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Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc.

Ven. Matara Sri Nanarama

The Seven Stages of Purification

& The Insight Knowledges

The Seven Stages of Purification

& The Insight Knowledges

Buddhist Publication SocietyP.O. Box 6154, Sangharaja MawathaKandy, Sri Lanka

First published 1983Second edition 1993

Copyright © 1983, 1993 by The Sangha,Mitirigala Nissaraõa VanayaAll rights reserved

ISBN 955–24–0059–7

Published for free distribution

The Seven Stages of Purification

This is a book born of wide and deep meditativeexperience, a guide to the progressive stages ofBuddhist meditation for those who have takenup the practice in full earnestness.The seven stages of purification provide theframework for the practising disciple’s gradualprogress from the cultivation of virtue up to theattainment of the final goal. Integral to thehigher stages of purification are the nine types ofinsight-knowledge, by which the disciple breaksthrough the delusions covering his mental visionand penetrates through to the real nature ofphenomena. In the present book the stages ofpurification and the insight-knowledges aretreated not only with the author’s great erudi-tion, but with the clarifying light of actual medi-tative experience.The author, the late Venerable Matara Sri¥àõàràma Mahàthera, was one of the mostrespected meditation masters of present-day SriLanka, the abbot and meditation master of theMitirigala Nissarana Vanaya monastery. Thoughhe himself emphasized the practice and teachingof insight meditation (vipassanà), his experi-ence, and also this book, extend to serenity med-itation (samatha) as well.

The Seven Stages

of Purification

and

The Insight Knowledges

A Guide to the Progressive Stages

of Buddhist Meditation

The Venerable Mahàthera

Matara Sri ¥àõàràma

Translated from the Sinhala

Buddhist Publication Society

Kandy Sri Lanka

Contents

Overview ........................................................ iiii

Translator’s Preface .................................... 8

List of Abbreviations .................................... 11

Introduction ................................................. 12

The Relay of Chariots .................................. 12

Chapter I

Purification of Virtue (Sãlavisuddhi) ......... 18

Chapter II

Purification of Mind (Cittavisuddhi) ......... 23

1. The Obstructions and

Aids to Concentration ................................. 23

2. The Stages of Concentration ................. 36

Chapter III

Purification of View (Diññhivisuddhi) ......... 43

Chapter IV

Purification by Overcoming Doubt

(Kankhàvitaraõavisuddhi) ............................ 49

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Chapter V

Purification by Knowledge and

Vision of What is Path and Not-Path

(Maggàmagga¤àõadassanavisuddhi) ........... 60

1. Knowledge by Comprehension

(Sammasana¤àõa) .......................................... 62

2. The Ten Imperfections of Insight

(Dasa vipassan’upakkilesà) ............................ 72

3. The Path and the Not-Path ..................... 79

Chapter VI

Purification by Knowledge and

Vision of the Way

(Pañipadà¤àõadassanavisuddhi) ................... 80

1. The Three Full Understandings

(Pari¤¤à) ....................................................... 80

2. The Progress of Insight Knowledge ....... 82

Chapter VII

Purification by Knowledge and Vision

(¥àõadassanavisuddhi) ............................... 106

1. Insight Leading to Emergence

(Vuññhànagàminã Vipassanà) ...................... 106

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2. Change-of-Lineage Knowledge

(Gotrabhå¤àõa) .......................................... 112

3. The Supramundane Paths and Fruits .... 116

4. Reviewing Knowledge

(Paccavekkhana¤àõa) ................................. 121

Conclusion .................................................. 123

Appendix 1

The Call to the Meditative Life ................. 127

Appendix 2

The Eighteen Principal Insights

(From the Visuddhimagga, XX,90) .............. 132

Appendix 3

The Cognitive Series in Jhàna

and the Path ................................................ 134

Appendix 4

Oneness ........................................................ 138

About the Author ....................................... 142

The Buddhist Publication Society .............. 144

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Translator’s Preface

If the output of literature on a subject is anyindication of the prevailing trends in the readingpublic, Buddhist meditation is today undoubtedly asubject of wide interest both in the East and in theWest. In this field, the West is beginning to look tothe venerable traditions of the East to learn more ofthe techniques and teachings of mind-control. The“supply” of this “know-how” for self-conquest,however, falls far short of the “demand” due to thedearth of meditation masters who can speak withconfidence on the subject. It is in this context thatthe present treatise should prove to be a mine ofinformation for those who cherish higher ideals.

The author of this treatise is our reveredteacher, the Venerable Matara Sri ¥àõàrama Mahà-thera — the meditation master (kammaññhàn-àcariya) of Mitirigala Nissaraõa Vanaya, atMitirigala, Sri Lanka. Now in his eightieth year, heis one of the most respected among the meditationmasters of Sri Lanka today, both for his all-roundknowledge of the techniques of meditation and forhis long experience in guiding disciples. Althoughhe himself specialized in the Burmese vipassanàmethods and is able to speak with authority on thesubject, he does not confine himself to the “pureinsight” approach. Though presented succinctly, histreatise covers the entire range of the Seven Stagesof Purification and the Insight Knowledges, stress-

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ing the value of both samatha (serenity) and vipas-sanà (insight).

The treatise grew out of a series of discourseson meditation which our venerable teacher gave tous, his pupils, in 1977. Some of us managed to takedown the substance of his talks, which we later putto him and elaborated on with some editorial com-ments. The final result of these labours appeared asthe original Sinhala treatise which bore the titleSapta Visuddhiya-hà-Vidarshana-¤àõa.1

The Sinhala work was then translated into anexact English version, which was further polishedand edited until it took shape as the present treatise.

In transforming the spoken discourses into asystematic exposition, to some extent the livingspirit of their immediate delivery had to be lost. Wehave tried to prevent this loss by retaining as manyof the inspirational passages as we could in thebody of the text. A few such passages from the earlytalks had to be removed as being out of place in anexpository treatise. But to make these available tothe reader, we include them in Appendix 1 underthe title: “The Call to the Meditative Life.”

A PupilMitirigala Nissaraõa VanayaMitirigala,Sri Lanka

October 25, 1981

1. Published for free distribution by Premadasa Kodituvakku, 38, Rosemead Place, Colombo 7 (1978).

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Namo tassa bhagavato arahatoSammàsambuddhassa

Homage be to the Blessed One, Accomplishedand Fully Enlightened

List of Abbreviations

A. Anguttara Nikàya

D. Digha Nikàya

Dhp. Dhammapada

Dhp.A. Dhammapadaññhakathà (Comm.)

G.S. Gradual Sayings

K.S. Kindred Sayings

M. Majjhima Nikàya

MA. Majjhima Nikàyaññhakathà (Papancasudani)

M.L.S. Middle Length Sayings

Mp. Milindapa¤ha

Pj. Paramatthajotikà

Ps. Pañisambhidàmagga

S. Saüyutta Nikàya

Sn. Suttanipàta

Thag. Theragàthà

Ud. Udàna

Vism. Visuddhimagga

References to the Visuddhimagga are to chapterand section number of the translation byBhikkhu ¥àõamoli, The Path of Purification,4th ed. (BPS, 1979).

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Introduction

The Relay of Chariots

The path of practice leading to the attainment ofNibbàna unfolds in seven stages, known as theSeven Stages of Purification (satta visuddhi).The seven in order are:

1. Purification of Virtue (silavisuddhi)2. Purification of Mind (cittavisuddhi)3. Purification of View (diññhivisuddhi)4. Purification by Overcoming Doubt

(kankhàvitaraõavisuddhi)5. Purification by Knowledge and Vision of

What is Path and Not-Path (maggàmagga¤àõadassanavisuddhi)

6. Purification by Knowledge and Vision of the Way (pañipadà¤àõadassanavisuddhi)

7. Purification by Knowledge and Vision (¤àõadassanavisuddhi).

In the attainment of Nibbàna itself, our mindsare in direct relation to the seventh and laststage of this series, the Purification by Know-ledge and Vision, which is the knowledge of thesupramundane path. But this purificationcannot be attained all at once, since the sevenstages of purification form a causally related

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series in which one has to pass through the firstsix purifications before one can arrive at theseventh.

The only direct canonical reference to theSeven Stages of Purification is found in theRathavinãta Sutta (The Discourse on the Relay ofChariots), the twenty-fourth discourse of theMajjhima Nikàya.2 In the Dasuttara Sutta of theDigha Nikàya (Sutta No. 34), these seven purifi-cations are counted among nine items collec-tively called factors of endeavour tending topurification (pàrisuddhi-padhàniyanga), the lasttwo of which are purification of wisdom andpurification of deliverance. However, this sameseries of seven purifications forms the scaffold-ing of Bhadantàcariya Buddhaghosa’s encyclo-pedic manual of Buddhist meditation, theVisuddhimagga. Thus this series serves as a mostsuccinct outline of the entire path a meditatorpasses through in his inner journey frombondage to liberation.

In the Rathavinãta Sutta, the Seven Stages ofPurification are presented through a dialogue inwhich the questions of the venerable Sàriputtaare met with striking replies from the venerablePuõõa Mantàõiputta — all meant to highlightsome salient features of this teaching:

2. Translated by I.B. Horner as Middle Length Sayings (M.L.S.), 3 volumes (London: Pali Text Society, 1954–59).

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“Friend, is the holy life lived under theBlessed One?”

“Yes, friend.”“Friend, is it for purification of virtue

that the holy life is lived under the BlessedOne?”

“Not for this, friend.”“Then, friend, is it for purification of

mind that the holy life is lived under theBlessed One?”

“Not for this, friend.”“Then friend, is it for purification of

view that the holy life is lived under theBlessed One?”

“Not for this friend.”“Then, friend, is it for purification by

overcoming doubt that the holy life is livedunder the Blessed One?”

“Not for this, friend.”“Then, friend, is it for purification by

knowledge and vision of what is path andnot-path that the holy life is lived under theBlessed One?”

“Not for this, friend.”“Then, friend, is it for purification

by knowledge and vision of the way thatthe holy life is lived under the BlessedOne?”

“Not for this, friend.”

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“Then, friend, is it for purification byknowledge and vision that the holy life islived under the Blessed One?”

“Not for this, friend.”“What, then, is the purpose, friend, of

living the holy life under the Blessed One?”“Friend, it is for the complete extinc-

tion without grasping that the holy life islived under the Blessed One.”

This reply reveals that not even the seventh andlast purification is to be regarded as the purposeof living the holy life. The purpose is nothing butthe complete extinction of all defilements withoutany kind of grasping. In other words, it is theattainment of Nibbàna — the UncompoundedElement (asankhata dhàtu).

To clarify this point further, the venerablePuõõa Mantàõiputta gives the following parableof the Relay of Chariots:

“Friend, it is as though while King Pasenadiof Kosala was staying in Sàvatthi, some-thing to be done urgently should arise inSàketa, and seven relays of chariots wouldbe arranged for him between Sàvatthi andSàketa. Then, friend, King Pasenadi ofKosala, having left Sàvatthi by the palace-gate, might mount the first chariot in therelay, and by means of the first chariot in

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the relay, he would reach the secondchariot in the relay. He would dismiss thefirst chariot in the relay and would mountthe second chariot in the relay, and bymeans of the second chariot in the relay,he would reach the third chariot in therelay. He would dismiss the second chariotin the relay and would mount the thirdchariot in the relay, and by means of thethird chariot in the relay, he would reachthe fourth chariot in the relay. He woulddismiss the third chariot in the relay andwould mount the fourth chariot in therelay, and by means of the fourth chariot inthe relay, he would reach the fifth chariotin the relay. He would dismiss the fourthchariot in the relay and would mount thefifth chariot in the relay, and by means ofthe fifth chariot in the relay, he wouldreach the sixth chariot in the relay. Hewould dismiss the fifth chariot in the relayand would mount the sixth chariot in therelay, and by means of the sixth chariot inthe relay, he would reach the seventhchariot in the relay. He would dismiss thesixth chariot in the relay and would mountthe seventh chariot in the relay, and bymeans of the seventh chariot in the relay,he would reach the palace-gate in Sàketa.”

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In the case of the seven purifications, the purityimplied is reckoned in terms of the elimination ofthe unwholesome factors opposed to each purifi-cation. Purification of Virtue implies the purityobtained through abstinence from bodily andverbal misconduct as well as from wrong liveli-hood. Purification of Mind is the purity resultingfrom cleansing the mind of attachment, aversion,inertia, restlessness and conflict, and from secur-ing it against their influx. Purification of View isbrought about by dispelling the distortions ofwrong views. Purification by Overcoming Doubtis purity through the conquest of all doubts con-cerning the pattern of saüsàric existence.Purification by Knowledge and Vision of What isPath and Not-Path signifies the purity attainedby passing beyond the alluring distractions whicharise in the course of insight meditation.Purification by Knowledge and Vision of the Wayis the purity resulting from the temporary re-moval of defilements which obstruct the path ofpractice. And lastly, Purification by Knowledgeand Vision is the complete purity gained by erad-icating defilements together with their underlyingtendencies by means of the supramundane paths.Purification by Knowledge and Vision consists ofthe knowledges of the four paths — the path ofStream-entry, the path of Once-return, the path ofNon-return and the path of Arahantship.

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Chapter I

Purification of Virtue

(Sãlavisuddhi)

Like any other tree, the great tree of the medi-tative life requires roots. The roots of the medita-tive life are Purification of Virtue and Purificationof Mind. Unless these two roots are nourished,there will be no progress in meditation.

The first and most fundamental of the rootsis Purification of Virtue. Purification of Virtueconsists in understanding and maintaining fourtypes of restraint: (1) observing the preceptsone has undertaken and protecting them likeone’s very life; (2) guarding the six sense-doors without allowing defilements to arise;(3) maintaining a righteous livelihood; and(4) making use of one’s requisites of life withwise reflection. A meditative monk who livesaccording to these four ways of restraint willfind nothing to get attached to or resent. Themeditator, then, is one who has a “light” liveli-hood, being light in body and content at heart— free from the burden of ownership asregards anything anywhere between the earthand the sky. Though these four principles wereoriginally prescribed for monks and nuns, lay

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meditators should adapt them to their ownsituation.

Everyone must have a standard of virtuededicated to Nibbàna. The standard is relativeto his status in life. Monks and nuns areexpected to observe the precepts of traininggiven in the two codes of moral disciplinemaking up their respective Pàtimokkhas. Maleand female novices have to keep the ten pre-cepts as their standard of virtue. Male andfemale lay-devotees have five precepts as a per-manent standard of virtue in their everyday life.If they are more enthusiastic, they can under-take and keep the “eight precepts with liveli-hood as the eighth,” or the ten lay precepts, orthe eight precepts recommended as the specialobservance for Uposatha days. The texts recordseveral instances of persons who, without previ-ously undertaking any precepts, fulfilled therequirements of the Purification of Virtue by amere act of determination while listening to adiscourse, and even succeeded in attaining thesupramundane paths and fruits. We shouldunderstand that such persons were endowedwith highly developed spiritual faculties andwere backed by a vast store of merit lying totheir credit since they had already fulfilled theperfections for their respective attainments inthe past.

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At the time of attaining the paths and fruits,both monk and layman should be equallydeveloped. in regard to the virtue of senserestraint. This virtue of sense restraint consistsin mindfully guarding the six sense-doors —the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind. Bymeans of mindfulness one must prevent thearising of all defilements sparked off by senseexperience — all forms of desires, major andminor conflicts, as well as those deceptionswhich are extremely subtle, rooted in delusionitself, in pure and simple ignorance. Deceptionis something difficult to understand. But if onemindfully makes a mental note of every object“calling” at the six sense-doors, one can freeoneself from deception. The not-knowing andmisconceiving of what should be knownamounts to delusion.

By failing to make a mental note of a pleas-ant feeling, one provides an opportunity forlust to arise. Failure to make a mental note ofan unpleasant feeling can be an opportunity forthe arising of repugnance, while such a failurein regard to a neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasantfeeling might give rise to deception, delusion orignorance. Therefore the practice of mentallynoting each and every object that calls at the sixsense-doors will also be helpful in getting rid ofthe underlying tendency to ignorance.

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In the case of the pleasant feeling, friendVisàkha, the underlying tendency to attach-ment must be abandoned. In the case of thepainful feeling, the underlying tendency torepugnance must be abandoned. And in thecase of the neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasantfeeling, the underlying tendency to igno-rance must be abandoned.

Cålavedalla Sutta, M.I,303

Before one can establish oneself firmly in virtue,one must understand its significance well. Forthis purpose, one should study the Descriptionof Virtue in the Visuddhimagga (Chapter I).

Normally, one protects one’s virtue impelledby conscience and shame (hiri, ottappa), whichare its proximate causes. A wise man, however,observes virtue purely with the aim of attainingNibbàna. As a matter of fact, virtue has beendefined as the bodily and verbal restraint (theabstention from bodily and verbal misconduct)which comes as a result of listening to andunderstanding the Dhamma (Ps.I,1).

There are several grades of virtue, ranked inorder of ascending excellence:

1. the virtue of an ordinary worlding (i.e. one who is not practising to attain the supramundane path);

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2. the virtue of a noble worldling (i.e. a worldling practising the course of training to reach the path);

3. the virtue of a trainer (i.e. the virtue associated with the four paths and the first three fruits);

4. the virtue of a non-trainer (i.e. the virtue consisting in tranquillized purification or virtue associated with the fruit of Arahantship).

The fourth and last of these is the virtue whichcomes naturally to Buddhas, Paccekabuddhasand Arahants as a result of their eradication ofall defilements.

Understanding the virtue of fourfoldrestraint described above, one should protectone’s virtue even at the cost of life, beingguided by conscience and shame as well as bythe ideal of Nibbàna.

