base
          • 2.3.5.1 1. Mentality as Condition
          • 2.3.5.2 2. Materiality as Condition
          • 2.3.5.3 3. Mentality-Materiality as Condition
        • 2.3.6 (6) Contact
          • 2.3.6.1 How the Sixfold Base is a Condition for Contact
        • 2.3.7 (7) Feeling
        • 2.3.8 (8) Craving
        • 2.3.9 (9) Clinging
          • 2.3.9.1 How Craving is a Condition for Clinging
        • 2.3.10 (10) Becoming (being)
          • 2.3.10.1 How Clinging is a Condition for Becoming
        • 2.3.11 (11)–(12) Birth, Etc.
    • 3 C. The Wheel of Becoming
      • 3.1 (i) The Wheel
      • 3.2 (ii) The Three Times
      • 3.3 (iii) Cause and Fruit
      • 3.4 (iv) Various
  • XVIII. Purification of View
    • 1 Introductory
    • 2 Defining of Mentality-Materiality
      • 2.1 (1) Definition Based on the Four Primaries
        • 2.1.1 (a) Starting with Mentality
        • 2.1.2 (b) Starting with Materiality
      • 2.2 (2) Definition Based on the Eighteen Elements
      • 2.3 (3) Definition Based on the Twelve Bases
      • 2.4 (4) Definition Based on the Five Aggregates
      • 2.5 (5) Brief Definition Based on the Four Primaries
    • 3 If the Immaterial Fails to Become Evident
    • 4 How the Immaterial States Become Evident
    • 5 No Being Apart from Mentality-Materiality
    • 6 Interdependence of Mentality and Materiality
    • 7 Conclusion
  • XIX. Purification by Overcoming Doubt
    • 1 Introductory
    • 2 Ways of Discerning Cause and Condition
      • 2.1 1. Neither Created by a Creator nor Causeless
      • 2.2 2. Its Occurance is Always Due to Conditions
      • 2.3 3. General and Particular Conditions
      • 2.4 4. Dependent Origination in Reverse Order
      • 2.5 5. Dependent Origination in Direct Order
      • 2.6 6. Kamma and Kamma-Result
      • 2.7 7. No Doer Apart from Kamma and Result
    • 3 Full-Understanding of the Known
  • XX. Purification by Knowledge and Vision of What is the Path and What is Not the Path
    • 1 Introductory
      • 1.1 The Fifth Purification
      • 1.2 The Three Kinds of Full-Understanding
    • 2 Insight
      • 2.1 Comprehension by Groups
      • 2.2 Comprehension by Groups—Application of Text
      • 2.3 Strengthening of Comprehension in Forty Ways
      • 2.4 Nine Ways of Sharpening the Faculties, Etc.
      • 2.5 Comprehension of the Material
        • 2.5.1 (a) Kamma-Born Materiality
        • 2.5.2 (b) Consciousness-Born Materiality
        • 2.5.3 (c) Nutriment-Born Materiality
        • 2.5.4 (d) Temperature-Born Materiality
      • 2.6 Comprehension of the Immaterial
      • 2.7 The Material Septad
      • 2.8 The Immaterial Septad
      • 2.9 The Eighteen Principal Insights
      • 2.10 Knowledge of Rise and Fall—I
        • 2.10.1 The Ten Imperfections of Insight
  • XXI. Purification by Knowledge and Vision of the Way
    • 1 Introductory
    • 2 Insight: The Eight Knowledges
      • 2.1 1. Knowledge of Rise and Fall—II
      • 2.2 2. Knowledge of Dissolution
      • 2.3 3. Knowledge of Appearance as Terror
      • 2.4 4. Knowledge of Danger
      • 2.5 5. Knowledge of Dispassion
      • 2.6 6. Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance
      • 2.7 7. Knowledge of Reflection
        • 2.7.1 Discerning Formations as Void
      • 2.8 8. Knowledge of Equanimity about Formations
        • 2.8.1 The Triple Gateway to Liberation
        • 2.8.2 The Seven Kinds of Noble Persons
        • 2.8.3 The Last Three Knowledges are One
        • 2.8.4 Insight Leading to Emergence
        • 2.8.5 The Twelve Similes
        • 2.8.6 The Difference in the Noble Path’s Factors, Etc.
      • 2.9 9. Conformity Knowledge
        • 2.9.1 Sutta References
  • XXII. Purification by Knowledge and Vision
    • 1 I. Change-of-Lineage, Paths, and Fruits
      • 1.1 The First Path—First Noble Person
      • 1.2 The First Fruition—Second Noble Person
      • 1.3 The Second Path—Third Noble Person
      • 1.4 The Second Fruition—Fourth Noble Person
      • 1.5 The Third Path—Fifth Noble Person
      • 1.6 The Third Fruition—Sixth Noble Person
      • 1.7 The Fourth Path—Seventh Noble Person
      • 1.8 The Fourth Fruition—Eighth Noble Person
    • 2 II. The States Associated with the Path, Etc.
      • 2.1 The 37 states partaking of enlightenment
      • 2.2 Emergence and coupling of the powers
      • 2.3 States to be abandoned
      • 2.4 The Four Functions
        • 2.4.1 The Four Functions in a Single Moment
        • 2.4.2 The Four Functions Described Separately
      • 2.5 Conclusion
  • XXIII. The Benefits In Developing Understanding
    • 1 (vi) What are the benefits in developing understanding?
      • 1.1 A. Removal of the Defilements
      • 1.2 B. The Taste of the Noble Fruit
      • 1.3 C. The Attainment of Cessation
      • 1.4 D. Worthiness to Receive Gifts
    • 2 Conclusion
    • 3 Postscript
• Index (of Subjects & Proper Names)
• Pali-English Glossary (of Some Subjects and Technical Terms)