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Chapter Two
A General Overview of the Rathavinīta Sutta
This chapter will present an overall outline of the subject matters discussed in the sutta of
the present study. It will begin with a concise summary of the sutta that will provide us a glimpse
of the general structure of the text together with its contents and context. I shall then proceed on
to discuss, with relevant critical notes, each topic referred to in the sutta. Firstly, I shall clarify
some points which appear to be obscure and give rise to questions and further inquests.
Secondly, among other matters I shall chiefly make a survey of the two specific teachings – the
ten subjects of discussion and the sevenfold purification – that actually form the central topic of
the sutta. And finally, I shall provide an explanation of the simile used and the specific
presentation of nibbāna called anupādā-parinibbāna which is said to be obtained by the practice
of the sevenfold purification.
§2.1 Summary of the Sutta:
The Rathavinīta Sutta, the discourse on the relay chariots, is recorded as the twenty-
fourth discourse in the category of the Opamma-vagga of the Majjhima Nikāya.1 Just as most of
the suttas, it starts with the typical phrase evaṃ me sutaṃ – “thus have I heard” – which
traditionally identifies it as a sutta recited by Ānanda in the first Buddhist council as he
remembered it.2 The sutta narrates two distinct incidents that occurred in two different places
1 M CSCD 1. 200-207; PTS I 145-151. For English translation of the sutta cf. Bodhi, 1995, pp. 240-245; Thanissaro,
1999 @ http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.024.than.html; Tan, 2009 @
http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/28.3-Rathavinita-S-m24-piya.pdf.
2 Saṅgīti (literally means ‘chanting together’) is a convocation or a meeting of Buddhist monastics to resolve
questions related to the teachings and disciplines established by the Buddha and some of his exceptionally talented
disciples such as Sāriputta, Mahākassapa and so on. Within the Pāli literatures records of the accounts of the early
Buddhist councils can be found in the following sources: Vin II 284-307; Sp VI 1296-1299; Dīp 30-38; Mhv 16-27.
According to these sources the first council took place at Rājagaha three months after the passing away of the
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quite distant from one another in time and space, both directly and indirectly involving the elder
Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta. In the first episode, which took place in Rājagaha, the Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta
was physically absent. A group of his disciples, who have all became arahant by then, at the end
of the vassa (rainy retreat),3 came from Kapilavatthu to visit the Buddha. The Buddha, after
being greeted by the bhikkhus, asked them: if there were any bhikkhu in his birth-land
(jātibhūmi), who himself being endowed with the ten subjects of discussion (dasakathāvatthu),
incited his fellow practitioners to pursue them.4 The bhikkhus replied that there was a bhikkhu
called Puṇṇa Mantāṇiputta who himself possessed these ten qualities and taught them to others.
The elder Sāriputta overheard the admirations to Puṇṇa made by his fellow practitioners in the
presence of the Buddha and desired to meet him and have a dhamma-discussion with him
Buddha in an attempt to collect and systematize the dhamma and vinaya given by the Buddha. Traditionally Ānanda
and Upāli are narrated to be responsible for remembering, preserving and transmitting the dhamma and vinaya
respectively. Mahākassapa, who presided over the first council, asked questions on the doctrinal matters to Ānanda
and the disciplinary issues to Upāli. Ānanda, the chief attendant of the Buddha, is mentioned to have remembered all
the teachings delivered by him either in his presence or absence. It was, in fact, a request made by Ānanda while
taking over the duty of chief attendant that whatever teaching delivered in the absence of him should be spoken to
him again (see: DPPN, s.v. Ānanda). Thus he is regarded as one remembering the entire body of the teaching of the
Buddha. It is interesting to note that he was not yet an arahant till the last moment before the beginning of the first
council (Mhv 18). In the Pāli sources Ānanda is said to be one who had heard much (A I 24: etadaggaṃ, bhikkhave,
mama sāvakānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ bahussutānaṃ yadidaṃ ānando) and thus regarded as the dhammabhaṇḍāgārika –
the treasurer of the dhamma (dhammabhṇḍāgāriko āyasmā ānando, cf. Sv II 484; Spk II 85 etc.). For scholarly
discussions on the councils: cf. Akira (1990), Lamotte (1988), Bapat (1956), & Thomas (1988).
3 Vassa (skt: varṣā or varshā) literally means ‘year’, ‘rain’ etc. (PTS, s.v. ‘vassa’; MWD & MD s.v. ‘varshā’). In the
Buddhist context it refers to the three months retreat from Āsāḷhā to Kattika Māsa (i.e., roughly from June to
October) of the Buddhist monks in the Theravāda tradition. The Mahāvagga (Vin I 137) of the Vinaya Piṭaka reports
that the vassa or rainy retreat for the bhikkhus was announced by the Buddha considering the complaint made by the
common-folk that by travelling in the rainy season bhikkhus become cause for the damages of crops, grasses, lives
with one faculty and small creatures.
4 M 1 145-146:‘ko nu kho, bhikkhave, jātibhūmiyaṃ jātibhūmakānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ sabrahmacārīnaṃ evaṃ
sambhāvito: ‘attanā ca appiccho appicchakathañca bhikkhūnaṃ kattā … ovādako viññāpako sandassako
samādapako samuttejako sampahaṃsako sabrahmacārīna’nti?’ The term ‘dasakathāvatthu’ does not appear in this
sutta, elsewhere (Ps-ṭ CSCD 2.102, 113; Vism-mhṭ CSCD 1.109) to refer to the ten subjects of discussions
mentioned in the sutta.