†‡†

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Chapter II

Purification of Mind

(Cittavisuddhi)

The bodily and verbal restraint established bypurified virtue paves the way for mentalrestraint, which brings the next stage of purifica-tion, Purification of Mind. This purificationcomes through concentration (samàdhi), whichcan be reached by two approaches, the vehicle ofserenity (samathayàna) or the vehicle of insight(vipassanàyàna).

1. The Obstructions and Aids to Concentration

A meditator intent on developing serenity con-centration must first make an effort to sever theimpediments to meditation. For meditativemonks, the Visuddhimagga enumerates tenimpediments (palibodhà):

A dwelling, family and gain,A class, and building too, as fifthAnd travel, kin, affliction, books,And supernormal powers: ten.3

3. See Vism. 111, 29-56.

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l. A dwelling can be an impediment to onewho has many belongings stored there or whosemind is caught up by some business connectedwith it.

2. A family consisting of relatives or sup-porters becomes an impediment for one living inclose association with its members.

3. Gains, in the sense of the four requisitesof a monk’s life (robes, food, lodgings and medi-cines), oblige him to become involved in associ-ation with laymen.

4. A class of students is an impedimentwhen it binds the meditator with duties of teach-ing and instruction.

5. New building work is always an impedi-ment to a meditating monk as it is a responsibil-ity which distracts him.

6. A journey becomes a source of distract-ing thoughts both in the planning and in theactual travel.

7. Kin or relatives, when they fall sick,sometimes have to be cared for by a monk, aresponsibility which again takes him away frommeditation.

8. One’s own illness or affliction whichcalls for treatment is yet another impediment.

9. Books, in the sense of responsibility forthe scriptures, can be a hindrance to some medi-tators.

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10. Even the supernormal powers, whichare hard to maintain, may be an impediment forone who seeks insight.

It will be useful to a meditating monk to under-stand beforehand the way of tackling theimpediments.4 Six impediments — dwelling,family, gain, class, kin and fame — can be over-come by giving up attachment to them. Threeimpediments — building, travel and books —are done away with by not undertaking theactivities they imply. Affliction is an impedi-ment to be overcome by proper medical treat-ment with regard to curable diseases. There aresome diseases which are of the chronic type.However, whether one’s disease turns out to bechronic or even incurable, one should go onmeditating in spite of it. Diseases like catarrh,which are rather tolerable, must be subduedwith perseverance in meditation. An earnestmeditator must not allow illness to get thebetter of him. In countless births in saüsàra onemust have been the helpless victim of diseases.So at least now one should make a sincere effortto treat the diseases of the mind even whiletaking medicines for the diseases of the body. Inthis way one will succeed in overcoming the

4. A lay-meditator will, of course, not be able to avoid the impediments as fully as a monk, but he should try to emulate the monk to the best of his ability (Ed.).

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impediments so that one can go on with one’smeditation.

Besides knowing how to cut off the impedi-ments, a meditator should understand the sixobstacles (paripantha) and the six cleansings(vodàna). The obstacles are those conditionswhich mar or retard progress in concentration,the cleansings those which help bring concentra-tion to maturity. The six obstacles are:

1. the mind hankering after the past, overcome by distraction;

2. the mind yearning for the future, overcome by hopes and longings;

3. the inert mind, overcome by lethargy;4. the over-anxious mind, overcome by

restlessness;5. the over-inclined mind, overcome by

lust;6. the disinclined mind, overcome by ill

will. (Ps.I,165)

Understanding that these six conditions are detri-mental to concentration, one should constantlyprotect the mind from falling under their influ-ence, for through carelessness, one can lose what-ever concentration one has already developed.

Now, let us see how these six states occur.When the meditator applies himself to hissubject of meditation, thoughts relating to that

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subject keep on arising in his mind. And as thistrain of thought continues to run along the trackof the meditation subject, now and then it runsinto memories of certain past events in some wayrelated to that subject. Before the meditator isaware of what is happening, the train of thoughtjumps off the track of meditation and adheres tothose past events. It may take some time, even along time, for the meditator to realize that hismind is no longer on the meditation subject.This tendency for the mind to deviate from themeditation subject greatly impairs the power ofconcentration, causing distraction. Thus thistendency is a hindrance even to the maintenanceof one’s concentration, let alone its maturing.

The second obstacle cited above is the ten-dency of the mind to run toward the future. Veryoften this tendency takes the form of wishes andaspirations. When desire takes hold of the mindfor a long while, it creates a certain mentaltremor, and this too undermines concentration.

The third obstacle is mental inertia, whichmakes the mind lethargic.

The fourth obstacle is the over-anxious mind.At times the meditator becomes so enthusiasticand strenuous in his efforts that he begins tomeditate with excessive zeal. But neither hisbody nor his mind can stand this overstrungeffort. Physically he feels exhausted and some-

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times has headaches; mentally he becomes veryconfused, leading to the decline of his concen-tration.

The fifth obstacle is the over-inclined state ofmind. This state is brought about by lust andresults from allowing the mind to stray amongvarious extraneous thought-objects.

And the sixth obstacle is the disinclined stateof the mind which results from allowing themind to pursue extraneous thought-objectsunder the influence of ill will.

To protect the mind from lapsing into thesesix obstacles, one should prevent the mind frompursuing extraneous thought-objects. It is bykeeping one’s mind aloof from these six obs-tacles that the six occasions for the cleansing ofconcentration are obtained. In other words, inthe very attempt to overcome the six obstacles,one fulfils the six conditions necessary for thecleansing of concentration. The six cleansingsare thus the cleansing of the mind from hanker-ing after the past, from yearning for the future,from lethargy, from restlessness, from lust andfrom ill will.

A certain degree of purification of the mindis brought about by these six ways of cleansingconcentration. However, four more auxiliaryconditions are necessary to complete this purifi-cation:

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1. The two spiritual faculties, faith and wisdom, must be kept in balance.

2. All five spiritual faculties (faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom) must function with a unity of purpose.

3. The right amount of effort must be applied.

4. Constant and repeated practice must be maintained.

Ps.I,168

Faith, in this context, means the absence ofdoubts in regard to one’s subject of meditation. Itis confidence in one’s ability to succeed in prac-tice. Wisdom implies the understanding of thepurpose of one’s meditation. The purpose shouldbe the arousing of the knowledge of mind-and-matter (nàma-råpa). The “right amount ofeffort” is moderate effort. Generally, in the caseof serenity meditation (e.g. mindfulness ofbreathing), three sittings of three hours durationeach would be sufficient practice for a day,whereas in insight meditation, one has to go onmeditating in all postures throughout the day. By“repeated practice” is meant the arousing of aspecial ability or a specific tendency by repeat-edly dwelling on some wholesome thought.

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To develop concentration, all one’s actions —large or small — must be done with mindfulness.One should make a special resolve to do every-thing with the right amount of mindfulness.When each and every act of a meditator is donemindfully, all his actions will begin to maintain acertain level of uniformity. And as this uniform-ity in mindfulness develops, the behaviour of themeditator’s mind will also reach a certain level ofprogress. Owing to this power, all postures of ameditator will be uniformly smooth and even.His deportment, the inner wealth of his virtues,will be of an inspiring nature.

At the outset, the task of developing mindful-ness and concentration might appear as some-thing difficult or even unnecessary. One mighteven become discouraged by it. Understandingthis possibility beforehand, one should make afirm determination to persist in one’s practice.The progress of a meditator is nothing otherthan his progress in mindfulness and concentra-tion. When, at the very start, one enthusiastic-ally sets about developing mindfulness, whenone makes an earnest effort to apply mindful-ness, one will begin to see how the mindbecomes receptive to mindfulness — almostunwittingly. And once one becomes used to it,one will be able to practise mindfulness withoutany difficulty. One will then come to feel that

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mindfulness is an activity quite in harmony withthe nature of the mind. And ultimately, themeditator can reach a level at which he can prac-tise mindfulness effortlessly. Not only that, buthe will also discover how mindfulness, whendeveloped, overflows into concentration. Asmindfulness develops, concentration naturallydevelops along with it. But an unbroken effort isnecessary, and if one is to maintain unbrokenmindfulness, one must pay attention to theintervals which occur at the change of postures.

There are four postures: sitting, standing,walking and lying down. In sitting meditation,the mind becomes calm. But when the medita-tors rise up from their seats, some lose that calm-ness. Their mindfulness and concentrationdisappear. Having gotten up, when they startwalking or pacing up and down, they lose eventhe little calmness they had when standing.Their mindfulness and concentration dissipatestill more. Because of this tardy procedure, thislack of unbroken continuous mindfulness, onegoes on meditating every day, but makes noworthwhile progress; one stagnates.

If one is to avoid this serious drawback, oneshould direct one’s attention to every posture-junction. Take, for example, the walking pos-ture. This is a posture which offers an excellentopportunity to arouse the power of concentra-

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tion. Many meditators find it easy to developconcentration in this posture. Suppose one hasaroused some degree of mindfulness and con-centration while walking. Now, when oneintends to sit down, one should see to it that onedoes not lose what one has already gained. Withconcentration, one should make a mental note ofthe intention of sitting: ‘intending to sit, intend-ing to sit.’ Then, in sitting down also make amental note: ‘sitting, sitting.’ In this manner oneshould maintain unbroken whatever mindful-ness and concentration one has already built up,and continue one’s meditation in the sitting pos-ture. This practice of making a mental note ofboth the intention and the act at the posture-junctions enables one to maintain mindfulnessand concentration without any lapses.

In trying to maintain unbroken mindfulness,one should consider well the dangers of neglect-ing that practice and the benefits of developingit. To develop mindfulness is to develop heedful-ness, which is helpful to all wholesome mentalstates. To neglect mindfulness is to grow in heed-lessness, the path leading to all unwholesomestates, to downfall. With these considerations,one should make a firm determination and reallytry to develop mindfulness. When mindfulnessdevelops, concentration, too, develops. Note thatit is the development of mindfulness and concen-

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tration that is called “progress in meditation.”Always bear in mind the Buddha’s words:

He who has mindfulness is always well;The mindful one grows in happiness.

(S. I, 208)

A meditator has to pay attention to the applica-tion of mindfulness at all times and under all cir-cumstances. What needs special emphasis hereis that the application of mindfulness should beso oriented as to lead one onward to the realiza-tion of Nibbàna. Mindfulness has to be taken upin a way and in a spirit that will effectivelyarouse the knowledge of the supramundanepaths. It is only then that mindfulness can right-fully be called “the enlightenment-factor ofmindfulness” (satisambojjhanga). Such mindful-ness, well attuned to the path, leads to the goalof Nibbàna.

Meditation is a battle with the mind. It is abattle with the enemies within — the mentaldefilements. First of all, one has to recognizethat these enemies, while battling among them-selves, are at war with the good thoughts, too.“Love” is fighting with “anger.” “Jealousy” is incomplicity with “anger.” “Greed” steps in as anally to “conceit” and “views.” “Views” and “con-ceit” are mutually opposed, though they bothowe their origin to “greed.”

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The meditator should understand the natureof these defilements. Mental defilements are agang of crafty enemies. They create deceptionsin the meditator’s mind even when meditationshows signs of progress. The meditator becomeshappy. But this is a case of subtle deception.Because of his complacency, meditation tends todecline. This is an instance of an enemy mas-querading as a friend.

Self-deceptions can occur even when themeditator is engaged in making a mental note.For instance, in mentally noting a painful feel-ing, if he has the intention of putting an end tothat pain, hate will find an opportunity to stepin. Similarly, in mentally noting a desirableobject, the meditator is rather tardy in doing so.This lapse leaves room for greed to creep in. Infact, he deliberately delays the mental noting inorder to give an opportunity to his desire. Hedoes this when the object of which he has amental image happens to be a pleasant one.Sometimes, in such situations, he totallyneglects the mental noting. The loss the medita-tor incurs by this neglect is indescribably great.

Failure to make a mental note of an object assuch becomes a serious drawback in the devel-opment of one’s meditative attention. As soon asone sees a pleasant object, one should make amental note of it and summarily dismiss it.

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Otherwise one will only be courting disaster.Sometimes the meditator will get a mentalimage of a woman coming so close as to makephysical contact with him. On such occasions themeditator has to be alert and heedful in makinga mental note. There are two ways of mentalnoting:

(1) While meditating, one hears a sound. If it is a sound which continues for a long while, one should mentally note it twice or thrice (‘hearing’… ‘hearing’).

(2) While meditating, one hears a sound. If it is possible to continue meditation in spite of that sound, after the initial mental noting, one need not repeatedly make a mental note of it.

In meditation, one should make a mental note ofeverything encountered. One should get into thehabit of mentally noting whatever comes along —be it big or small, good or bad. To make a mentalnote of painful feelings with dislike leaves roomfor hate, thus one should always exercise equa-nimity in mentally noting these feelings. Oneshould not note them with the idea of getting ridof them. The aim should be to comprehend thenature of phenomena by understanding pain aspain. The same principle applies to a pleasantobject giving rise to a pleasant feeling. With

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Nibbàna as the sole aim, one should learn to makemental notes of everything with equanimity.

2. The Stages of Concentration

Purification of Mind is achieved when the degreeof concentration becomes sufficiently strong tocause the suppression of the five afflictive defile-ments known as the “five hindrances” (pa¤ca-nãvaraõà), namely: sensual desire, ill will, slothand torpor, agitation and remorse, and doubt.5

There are three kinds of concentrationqualifying as Purification of Mind: access con-centration (upacàra-samàdhi), absorption con-centration (appanà-samàdhi), and momentaryconcentration (khaõika-samàdhi). The firsttwo are achieved through the vehicle of seren-ity (samatha), the last through the vehicle ofinsight (vipassanà). Momentary concentrationpossesses the same strength of mental unifica-tion as access concentration. Since it isequipped with the ten conditions mentionedabove, and holds the five hindrances at bay, itaids the attainment of insight knowledge.However, because it does not serve directly asa basis for jhàna as such, it is not called accessconcentration.

5. (1) kàmacchanda, (2) vyàpàda, (3) thinamiddha, (4) uddhaccakukkucca, (5) vicikicchà.

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Here we will discuss the attainment of Puri-fication of Mind via the approach of serenity.The fullest form of this purification is absorptionconcentration, which consists of eight medita-tive attainments (aññha samàpatti): four absorp-tions called jhànas, and four immaterial states(àruppas). The two main preparatory stagesleading up to a jhàna are called preliminarywork (parikamma) and access (upacàra).6

The ordinary consciousness cannot be con-verted into an exalted level all at once, but hasto be transformed by degrees. In the stage ofpreliminary work, one must go on attending tothe subject of meditation for a long time untilthe spiritual faculties become balanced andfunction with a unity of purpose. Once the spir-itual faculties gain that balance, the mind dropsinto access. In the access stage, the five hin-drances do not disrupt the flow of concentration.The original gross object of meditation isreplaced by a subtle mental image called thecounterpart sign (pañibhàga-nimitta).

During the access stage, the mind becomespowerfully unified upon its object. When themind, as it were, sinks into the object, thissignals the arising of the jhànic mind known asabsorption. On reviewing the first jhàna, one

6. See Appendix 3 for further details.

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discovers that it has five distinguishing compo-nents called “jhàna factors,” namely: appliedthought, sustained thought, joy, bliss and one-pointedness.7

However, one should not set about the taskof reviewing these jhàna factors as soon as oneattains a jhàna. To start with, it is advisable toemerge from the jhàna after remaining in it forjust five minutes. Even this has to be done withan appropriate determination: “I will attain tothe first jhàna for five minutes and emerge fromit after five minutes.” Using such a formal deter-mination, one should repeat emerging from thejhàna and re-attaining it a good many times.This kind of practice is necessary because thereis a danger that a beginner who remainsimmersed in a jhàna too long will develop exces-sive attachment to it. This elementary practiceis, at the same time, a useful training for masteryin attaining to and emerging from a jhàna.8

To prevent any possible distractions and tostabilise the jhàna he has obtained, the beginnershould spend his time attaining to and emergingfrom the jhàna as many times as he can. But oneach occasion he should make a fresh determi-nation as to the duration of the jhàna. The

7. (1) vitakka, (2) vicàra, (3) pãti, (4) sukha, (5) ekaggatà.

8. The five kinds of mastery: (1) mastery in adverting, (2) mastery in attaining, (3) mastery in resolving, (4) mastery in emerging, (5) mastery in reviewing.

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number of minutes may be increased gradually.As to the number of times, there need not be anylimit. The purpose of this practice is to gain thetwin mastery in attaining to and emerging fromthe jhàna. Mastery in these two respects can beregarded as complete when one is able toremain in the jhàna for exactly the same numberof minutes as determined, and is able to emergefrom the jhàna at the predeterimined time.

Once this twofold mastery is complete, oneshould practise for mastery in adverting andreviewing. Of these, the practice of advertingshould be taken up first as this enables one toconsider the jhàna factors separately. Then onecan practise for mastery in reviewing, which is akind of reflection on the quality of those jhànafactors. As it is impossible to reflect on the jhànafactors while remaining in the jhàna, one has todo so only after emerging from it. At the stage ofthe first jhàna the principal components are thefive mental factors: applied thought, sustainedthought, joy, bliss and one-pointedness. If thesefactors are not clearly distinguishable, the medi-tator should repeatedly attain to and emergefrom the jhàna, reviewing it again and again.

“Applied thought” (vitakka) is the applica-tion of the mind to the object, the “thrusting” ofthe mind into the object. “Sustained thought”(vicàra) is the continued working of the mind

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on that same object. The distinction betweenthese two will be clearly discernible at thisstage because of the purity of the jhanic mind.The other three factors, joy, bliss and one-pointedness, will appear even more distinc-tively before the mind’s eye.