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sometimes in the future.5 The second episode, which was the meeting of two great theras, took
place in the Andhavana (blind’s wood) in Sāvatthi. The result of their meeting was an insightful
discussion on the sevenfold purification which formed a gradual path to ‘anupādā-parinibbāna’,
the final nibbāna without clinging.6
1. the talk of little wish (appicchakathā)
2. the talk of contentment (santuṭṭhikathā)
3. the talk of seclusion (pavivekakathā)
4. the talk of dissociation (asaṃsaggakathā)
5. the talk of strenuous effort (vīriyārambhakathā)
6. the talk of the attainment of virtue (sīlasampadākathā)
7. the talk of the attainment of concentration (samādhisampadākathā)
8. the talk of the attainment of wisdom (paññāsampadākathā)
9. the talk of the attainment of liberation (vimuttisampadākathā)
10. the talk of the attainment of knowledge and vision
(vimuttiñāṇadassanasampadākathā)
Fig. 2.1 List of the Ten Subjects of Discussion
The Sutta portrays the elder Puṇṇa as having actually travelled from Kapilavatthu to
Sāvatthī to meet the Buddha and to receive important instructions from him who had just arrived
there from Rājagaha. The text also narrates Puṇṇa, after taking instructions from the Buddha,
entered into the Andhavana for the day-abiding (divāvihāra). A certain bhikkhu is reported to
have informed Sāriputta of Puṇṇa’s coming to Sāvatthī, receiving instructions from the Buddha
5 M I 146:‘appevanāma mayaṃ kadāci karahaci āyasmatā puṇṇena mantāṇiputtena saddhiṃ samāgaccheyyāma,
appevanāma siyā koci deva kathāsallāpo’ti.’
6 Here I adopted Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli’s rendering of anupādā-parinibbāna from his translation of the Majjhima
Nikāya (edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi) for the simple reason that he kept the term nibbāna untranslated, as it should be
considered as one of those significant Buddhist terms that cannot be sufficiently rendered in other languages.
Followings are some alternative translations of the phrase: PED, s.v. parinibbāna: ‘emancipation without ground for
further clinging’; DPPN, s.v. ‘Gilāna Sutta’: ‘final emancipation without grasping’; Anālayo (2011a, p. 166):
‘complete Nirvāṇa without clinging; Thanissaro (1999): ‘unbinding through lack of clinging’; Hwang (2006, p. 32):
‘nirvana without any further attachment’.
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and going to Andhavana for the day-abiding. Upon hearing the news about Puṇṇa, Sāriputta is
said to have quickly taken his mat and followed him close behind (piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandhi
sīsānu lokī) to the same Andhavana. Both the theras are reported to have sat for their day-
abiding at the roots of different trees. In the evening, the texts states, Sāriputta, rising from his
meditation, approached Puṇṇa, exchanged friendly greetings and started the conversation by
asking a question which appeared to be rather unusual. Sāriputta asked Puṇṇa, if he was living
the holy life under the blessed one?7 The text reports, when Puṇṇa replied positive, Sāriputta
than continued his inquest about the purpose of his practice of the holy life and the seven
purifications.
The sutta narrates that when asked about the purpose of his practice of the holy life,
Puṇṇa replied to Sāriputta that he was not practicing the holy life for the purpose of any of the
seven purifications. Rather he made it loud and clear to Sāriputta that the purpose was to obtain
the final nibbāna without clinging (anupādā-parinibbānatthaṃ).
As it appears in the text, Sāriputta seems not yet satisfied with the answer provided by
Puṇṇā. Thus we find Sāriputta to have asked further questions to Puṇṇa as to the nature of the
‘final nibbāna without clinging’. He asked, if any of the seven purifications to be considered as
the ‘final nibbāna without clinging’. Puṇṇa’s reply was that the ‘complete nibbāna without
clinging’ does not correspond to any of the seven purifications; nevertheless it cannot be
obtained without the practice of them either. The text recounts Puṇṇa to have further clarified to
Sāriputta that the seven purifications cannot be taken as the ‘complete nibbāna without clinging’,
because it would then imply ‘what is with clinging is the same as what is without clinging’.8 And
if the ‘final nibbāna without clinging’ could be obtained without the practice of these stages then
it should be obtainable by even an ordinary individual who lacks them. Thus Puṇṇa is said to
7 Cf. Ps CSCD 2.59; PTS II 155: idaṃ āyasmā sāriputto tassa bhagavati brahmacariyavāsaṃ jānantopi
kathāsamuṭṭhāpanatthaṃ pucchi. The commentator of the sutta opines that the question was meant to startup the
subsequent conversation. The smooth flow of the conversation that followed thereafter actually makes the point
clear.
8 Puṇṇa tells Sāriputta in the sutta (M I 148): Sīlavisuddhiñ ce āvuso bhagavā anupādā parinibbānaṃ paññapessa,
sa-upādānaṃ yeva samānaṃ anupādā parinibbānaṃ paññapessa….
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have made clear the purpose of the practice of the holy life and of the seven purifications to be
obtaining the ‘final nibbāna without clinging’.
1. the purification of virtue (sīla-visuddhi)
2. the purification of mind (citta-visuddhi)
3. the purification of view (diṭṭhi-visuddhi)
4. the purification of overcoming doubt
(kaṅkhāvitaraṇa-visuddhi)
5. the purification of knowledge and vision of path
and no-path (maggāmagga-ñāṇadassana-visuddhi)
6. the purification of knowledge and vision of means
(paṭipada-ñāṇadassana-visuddhi)
7. the purification of knowledge and vision
(ñāṇadassana-visuddhi)
Fig. 2.2 List of the Seven Purifications
Puṇṇa might have thought the bhikkhu before him still could not clearly grasp what he
was saying.9 Thus we find the sutta reporting Puṇṇa to have presented a simile to the bhikkhu,
the Sāriputta, to make clear what he exactly meant when he explained about seven purifications
leading to the obtainment of the ‘final nibbāna without clinging’. Puṇṇa presented the simile of
‘relay chariots’ (ratha-vinīta) to Sāriputta. He said, suppose the king of Kosala, the Pasenadi, had
some urgent matter to attend to in Sāketa. Seven relay chariots were made ready for him. The
king would take the first one to reach to the second, reaching to the second chariot he would
discard the first and mount onto the second, likewise the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth and
finally the seventh one to reach to Sāketa and attend to the matters. In exactly the same way with
the purification of virtue a bhikkhu would reach to the purification of mind and so on until the
purification of knowledge and vision which eventually leads to the obtainment of the ‘final
nibbāna without clinging’. It means the sevenfold purification is a progressive path which Puṇṇa
9 Punna said: I will now give you a simile, because some wise men understand better with simile. Also later one
when sāriputta revealed his identity punna apologized that he would not have spoken much if he knew beforehand
that he was actually talking with the Sāriputta, who is like the master himself.
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had been practicing and also probably teaching to the fellow bhikkhus for the purpose of
obtaining the final goal, the anupādā-parinibbāna.
Finally the sutta narrates that Sāriputta, being happy with the systematic explanation of
the sevenfold purification presented by Puṇṇa, asked him to reveal his identity. Having come to
know that it was Puṇṇa Mantāniputta, he commended him for such a beautiful explanation and
expressed words of praise saying that it was indeed a great gain for the community to have such
a learned leader among them. After revealing his own identity, Puṇṇa too expressed his wish to
learn about the questioner, who had asked methodical questions regarding the visuddhis. Upon
knowing that it was Sāriputta that he was actually talking with, Puṇṇa expressed the following
remark: ‘Friend, indeed we did not know that we were talking with venerable Sāriputta, the
disciple who is like the master himself. If we had known that this was the venerable Sāriputta,
we would not have said so much’.10
Thus the sutta ends with both the elders rejoicing in each
other’s words.
§2.2 Clarifying Some Points in the Sutta
While reading through the sutta some obvious questions struck to our mind regarding its
different aspects and presentation. Some of them have been answered by the commentary and the
sub-commentary to the text. In this section I tried to deal with those questions and provide
necessary explanations in an attempt to understand the sutta better.
§2.2.1 Puṇṇa’s Reluctance to Go to Rājagaha
In an attempt to clarify the points otherwise obscure and thus provide a clear picture of
the sutta in all its aspects, commentators bring out matters that they deem relevant. Followings
are two such questions that merit our attention: 1) why did Puṇṇa not accompany the bhikkhus
when they were going to meet the Buddha in Rājagaha? and 2) considering that it was for the
first time after his enlightenment the Buddha met people from his birth-land, why did he not ask
about his father and relatives?
10
M I 150: sace hi mayaṃ jāneyyāma ‘āyasmā sāriputto’ti ettakampi no nappaṭibhāseyya.
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Interestingly enough the discussion on the first question, which I think is more relevant in
this context, is not provided by the commentary to the RVS, but by the commentary to the
Etadaggavagga (Mp CST4 1.196ff.; PTS I 199-204) of the Aṅguttara Nikāya. It says that when
all the five hundred monks following the instructions on the ten subjects of discussion attained
arahantship, they approached Puṇṇa, their master, and expressed their desire to go and meet the
Buddha in Rājagaha. Puṇṇa, thinking that it would be improper for him to go and see the Buddha
being surrounded by such a big number of following,11
told the monks to go first and he would
follow them later. He said: ‘friends, you go first and meet the Buddha and pay respect on his feet
in my name, (soon) I will also follow the path taken by you’.12
The commentators however do
not tell us why Puṇṇa thought it was inappropriate to meet the Buddha being accompanied by the
bhikkhus. Could it be that because it might create misunderstanding in the minds of ordinary
bhikkhus and laities that Puṇṇa was trying to compare himself with the Buddha? Or because it
was too far to go and if he would leave Kapilavatthu there would be no one else to teach the
doctrine to the people there? Or perhaps since he had already achieved what had to be achieved
as a follower of the Buddha he did not feel it urgent to go to Rājagaha to meet the Buddha,
because he could do it anytime later.
However, the commentary to the Etadaggavagga of the Aṅguttara Nikāya further informs
us that Puṇṇa, after his ordination, actually accompanied his uncle Koṇḍañña thera to Rājagaha
where the Buddha was then dwelling. The text enumerates that when, after turning the wheel of
the supreme dhamma in Sāranath, the Buddha had gone to Rājagaha, Koṇḍañña thera went to
Kapilavatthu to ordain his nephew Puṇṇa. The next day after the ordination, Koṇḍañña
accompanied by his nephew went to Rājagaha to meet the Buddha and take his permission to go
to the Chaddantadaha13
for dwelling.14
Puṇṇa, however, is said to have not met the Buddha in
11
Mp I 203: “…evaṃ gaṇasaṅgaṇikāya gantvā pana ayuttaṃ mayhaṃ dasabalaṃ passituṃ…”
12 Ibid: ‘‘āvuso, tumhe purato gantvā tathāgataṃ passatha, mama vacanena dasabalassa pāde vandatha, ahampi
tumhākaṃ gatamaggena gamissāmī’’ti.
13 Malalasekera writes in his DPPN (s.v. Chanddanta) that it was a forest in the Himavā where there was a lake
called Mandākinī. Koṇḍañña thera spent about twelve years retreat on the bank of this lake. DPPN, s.v. Chaddanta.