It will be necessary to apply one’s mind tothese three factors a number of times in directand reverse order so as to examine their qual-ity. It is in this way that one fulfils the require-ments of mastery in adverting and reviewing.In the process of examining the jhàna factors indirect and reverse order, one acquires furthermastery in attaining to and emerging from thejhàna.

While examining the jhàna factors in thisway to acquire mastery in adverting and review-ing, some of the factors will begin to appear asgross because they have a tendency towards thehindrances. Then one comes to feel that onewould be better off without these gross factors.At this juncture one should make the followingdetermination for the attainment of the secondjhàna: “May I attain the second jhàna which isfree from the two factors of applied thought andsustained thought and which consists of thethree factors — joy, bliss and one-pointedness.”9

After making this determination, the medita-tor again concentrates his mind on the counter-

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part sign. When his faculties mature, he passesthrough all the antecedent stages and entersabsorption in the second jhàna, which is freefrom applied thought and sustained thought,and is endowed with purified joy, bliss and one-pointedness. As in the case of the first jhàna,here too he has to practise for the fivefold mas-tery, but this time the work is easier and quicker.

After mastering the second jhàna, the medita-tor may want to go further along the path ofserenity. He sees that the joy (pãti) of the secondjhàna is gross, and that above this there is a thirdjhàna which has bliss and one-pointedness only.He makes the determination, undertakes thepractice, and — if he is capable — attains it. Aftermastering this jhàna in the five ways, he realizesthat bliss is gross, and aspires to reach the fourthjhàna, where blissful feeling is replaced byequanimous feeling, which is more peaceful andsublime. When his practice matures, he entersthis jhàna, perfects it, and reviews it.

9. Here in our explanation, we follow the system of the suttas. But to some meditators, only applied thought appears as gross, while to others, both applied thought and sustained thought appear at once as gross. This difference in judgement is due to previous experiences in meditation in past births. The distinction between the fourfold reckoning of the jhànas in the suttas and the fivefold reckoning in the Abhidhamma is a recognition of this difference. “So that which is the second in the fourfold reckoning becomes the second and third in the fivefold reckoning by being divided into two. And those which are the third and fourth in the former reckoning become the fourth and fifth in this reckoning. The first remains the first in each case” (Vism. IV, 202).

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Beyond the fourth jhàna lie four higherattainments, called “immaterial states” or“immaterial jhànas,” since even the subtle mate-rial form of the jhànas is absent. These states arenamed: the base of infinite space, the base ofinfinite consciousness, the base of nothingness,and the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.10 They are attained by perfectingthe power of concentration, not through refiningthe mental factors, but through training themind to apprehend increasingly more subtleobjects of attention.

†‡†

10. In Pali: (1) àkàsàna¤càyatana, (2) vi¤¤àõa¤cayatana, (3) àki¤ca¤¤àyatana, (4) n’eva sa¤¤ànàsa¤¤àyatana.

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Chapter III

Purification of View

(Diññhivisuddhi)

Purification of Mind is achieved by eliminatingthe five hindrances through the development ofconcentration. This can be done through eitherthe vehicle of serenity or the vehicle of insight.The meditator in the vehicle of serenity aims atgaining either access concentration or absorp-tion concentration pertaining to one of the eightlevels of attainment — the four jhànas and thefour immaterial states. The vehicle of insightaims at gaining momentary concentration bycontemplating changing phenomena with mind-fulness. When Purification of Mind is accom-plished and the mind has become concentrated,the meditator is prepared for insight meditationin order to develop wisdom.

The first stage of insight meditation is calledPurification of View. This purification consists inarousing insight into mind-and-matter (nàmaråpa),using the meditation subject as a basis. Here theaspect “matter” (råpa) covers the physical side ofexistence, the aggregate of material form. Theaspect “mind” (nàma) covers the mental side ofexistence, the four mental aggregates of feeling,

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perception, mental formations and consciousness.Purification of View is attained as the meditatorgoes on attending to his meditation subject with aunified mind equipped with the six cleansings andthe four conditions relating to the development ofthe spiritual faculties. (See pp. 26–29.)

Now the meditation subject begins to appearto him as consisting of two functionally distin-guishable parts — mind and matter — ratherthan as a single unit. This purification gains itsname because it marks the initial breakawayfrom all speculative views headed by personal-ity view.11 The method employed is a sequenceof realizations called “abandoning by substitu-tion of opposites” (tadangappahàna). The aban-doning by substitution of opposites is theabandoning of any given state that ought to beabandoned by means of a particular factor ofknowledge, which, as a constituent of insight, isopposed to it. It is like the abandoning of dark-ness at night by means of a light. (See Vism.XXII,112.)

In the development of insight meditation,there are sixteen kinds of knowledge to beobtained in sequence:

11. Sakkàyadiññhi. The false personality view is the view of a truly existent self related to the five aggregates. It takes on twenty forms according to whether any of the aggregates — form, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness — is regarded as identical with self, as belonging to the self, as contained in the self, or as enclosing the self.

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1. Knowledge of Delimitation of Mind-and-Matter (nàmaråpapariccheda¤àõa)

2. Knowledge of Discerning Cause and Condition (paccayapariggaha¤àõa)

3. Knowledge of Comprehension (sammasana¤àõa)

4. Knowledge of Contemplation of Arising and Passing Away (udayabbayànupassanà¤àõa)

5. Knowledge of Contemplation of Dissolution (bhangànupassanà¤àõa)

6. Knowledge of Contemplation of Appearance as Terror (bhay’upaññhàna¤àõa)

7. Knowledge of Contemplation of Danger (àdãnavànupassanà¤àõa)

8. Knowledge of Contemplation of Disenchantment (nibbidànupassanà¤àõa)

9. Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance (mu¤citukamyatà¤àõa)

10. Knowledge of Contemplation of Reflection (pañisankhànupassanà¤àõa)

11. Knowledge of Equanimity about Formations (sankhàr’upekkhà¤àõa)

12. Knowledge in Conformity with Truth (Conformity Knowledge) (saccànulomika¤àõa)

13. Knowledge of Change-of-Lineage (gotrabhå¤àõa)

14. Knowledge of Path (magga¤àõa)15. Knowledge of Fruit (phala¤àõa)16. Knowledge of Reviewing

(paccavekkhaõa¤àõa).

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The series of knowledges arises when the firmand concentrated mind is kept focused on themeditation subject. The first knowledge to arise,the Knowledge of Delimitation of Mind-and-Matter, is obtained with the completion of thefirst three purifications (i.e. Purification ofVirtue, Purification of Mind and Purification ofView). It is by bringing this first knowledge tomaturity in three ways — internally, externally,and both internally and externally — that thePurification of View is completed. Purification ofView is implicit in the Knowledge of Delimita-tion of Mind-and-Matter, and is reached onattaining this knowledge. But as yet the insightknowledges proper (vipassanà¤àõa) have notarisen. The insight knowledges are ten innumber, ranging from the Knowledge by Com-prehension to Conformity Knowledge. They arefounded upon the Purification of View and Puri-fication by Overcoming Doubt, which in turn arefounded upon the two roots, Purification ofVirtue and Purification of Mind.

To attain the Knowledge of Delimitation ofMind-and-Matter, the meditator, having purifiedhis mind through the successful practice of con-centration, focuses his attention on his medita-tion subject, which could be a hair, a skeleton,the rising and falling movements of the abdomen(i.e. the wind-element as a tactile object), or

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mindfulness of breathing. As he goes on attend-ing to that meditation subject, he begins tounderstand it as consisting of two aspects — amaterial aspect and a mental aspect, togethercalled “mind-and-matter” (nàma-råpa).

As a rule, one first becomes aware of thoseparts pertaining to the material aspect of themeditation subject. Whatever parts pertain toits mental aspect attract one’s attention later.But sometimes both the mental and materialaspects become manifest to the meditator atonce. The meditator may even feel that themeditation subject is actually impinging on hismind.

In mindfulness of breathing, for instance,the in-breaths and out-breaths belong to matterwhile the awareness of them is reckoned asmind. Normally, the in-breaths and the out-breaths strike against the tip of the nose or theupper lip as they enter and go out. The medita-tor should pay attention only to the occurrenceof in-breathing and out-breathing. He shouldnot follow the in-breaths inside the body oroutside it, speculating on what becomes ofthem, since this will hinder concentration. Asthe meditator continues to keep his calm mindon the point of contact of the air being inhaledand exhaled (i.e. either at the tip of the nose oron the upper lip), he begins to feel as though his

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mind approaches and strikes the meditationsubject. This happens at a developed stage in hismeditation when he becomes aware of the dis-tinction between mind and matter. The mindhas the nature of bending towards or leapingtowards an object. At first, every in-breath andout-breath appears as a compact unit. Later onebegins to understand that the breath is a massor heap. This is Delimitation of Matter. Onethen understands the awareness of the breath tobe a series or “heap” of discrete thought-moments, each one a “heap” or mass of manymental factors. This is Delimitation of Mind.The ability to understand Mind-and-Matter as aheap necessarily implies the ability to distin-guish one thing from another, since a heap is, bydefinition, a group of things lying one onanother.

This is the preliminary stage of the Know-ledge of Delimitation of Mind-and-Matter. Atfirst this understanding is limited to the subjectof meditation. Later on it spreads to the otherparts of the body connected with the subjects ofmeditation until it comes to pervade the entirebody. Still later the understanding extendsoutward towards other beings as well as inani-mate things, since the knowledge, when com-plete, is threefold: internal, external, andinternal-and-external.

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Chapter IV

Purification by Overcoming Doubt

(Kankhàvitaraõavisuddhi)

During the time of the Buddha there were ascet-ics who had raised such sceptical doubts aboutlife as: “From where has this being come?”“What is his destiny?” etc. Even among thosewho could recollect their previous lives therewere some who constructed misleading specula-tive theories. Some who had gained recollectiveknowledge and could see a limited number oftheir past lives went on to fabricate various spec-ulative views concerning the past that laybeyond their ken. Thus there were theories of asoul and of a creator God, as well as viewsdenying causality and conditionality. Owing tothis diversity of views, sceptical doubt arises likethe wavering in the mind of one who hasreached a crossroad. The speculative views serveonly to perpetuate that doubt.

These non-Buddhist ascetics had neither aKnowledge of Delimitation of Mind-and-Matternor a Purification by Overcoming Doubt. They hadattained jhàna basing their thoughts on the soultheory. Due to their lack of understanding, theymisinterpreted their meditative experience andbecame entangled in doubts and wrong views.

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To gain freedom from all doubts concerningthe nature and pattern of existence, it is necessaryto understand the law of cause and effect, clearlyrevealed to the world by the Buddha. This under-standing is called the Knowledge of DiscerningCause and Condition (paccayapariggaha¤àõa).With the maturing of this knowledge the Purifica-tion by Overcoming Doubt is brought to comple-tion. Thus the second knowledge is obtained in theprocess of reaching the fourth purification. ThisKnowledge of Discerning Cause and Condition isalso known as “knowledge of things-as-they-are”(yathàbhåta-¤àõa), “right vision” (sammàdassana)and “knowledge of relatedness of phenomena”(dhamma-ññhiti¤àõa). Some who have had experi-ence in insight meditation in past lives are capableof discerning cause and condition immediatelyalong with their discerning of mind-and-matter.

Owing to his Purification of View, the medi-tator goes beyond the perception of a “being” or“person.” Advancing to the Purification by Over-coming Doubt, he begins to understand thatconsciousness always arises depending on a par-ticular sense faculty and a sense object, thatthere is no consciousness in the abstract. As theBuddha says:

Just as, monks, dependent on whatevercondition a fire burns, it comes to be

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reckoned in terms of that condition(thatis to say), a fire that burns dependent onlogs is reckoned as a “log-fire”; a fire thatburns dependent on faggots is reckonedas a “faggot-fire”; a fire that burnsdependent on grass is reckoned as a“grass-fire”; a fire that burns dependenton cow-dung is reckoned as a “cow-dung-fire”; a fire that burns dependent onrubbish is reckoned as a “rubbish-fire” —even so, monks, consciousness is reck-oned by the condition dependent onwhich it arises. A consciousness arisingdependent on eye and forms is reckonedas an “eye-consciousness”; a conscious-ness arising dependent on ear and soundsis reckoned as an “ear-consciousness”; aconsciousness arising dependent on noseand smells is reckoned as a “nose-consciousness”; a consciousness arisingdependent on tongue and flavours isreckoned as a “tongue-consciousness”; aconsciousness arising dependent on bodyand tangibles is reckoned as a “body-consciousness”; a consciousness arisingdependent on mind and ideas is reckonedas a “mind-consciousness.”

Mahàtaõhàsamkhaya SuttaM.I,259ff.

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Thus the meditator understands that eye-consciousness arises because of the eye and avisual object, and that owing to eye-contactthere arise feeling, perception, volition andthought. This is a twofold understanding as itconcerns thought and its cause, feeling and itscause, perception and its cause, and so on. Atthis stage it occurs to him that there is no “I” or“person” apart from the four categories: mindand its cause, and matter and its cause.

The rise and fall of the abdomen now appearto him as an agglomeration of the wind-element.He recognizes the earth-element through thetouch sensation at the tip of the nose togetherwith the water-element associated with it. Bymeans of the tactile sensation of warmth andcoolness, he recognizes the fire-element. Nowthat the mind is free from the hindrances, thereis ample scope for wisdom. He understands thatmatter also arises due to a cause. If the medita-tor is wise enough, he will understand that thisbirth has been brought about by some action(kamma) of the past, and that it is the outcomeof craving, ignorance and grasping. Whatevercreature he sees is, for him, just another instanceof the four categories: mind and its cause, andmatter and its cause.

At this stage one has to step-up one’s practiceof mindfulness and full awareness. In every

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instance of a change of posture one should makea mental note of the action, as well as of theintention which impelled that acton. The mentalnoting should always register the precedingthought as well:

1. ‘intending to stand… intending to stand’

2. ‘standing… standing’.

This method of making a mental note by way ofcause and effect is helpful in understanding therelationship between the cause and the effect.The condition implied by the Knowledge of Dis-cerning Cause and Condition is already foundhere. The meditator gradually comes to under-stand that thought is the result and that theobject is its cause: “It is because there is a soundthat a thought-of-hearing (an auditory con-sciousness) has arisen….”

As he goes on making a note without a break,a skilful meditator would even feel as though hisnoting is happening automatically. It is not nec-essary to make a special effort to increase one’sunderstanding of mental objects in this way.One should rather understand the objects as andwhen they come. Any conscious attempt toaccelerate the process would only distract themind from the subject of concentration and thusretard the power of understanding. If the medi-

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tator is well read in the Dhamma, he will be ableto gain a quicker understanding by reflectingaccording to the Dhamma. One who is not sowell read will take more time to understand.

Some meditators gain the knowledge con-cerning the process of formations at the veryoutset. A meditator who is well advanced inregard to reflections on the Dhamma can arousethis knowledge while meditating on somesubject of meditation, equipped with the Purifi-cation of Mind. This kind of knowledge is calledthe Knowledge of Discerning Mind-and-Mattertogether with Cause and Condition. That is,mind and matter are understood together withtheir cause and condition so that the knowledgeof mindand-matter and the knowledge of causeand effect arise simultaneously. By developingthis knowledge, the Purification by OvercomingDoubt is attained.

One who has reached the stage of Purifica-tion by Overcoming Doubt clearly understandsthe three phases of the round of becoming — thecycle of defilements, the cycle of action, and thecycle of results:

The cycle of defilements (kilesavañña)includes the defiling tendencies of themind such as ignorance, craving, specula-tive views and grasping.

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The cycle of action (kammavañña) is thefunctional aspect of those defilements, thatis, the mass of actions, both wholesomeand unwholesome.

The cycle of results (vipàkavañña) consistsin the pleasant and painful results of thoseactions.

This understanding is not based on assumptions.It is something that occurs to the meditator as anindubitable experience. At this stage althoughreal insight still has not yet reached completion,the mind possesses great strength. This is a stagewith special significance, since the meditatorwho has come this far becomes a “lesser Stream-enterer” (culla-sotàpanna). If he preserves thisknowledge of conditionality intact up to the timeof death, unimpaired by doubts and waverings,in his next existence he is certain not to bereborn into the four lower worlds: the hells, theworld of afflicted spirits (petas), the animalkingdom, and the world of titans (asuras).

For one who already possesses the five directknowledges (abhi¤¤a) — (1) the knowledge ofthe modes of psychic power, (2) the divine ear-element, (3) the penetration of other minds,(4) the knowledge of recollecting past lives,and (5) the knowledge of the passing away andre-arising of beings — it is sometimes possible,

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on attaining this stage, to see past lives togetherwith their causes and conditions. To some medi-tators, even the functioning of the internalorgans of the body becomes visible. Some havevisions of their childhood experiences. One whohas no direct knowledge can also arouse memo-ries of his childhood and past lives if he dwellsimmersed in meditation to the exclusion of allworldly concerns and extraneous thoughts.

Saüsàra — the cycle of recurrent births anddeaths — is perpetually kept in motion byspeculative views and sceptical doubts. (SeeSabbàsava Sutta, M.I,8.) With Purification ofView, the mind gains purity by extricatingitself from speculative views. With Purificationby Overcoming Doubt, the mind becomes purethrough the removal of sceptical doubts. Theabandonment of views and sceptical doubts atthis stage is done merely by the substitution ofopposites (tadangappahàna). This abandon-ment by substitution of opposites is the aban-doning of a particular unwholesome thoughtby means of an antithetical wholesomethought; it can be compared to the dispellingof darkness by lighting a lamp. The abandon-ment by suppression (vikkhambhariappahàna),accomplished through serenity meditation, ismore effective. By means of this method onecan sometimes keep the five hindrances sup-

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pressed even for a long time. The abandon-ment by cutting off (samucchedappahàna),accomplished by the supramundane path-knowledge, completely eradicates the defile-ments together with their underlying tenden-cies so that they will never spring up again.