14 Mp CST4 1.196; PTS I 202: Satthari abhisambodhiṃ patvā pavattitavaradhammacakke anupubbena āgantvā
rājagahaṃ upanissāya viharante aññāsikoṇḍaññatthero kapilavatthuṃ gantvā attano bhāgineyyaṃ puṇṇamāṇavaṃ
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person on this visit. Rather he made a vow that he would meet the Buddha only after completing
the duty of a bhikkhu (pabbajitakicca), i.e. after becoming an arahant.15
But as we have seen
earlier not only Puṇṇa became an arahant, but under his guidance five hundred disciples became
arahant too. But when the disciples expressed their desire to go to Rājagaha and meet the
Buddha, he approved their wish, but did not accompany them. He is said to have met the Buddha
later when the Buddha went to Sāvatthī.16
It seems from the description of the commentary that
he went there alone. The commentary reports that the monk who informed Sāriputta of Puṇṇa’s
coming to Sāvatthī came to know about Puṇṇa, because he heard the Buddha addressing him
saying ‘Puṇṇa’, ‘Puṇṇa’.17
Certainly, if there were other monks with him the Buddha would most
probably address them saying bhikkhave – ‘o monks’, rather than addressing just Puṇṇā.
However, this visit of Puṇṇa to the Buddha in Sāvatthī might have taken place quite a
few years later since the group of monks visited the Buddha in Rājagaha. According to the sutta
the Buddha, after leaving Rājagaha, directly went to Sāvatthī.18
Sāriputta, who, together with
Moggallāna, was ordained by the Buddha in Rājagaha,19
might have also accompanied the
Buddha to Sāvatthī. The sutta says, when after visiting the Buddha and taking his instructions
pabbājetvā punadivase dasabalassa santikaṃ āgantvā bhagavantaṃ vanditvā āpucchitvā nivāsatthāya
chaddantadahaṃ gato.
15 Ibid: Puṇṇopi mantāṇiputto mātulena aññāsikoṇḍaññattherena saddhiṃ dasabalassa santikaṃ agantvā ‘‘mayhaṃ
pabbajitakiccaṃ matthakaṃ pāpetvāva dasabalassa santikaṃ gamissāmī’’ti kapilavatthusmiṃyeva ohīno
yonisomanasikāre kammaṃ karonto nacirasseva arahattaṃ pāpuṇi.
16 M CST4 1.254-255; PTS I 146: Assosi kho āyasmā Puṇṇo Mantāṇiputto: Bhagavā kira Sāvatthiṃ anuppatto;
Sāvatthiyaṃ viharati Jetavane Anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme ti. Atha kho āyasmā Puṇṇo Mantāṇiputto senāsanaṃ
saṃsāmetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena Sāvatthi tena cārikaṃ pakkāmi.
17 Ps CST4 2.256; PTS II 154: To the question how the monk came to know that this was Puṇṇa, the answer was:
Puṇṇa, Puṇṇā ti vatvā kathentassa Bhagavato dhammakathāya aññāsi: ayaṃ so thero, yassa me upajjhāyo
abhiṇhaṃ kittayamāno hotī ti.
18 M I 146: atha kho bhagavā rājagahe yathābhirantaṃ viharitvā yena sāvatthi tena cārikaṃ pakkāmi.
19 Vin I 42-43: atha kho Sāriputtamoggallānā yena bhagavā ten’upasaṅkamiṃsu, upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato pādesu
sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṃ etad avocuṃ: labheyyāma mayaṃ bhante bhagavato santike pabbajjaṃ, labheyyāma
upasampadan ti. etha bhikkhavo ’ti bhagavā avoca, svakkhāto dhammo, caratha brahmacariyaṃ sammā dukkhassa
antakiriyāyā ’ti, sā ’va tesaṃ āyasmantānaṃ upasampadā ahosi. Also cf. DPPN, s.v. Mahā Moggallāna Thera &
Sāriputta.
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Puṇṇa left for Andhavana, a certain monk approached Sāriputta and informed him all about
Puṇṇa. Having heard about Puṇṇa’s going to Andhavana, Sāriputta immediately taking his sitting
mat followed him to the same Andhavana, practiced seclusion and subsequently had discussion
on seven purifications.20
If Sāriputta was not present in Sāvatthī, but staying in Rājagaha, he
would not be able to straightaway come and meet Puṇṇa as both the cities are quite far away
from each other.
The two incidents – coming of a group of monks from Kapilavatthu to Rājagaha to meet
the Buddha and the meeting of Sāriputta and Puṇṇa in Sāvatthī – might have taken place quite
early in the Buddha’s teaching career. According to the records of the rainy retreats that the
Buddha spent in different places during his forty five years journey as a spiritual guide in the
Jambhudīpa,21
the two above mentioned incidents seem to have taken place during the first six
years since the Buddha’s enlightenment. As recorded in the Jinacārita, a thirteenth century text
authored by a Ceylonese monk called Medhaṇkara,22
and in the commentary to the
Buddhavaṃsa,23
among the first twenty rainy retreats the Buddha spent second to fourth,
seventeenth and twentieth in Rājagaha and sixth24
and fourteenth in Sāvatthī. The texts state that
before his first visit to Sāvatthī in the sixth rainy retreat he spent a year in Vesālī. But before his
second visit in the fourteenth year he spent seven years in different places, not in Rājagaha.25
So,
if we take the sutta as a historical document which says that the Buddha went from Rājagaha to
Sāvatthī where he met Puṇṇa, and where Puṇṇa met Sāriputta, it could be the sixth year after the
Buddha’s enlightenment. And the meeting of the group of monks with the Buddha might have
20
M I 146-147.
21 Cf. DPPN, s.v. Jambudīpa. The literal meaning of the term is the island (dīpa) of the rose apples (jambu), but here
it means the Undivided India.