In insight meditation, the underlying tenden-cies to speculative views and sceptical doubtsstill persist. They are abandoned as a “cuttingoff” only by the path of Stream-entry. The erad-ication of the underlying tendencies to defile-ments in such a way that they will never ariseagain is a distinctive quality of supramundanestates.

The meditator engaged in cultivating virtue,concentration and wisdom should be as heedfulin his task as a farmer diligently busying himselfin cultivating his field. What has to be donetoday must not be postponed for tomorrow:“Procrastination is the thief of time.” The firstthing that gives trouble to a meditator sittingdown to meditate is his own thoughts. The nexttroublemaker is pain. To combat thoughts, onehas to be skilful in making a mental note ofthem. When the mind tries to play truant byleaving the meditation subject and going astray,one should make a mental note: ‘Mind strays,mind strays.’ If one goes on with mental notingthroughout the day, one can, to a great extent,

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overcome stray thoughts. But pain is a far moreformidable enemy. At first thoughts and painboth keep on troubling the meditator, but whenmeditation shows some signs of progress, painappears as the more vicious of the two. Yet it hasbeen a matter of experience that when medita-tion is well on its way to progress, one can evenovercome severe pains which earlier seemedinsurmountable. Therefore, understanding thesecret of success well, one should make such afirm determination as: “I will not get up fromthis seat even if my bones break and the jointsfall apart.”12

Then the whole body will cool down, thepain will subside, and one will be able to go onsitting for a longer stretch of time. From that dayonwards one will discover the ability to havelonger sittings in meditation without pain. Ameditator has to arouse the right amount ofcourage to overcome pain, thinking: “After all,this little suffering is not as oppressive as the suf-fering in hell.” Or, “Let me suffer this little painfor the sake of the supreme bliss of Nibbàna.” Anexample is the venerable Lomasanàga Therawho endured piercing cold and scprching heat.Once while he was dwelling in in the Striving-hall in Piyanga Cave at Cetiyapabbata, he spent

12. “Let this body break up, if it must; let lumps of flesh lay scattered; let the pair of shins fall apart from my knee-joints.”(Mudita Thera, Thag. v.312)

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wintry nights in the open air, reflecting on thesufferings in the inter-space hells, without losinghis meditation subject. Again, in summer hespent the daytime sitting in the open air intenton his subject of meditation. When a pupil of hissaid: “Venerable sir, here is a cool spot. Pleasecome and sit here,” he retorted, “Friend, it is pre-cisely because I am afraid of the heat that I sathere.” And he continued sitting there havingreflected on the burning heat in Avici-hell.13

While engaged in insight meditation, attend-ing mentally to sections of formations, a medita-tor sometimes goes through experiences whichreveal to him the very nature of formations.While sitting in meditation his entire body stiff-ens: this is how the earth-element makes itselffelt. He gets a burning sensation at the points ofcontact: this is a manifestation of the fire-element. He is dripping with sweat: this is anillustration of the water-element. He feels as ifhis body is being twisted: here is the wind-element at work. These are just instances of thefour elements announcing themselves with a“here-we-are!” A meditator has to understandthis language of the four elements.

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13. MA. Commentary on Sabbàsava Sutta.

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Chapter V

Purification by Knowledge and

Vision of What is Path and Not-Path

(Maggàmagga¤àõadassanavisuddhi)

The understanding of the distinction betweenthe direct path and its counterfeit, the mislead-ing path, is referred to as Purification by Know-ledge and Vision of What is Path and Not-Path.When the meditator arrives at this stage, he hasalready passed four stages of purification. It isnoteworthy that the last three purifications (i.e.Purification by Knowledge and Vision of What isPath and Not-Path, Purification by Knowledgeand Vision of the Way, and Purification byKnowledge and Vision) have the qualification“Knowledge and Vision,” unlike the first four.Hence Purification by Knowledge and Vision ofWhat is Path and Not-Path marks a significantturning point in the ascent through the purifica-tions and the knowledges.

By the time the meditator reaches this Purifi-cation by Knowledge and Vision of What is Pathand Not-Path, he has gained a certain degree ofclarity owing to his Purification by OvercomingDoubt. Since he has eliminated obstructiveviews and doubts, his power of concentration is

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keener than ever. Now his concentration hasreached maturity. His mind is virile and ener-getic. He understands the nature of phenomena,manifest to him as mind-and-matter, togetherwith their causes and conditions.

He has also gained two other significantadvantages. The first is relief from straythoughts, especially when he meditates withouta break for the whole day; for such a meditatorthe stray thoughts arise only very rarely, andwhereas earlier the stray thoughts that aroseused to stay with him for a long while, now hecan dismiss them summarily with a mere mentalnote. The second advantage is a significantreduction in the painful feelings that arise whensitting in meditation; to his great relief, themeditator finds that even though pains arise, heis now able to note them mentally without beingdistracted so that he can more easily keep hismind on the subject of meditation. Even severepains now appear to him as normal events ratherthan disturbances. This is the “conquest of pain,”a victory with a special significance.14 With thisnew-found strength the meditator carries onmental noting with great precision. This stagemarks the final phase of the Purification byOvercoming Doubt.

14. In serenity meditation, sitting for three hours without being harassed by pain is regarded as the “conquest of pain.”

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1. Knowledge by Comprehension (Sammasana¤àõa)

Following the Purification by OvercomingDoubt, but preceding the next purification,Knowledge by Comprehension sets in, which inturn leads to Knowledge of Arising and PassingAway. Knowledge of Arising and Passing Awayoccurs in two phases: an undeveloped phase anda mature phase. In the undeveloped phasecertain interesting phenomena occur to themeditator, encouraging in their own right butpotential distractions from the correct path ofpractice; these are called the ten imperfections ofinsight. It is here that the Purification by Know-ledge and Vision of What is Path and Not-Pathcomes in. This purification involves understand-ing that attachment to the ten imperfections ofinsight is the not-path, and that attending to theprocess of observation (i.e. mental noting)proper to the way of insight, is the path. It is sonamed because it purifies the person who attainsit of the misconception that the not-path is thepath.

Knowledge by Comprehension (also calledComprehension by Groups) is the reflection onformations in terms of their three universal char-acteristics — impermanence (anicca), suffering(dukkha), and not-self (anattà). Such reflection

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sets in between the Purification by OvercomingDoubt and the Purification by Knowledge andVision of What is Path and Not-Path, but it doesnot fall into either of these two purifications byway of classification. The improvements in themeditator’s ability help him in building up hisKnowledge by Comprehension which brings theproper understanding of the three characteris-tics. But the range of comprehension this know-ledge involves is not the same for everyone. Forsome meditators, the comprehension is broadand extensive; for others, its range is limited.The duration of the occurrence of this know-ledge also varies according to the way the forma-tions relating to mind-and-matter are reflectedupon. The Buddha’s comprehension of forma-tions pervaded all animate and inanimateobjects in the ten thousand world-systems. Thevenerable Sàriputta’s Knowledge by Comprehen-sion pervaded everything animate and inani-mate in the central region of India. The suttaexpressions “all is to be directly known” (sabbaüabhi¤¤eyyaü), and “all is to be fully known”(sabbaü pari¤¤eyyaü) also refer to Knowledgeby Comprehension. Here “all” (sabbaü) does notmean literally everything in the world, but what-ever is connected with the five aggregates.

The formula of comprehension given in thesuttas says:

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Any form whatever, whether past, futureor present, internal or external, gross orsubtle, inferior or superior, far or near —all form he sees with right wisdom as itreally is (thus): “This is not mine,” “This isnot I am,” “This is not my self.” Any feel-ings whatever… any perceptions what-ever… any formations whatever… anyconsciousness whatever, whether past,future or present, internal or external,gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far ornear — all consciousness he sees with rightwisdom as it really is (thus): “This is notmine,” “This is not I am,” “This is notmyself.” (A.II,171)

Now, let-us see how an ordinary meditator canapply this formula as a guide to comprehension.Suppose the meditator is keeping his mind onhis meditation subject — mindfulness of breath-ing, the rise-and-fall of the abdomen, or some-thing else. By now the subject of his meditationhas gone beyond its conventional significanceand is seen in terms of its ultimate constituents.For instance, if the meditation subject is a hair,it now manifests itself to him as the elements ofearth, water, fire, air, colour, odour, flavour andnutritive essence. If the subject is mindfulness ofbreathing, it clearly appears as mind-and-matter

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together with their causes and conditions. Now,as the meditator goes on attending to his medi-tation subject, the arising and the passing awayof those formations become apparent to him. Hesees, as a present phenomenon, how the forma-tions of mind-and-matter connected with hissubject of meditation keep on arising andpassing away and undergoing destruction — allin heaps. The understanding of formations as aheap is followed by the understanding of each ofthem separately. It is the continuity and com-pactness (ghana) of that which conceals theimpermanence of formations.

To understand them separately, to see thediscrete phases within the process, is to under-stand the characteristic of impermanence. Theimpermanence of formations becomes clear tohim in accordance with the saying: “It is imper-manent in the sense of undergoing destruction”(Ps.I,53). Once the nature of impermanence isapparent, the painful nature and not-self natureof formations become apparent as well.

When he makes a mental note of that under-standing, the range of understanding itselfgrows wider. This is Knowledge by Comprehen-sion, which comes as a matter of direct personalexperience in the present. Based on this experi-ence, he applies the same principle by inductionto the past and the future. He understands by

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inductive knowledge that all formations in thepast were also subject to destruction. When heunderstands the impermanence of past forma-tions, he makes a mental note of this under-standing as well. It also occurs to him that thesame process, will go on in the future. Thus heconcludes that all formations in the threeperiods of time are indeed impermanent. Hemakes a mental note of this understanding too.As it is said: “Understanding conclusively past,future and present states (of the five aggregates)by summarisation (in groups) is Knowledge byComprehension” (Ps.I,53).

All three characteristics become clear to himin this way: “It is impermanent because it wearsaway. It is painful because it is terrifying. It isnot-self because it is coreless.” At the stage of theKnowledge by Comprehension, the functioningof the mind is extremely rapid.

The three modes of comprehension — byway of past, future and present — are them-selves sufficient for breaking up the defilements.However, eight additional modes have beenindicated, grouped into four pairs: (1) internal-external, (2) gross-subtle, (3) inferior-superior,(4) far-near.

These eight modes are not apprehended byeveryone in the course of reflection on forma-tions. They occur with clarity only to those of

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keen insight. Together with the three temporalmodes, these make up the eleven modes of com-prehension indicated in the formula.15

When the meditator attends to his subject ofmeditation, the materiality connected with it iscomprehended by way of the eleven modes. Sotoo are the associated mental aggregates —feeling, perceptions, mental formations andconsciousness. Earlier, the meditator regardedconsciousness as a compact unit, but now, ascomprehension develops, he understands thatthere are thousands of thoughts — a heap ofthem occurring in a series, thought afterthought. From this the meditator realizes thatthe thoughts arisen earlier are no longer presentand with this conviction the perception of thecompactness of consciousness loses its basis.Thus he awakens to the fact of impermanence.Feelings arising in the mind also become mani-fest as a heap — a series of distinct feelingsflowing along without a pause. He becomesaware of the fact that a feeling disappears whenhe makes a mental note of it, and that alongwith it, the thought connected with the feelingalso disappears. It now dawns on him that the“contact pentad” made up of contact, feeling,15. Those specialized in the Abhidhamma doctrine of “ultimate categories”

(paramattha-dhamma) describe the section of formations according to the eleven modes given above. Others are unable to describe them in detail although they may comprehend the formations according to those modes.

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perception, volition and consciousness — theprimary components of the mind (in mind-and-matter) — are all impermanent.

The meditator first has to reflect on his ownset of five aggregates. At this stage his contem-plation is not confined to his original meditationsubject. Rather, contemplation pervades hisentire body. He understands the nature of hiswhole body and makes a mental note of what-ever he understands. This is comprehension. Notonly in regard to his own body, but concerningthose of others, too, he gains a similar under-standing. He can clearly visualize his own body,as well as those of others, whenever he advertsto them. This is Knowledge by Comprehension.

Some meditators become acutely aware ofthe frail nature of their body as well. In the Dis-course to Màgandiya, the Buddha gives the fol-lowing advice to the wandering asceticMàgandiya:

And when, Màgandiya, you have practisedthe Dhamma going the Dhamma-way,then, Màgandiya, you will know for your-self, you will see for yourself, that these(five aggregates) are diseases, boils anddarts. (M.I,512)

This again, is a reference to the above-mentioned stage of comprehension. In the Dis-

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course to Dãghanakha, the Buddha expoundedthis method of comprehension in eleven ways:

But this body, Aggivessana, which hasmaterial shape, is made up of the fourgreat primaries, originating from motherand father, a heaping up of rice and rice-gruel, impermanent by nature, of a natureto be rubbed and massaged, fragile andperishable — this body should be regardedas impermanent, as painful, as a disease, aboil, a dart, a calamity, an affliction, asalien, as disintegrating, as void, as not-self.

M.1,500

The Buddha indicated the method of compre-hension in different ways, sometimes briefly,sometimes in detail, depending on the particu-lar disciple’s power of understanding. ThePañisambhidàmagga gives forty modes of com-prehension:

(Seeing) the five aggregates as imperma-nent, as painful, as a disease, a boil, a dart,a calamity, an affliction, as alien, as disin-tegrating, as a plague, a disaster, a terror,a menace, as fickle, perishable, unendur-ing, as no protection, no shelter, no refuge,as empty, vain, void, not-self, as a danger,as subject to change, as having no core, asthe root of calamity, as murderous, as to be

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annihilated, as subject to cankers, asformed, as Màra’s bait, as subject to birth,subject to ageing, subject to illness, subjectto death, subject to sorrow, subject tolamentation, subject to despair, subject todefilement.

Ps.II,238

These forty modes can be distributed among thethree characteristics as follows, ten illustratingthe characteristic of impermanence, twenty-fivethe characteristic of suffering, and five the char-acteristic of not-self.

Impermanence: impermanent, disintegrat-ing, fickle, perishable, unenduring, subjectto change, having no core, to be annihi-lated, formed, subject to death.

Suffering: painful, a disease, a boil, adart, a calamity, an affliction, a plague, adisaster, a terror, a menace, no protec-tion, no shelter, no refuge, a danger, theroot of calamity, murderous, subject tocankers, Màra’s bait, subject to birth,subject to ageing, subject to illness,subject to sorrow, subject to lamentation,subject to despair, subject to defilement.

Not-self: alien, empty, vain, void, not-self.

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Out of these forty modes of comprehension, themeditator should reflect upon only those whichmake sense to him. There is no harm in not beingable to understand every mode. It is enough ifone reflects on those one can understand.

The meditator should understand exactlywhen this knowledge by comprehensionbecomes complete. Normally, there is a ten-dency to prolong the process of comprehensionsince one likes to go on reflecting in this way.For some meditators the process of comprehen-sion reaches its culmination within a shortperiod, for others it takes longer. When theKnowledge by Comprehension, starting from themeditation subject, extends to the five aggre-gates of the meditator, and from there to exter-nal formations, so much so that the threecharacteristics occur to him spontaneously andeffortlessly in accordance with the norm of theDhamma, and all animate and inanimate thingsappear to him as so many distinctive clusters ofelements — then, at that stage the Knowledgeby Comprehension can be regarded as complete.

When Knowledge by Comprehension devel-ops to this stage, the meditator applies himselfto meditation with great enthusiasm. He is evenreluctant to get up from his meditation seat, ashe feels he can continue reflecting on formationsfor a long time without any trouble. Sometimes

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he is totally free from thoughts about mattersoutside his meditation subject. By now, as theComprehension-Knowledge is well developed,he clearly understands the three characteristics.The arising and passing away of formations isfully manifest to him. As he sees how each partarises and passes away, even such things as aflame of a lamp, a cascade of water, or a sound,appear to him as so many particles and heaps.The parts and particles of all these thingsbecome manifest to him as discrete but inter-connected processes in the form of vibrations.They seem like a squirming swarm of worms.Even the body appears as a heap of fine elemen-tal dust in constant transformation.

2. The Ten Imperfections of Insight(Dasa vipassan’upakkilesà)

From the stage of Knowledge by Comprehen-sion up to the initial phase of the Knowledge ofArising and Passing Away, the meditatorbecomes aware of an increasing ability to medi-tate without difficulty. Extraneous thoughtshave subsided, the mind has become calm,clear and serene. Owing to this serenity andnon-distraction, defilements decrease and the

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mental continuum becomes highly purified; thebody, too, manifests the same serenity. As he isengaged in contemplation in the initial phase ofthe Knowledge of Arising and Passing Away,the meditator has to be extremely cautious. Forit is precisely at this point that the imperfectionsof insight spring up, threatening to entice theunwary meditator away from the right path ofpractice. The Visuddhimagga (XX,105-125)describes ten such imperfections:

(1) Due to the developed state of his mind atthis stage, a brilliant light appears to the medita-tor. At first he catches a glimpse of somethinglike a lamplight in the distance. Even if there isno lamp inside his hut, he seems to see one evenwith his eyes open. He then discovers that thislight emanates from his own body. Though histeacher had instructed him to simply make amental note of everything he sees, the meditatornow pays no heed to those instructions. He con-cludes that the teacher had not foreseen thisevent and was mistaken on this point. He even

(1) illumination (obhàsa) (6) faith (adhimokkha)

(2) knowledge (¤àõa) (7) energy (paggaha)

(3) rapturous delight (pãti) (8) assurance (upaññhàna)

(4) calmness (passaddhi) (9) equanimity (upekkhà)

(5) bliss (sukha) (10) attachment (nikanti).