22 For the account of forty five rainy retreats of the Buddha, refer to Jina-c, verses 437-457 in JPTS, 1904-05 and
verses 422-449 in Doruiselle, 1906. See also Ānandajoti, 2013, p. 31; Hinüber, 2000, p. 187; Norman, 1983, p. 158.
23 Bv-a 3.
24 The Buddha actually is said to have spent the sixth rainy retreat on the Maṅkula Mountain, which according to
Nakamura () is in Sāvatthī.
25 Bv-a 3: ... sattamaṃ tāvatiṃsabhavane, aṭṭhamaṃ bhaggesu, saṃsumāragiriṃ upanissāya bhesakaḷāvane,
navamaṃ kosambiyaṃ, dasamaṃ pālileyyakavanasaṇḍe, ekādasamaṃ nāḷāyaṃ brāhmaṇagāme, dvādasamaṃ
verañjāyaṃ, terasamaṃ cāliyapabbate, cuddasamaṃ jetavanamahāvihāre…
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taken place within the three years, that is, second to fourth rainy retreats, in Rājagaha. This might
have a little significance in the study of the sutta and also probably we will never know when
exactly the meeting between the Buddha and Puṇṇa and the discussion between Puṇṇa and
Sāriputta had taken place. But it is clear from the Pāli literature that both the theras ordained
quite early and had important places in the Buddhist order as two of the eighty great disciples of
the Buddha.26
Thus the meeting and the discussion they had in the Andhavana as presented in the
RVS play significant role in the study of Buddhism.
§2.2.2 The Buddha’s Unconcern for His Relatives and the Idea of dhammagāravatā
The dhammagāravatā is an idea introduced by the commentator while commentating on
the phrase ‘bhagavā etad avoca’ (thus was said by the Buddha) from the sutta. The text (M I
145) states that a group of monks, completing their rainy retreat in Kapilavatthu, went to visit the
Buddha in Rājagaha, paid homage to him and sat down at one side. The Buddha then ‘said thus’
to those monks.27
In commentating on the phrase the commentator enumerates that the Buddha
exchanging friendly talks asked the monks ‘are you keeping well?’, ‘where have you come
from?’ etc. And in their answer the monks said that they had come from the Buddha’s birth-land,
Kapilavatthu. The Buddha is then said to have inquired them about their wellbeing, but not the
wellbeing of his father king Suddhodana and so on.28
Assuming that this was the first time, after
his attainment of enlightenment, the Buddha met people from his birth-land, one is expected to
believe the Buddha to have asked about the wellbeing of his relatives from the group of monks in
front of him. But interestingly enough he did not utter even a single word about it. So, the
commentator asks: “Why the blessed one, without asking about the health/wellbeing (ārogya) of
26
According to the Aṅguttara Nikāya (I 23) Sāriputta thera, who is foremost in wisdom (mahāpaññā), assumes the
second position and Puṇṇa, who is foremost as a expounder of dhamma (dhammakathikā), the ninth position among
the great disciples of the Buddha.
27 M I 145: Atha kho sambahulā jātibhūmakā bhikkhū jātibhūmiyaṃ vassaṃ vuṭṭhā yena bhagavā
ten’upasaṅkamiṃsu, upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdiṃsu. Ekamantaṃ nisinne kho te
bhikkhū Bhagavā etad-avoca:
28 Ps I 135: Bhagavā etad avocā ti, ‘kacci, bhikkhave, khamanīyan ti ādīhi vacanehi āgantukapaṭisanthāraṃ katvā
etaṃ, ko nu kho, bhikkhave ti ādivacanam avoca. Te kira bhikkhu, kacci, bhikkhave, khamanīyaṃ, kacci’ttha
appakilamathena addhānaṃ āgatā, na ca piṇḍakena kilamittha, kuto ca tumhe, bhikkhave, āgacchathā ti
paṭisanthāravasena pucchitā Bhagavā Sākiyajanapade Kapilavatthāgārato Jātibhūmito āgacchāmā ti āhaṃsu.
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Suddhodanā etc. asked the wellbeing of only the monks?”29
In an attempt to clarify the matter
the commentator provides the following explanation.
According to the Papañcasūdanī (CST4 2.252; PTS II 136) the reason for the Buddha to
have asked only about the wellbeing of the monks is because he was pleased with the bhikkhus
(and also bhikkhunīs and upāsakas and upāsikas) who are path-attainers (paṭipannakā),30
and it
is due to his respect for the dhamma.31
In support of his argument, the commentator quotes a
statement from the Nikāya. It reads: ‘it is unpleasant to live without respecting and obeying
others’ (dukkhaṃ kho agāravo viharati appatisso).32
And then he proceeds on to present a
number of incidents to show how the Buddha, out of his respect for the dhamma, went to meet
monks and lay devotees who have been practicing the dhamma or who are ready to be given the
instructions on dhamma. This explanation of the commentator seems to suggest that inquiring
about the wellbeing of the father and relatives would mean disregarding the dhamma. Which is
why, the Buddha avoided doing it.
But before coming to such a conclusion we need to understand how ‘respecting or
regarding the dhamma’ (dhammagārava) is understood in the Tipiṭaka itself. The Uruvelasutta
(A CST4 3.21; PTS II 19-21), for example, enumerates that once the Buddha thought that it was
unpleasant to live without respecting others. But, after surveying throughout the world he did not
find anyone who is more accomplished in spiritual attainments than himself. And it is the
dhamma practicing and depending on which he became enlightened. So, he decided to respect
29
Ps I 136: Kasmā pana bhagavā Suddhodanādīnaṃ ārogyaṃ apucchitvā evarūpaṃ bhikkhum eva pucchati?
30 The Nyanatiloka’s Buddhist Dictionary defines paṭipannaka as ‘path-attainer’, one who reached one of the four
supra-mundane paths of holiness (NDB, s.v. paṭipannaka); the PTS dictionary says it is one who has entered upon
the path (PED, s.v. paṭipannaka).
31 Ps CSCD 2.40; PTS I 136: Buddhānaṃ hi paṭipannakā bhikkhū bhikkhuniyo, upāsakā upāsikāyo ca piyā honti
manāpā. Kiṃ kāraṇā? Dhammagarutāya.
32 The statement is found in the Uruvelasutta (CST4 3.21; PTS II 19-21) of the Aṅguttara Nikāya and in the
Gāravasutta (CST4 6.173; PTS I 138-39) of the Saṃyutta Nikāya. Skilling (2012, pp. 21-31) reports two more texts
produced in Southeast Asia in 14th
-15th
century C.E. that discuss the subject of Buddha venerating the dhamma.
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the dhamma.33
The Sīhasutta (A CST4 10.99; PTS III 121) illustrates the activities that the
Buddha carries out being respectful for the dhamma. The text describes (in brief):
‘The lion, the king of beasts, coming out of his abode surveys the four quarters
thoroughly and roars the lion’s roar for three times and then gives a blow to each animal
starting from elephant to cat respectfully. The Tathāgata is like a lion. His teaching is like
the roar of a lion. Just as the lion he teaches the dhamma to assemblies consisted of
bhikkhus, bhikkhunīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, ordinary men (puthujjanā), even food carriers
and hunters (annabhāranesādā) respectfully, not disrespectfully. And this is because the
Tathāgata has respect for the dhamma.’34
The commentary to the RVS (Ps I 136 ff.) also enumerates in the same line that the
Buddha for his respect for the dhamma accompanied Mahākassapa thera three gāvuta (about two
miles) on the day of his renunciation, he went three yojana (one yojana is about seven miles, thus
twenty one miles) for establishing Mahākappin thera in the arahant-hood, forty five yojana to
establish the potter Pukkusati in the fruit of non-returner, sixty yojana to teach dhamma to
Khadiravaniya thera and so on.35
What is clear from the above explanation is that the Buddha in his respect for the
dhamma had always been engaged in spiritual activities such as teaching dhamma and thus
guiding his disciples to the spiritual path.
But it is interesting to note that the activity that is narrated to have been carried out by the
Buddha for his respect for the dhamma does not seem to fit with the above explanation of the
33
Cf. A CST4 3.21; PTS II 19-21: …na kho panāhaṃ passāmi sadevake loke… aññaṃ samaṇaṃ vā brāhmaṇaṃ vā
attanā vimuttisampannataraṃ yam ahaṃ sakkatvā garukatvā upanissāya vihareyyan ti. Tassa mayhaṃ bhikkhave
etadahosi – Yaṃnūnāhaṃ yo pāyaṃ dhammo mayā abhisambuddho tam eva dhammaṃ sakkatvā garukatvā
upanissāya vihareyyan ti.
34 Cf. A III 122: Bhikkhūnaṃ ce pi bhikkhave Tathāgato dhammaṃ deseti, sakkaccaṃ yeva Tathāgato dhammaṃ
deseti no asakkaccaṃ, bhikkhunīnaṃ ce pi… upāsakānaṃ ce pi… upāsikānaṃ ce pi… puthujjanānaṃ ce pi…
antamaso annabhāranesādānam pi…Taṃ kissa hetu? Dhammagaru bhikkhave Tathāgato dhammagāravo ti.
35 PED, s.v. gāvuta, yojana.
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dhammagārava. Because what the Buddha is mentioned to have done is merely asking about
their wellbeing, not guiding or instructing them. Also this is to be noted that all five hundred
monks who went to meet the Buddha were said to be arahants requiring probably no further
instructions.36
Furthermore, the Nikāya texts present passages that speak quite contrary to the idea that
inquiring about the wellbeing of relatives, specifically parents, is against the dhammagāravatā.
The Aṇguttara Nikāya (I 61-62), for example, states that one can never repay the debts of one’s
parents. Even if the child caries them on both shoulders for a hundred years, provide all kinds of
material comforts, make them supreme lords or rulers of the earth and so on, none of that would
in any way be compared to the sacrifices, love and affections of the parents. And that is precisely
because ‘the parents are of great help to the children; they bring them up, feed them, and show
them the world’ (bahukārā bhikkhave mātāpitaro puttānaṃ āpādakā posakā, imassa lokassa
dassetāro).37
The text however states that they can be repaid enough only if they are established
in the wholesome psychological qualities such as faith (saddhā), virtue (sīla), generosity (cāga),
and wisdom (paññā).38
Parents are thus regarded highly in the canonical texts. They are called
the first teachers (pubbācariyā) in the life of a child and compared with the Brahma possessing
four great qualities, viz., loving kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), appreciative joy
(mudita), and equanimity (upekkha).39
36
asekha (a+sekha) literally means ‘one who does not require any further training’ or ‘one beyond training’ (cf.
PED & NBD, s.v. sekha & asekha). According to a sutta in the Aṅguttara Nikāya (V 221) an asekha is one endowed
with ten factors, viz., right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, right concentration, right knowledge and right liberation. Its commentary defines an asekha to be a
khīṇāsava, which means an arahant (Mp V 71: Iminā suttena khīṇāsavova kathito ti). A sutta in the Saṃyutta
Nikāya (V 175) states that an asekha is one who has completely developed the four establishments of mindfulness
(Imesaṃ kho āvuso catunnaṃ satipaṭṭhānānaṃ samattā bhāvitattā asekho hotī ti).