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presumes that he is now more developed inmeditation than his teacher. So he continues toenjoy the illumination without making a mentalnote of it. In such situations as these a meditatormust not fall into delusion. The teacher’s advicestems from the lineage of the Buddha and theArahants. Therefore the meditator shouldregard his teacher’s advice as if it were given tohim by the Buddha himself and be diligent inmaking mental notes.

A skilful meditator endowed with discretionwould be more cautious in a situation like this.He, too, first thinks that this illumination is asign of some supramundane attainment. But herecognizes a desire for this illumination, andwisely reflects that that desire would not havearisen in him if he had actually attained a supra-mundane stage. So he concludes that this couldnot possibly be the path, and dismisses the illu-mination with a mental note. In the same way hebecomes aware that craving arises whenever hethinks: “This is my illumination,” and thatconceit arises at the thought: “Even my teacherdoes not possess an illumination like mine.”Also, in conceiving his experience to be a supra-mundane stage, he recognizes that he is holdinga wrong view. So he refuses to be misled by theillumination and succeeds in abandoning thisparticular imperfection of insight.

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(2) The same approach applies to theremaining imperfections. The meditator gainsa remarkable insight into the meaning ofcanonical statements, doctrinal points andterms. Whatever words he reflects on nowreveal to him a depth of meaning he had neverpreviously seen in them. He mistakes this fordiscriminative wisdom (pañisambhidà), andinterpreting it as a supramundane quality,becomes enthusiastic in preaching. As a result,his meditation suffers a setback. This is theimperfection called “knowledge.” The skilfulmeditator, however, who discerns the craving,conceit and views behind this imperfection,concludes that this is the not-path, abandonsit, and moves on to the right path of mentalnoting.

(3) Because of his progress in comprehen-sion, the meditator becomes transported withjoy. Uplifting joy arises in him like heavingwaves of the sea. He feels as though he issitting in the air or on a cushion stuffed withcotton-wool. Here, again, the unskilful medi-tator is deceived. The skilful meditator, how-ever, applies the same method of discernmentas he did in the case of illumination. Regard-ing this imperfection as a manifestation ofcraving, conceit and wrong view, he freeshimself from its deceptive influence.

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(4) The fourth imperfection of insight isbuoyancy of body and mind. Though the medi-tator had already experienced some calmnesseven in the initial stages of meditation, the calm-ness that sets in at the beginning of the Know-ledge of Arising and Passing Away is of a muchhigher order. At times he wonders whether hehas somehow risen up into the air. When hepaces up and down, he feels as if the experienceis happening spontaneously. The unskilledmeditator is misled by these experiences intoconcluding this to be a supramundane quality,since it is the Arahants who can rise up into theair. The skilful meditator, on the other hand,recognizes the imperfection by the three criteriaof craving, conceit and view, and is not misled.

(5) As he is contemplating arising andpassing away, a sublime happiness pervades themeditator’s body and mind. Uneasiness and paindisappear. Here, too, the unskilful meditator isdeceived, while the skilful one recognizes theimperfection and overcomes it.

(6) Sometimes the meditator becomesinspired by an intense faith in the Triple Gem(the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha), inhis meditation teacher and in his meditationsubject. Enthusiasm overwhelms him, like aflood of water gushing forth from a dam.Ecstatic with inspiration, the meditator wants to

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spend most of his time worshipping and preach-ing. He feels impelled to write letters to his rela-tives instructing them in the Dhamma. Due toexcessive faith, he even starts crying, whichmakes him seem ridiculous. This wave of enthu-siasm is also an obstacle that must be checked bymental noting. Here, too, the skilful meditatorreflects wisely and recognizing the imperfection,returns to the path.

(7) The meditator becomes aware of anintense energy within him. He does not feel sleepyas before. Though he is energetic, there is no rest-lessness in his mind. He can go on meditating fora long time at a stretch. The unskilful meditatormistakes this, too, to be a supramundane qualityand falls into craving, conceit and view. This,again, blocks his progress in meditation.

(8) The meditator also discovers that mind-fulness comes effortlessly. Whenever he focuseshis attention on some object, mindfulness isalready present there, almost automatically. Dueto this effortless awareness called “assurance,”the unskilled meditator imagines himself topossess the perfect mindfulness of the Arahants;thus he is deceived. The skilful meditator, on theother hand, recognizes the craving, conceit andview behind this idea and passes beyond it.

(9) Equanimity as an imperfection ofinsight is twofold: namely, equanimity in insight

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and equanimity in adverting. Here, equanimitymeans the ability to attend to the meditationsubject without much effort. This is differentfrom the equanimity spoken of in connectionwith feelings. Whereas earlier the meditator hadto make a special effort in applying insight tovarious formations, at this stage he finds thatinsight is happening automatically, like theturning of a wheel. It is very easy for him now tocarry on reflection as the mind almost leapstowards its object. Whatever he reflects uponoccurs to him with remarkable clarity. Whensuch mental concomitants as contact, feelingand formations become apparent by themselvesfrom all sides, together with their characteristicssuch as impermanence, owing to his equanimityin adverting, it is easy enough for a meditator tomistake this for a supramundane insight. Whatis not so easy is to remain undeceived. But here,too, the skilful meditator succeeds in overcom-ing this imperfection of insight.

(10) The subtle imperfection of insight called“attachment” is one which is latent in all otherimperfections. The unskilful meditator conceivesa subtle attachment to his insight which isadorned with such marvellous things as illumina-tion; thus he is carried away by craving, conceitand view. The skilful meditator uses his discern-ing wisdom and frees himself from the influence.

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3. The Path and the Not-Path

The diligent meditator should carefully make amental note of all the imperfections of insightwhenever they arise. Meditators who neglectthis precaution, thinking: “After all, these aregood things,” will ultimately find themselves indifficult straits, unable to advance in meditation.Therefore one should do well to follow here theadvice of one’s teacher. One has to recognize allthese as obstacles and dismiss them. For allthese imperfections of insight have a subtle traceof attachment hidden beneath them, and thusthey will deflect one from the right path. Theunderstanding that these imperfections are notthe right path and that the avoidance of themwill lead one to the path is called Purification byKnowledge and Vision of What is Path and Not-Path. Thus the not-path is the tendency to comeunder the sway of the imperfections of insightand to go on meditating while obsessed by them.The right path is the elimination of those imper-fections and the stepping on to true insight, thatis, to the highroad of mental noting. At the endof this purification the mature phase of Know-ledge of Arising and Passing Away sets in tobegin the next purification.

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Chapter VI

Purification by Knowledge and

Vision of the Way

(Pañipadà¤àõadassanavisuddhi)

1. The Three Full Understandings (Pari¤¤à)

In the course of developing insight meditation, ameditator passes through three mundane(lokiya) stages of realization before he reachesthe level of the supramundane (lokuttara).These three stages, called the mundane fullunderstandings, are designated:

(1) full understanding as the known (¤àtapari¤¤à),

(2) full understanding as investigating (tiraõapari¤¤à),

(3) full understanding as abandoning (pahànapari¤¤à).

(1) The plane of full understanding as theknown extends from the Knowledge of Delimita-tion of Mind-and-Matter through the Knowledgeof Discernment of Conditions. The functionexercised in this stage is the understanding ofthe individual nature of phenomena. In brief this

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understanding extends simply to the salientcharacteristics of phenomena. Thus the medita-tor understands that the earth-element has thecharacteristic of hardness, the water-elementthat of trickling, the fire-element that of heat,the air-element that of distending, the mind thatof cognizing, feeling that of being felt, and so on.In detail it covers the four defining modes of anyphenomena: its characteristic, function, mani-festation and proximate cause. The full under-standing as the known enables the meditator tograsp the essential nature of phenomena, whichit presents in terms of ultimate categories.

(2) Full understanding as the known pro-vides the basis for the next stage, full under-standing as investigating, which extends fromComprehension by Groups through the Know-ledge of Arising and Passing Away. At this stagethe meditator advances from discerning thespecific nature of individual phenomena to dis-cerning their general nature — the marks ofimpermanence, suffering and not-self.

(3) Full understanding as abandoning, thehighest mundane stage of realization, involvesthe systematic abandoning of defilements bythe substitution of opposites (tadangappahàna),i.e. by the development of particular insightswhich eclipse defiled erroneous notions fromthe mind. This stage starts from the Knowledge

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of Dissolution and culminates in the Knowledgeof Equanimity about Formations. In this stage,as the ignorance obscuring the true nature offormations dissolves and things are seen forwhat they are, defilements begin to be dis-persed. They are compelled to quit the recessesof the mind, and the more they vacate, the morestrength of understanding the mind gains.

A meditator will find it useful to bear in mindthis threefold division of mundane full under-standing and its relation to the purifications andthe stages of knowledge.

2. The Progress of Insight Knowledge

When the meditator steers clear of the tenimperfections of insight and returns to hismental noting, he completes Purification byKnowledge and Vision of What is Path and Not-Path. He then enters the mature phase of theKnowledge of Arising and Passing Away. Withthis he begins the last of the mundane purifica-tions, Purification by Knowledge and Vision ofthe Way. The “way” signifies the practice or theprocess of arriving at the goal. The understand-ing, knowledge, or illumination relating to theprocess of arrival is the Knowledge and Vision ofthe Way. The purification or elimination ofdefilements by means of that knowledge is Puri-

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fication by Knowledge and Vision of the Way. Itis at this point that there begins to unfold theseries of full-fledged insight knowledges whichwill climax in the attainment of the supramun-dane paths.

Purification by Knowledge and Vision of theWay comprises eight stages of knowledge:

1. Knowledge of Contemplation of Arising and Passing Away (udayabbayanupassana¤àõa)

2. Knowledge of Contemplation of Dissolution (bhangànupassana¤àõa)

3. Knowledge of Appearance as Terror (bhay’upaññhàna¤àõa)

4. Knowledge of Contemplation of Danger (àdinavànupassanà¤àõa)

5. Knowledge of Contemplation of Disenchantment (nibbidànupassanà¤àõa)

6. Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance (mu¤citukamyatà¤àõa)

7. Knowledge of Contemplation of Reflection (pañisankhànupassanà¤àõa)

8. Knowledge of Equanimity about Formations (sankhàr’upekkhà¤àõa).

Knowledge in Conformity with Truth or Con-formity Knowledge (anuloma¤àõa) is also in-cluded in this purification as a ninth stage ofknowledge.

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(1) Knowledge of Contemplation of Arisingand Passing Away. Purification by Knowledgeand Vision of the Way starts with the maturephase of the Knowledge of Arising and PassingAway, which sets in after the meditator has dis-pelled the deception posed by the imperfectionsof insight, either through his own unaidedefforts or with the help of the teacher’s instruc-tions. He obtains this purification in the courseof reflecting on his meditation subject with thepure undeluded mind now well on its way totrue insight.

The Knowledge of Contemplation of Arisingand Passing Away is defined thus: “The wisdomin contemplating the change of present phenom-ena is the Knowledge of Contemplation ofArising and Passing Away” (Ps.I,1). It is by con-templating formations as present phenomenathat this particular knowledge is attained.Before this, the reflection on formations tookstock of all three temporal modes — past,present and future; but now it is concentratedonly on the present. This is a necessary step forseeing the change of formations, i.e. the altera-tion of the present condition. In order to seeimpermanence, one has to perceive the charac-teristic of passing away, and for passing away tobe seen, the event of arising must also be seen.The Knowledge of Arising and Passing Away

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involves the seeing of both arising and dissolu-tion. At this stage, the process of arising and dis-solution becomes manifest to the meditator inthe very subject of meditation he has taken up.

Now that he has passed the dangers posed bythe imperfections of insight, the meditator pro-ceeds with greater determination in his work ofcontemplation. All the three characteristics ofexistence now become clear to him in a reasonedmanner. Though these characteristics appearedto him already in the early phase of the Know-ledge of Arising and Passing Away, they werenot so clear then because of the adverse influ-ence of the imperfections. But with the imperfec-tions gone, they stand out in bold relief.

Since the highroad of insight knowledgebegins with the Knowledge of Arising andPassing Away, the meditator should be espe-cially acquainted with this particular knowledge.He requires a thorough understanding of thethree characteristics — impermanence, sufferingand not-self — each of which has two aspects:

(1) that which is impermanent and the characteristic of impermanence;

(2) that which is suffering and the characteristic of suffering;

(3) that which is not-self and the characteristic of not self.

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The referent of the first set of terms — i.e. thatwhich is impermanent, suffering and not-self —is the five aggregates. The characteristic ofimpermanence is the mode of arising andpassing away; the characteristic of suffering isthe mode of being continually oppressed; thecharacteristic of not-self is the mode of insuscep-tibility to the exercise of power. The five aggre-gates are thus impermanent because they ariseand pass away, suffering because they are con-tinually oppressed, and not-self because there isno exercising power over them. The Pañisam-bhidàmagga explains the three characteristicsthus: “(It is) impermanent in the sense ofwearing away. (It is) suffering in the sense ofbringing terror. (It is) not-self in the sense ofcorelessness” (Ps.I,53).

All the three characteristics are to be foundin the five aggregates. The aim of the insightmeditator should be to arouse within himselfan understanding of these three characteris-tics. This kind of effort might appear, at firstsight, as a mental torture. But when one con-siders the solace which this beatific visionyields, one will realize that in all the threeworlds there is no worthier aim than this. Asthe Buddha says: “To that monk of serene mindwho has entered an empty house and sees withright insight the Dhamma, there arises a

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sublime delight transcending the humanplane” (Dhp. 373).

The characteristic of impermanence is con-cealed by continuity. The characteristic of suf-fering is covered up by the change of postures.The characteristic of not-self is overcast withcompactness.

The process of formations needs to be ana-lyzed. Once it is seen as a heap or series, imper-manence is understood. By resisting theimpulse to change one’s postures, suffering isunderstood. By analyzing the mass of forma-tions into its constituents — earth, water, fire,air, contact, feeling, etc., the characteristic ofnot-self becomes evident. When these threecharacteristics become clear to the meditator,he is in a position to carry on his meditationwell.

As the meditator goes on attending to hismeditation subject, the subject begins to appearto him as clearly as it did at the stage of compre-hension. Now, when the formations which makeup mind-and-matter become manifest to him, heis able to distinguish the material and mentalcomponents of his meditation subject. If, forexample, he takes the rise and fall of theabdomen as his subject, he comes to understandthat within one rising movement of theabdomen there is a multiplicity of such move-

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ments and that within one falling movementthere is also a series of similar movements. Hecan also see mentally that a series of thoughtsarises along with this process, taking each frac-tional movement as object. If he attends to thein-breathing and out-breathing as the subject ofhis meditation, he can mentally distinguishbetween the numerous phases of the wind-element connected with the process. He is alsoaware that a series of thoughts arises, cognizingeach phrase.

When he is able to distinguish in this manner,his mind traverses his entire body, making it thesubject of meditation. He understands that hisentire body is a heap of elemental dust. It occursto him that this heap of elemental dust compos-ing his body is always in a state of motion, likethe fine dust motes seen floating in the air whenviewed against the sun’s rays. At this stage hismind does not wander towards other objects. Hisattention is now fully engrossed in meditation.When he becomes aware of the components ofmatter and mind as heaps, series or masses, hebegins to see the arising and the passing away ofthose distinct parts.

Here, one has to take into account anotherimportant fact, namely, that all the phenomenasubsumed under mind-and-matter pass throughthree stages: (1) arising (uppàda), (2) persist-

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ence (ñhiti), and (3) dissolution (bhanga). Birth,decay and death occur even within a very shortperiod of time just as much as within the dura-tion of a long period. Of these three stages,“arising” or “birth” and “dissolution” or “death”are apparent. The intermediate stage of “persist-ence” or “decay” is not so clear. “Arising” is thebeginning of impermanence, “persistence” itsmiddle and “dissolution” its end.

The three characteristics — impermanence,suffering and not-self — are now very clear tothe meditator. Impermanence is mentally dis-cernible to him as if it were something visible tohis very eyes. Four things appear with claritybefore his calm mind: (1) the arising, (2) thecause of arising, (3) the dissolution, (4) thecause of dissolution. The knowledge whicharises together with this clarity of vision is theKnowledge of Arising and Passing Away. Atwhatever moment this knowledge dawns upona meditator at an experiential level as a “reali-sation,” he should do well to stop at that pointfor a considerable period of time in order toreflect upon it over and over again. The Know-ledge of Arising and Passing Away is a signifi-cant starting-post. Since greater acquaintancewith it will come in useful to a meditator evenin the matter of re-attaining to fruition (phala-samàpatti), one can contemplate with the

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Knowledge of Arising and Passing Away even ahundred or a thousand times.

Now, the meditator who has developed theKnowledge of Arising and Passing Away andrepeatedly practised it, directs his mind to hissubject of meditation. The process of arising andpassing away then becomes manifest to him inthat very subject. Even in raising his arm andputting it down, he can visualize the beginning,the middle and the end of the process of arisingand passing away. But sometimes the middle isnot clearly discernible. This is also so in the caseof the rising and falling movements of the abdo-men. In mindfulness of breathing, the begin-ning, the middle and the end of the in-breathsand the out-breaths are apparent. The minddoes not wander. As the meditator continues tokeep his meditative attention on the meditationsubject, after some time the beginning and themiddle stages of the process seem to disappear.Only its end is apparent. When attending to therising movement of the abdomen, the beginningand the middle become almost indiscernible.Only the end is apparent. So also in the case ofthe falling movement of the abdomen. In raisingthe arm and lowering it or in lifting the foot andputting it down, the beginning and the middleare not apparent. Only the end of each processstands out. In the case of the in-breaths and the

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out-breaths, the in-coming and the out-going arenot felt. All that the meditator feels is the touchsensation left by the in-breaths and the out-breaths at the tip of the nose or on the upper lipwhere they normally strike as they pass. And thisis so palpable to him that he can almost hear itsrhythm — “tuck-tuck-tuck.” He is not aware ofany other object.