37 A I 61-62; also cf. Vajirañana Nayaka Thera, 2000, pp. 371-384.
38 A I 62: Yo ca kho bhikkhave matāpitaro assaddhe saddhā-sampadāya samādapeti niveseti patiṭṭhāpeti dussīle
sīla-sampadāya samādapeti niveseti patiṭṭhāpeti maccharī cāga-sampadāya samādapeti niveseti patiṭṭhāpeti
duppaññe paññā-sampadāya samādapeti niveseti patiṭṭhāpeti ettāvatā kho bhikkhave mātāpitūnaṃ katañca hoti
paṭikatañ ca atikatañ cā ti.
39 Cf. A I 132: “Brahmāti mātāpitaro pubbācariyāti vuccare,
Āhuneyyā ca puttānaṃ pajāya anukampakā.”
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Moreover, Pāli literature presents examples of children who had established their parents
in the dhamma out of deep gratitude towards them. The Buddha, for example, is said to have
established his father, king Suddhodhana, in the fruition of stream-entry after giving a dhamma
talk on the practice of virtue.40
He also went to Tavatiṃsa heaven to preach abhidhamma to his
mother, queen Mahāmāya, so that she can be freed from this wearisome saṃsāra.41
Sāriputta
before his passing away is said to have converted his mother into the true dhamma by making
her a stream-enterer.42
Assuming that the commentator was fully aware of the canonical explanation of the idea
of dhammagāravatā and of the duties and responsibilities of children towards their parents, we
may once again look at the statement of the commentator. The statement that ‘the Buddha asked
only about the wellbeing of the monks, because he was pleased with the fourfold saṅgha who are
path-attainers and it is due to his respect for the dhamma’ seems to suggest his complete
engagement with and concern for the community of monks. It is, in fact, clear from the statement
that he was very much concerned about the wellbeing of the monks probably because they had
renounced the home-life in his name and had travelled all the way from Kapilavatthu to
Rājagaha only to meet him. When the commentator says that the Buddha without asking about
the wellbeing of his father etc. asked only about the monks, it does not seem to show that the
Buddha was unconcerned about his relatives, but to show that at this particular context the
Buddha was more concerned about the monks in front of him.
It could however also be possible that the commentator wanted to depict, more than
anything else, the supremacy of the Buddha’s teaching in the world. This is why we find the
Buddha is presented to have been more concerned with the dhamma and those following the
dhamma rather than being concerned with worldly matters such as asking about the wellbeing of
his relatives etc. He is said to have done so due to his respect for the dhamma which, according
to the Uruvelasutta (A II 21), is the nature or dhammatā of all the Buddhas of the past, present
40
Dhp-a CST4 13.2; PTS I 164f: Desanāvasāne rājā sotāpattiphale patiṭṭhahi.
41 Cf. DPPN, s.v. Suddhodana, Mahāmāya; and Nārada Thera, 2010, p. 68.
42 Cf. DPPN, s.v. Sāriputta.
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and future.43
In the Pāli canon, the Mahāpadana Sutta (D II 12 ff.) presents a list of dhammatās
that are common to all the Buddhas. Among them are ‘descending of a Bodhisatta into his
mother’s womb from Tusita heaven’, ‘dying of his mother seven days after the birth of a
Bodhisatta’ etc. The Madhuratthavilāsinī (BvA 198) provides an extended discussion on the
common features of the Buddhas. Endo, evaluating the dhammatā and vemattā mentioned in the
Pāli literature, opines that this concept of dhammatā is an extension by the Buddhists to establish
the supremacy of the Buddha’s teachings.44
Thus we find the explanation of the commentator on
the Buddha’s unconcern for his relatives and the concept of dhammagāravatā indicate the
supremacy of the Buddha and his teaching in the world.
§2.2.3 The Meeting of the two theras at the Andhavana
The meeting of the two theras – Sāriputta and Puṇṇa – and the discussion they had in the
Andhavana raise some questions. The first doubt is regarding the question asked by Sāriputta to
Puṇṇa. As has been pointed out earlier upon his meeting with Puṇṇa, Sāriputta started the
conversation with rather an unusual question. He asked Puṇṇa if he was living the holy life under
the blessed one. Obviously it is strange for a bhikkhu to ask another bhikkhu such a question.
Anālayo opines that just by the outer appearance it was not possible to distinguish a follower of
the Buddha from other ascetics belonging to different traditions, for their meeting took place
much before a commonly agreed outfit had been decided for the Buddhist saṇgha.45
While we
may accept Anālayo’s explanation that a Buddhist monk was not recognizable merely by his
outer appearance, we cannot agree to his view that it is due to that Sāriputta asked Puṇṇa the
question. For it is quite clear from the explanation prior to the question in the sutta that Sāriputta
actually recognized Puṇṇa when he first saw him. Here I like to present in summary the section
followed by the question. It says:
43
A II 21: Ye c’abbhatītā sambuddhā ye ca buddhā anāgatā
Yo c’etarahi sambuddho bahunnaṃ sokanāsano
Sabbe saddhammagaruno vihaṃsu viharanti ca
Athopi viharissanti esā buddhāna dhammatā
Tasmā hi attakāmena mahattaṃ abhikkhaṅkatā
Saddhammo garukātabbo saraṃ buddhāna sāsanan ti.