Sometimes a meditator, on reaching thisstage, might think that his meditation has suf-fered a setback since the meditation subject is nolonger clear to him. He even stops meditating. Ifhe is meditating under a teacher, he approacheshim and complains about the setback he is facedwith. He confesses that he has lost his interest inmeditation — that he is fed up with it. Theteacher, however, points out, with due reasons,that this is not a setback in meditation, butrather a sign of progress: “At the start, you hadtaken up the subject of meditation in terms ofsigns and modes. A ‘mode’ is a ‘model.’ All thesemeditation subjects — in-breathing and out-breathing, hairs, fingers, etc. — are mere con-cepts. Now that you have developed your mind-fulness and concentration, your wisdom has alsodeveloped. By developed wisdom a non-existingsign is understood as non-existing. So you mustnot be disappointed. This is how the perceptionof the compact disappears.”

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The perception of the compact (ghana-sa¤¤à) is the tendency to take as a unity what isreally a multiplicity of actions and functions.Compactness is fourfold:

(1) compactness as a continuity (santati-ghana)

(2) compactness as a mass (samåha-ghana)(3) compactness as a function (kicca-ghana)(4) compactness as an object (àrammana-

ghana).

At the developed stage of insight meditation, theperception of compactness begins to disinte-grate. The rising and falling movements of theabdomen become less and less palpable. Oneloses awareness of one’s entire body. Earlier themeditator could visualize his own body in theseated posture, but now even that becomesimperceptible to his mind. This is the point atwhich the concept breaks up. Here one has toabide by the teacher’s instructions and be dili-gent in practice.

In his everyday life, man depends on a mul-titude of concepts of conventional origin. Whenthe perception of compactness disintegrates,conventional notions also break up. One isbeginning to move from the fictions believed bythe deluded to the truths seen by the noble ones:“Whatever, monks, has been pondered over as

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truth by the world with its gods and Màras, bythe progeny consisting of recluses and brahmins,gods and men, that has been well discerned asuntruth by the noble ones as it really is withright wisdom — this is one mode of reflecting.And whatever, monks, has been pondered overas untruth by the world with its gods andMàras… that has been discerned as truth by thenoble ones as it really is with right wisdom —this is the second mode of reflection” (Dvayatà-nupassanà Sutta, Sn. 147).

(2) Knowledge of Contemplation of Dissolu-tion. When the meditator no longer sees thearising of formations and only their dissolutionis manifest to him, he has arrived at the Know-ledge of Dissolution. Resuming his meditationafter this experience, he sees the formationsmaking up mind-and-matter to be constantlydisintegrating, like the bursting of water bubblesor like froth boiling over from a pot of rice. Hecomes to understand that there is no being orperson, that there are only mere formationsalways disintegrating.

While this Knowledge of Dissolution is goingon within him, the meditator has the extraordin-ary experience of being able to see the thoughtwith which he reflected on dissolution. Then hereflects on that thought as well. Thus he entersupon a special phase of powerful insight known

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as reflective insight (pañivipassanà); it is alsocalled insight into higher wisdom (adhipa¤¤àvipassanà). As the Pañisambhidàmagga says:“Having reflected on an object, he contemplatesthe dissolution of the thought which reflected onthe object. The appearance (of formations) isalso void. This is ‘insight into higher wisdom’”(Ps.I,58). After reflecting on an object represent-ing mind-and-matter, the meditator reflects uponthe reflecting thought itself. Thus he now seesdissolution not only in every immediate objecthe adverts to, but in every thought he happensto think as well.

(3) Knowledge of Appearance as Terror.When everything coming under mind-and-matter is seen to be disintegrating, the meditatorfeels as though he is in a helpless condition.Since the mind-body process to which he hasbeen clinging is seen to be breaking up, he getsalarmed to an unusual degree. Witnessing thedissolution of everything he has been dependingon, terror arises in him as he fails to find anyshelter or refuge anywhere. This knowledge offearfulness is technically called the Knowledgeof Appearance as Terror. When this knowledgearises, the meditator should make a mental noteof his experience of terror. Otherwise this terrorwill continue to haunt him. Being unable to putan end to it, he will find it difficult to proceed

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with his meditation. So at this point, too, it isessential to make a mental note.

(4) Knowledge of Contemplation of Danger.The understanding dawns that the entire gamut ofsaüsàric existence in the three realms throughoutthe three periods — past, future and present — issubject to the same dissolution. With this insight,the knowledge of terror gives rise to an awarenessof the dangers of formations. This is called theKnowledge of Contemplation of Danger. Tounderstand the dangers of formations is to under-stand that they are wretched from beginning toend. The meditator sees no advantage whatsoeverin the entire mass of formations. They appear tohim only as a heap of dangers which present nochoice between a desirable and an undesirablesection. He feels as though he has come upon athicket infested with furious leopards and bears,reptiles and robbers. With this understanding ofthe danger, dispassion arises. The meditator getsdisgusted with all formations. He thinks: “Howmuch suffering have I undergone in the past forthe sake of this tabernacle? How much more haveI to endure just to perpetuate this frame of forma-tions?” The passage from the knowledge of thedissolution to this experience of disenchantmentis the powerful phase of insight meditation. Theknowledges in this series arise almost simultane-ously. Immediately with the knowledge of dissolu-

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tion, the knowledges of terror, of danger and ofdisenchantment arise. Hence this entire series issometimes simply termed “disenchantment.”

Whenever a meditator finds that the know-ledge of dissolution has arisen within him, heshould make it a point to stick to his meditationseat, even if it means foregoing meals andrefreshments. He should continue to sit motion-less, allowing the cycle of insight knowledges toturn full circle. Those of keen insight passthrough these stages very rapidly.

(5) Knowledge of Contemplation of Dis-enchantment. When the dangers in formationsare understood, disenchantment sets in withoutany special effort. This knowledge of disen-chantment, arisen through dissatisfaction withformations, is a kind of knowledge with which ameditator has to be well acquainted. The dissat-isfaction is aroused by perceiving the dangers informations. Initially it concerns the formationsconnected with the particular subject of medita-tion. However, when this knowledge is welldeveloped, whatever occurs to the meditatorarouses only disenchantment, whether it be hisown five aggregates or those of others. Allobjects and places, all kinds of becoming, gener-ation and destiny, and all stations of conscious-ness and abodes of beings appear in a way thatheightens this disenchantment. At first the

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insight meditator has been thinking only ofwinning freedom from possible rebirth in thefour planes of misery — the hells, the animalrealm, the plane of afflicted spirits (petas), andthe planes of titans (asuras). But now, becauseof this dissatisfaction with regard to formationsby understanding their dangers, he is disgustednot only with the four lower planes but with allthe three realms of existence: the sense-sphererealm, the fine-material realm and the immate-rial realm. He cannot see any solace anywhere— not even in the heavens and Brahma worlds— since all formations appear as fearful.

When this dissatisfaction becomes acute, veryoften a meditator gets whimsical ideas which canbe detrimental to his practice. He becomes dissat-isfied with his meditation and meditates withoutrelish. He thinks of stopping his meditation andgoing somewhere else. He even develops a disliketowards his teacher and other elders who seek hiswelfare. In view of this situation, it is advisablefor a meditator intending to take up insight medi-tation to inform his meditation teacher or anyother elder about his intention. Failing that, heshould at least make a firm determination wellbeforehand to withstand the obstacles that mightconfront him in the course of insight meditation.For even after reaching this stage of disenchant-ment, one has to proceed further.

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In such cases the meditation teacher, too,must be resourceful. He should recognize thatthe real source of the meditator’s dissatisfactionis his insight into the dangers of formations, andthat this discontent has only been displaced andtransferred to other things. When a meditatorcomes and complains about his practice, place ofresidence, etc., the teacher must use skilfulmeans to dispel his despondency and re-arousehis ardour for meditation. It is a good sign that,despite his problems, the meditator does notaltogether give up his meditation.

(6) Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance.The Knowledge of Disenchantment is followedby the Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance. Themeditator now becomes desirous of being deliv-ered from all the planes of becoming, destinyand generation found in all the three realms. Hedesires deliverance from all formations andthinks: “How shall I escape from this entire massof formations bound up with defilements?”

Some peculiarities are noticeable in the medi-tator now, not present in the earlier stage. He isalways reflecting on his own shortcomings. Hedoes not stick to his meditation subject. Hebecomes restless and never feels at ease. For awhile he gets up from the meditation seat andstarts pacing up and down. Then again he comesand sits down. He turns his meditation seat to face

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another direction. He keeps on folding his robesseveral times and thinks of changing his requisites.Various plans for renovating his compound andeven for changing the attitudes of other peopleenter his mind. But still he does not stop his medi-tation. However, in a situation like this, a medita-tor has to be extremely careful, otherwise hismeditation is likely to suffer a setback. He shouldunderstand that all these whims and fancies aretransient. If some impulse to leave his meditationseat arises at an unusual hour, he should make amental note of it and refuse to respond to it. Themeditator should form a resolve to be firm indealing with these whimsical ideas of changingpostures, requisites, etc., until he has gotten overthis lapse — whether it lasts for a few minutes orcontinues for a number of hours or days.

(7) Knowledge of Contemplation of Reflection.Once he has recovered from this lapse, the medi-tator’s powers of reflection increase and he passesthrough a series of important insights. Theseinsights are classified into several groups, themost comprehensive being the eighteen principalinsights; a set of forty modes of reflection alsooccurs to him with clarity.16 Sometimes only afew of these insights and modes are conspicuous.As his understanding by means of mental noting

16. For the eighteen principal insights see Appendix 2; for the forty modes of reflection see p.70.

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progresses, the mind engaged in noting getskeener. The task before the meditator now is thecomprehension of the five aggregates of clingingas impermanent, suffering and not-self. The eight-een principal insights and the forty modes ofreflection can all be distributed among these threecharacteristics. Every one of the above contempla-tions disperses the defilements by the method of“substitution of opposites.” Along with thisprocess of elimination, the Knowledge of Desirefor Deliverance reaches maturity. The meditatorbecomes more enthusiastic in developing insightand carries on contemplation through the princi-pal insights and modes of reflection. This kind ofreflection is called Knowledge of Contemplationof Reflection or “Reflective Insight.”

At the stage of the Knowledge of Reflection,insight tends to become renewed. Some unusualphysical pains may occur when one reaches thisstage. One may suffer severe headaches and afeeling of heaviness in the head, clumsiness ofbody or giddiness or drowsiness. One should,however, mentally note these painful feelings withdiligence and try to bear up under them. Thenthose pains will gradually subside, so much so thatone will be relieved of them until one reaches thevery culmination of insight meditation. Sometimespains arise due to physical causes such as ordinaryillnesses. But even such pains, once they are over-

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come by sheer will-power, will not come up again.Sometimes this method even completely cureschronic ailments like headaches.

When the Knowledge of Reflection arises,insight has become highly developed. At thispoint it looks as though insight is about to reachits climax. This impels the meditator to make thefirm determination: “Whatever there is to bedone to win deliverance from existence, all thatwill I do.”

(8) Knowledge of Equanimity about Forma-tions. The next in the series of insight knowl-edges is Knowledge of Equanimity aboutFormations. The equanimity referred to resultsfrom a conviction that all the foundational workfor uprooting the defilements has been accom-plished and that no further effort is required inthis direction. The knowledge of equanimityarises with the understanding of voidness(su¤¤atà): that everything is void of self or whatbelongs to self. Since the meditator sees thatthere is neither a self nor anything belonging toa self in relation to himself as well as others,voidness is discerned in a fourfold manner:

(i) There is no “my self.” (ii) There is nothing belonging to “my self.”(iii) There is no “another self.”(iv) There is nothing belonging to “another self.”

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As the meditator goes on making a mental noteof all that occurs to him in this manner, the mindengaged in observation becomes keener andkeener until it reaches a stage of unruffled calm.

At this stage, called “equanimity about for-mations,” the meditator experiences no terrorover the dissolution of formations, since he hasdiscerned their ultimate voidness. Nor is thereany delight regarding the keenness of reflection.As the Visuddhimagga says: “He abandons bothterror and delight and becomes indifferent andneutral towards all formations” (XXI,61).

Reflection on formations now goes on effort-lessly like a well-yoked chariot drawn by well-trained horses. The object presents itself to thereflecting mind without any special effort. It is asif the mind is propping up its objects. Just aswater-drops fallen on a lotus leaf slide off atonce, so distracting thoughts of love and hate donot stick to the meditator’s mind. Even if anattractive or repulsive object is presented to himjust to test his knowledge of equanimity aboutformations, it will simply roll away from hismind without stimulating greed or hatred. Thereis equanimity at this stage because the meditatorunderstands objects in terms of the four ele-ments. Owing to the absence of defilements, themeditator’s mind seems pure like the mind of anArahant, though at this point the suppression of

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defilements is only temporary, effected by the“substitution of opposites” through insight. Itwill be a great achievement if the meditator cancontinue to maintain this state of equanimity.

The Pañisambhidàmagga defines the Know-ledge of Equanimity about Formations thus:“Wisdom consisting of desire for deliverancetogether with reflection and composure isKnowledge of Equanimity about Formations”(Ps.I,60f.). According to this definition, equa-nimity about formations has three stages:(1) desire for deliverance, (2) reflection, and(3) composure. Composure (santiññhàna) is asignificant characteristic of equanimity aboutformations. It implies the continuity of know-ledge or the occurrence of series of knowledgesas an unbroken process. No extraneousthoughts can interrupt this series. For a medita-tor who has reached this stage, very littleremains to be done.

Some meditators are unable to go beyond theKnowledge of Equanimity about Formations dueto some powerful aspirations they have made inthe past, such as for Buddhahood, or Pacceka-buddhahood, Chief Discipleship, etc. In fact, it isat this stage that one can ascertain whether onehas made any such aspiration in the past. Some-times when he has reached this stage the medita-tor himself comes to feel that he is cherishing a

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powerful aspiration. However, even for an aspir-ant to Buddhahood or Paccekabuddhahood, theKnowledge of Equanimity about Formations willbe an asset towards his fulfilment of the perfec-tion of wisdom (pa¤¤à-pàramã). This Equanimityof Formations is of no small significance whenone takes into account the high degree of devel-opment in knowledge at this stage.

(9) Conformity Knowledge. After Equanimityabout Formations comes Knowledge in Con-formity with Truth, or briefly, Conformity Know-ledge. To gain this knowledge the meditator hasnothing new to do by way of meditation; thisknowledge simply arises by itself when Know-ledge of Equanimity about Formations comes tofull maturity. The function of Conformity Know-ledge is to conform to the insights which hadgone before, or to stabilise those gains byrepeated practice. According to the Visuddhi-magga, this conformity has to be understood intwo senses: as conformity to the function oftruth in the eight preceding kinds of insightknowledge, and as conformity to the thirty-seven requisites of enlightenment which are tofollow soon.17 When the eight preceding kinds

17. The thirty-seven requisites of enlightenment comprise: the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right endeavours, the four bases of spiritual power, the five spiritual faculties, the five spiritual powers, the seven enlightenment factors, and the eight noble path factors. For details see Ledi Sayadaw, The Requisites of Enlightenment (Wheel No. 171/174).

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of insight knowledge make their pronounce-ments like eight judges, Conformity Knowledge,like a righteous king, sits in the place of judge-ment and impartially and without bias conformsto their pronouncements by saying, “You haveall discharged your duties well.” And just as thejudgement of a righteous king conforms with theancient royal custom, so this Conformity Know-ledge, while conforming to the eight kinds ofknowledge, also conforms to the thirty-sevenenlightenment factors, which are like theancient royal custom (Vism. XXI,130–133).

Though Knowledge of Equanimity about For-mations is generally regarded as the culminationof Purification by Knowledge and Vision of theWay, it is Conformity Knowledge that impartscompleteness to the Way. Purification by Know-ledge and Vision of the Way may be said to haveeight knowledges only in a qualified sense, sincethe last of them, Knowledge of Equanimityabout Formations, includes Conformity Know-ledge as well.

†‡†

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Chapter VII

Purification by Knowledge and

Vision (¥àõadassanavisuddhi)

With the completion of Knowledge of Equanim-ity about Formations, six stages of purificationare complete. Purification by Knowledge andVision, the seventh and final stage, comes next.This purification consists in the knowledge ofthe four supramundane paths. But before wediscuss this directly, it is necessary to say a fewthings about the process immediately leading upto it.

1. Insight Leading to Emergence (Vuññhànagàminã Vipassanà)

The most developed phase of the Knowledge ofEquanimity about Formations is called insightlending to emergence. This insight brings one tothe portal of the supramundane path. As thisinsight progresses, there arises the cognitiveseries (cittavãthi) heralding the supramundanepath. Those of keen insight, when they reachKnowledge of Equanimity about Formations,fulfil at the same time the requirements forinsight leading to emergence and at once pass

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through it to the supramundane paths andfruits. But the majority, when they reach thisstage, go to the verge of Conformity Knowledge,and, unable to proceed further, come back to theKnowledge of Equanimity about Formations.This is illustrated in the Visuddhimagga by thesimile of the crow:

When sailors board a ship, it seems, theytake with them what is called a “land-findingcrow.” When the ship gets blown off itscourse by gales and goes adrift with no landin sight, then they release the land-findingcrow. The crow takes off from the mastheadand after exploring all the quarters, if it seesland, it flies straight in the direction of it; ifnot, it returns and alights on the masthead.So too, if Knowledge of Equanimity aboutFormations sees Nibbàna, the state of peace,as peaceful, it rejects the occurrence of allformations and enters only into Nibbàna. Ifit does not see it, it occurs again and againwith formations as its object.

Vism. XXI, 65

If the meditator is well acquainted with theDhamma and has discriminative wisdom, he willunderstand what has happened. Then he canagain reflect on formations and go up to Con-formity Knowledge.

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By now the meditator has gained a goodunderstanding of the nature of all compoundedthings (sankhatadhammà). So he is in a positionto make an inference as to the nature of theUncompounded (asankhata). There are threedistinctive qualities of compounded things:(1) the impeding quality, (2) the signifyingquality, and (3) the desiring quality.

Regarding the first of these, the meditatorthinks: “Compounded things are bound up withimpediments. Nibbàna, which I am seeking, isfree from impediments.” By “impediment” ismeant something that has the nature of imped-ing. The impediments have the nature of causinga moral person to violate his moral precepts andof making him unrestrained; the nature of dis-rupting the concentration of one who is bent onattaining concentration and of driving him todistraction; and the nature of obscuring thewisdom of one who is developing wisdom and ofcasting him into delusion. Compounded thingsimpede by way of lust, hatred, delusion, conceit,jealousy, views, and so on. In the Uncom-pounded there is no impediment whatsoever.

The main impediment is the personalityview. One who is deceived by this view mustabandon it. The impediment brought about byviews can be eliminated only by getting rid ofviews. Nibbàna is free from the impediment of

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views. It is free from the impediment of uncer-tainty. In fact, it is free from all the impedimentsbrought about by defilements.

The meditator now sees that all compoundedthings are oppressed by impediments. He feelsthat the day he is free from these compoundedthings he can attain Nibbàna.

As to the signifying quality, the meditator un-derstands that all compounded things becomemanifest through signs and modes. Everythingin mind-and-matter (nàma-råpa) is defined byway of various modes, such as time, place, direc-tion, occasion, colour, shape, etc. As the Buddhasays:

“If, ânanda, all those modes, character-istics, signs and exponents by which therecomes to be a designation of mind-and-matter were absent, would there be manifestany contact?”

“There would not, Lord.”“Wherefore, ânanda, this itself is the

cause, this is the origin, this is the conditionfor contact. That is to say, mind-and-matter.”

Mahà-Nidàna Sutta, D.II,62

Everything compounded rests on a mass of suf-fering: “The world rests on suffering” (S.I,40).The meditator understands that Nibbàna is freefrom suffering. Compounded things are liable to

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decay and death. In the Uncompounded there isno decay and death. The idea that Nibbàna is atranquillization also occurs to the meditator now.

“Desire” means wish or longing. Compoundedthings cater to wishes. Their very existence isbound up with longing and desire. Food anddrink, clothes and dwellings, the cake of soap, therazor and the broom — all these things are alwaysin a process of wearing away. Various efforts arerequired to check this process of decay, and allthese efforts are the outcome of longing. Whenone object of desire breaks up, man hankers foranother. He goes on hankering like this because ofthe wish-begetting nature of compounded thingsand the nagging impulses they create.

When the meditator is in a position to inferthat the Uncompounded is free from this charac-teristic, he is much relieved at heart. So he turnshis attention to the Uncompounded, trying hisbest to attain it. Knowing well that the com-pounded is fraught with suffering, and that theUncompounded is free from suffering, he putsforth the necessary effort with the determina-tion: “Somehow I will attain it.” It is when hemakes such an endeavour that insight leading toemergence develops within him.

Insight leading to emergence is the climax ofinsight knowledge. This insight leads directlyand infallibly to the supramundane path,

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referred to by the term “emergence.” The insightleading to emergence comprises three kinds ofknowledge: fully-matured knowledge of equa-nimity about formations, conformity know-ledge, and change-of-lineage (still to bediscussed). It covers the mundane moments ofconsciousness in the cognitive series issuing inthe supramundane path — that is, the mind-moments called preliminary work (parikamma),access (upacàra), and conformity (anuloma).Since the phase of preliminary work has the taskof attending to deficiencies in the balancing ofthe spiritual faculties, some meditators withsharp and well-balanced faculties skip thisphase and go through only access and conform-ity. The rest must pass through all three. Themind at this stage is working with such rapiditythat the entire process has to be reckoned interms of thought-moments. (See Appendix 3.)

Up to the time of insight leading to emer-gence, the meditator had been contemplatingthe three characteristics of all formations —impermanence, suffering and not-self. As hecontinues reflecting on the three characteristicswith keen insight, when he reaches insightleading to emergence, one characteristic standsforth more prominently than the others. Whichone stands forth depends on his dominant spir-itual faculty. One in whom faith is predominant

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will discern impermanence and subsequentlyapprehend Nibbàna as the signless (animitta);his path is called the signless liberation. One inwhom concentration is predominant willdiscern the mark of suffering and apprehendNibbàna as the desireless (appaõihita); his pathis called the desireless liberation. One in whomwisdom is predominant will discern the mark ofnot-self and subsequently apprehend Nibbànaas voidness (su¤¤atà); his path is called thevoidness liberation. The particular outstandingcharacteristic comes up distinctly in the mostdeveloped phase of knowledge of equanimityabout formations, and persists as the mode ofapprehension through three phases of insightleading to emergence: preliminary work, accessand conformity.

2. Change-of-Lineage Knowledge (Gotrabhå¤àõa)

During these three phases, the meditator’s mindis working with formations as its object. He isseeing formations as impermanent, suffering ornot-self. But with the next step, Change-of-Lineage Knowledge, a radical change takesplace. As soon as Change-of-Lineage Knowledgeoccurs, the mind lets go of formations and takes

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Nibbàna as its object. This knowledge gains itsname because at this point the meditator“changes lineage,” that is, he passes from therank of a worldling (putthujjana) to the rank ofa noble one (ariya). In the three phases preced-ing change-of-lineage the defilements continueto be abandoned temporarily through the substi-tution of opposites. Change-of-lineage itselfdoes not directly abandon defilements in anyway, but it heralds the onset of the supramun-dane path, which abandons defilements perma-nently by cutting off their roots.

According to the definition given in thePañisambhidàmagga, Change-of-Lineage Know-ledge is the understanding of emergence and theturning away from the external. This knowledgeemerges from formations as signs and turnsaway from their occurrence. The object of con-sciousness is twofold as sign (nimitta) andoccurrence (pavatta). “Sign” is the mode,“occurrence” implies the occurring of defile-ments and formations. At the stage of change-of-lineage, consciousness abandons the sign so thatalmost automatically it becomes aware of thatreality which is signless. In other words, it takesas its object Nibbàna. At this stage, defilementsas such are not yet destroyed. But the tendencyof the mind to grasp formations by means ofsigns and modes is discontinued and thus the

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signs associated with the defilements are tran-scended. This particular tendency had alreadybeen broken down to a great extent in the pre-ceding course of insight meditation as, forinstance, when breath becomes imperceptibleand the consciousness of the body is lost. How-ever, when the mind emerges from the sign atchange-of-lineage, it is irreversible.

During the preceding stages of knowledge upto and including equanimity about formations, afall away from onward progress is possible. Butwhen change-of-lineage occurs, the attainmentof the supramundane path is assured. Whereaspreliminary work, access and conformity aremundane (lokiya) and the path and fruit supra-mundane (lokuttara), change-of-lineage has anintermediary position. The Visuddhimagga illus-trates the transition to the path thus:

Suppose a man wanted to leap across abroad stream and establish himself on theopposite bank, he would run fast andseizing a rope fastened to the branch of atree on the stream’s near bank andhanging down, or a pole, would leap withhis body tending, inclining and leaningtowards the opposite bank, and when hehad arrived above the opposite bank, hewould let go, fall on the opposite bank,

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staggering first and then steadyinghimself there; so, too, this meditator whowants to establish himself on Nibbàna, thebank opposite the kinds of becoming, gen-eration, destiny, station and abode, runsfast by means of the contemplations ofrise and fall, etc., and seizing with con-formity’s adverting to impermanence,pain or not-self, the rope of materialityfastened to the branch of his selfhood andhanging down, or one among the polesbeginning with feelings, he leaps with thefirst conformity-consciousness withoutletting go and with the second he tends,inclines and leans towards Nibbàna likethe body that was tending, inclining andleaning towards the opposite bank; thenbeing with the third next to Nibbàna,which is now attainable, like the othersarriving above the opposite bank, he letsgo that formation as object with theceasing of that consciousness and with thechange-of-lineage consciousness he fallson to the unformed Nibbàna, the bankopposite, but staggering as the man did,for lack of (previous) repetition, he is notyet properly steady on the single object.After that he is steadied (in Nibbàna) byPath Knowledge. (Vism. XXII,6)

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3. The Supramundane Paths and Fruits

In the same cognitive series, immediately afterthe mind-moment of change-of-lineage comesthe supramundane Path-Knowledge, followeddirectly by its corresponding fruition. Both thePath-Knowledge and Fruit-Knowledge takeNibbàna as their object. The path (magga) lastsfor only a single moment of consciousness,whereas fruition (phala) occurs for either twoor three mind-moments. For those of sharp fac-ulties who skipped the phase of preliminarywork, three moments of fruition occur; forothers there are only two moments of fruition.All these events, the three preparatorymoments, the path and fruition, belong to asingle cognitive series called the “cognitiveseries of the path” because it brings the liberat-ing knowledge of the path. After this cognitiveseries there occurs a fresh cognitive serieswhich reviews the path attainment. ThisReviewing-Knowledge takes formations as itsobject, not Nibbàna as do the paths and fruits.(See Appendix 3.)

Path-consciousness has the nature of emerg-ing from both “sign” and “occurrence.” “Theunderstanding of emergence and turning awayfrom both (i.e. from the ‘occurrence’ of defile-ments and from the ‘sign’ of aggregates produced

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by them) is knowledge of the path” (Ps.I,69).Up to this point the meditator had alreadybecome convinced that formations are painfuland that their cessation, Nibbàna, is bliss. Now,with the path, he actually realizes this throughdirect seeing of Nibbàna. The Patisambhidà-magga says: “Seeing that formations are painfuland that cessation is blissful is called the under-standing of emergence and turning away fromboth (defilements and formations). That know-ledge touches the Deathless State” (Ps.I,70).The Milindapa¤ha describes the transition frominsight contemplation of formations to the real-ization of Nibbàna by the path as follows: “Thatconsciousness of his, while mentally traversingthe range of reflection back and forth, tran-scends the continuous occurrence of forma-tions and alights upon non-occurrence. Onewho, having practised rightly, has alightedupon non-occurrence, O King, is said to haverealized Nibbàna” (p. 326).

It is for the attainment of this supramundanepath that the meditator has done all his prac-tice. The aim of all his endeavours in fulfillingvirtue and in developing meditation was thearousing of this path-consciousness. The path-consciousness accomplishes four functions in asingle moment, one regarding each of the FourNoble Truths:

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(1) it penetrates the truth of suffering by fully understanding it;

(2) it penetrates the truth of suffering’s origin (craving) by abandoning it;

(3) it penetrates the truth of the path (the Noble Eightfold Path) by developing it;

(4) it penetrates the truth of suffering’s cessation (Nibbàna) by realizing it.

This exercise of four functions simultaneouslycan be illustrated by the sunrise. With the risingof the sun, visible objects are illuminated, dark-ness is dispelled, light appears and cold isallayed. As the sun illuminates visible objects,so Path-Knowledge fully understands suffering;as the sun dispels darkness, so Path-Knowledgeabandons the origin of suffering; as the suncauses light to be seen, so Path-Knowledge (asright view) develops the (other) path factors; asthe sun allays cold, so Path-Knowledge realizesthe cessation which is the tranquillization ofdefilements.

There are four supramundane paths whichmust be passed through to reach full purifica-tion and liberation: the path of Stream-entry(sotàpattimagga), the path of Once-return(sakadàgàmimagga), the path of Non-return(anàgàmimagga) and the path of Arahantship(arahattamagga). These four paths have to be

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attained in sequence. Attainment of all four canoccur in a single life, or it can be spread outover several lifetimes; but once the first path isreached, the meditator is assured of neverfalling away and is bound to reach the finalgoal in at most seven lives.

Each path arises only once. Each has its ownparticular range of defilements to burst. When apath arises, immediately, by the power of know-ledge, it bursts the defilements within its range.The first path, the path of Stream-entry, breaksthe three fetters of personality view, doubt andclinging to rules and rituals. One who passesthrough this path and its fruition becomes aStream-enterer (sotàpanna). He has entered thestream of the Dhamma, is forever liberated fromthe possibility of rebirth in the four lower planes(see above, p. 55), and will be reborn at mostseven more times in the human or heavenlyworlds.

The second path, the path of Once-return,does not eradicate any defilements completelybut greatly reduces the roots-greed, hatred anddelusion. One who dies as a Once-returner(sakadàgami) will be reborn in the human worldonly one more time before attaining deliverance.

The third path, the path of Non-return,bursts the two fetters of sensual desire andaversion. One who passes away as a Non-

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returner (anàgàmi) will not be reborn at all inthe sense-sphere realm; he is reborn only in thehigher Brahma worlds where he attains finaldeliverance.

The fourth path, the path of Arahantship,eradicates the five subtle fetters — desire forfine-material existence (in the Brahma worlds),desire for non-material existence (in the form-less worlds), conceit, restlessness and igno-rance. The Arahant or liberated one is free fromall bondage to saüsàra. He lives in the fullattainment of deliverance.

Purification by Knowledge and Vision, theseventh and last purification, consists in theknowledge of the four supramundane paths. Fol-lowing each path, its own respective fruitionoccurs as its immediate result. Whereas the pathperforms the task of breaking up defilements,fruition experiences the bliss of Nibbàna whenthis demanding exertion subsides: “The under-standing of the relaxation of endeavour is Know-ledge of Fruition” (Ps.I,71).

Since the fruition-consciousness immedi-ately follows the knowledge of the pathwithout a time-lag, the path-concentration iscalled “concentration-with-immediate-result”(ànaritarika-samàdhi). This indescribably keenconcentration enables wisdom to cut throughthe range of defilements and purify the mental-

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continuum. The Pañisambhidàmagga states:“The understanding of the eradication of de-filements owing to the purity of non-distractionis knowledge of concentration-with-immediate-result” (Ps.I,2). The commentaries record thatsome held the view that Fruition-Knowledgearises a number of hours or days after Path-Knowledge; however, the term “with-immediate-result” (ànantarika) irrefutably conveys thesense of immediacy (literally, “without an inter-val”). Hence that dissentient view is groundless.

4. Reviewing Knowledge (Paccavekkhana¤àõa)

After fruition there occurs Reviewing Know-ledge. With this knowledge the meditatorreviews five things: the path, its fruition, thedefilements abandoned, the defilementsremaining, and Nibbàna. Such is the case forStream-enterers, Once-returners and Non-returners. But the Arahant has no reviewing ofremaining defilements as he has cut them offentirely. Thus there is a maximum of nineteenreviewings, though some disciples may notreview defilements abandoned and remaining.Some fail to undertake this reviewing immedi-ately because of the exhilarating joy of attain-

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ment. However, they can review theirattainment upon later reflection. The dissen-tient view that there is an interval betweenpath-consciousness and fruition-consciousnesscould have arisen due to a misunderstanding ofsuch instances of later recollection. Thereviewing is not a deliberate act but somethingthat occurs as a matter of course. Hence thereis nothing wrong if it takes place afterwards.

With the attainment of the first three frui-tions, the meditator, at the time of reviewing,gains the conviction that one essential part ofhis task is done. When the fruit of Arahantshipis attained through the knowledge of the fourthpath, he wins the blissful realization that histask has been fully accomplished: “He under-stands, ‘Destroyed is birth,the holy life hasbeen lived, what had to be done has been done,there is nothing further beyond this’ ” (M.I,41;M.L.S. I, p. 50).

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Conclusion

We have provided a general sketch of the SevenStages of Purification and the sequence ofinsight knowledges. This is by no means a com-prehensive survey of the field of meditation. Atthe outset of practice, a beginner must under-stand clearly the method of mental noting. Anylaxity in this respect is bound to mar or retardone’s progress in meditation. So one shouldpursue this practice of mental noting with faithand diligence. In all types of meditation, mind-fulness and full awareness should receive specialattention.

A meditator should not disclose to others hislevel of progress, for to proclaim one’s attain-ments is normally due to defilements. However,for the purpose of getting instructions, one maydisclose one’s experiences to a suitable person,such as a teacher or an advanced practitioner.

In ancient times, to kindle a fire one had togo on rubbing two kindling-sticks together for along time, unceasingly. If, after rubbing thesticks together a few times until they became alittle warm, one stopped to rest, one had to startthe process all over again. Therefore, to make afire with kindling-sticks, one has to go onrubbing ceaselessly however long it might take

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until fire is produced. The meditator has toproceed in the same way. He cannot succeed ifhe practises by fits and starts. He must applyhimself to meditation without a break until theSupreme Goal of his endeavour is realized.

Knowing and seeing the eye, monks, asit really is, knowing and seeing forms asthey really are, knowing and seeing eye-consciousness as it really is, knowingand seeing eye-contact as it really is,and knowing and seeing whateverfeeling — pleasant, unpleasant, or neitherpleasant nor unpleasant — arises depend-ent on eye-contact as it really is, onegets not attached to the eye, gets notattached to forms, gets not attached to eye-consciousness, gets not attached to eye-contact, and gets not attached even to thatfeeling that arises dependent on eye-contact.And for him as he abides unattached, un-fettered, uninfatuated, contemplating theperil (in the eye, etc.), the five aggregatesof grasping go on to future diminution.That craving which makes for re-becom-ing, which is accompanied by delight andlust, finding delight here and there, de-creases in him. His bodily disturbances

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cease, his mental disturbances cease; hisbodily afflictions cease, his mental afflic-tions cease; his bodily distresses cease, hismental distresses cease; and he experi-ences physical and mental happiness.Whatever view such a one has, thatbecomes for him Right View, whatever in-tention he has, that becomes for him RightIntention; whatever effort he puts forth,that becomes for him Right Effort; what-ever mindfulness he has, that becomes forhim Right Mindfulness; and whatever con-centration he has, that becomes for himRight Concentration. But his bodily actionsand his verbal actions and his livelihoodhave already been purified earlier. So thisNoble Eightfold Path comes to be perfectedin him by development.While this Noble Eightfold Path is beingdeveloped by him thus, the four founda-tions of mindfulness also go on to fulfil-ment through development and the fourright efforts… and the four bases ofpsychic power… and the five spiritualfaculties… and the five powers… andthe seven factors of enlightenment go onto fulfilment through development. Andin him these two things occur coupledtogether: serenity and insight. Those

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things that should be fully understood bydirect knowledge — he fully under-stands by direct knowledge. Thosethings that should be abandoned bydirect knowledge — he abandons bydirect knowledge. Those things thatshould be developed by direct knowledge— he develops by direct knowledge. Andthose things that should be realized bydirect knowledge — he realizes by directknowledge.

Mahàsaëàyatanika Sutta, M.III,287ff.

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Appendix 1

The Call to the Meditative Life

The intrinsic value of the life of a meditativemonk is beyond estimation. There are variousmarvellous ways of life in this world. But therecan hardly be a more marvellous way of life thanthat of a meditative monk. When you come tothink about this, you have reason to congratu-late yourself on taking up this way of life. Thislife of a meditative monk is not only invaluable,but pure and clean. All the other marvellousways of life in this world are concerned withexternal things. They have to do with thingsexternal — with external mechanics. The life ofa meditator, on the other hand, is concernedwith the internal mechanics — the mechanics ofmind-control. The Buddha was the greatestmeditator of all times. The life of the meditativemonk originated with him. The birth of aBuddha is an extremely rare phenomenon in theworld. Not all who listen to his Dhamma take tothis life of meditation; only a few of them takeup the meditative life in earnest. Be happy thatyou are counted among these fortunate few.

Think about the tranquil results followingfrom the practice of the tranquillizing Dhammawhich the Buddha has preached. If, on some

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memorable day in your lives, you conceived theidea of renunciation — of going forth fromhome to homelessness — it was as the result ofa powerful thought force within you. Youshould always recall that event as one of greatsignificance in your lives. You were able toleave behind your father and mother, your wifeand children, your relatives and friends, andyour wealth, due to a powerful thought forceand a spirit of renunciation aroused in you bylistening to the Dhamma. You should not sur-render this great will power under any circum-stances. You may rest assured that the step youhave taken is quite in keeping with the idealtype of going forth described in the discourses.The Sàma¤¤aphala Sutta (Discourse on theFruits of Recluseship) of the Dãgha Nikàya por-trays the true spirit of renunciation behind theact of going forth in these words:

Now, a householder or a householder’s sonor someone born in some family or otherlistens to the Dhamma. And on hearing theDhamma, he conceives faith in the PerfectOne. When he is possessed of that faith hereflects: “Full of hindrances is the house-hold life — a path for the dust of passions.The ‘going forth’ is like being in the openair. It is not easy for one living the house-

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hold life to live the holy life in all its full-ness, in all its purity, with the spotlessperfection of a polished conch-shell. Letme, then, cut off my hair and beard; let meclothe myself in saffron robes and let mego forth from home to homelessness.”Then, before long, leaving behind his prop-erty, be it small or great, leaving behind hiscircle of relatives, be it small or great, hecuts off his hair and beard, he clotheshimself in the saffron robes and goes forthfrom home to homelessness.

Dãgha Nikàya I,62ff.

With this kind of going forth you have steppedinto an environment most congenial to thedevelopment of the mind. But, as in any otheradventure, here too one has to be on one’s guardagainst possible dangers. There are four stagesin the life of a meditative monk:

(1) the occasion of going forth from the house-hold life;

(2) the preliminary stage in his meditative life when he starts taming his mind in solitude with the help of a meditation subject;

(3) the encountering of dangers in the course of meditation in solitude;

(4) the stage of enjoying the results of his meditation.

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To illustrate these stages we may, first of all,compare the going forth of a meditator to thearriving in a clearing of a jungle after passingthrough a thorny thicket. The household life is,in fact, a thicket full of thorns. But even thoughone has arrived in a clearing in the jungle, onehas yet to face dangers coming from wild beastsand reptiles. So the meditator, too, in the pre-liminary stage of his practice has to encountermany distracting thoughts which are as danger-ous as those wild beasts and reptiles. But withperseverance he succeeds in overcoming thesedangers. This is like reaching a valuable tract ofland after passing the dangerous area. At thisstage the meditator has scored a victory over dis-tracting thoughts. Now the world, together withits gods, looks up to him as a man of great worthand starts paying homage to him worshipfully.But then the meditator, complacent with hisinitial success, parades through this valuabletract of land and gets bogged down in a morass.For gain, fame and praise are comparable to amorass. Some meditators get bogged down inthis morass neck-deep and are unable to step outfrom it. Others get stuck in it for a while butmanage to scramble out. Yet others see itsdangers well in time and avoid it altogether.

The life of a meditator, then, is one which isnot only precious, but precipitous in that it

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requires a great deal of caution. I do hope thatthese observations will give you some food forthought so that you will continue with yourmeditative life with refreshed minds andrenewed vigour.

This meditative life should be steered withgreat care and caution, avoiding the ruggedcliffs of aberration. If that thought force whichonce proceeded in the right direction lapses intoan aberration halfway through, it will lose itsmomentum. Therefore, you should build up akeener enthusiasm and re-charge that thoughtforce, cutting off all possibilities of lapses.

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Appendix 2

The Eighteen Principal Insights (From the Visuddhimagga, XX,90)

1. The contemplation of impermanence (anniccà-nupassanà):abandons the perception of permanence.

2. The contemplation of suffering (dukkhà-nupassanà):abandons the perception of pleasure.

3. The contemplation of non-self (anattà-nupassanà):abandons the perception of self.

4. The contemplation of disenchantment (nibbidà-nupassanà):abandons delighting.

5. The contemplation of fading away (viràgà-nupassanà):abandons lust.

6. The contemplation of cessation (nirodhà-nupassanà):abandons originating.

7. The contemplation of relinquishment (pañinis-saggànupassanà):abandons grasping.

8. The contemplation of destruction (khayànupas-sanà):abandons the perception of compactness.

9. The contemplation of passing away (vayànupas-sanà):abandons the accumulation (of kamma).

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10. The contemplation of change (vipariõàmà-nupassanà):abandons the perception of stability.

11. The contemplation of the signless (animittà-nupassanà):abandons the sign.

12. The contemplation of the desireless (appaõi-hitànupassanà):abandons desire.

13. The contemplation of voidness (su¤¤atàtnupas-sanà):abandons adherence (to the notion of self).

14. The higher wisdom of insight into phenomena (adhipa¤¤à-vipassanà):abandons adherence due to grasping at a core.

15. Correct knowledge and vision (yathàbhåta-¤àõadassana):abandons adherence due to confusion.

16. The contemplation of danger (àdinavànupas-sanà):abandons adherence due to attachment.

17. The contemplation of reflection (pañisankhà-nupassanà):abandons non-reflection.

18. The contemplation of turning away (vivaññà-nupassanà):abandons adherence due to bondage.

Characteristic of Impermanence:Nos.1,6,8,9,10,11,14

Characteristic of Pain (Suffering): Nos.2,4,5,12,16

Characteristic of Not-self: Nos.3,7,13,15,17,18

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Appendix 3

The Cognitive Series in Jhàna and the Path

The cognitive series (cittavãthi) is an explana-tory tool introduced in the Abhidhamma and thecommentaries to account for the organization ofacts of mind into purposive sequences. In thephilosophy of mind underlying the Abhi-dhamma, the mental process falls into twogeneral categories. One is passive consciousness,the other active consciousness. Passive con-sciousness consists of a succession of momentarymental states of a uniform nature, called the life-continuum (bhavanga). This type of conscious-ness runs through and beneath the whole exist-ence of an individual from birth to death,interrupted only by the occasions of active con-sciousness. The life-continuum is a result ofkamma generated in the past existence, anddetermines the basic disposition of the individ-ual in the present. It is most prominent in deepsleep, even though it occurs undetected count-less times each day during waking hours in thebrief intervals between active consciousness.

Whereas the mind-moments of the life-continuum are all identical in nature and func-tion, those of active consciousness are quite dif-ferent from each other. With their distinct

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characters and modes, these mind-moments arewelded by certain laws of interrelatedness into afunctionally effective sequence called the cogni-tive series (cittavãthi, literally, avenue of mentalacts). Cognitive processes themselves are of dif-ferent kinds, the principal distinction being thatbetween a sensory process and an internalreflective process. A full sensory process consistsof seventeen mind-moments. In the first part ofthis series, the mind adverts to the impingingsense-object, cognizes it, receives the impres-sion, examines it and determines its nature. Upto this point the process occurs quite automatic-ally, but following the determinative act themind responds to the sense-object according toits own volition. It is in this phase, consisting ofseven mind-moments called javanas, that freshkamma is generated. Following the phase ofjavanas, the mind registers the impression, thenlapses back into the life-continuum (bhavanga).

In a complete reflective series of the usualkind, in which the object is a reflectively consid-ered sense-impression, a mental image or anidea, the process is less diversified. After emerg-ing from the continuum, the mind adverts to theobject, then enters the javana phase where itforms a volitional response; finally it registersthe object and lapses once more into the life-continuum.

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Jhanic attainment and path attainment areboth instances of the reflective cognitive series,but differ significantly from the usual kind ofprocess. In the usual series the javana momentsare all identical, but here they exhibit a progres-sion of stages.

In the case of jhanic attainment, followingthe moment of adverting, the javana phasemoves through five stages: preliminary work(parikamma); access (upacàra); conformity(anuloma); change-of-lineage (gotrabhå); fullabsorption (appana). Some meditators startfrom the access stage itself without preliminarywork. They are those whose spiritual facultieshave already been well-prepared. Conformity isthe application of the mind in accordance withthe work already done, thus stabilizing one’sgains. With change-of-lineage, the “lineage” inthis context is the sense-desire sphere. Thisrefers to the surpassing of the lineage of thesense-desire sphere and growing into (or devel-oping) the “exalted lineage” (i.e. the fine-material and the immaterial spheres). Theabsorption stage is the jhàna itself, which canlast from a single mind-moment to a long seriesof such moments; depending on the meditator’sskill. The object of all the javana moments is thesame, the counterpart sign (pañibhàganimitta).We can depict the jhanic process as follows:

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Lc Md Pw Acc Con Chl Abs

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Lc — Life-continuumMd — Mind-door advertingPw — Preliminary workAcc — AccessCon — ConformityChl — Change-of-lineageAbs — Absorption

The three asterisks in each case indicate thateach mind-moment has three sub-moments:arising, persisting and dissolution.

In the case of path-attainment, the prelimi-nary stages are similar to those for jhàna, buthere change-of-lineage involves surpassing themundane plane to develop the supramundane.The culmination of the process is the path andfruit. The path invariably lasts only for onemoment. The fruit lasts two moments whenpreliminary work is included, three momentswhen preliminary work is omitted. A full path-attainment can be depicted thus:

Lc Md Pw Acc Con Chl P F F Lc

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

P — PathF — Fruit

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Appendix 4

Oneness

It is said in the Pañisambhidàmagga:The mind cleansed in these six respectsbecomes purified and reaches oneness.And what are these onenesses?

(1) The oneness aroused by the recollection of liberality;

(2) the oneness aroused by the occurrence of the sign of serenity meditation;

(3) the oneness aroused by the occurrence of the characteristic of dissolution; and

(4) the oneness aroused by the occurrence of cessation.

The oneness brought about by the recol-lection of liberality applies to those whoare of a generous disposition. The one-ness aroused by the occurrence of thesign of serenity meditation is attainableby those who apply themselves to thedevelopment of the mind. The onenessaroused by the occurrence of the charac-teristic of dissolution is peculiar to thosewho develop insight meditation. The one-ness aroused by the occurrence of cessa-tion is an experience of the Noble Ones.

Ps.I,166ff.

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The “oneness” referred to here is none otherthan concentration. In this context, however, it isreckoned as fourfold according to the way inwhich various individuals come by that concen-tration. Out of these four, the first type of con-centration can be attained either by reflecting ona particular act of liberality one has recently per-formed, or by mentally dwelling on other chari-table deeds lying to one’s credit.

The second type of oneness is the concentra-tion leading to the exalted meditations whichare still on the mundane level. It is also calledabsorption concentration. This comprises thefour jhànas (absorptions) pertaining to the fine-material realms and the four meditative attain-ments of the four immaterial realms.

The third type of oneness is the concentra-tion arisen in the course of insight meditation byway of reflection on the nature of sankhàras, orformations. Even without attaining a concentra-tion of mind by means of any serenity medita-tion as such, a meditator practising insightmeditation directs his mind to a particularsection of formations. Now, if he goes on reflect-ing with perseverance, he will reach this oneness— this concentration. Ultimately, even this con-centration will gather the same degree ofstrength as absorption concentration. As themeditator equipped with this kind of concentra-

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tion continues to reflect on the formations,insight knowledges will develop. And at what-ever moment he attains the supramundane path,that path-consciousness comes to be reckoned asa jhàna in itself, since it has some affinity withthe factors proper to jhànas, such as the firstjhàna. What are known as transcendental medi-tations in Buddhism are these supramundanelevels of concentration within reach of the pureinsight meditator.

The fourth type of oneness mentioned aboveis the concentration which the Noble Onesachieve when they attain to the fruits of thenoble path (see p. 119). It is called “the onenessaroused by the occurrence of cessation” becauseit has Nibbàna as its object. The Noble Ones whohave attained to a path-consciousness such asthat of the Stream-enterer are able to re-arouseits fruit and enjoy the bliss of Nibbàna again andagain. This is the normal practice of Noble Oneswho have attained to one of the four stages ofrealization.18

One thing worth mentioning in this connec-tion is that if the meditators practising insightmeditation have already obtained either anaccess concentration or an absorption concen-tration through some kind of serenity medita-

18. Sotàpanna (Stream-enterer); Sakadàgàmi (Once-returner); Anàgami (Non-returner); Arahant (the Accomplished One).

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tion, it will be comparatively easy for them toachieve the desired results. On the other hand,one who takes up the practice of pure insightmeditation without any prior experience in con-centration will have to put forth, from the verystart, an unremitting endeavour until thedesired results are attained. He should, in fact,give up all expectations for his body and life inan all-out struggle to reach the Supreme Goal.

†‡†

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About the Author

The author of this treatise, the VenerableMatara Sri ¥àõàràma Mahàthera, was born inthe town of Matara in southern Sri Lanka in theyear 1901. He received his initial ordination(pabbajjà) as a novice monk in 1917 and hishigher ordination (upasampadà) in 1922. Heunderwent a traditional monastic training andin the course of his higher education in thetemple gained proficiency in knowledge of theDhamma and in the scriptural languages, Paliand Sanskrit. While still living in the temple healready evinced a keen interest in meditation;subsequently, beginning in 1945, he left theconfines of temple life and took to the life of aforest monk, dwelling and meditating in forestmonasteries and meditation centres. In 1951his patronage was sought by the Sri KalyàniYogàshramiyà Saüsthà, an organization ofmeditation centres founded by the Venerable K.Sri Jinavaüsa Mahàthera. This organization,which counts well over fifty branch centres inSri Lanka, conferred upon him the eminentposition of mahopàdhyàya, chief preceptor andteacher, a position he held up to his death.

When a group of Burmese meditation mastersheaded by the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw visitedSri Lanka in 1958, the Venerable ¥àõàràmaundertook a course of intensive training in the

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Burmese system of insight (vipassanà) medi-tation under the guidance of the VenerableU Javana, a senior pupil of Mahasi Sayadaw. Inrecognition of his ability, the Burmese medi-tation masters imparted to him the completetraining necessary to become a fully qualifiedmeditation master (kammaññhànàcariya).

An opportunity to apply this training and skilltowards the guidance of others came in 1967,when he was invited to become the residentmeditation master of the newly opened Mitiri-gala Nissaraõa Vanaya, an austere meditationmonastery founded by Mr. Asoka Weeraratne(now Venerable Bhikkhu Dhammanisanthi). Asthe meditation master of Mitirigala NissaraõaVanaya, the venerable author gave instructionsin meditation to a wide circle of meditators,including monks from Western countries.

The Venerable ¥àõàràma passed away inApril 1992, in his 92nd year, after a briefillness.

In addition to the present work the venerableauthor has four other publications in Sinhala tohis credit, Bhàvanà Màrgaya, an exposition ofthe path of meditation, Vidarshanà Parapura, awork on instruction and practice in the lineageof insight meditation, Samatha-vidarsanàBhàvanà Màrgaya, on meditation for calm andinsight, and Sapta Anupassanà, on the sevencontemplations of insight.

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