44 Cf. Endo, 1997, p. 207.
45 Anālayo, 2005a, p. 134.
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‘As soon as Sāriputta heard that Puṇṇa came to meet the Buddha in Sāvatthi, he, quickly
taking his sitting mat, followed Puṇṇa close behind. Seeing Puṇṇa entered the Andhavana
for his day-dwelling, Sāriputta too did the same. And when it is evening, Sāriputta, after
getting out of seclusion, went to meet Puṇṇa and having exchanged friendly greetings
with him, started the conversation by asking the question.’46
It is clear from the passage that Sāriputta knew that it was Puṇṇa who he was following
close behind to have conversation with. If he knew that it was not Puṇṇa he would certainly not
follow him. Rather he would find out where Puṇṇa was, because his primary purpose was to
meet him and have a dhamma discussion with him. Thus it is probable that Sāriputta concealed
his identity and asked the question to know Puṇṇa’s response and probably to test his wisdom on
the teachings, specifically the teaching on the seven purifications, of the Buddha. The
commentator, however, states that he actually asked the question to start the conversation. The
statement reads: ‘Idaṃ āyasmā Sāriputto tassa Bhagavati brahmacariyavāsaṃ jānanto pi
kathāsamuṭṭhāpanatthaṃ pucchi’.47
Puṇṇa, however, is said to have not recognized Sāriputta throughout the conversation
until at the end. He seemed not so concerned about the interlocutor in front of him. Thus he did
not even bother to know the identity of the person he was going to have conversation with. Only
at the end of the sutta he came to know that he was actually having the discussion with the
Sāriputta thera. This was a complete surprise that led him to say that if he knew his interlocutor
was Sāriputta thera he would not have said so much. The text says: “Indeed we did not know
that we were discussing with venerable Sāriputta, the disciple who is like the teacher (himself). If
we knew that it was venerable Sāriputta, we would not have said so much.”48
46
Cf. M I 146.
47 Ps II 155
48 M I 150: Satthukappena vata kira bho sāvakena saddhiṃ mantayamānā na jānimha: āyasmā Sāriputto ti; sace hi
mayaṃ jāneyyāma: āyasmā Sāriputto ti, ettakampi no nappaṭibhāseyya.
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We have seen above that Sāriputta was quite sure that he was following and later on
talking with Puṇṇa. But Puṇṇa did not know that his interlocutor was Sāriputta, because neither
Puṇṇa asked not Sāriputta revealed his identity. However, the starting question asked by
Sāriputta indicates that even though Puṇṇa was not aware that he was talking with Sāriputta, he
should have an understanding that the questioner in front of him was a follower of the Buddha.
The question asked by Sāriputta was: friend, is the holy life lived under our blessed one –
(Bhagavati no āvuso, brahmacariyaṃ vussatīti)? The expression ‘under our blessed one’ clearly
shows that the questioner was a follower of the Buddha. Because if he was an outsider the
question should have been something like: ‘friend, under whose guidance are you living a holy
life’ or ‘who is your teacher’ and so on. The Mahāvagga (Vin I 39), for example, presents an
occasion where Sāriputta, who was then a wanderer, in his meeting asked such questions to
Assaji, one of the first five ascetics ordained by the Buddha at the Deer Park of Isipatana. Having
seen pleasant behavior and controlled faculties in Assaji, Sāriputta is said to have asked him
following questions: ‘friend, on account of whom you have gone forth, who is your teacher,
whose teaching do you follow?’49
As recorded in the sutta, the manner in which the questions were put forth by Sāriputta
seems to suggest that he asked the questions to test the wisdom of Puṇṇa, not to clarify anything
about the teaching. The kind of questions asked by Sāriputta include: ‘if the holy life is lived
under the blessed one for the sake of any of the seven purifications?’, ‘if the purification of virtue
etc. the final nibbāna without clinging?’ and so on.50
One cannot expect a monk as wise as
Sāriputta to not know the answers to such questions. In fact, at the end of the discussion, Puṇṇa
is portrayed to have said to Sāriputta that the way the questions were put forth methodically was
possible only by one who had understood the dispensation of the Buddha correctly. And it is a
49
Vin I 40: ekamantaṃ ṭhito kho Sāriputto pararibbājako āyasmantaṃ Assajiṃ etad avoca: vippasannāni kho te
āvuso indriyāni, parisuddho chavivaṇṇo pariyodāto, kaṃ’si tvaṃ āvuso uddissa pabbajito, ko vā te satthā, kassa vā
tvaṃ dhammaṃ rocesīti.
50 M I 147-148.
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great gain to have such enlightened monk in the saṅgha.51
This statement of Puṇṇa suggests that
he knew the interlocutor to be a well-learned disciple of the Buddha.
The eagerness of Sāriputta to meet Puṇṇa as demonstrated in the sutta (M I 146-147) as
well as in the commentary (Ps II 154) suggests that Sāriputta simply wanted to meet and have
dhamma-discussion with Puṇṇa, a monk who was highly praised by his disciples in front of the
Buddha himself. The text reports that almost every day Sāriputta would explain the spiritual
qualities of Puṇṇa to the fellow bhikkhus, who are beginners as well as middle in their
monkhood, so that they could inform him if they saw Puṇṇa coming there. Sāriputta is stated to
have said to the monks:
“Indeed, Puṇṇa, the son of Mantāṇi, is not associated (asaṃsaṭṭho) with the four fold
assembly; (when) he would come for the purpose of seeing the Buddha, he would
perhaps go without seeing me…the elderly bhikkhus do not always remain at the inner
abode; … whoever would see that bhikkhu should come back and inform (me)”.52
It seems from the passage that Sāriputta was keenly expecting the visit of Puṇṇa in
Sāvatthī so that he could have a discussion with him. Even in the sutta we find that when
Sāriputta was informed of Puṇṇa’s coming to Sāvatthī to meet the Buddha and leaving for
Andhavana for the day-abiding, he, without wasting much time, took his sitting mat and
followed Puṇṇa close behind to the same Andhavana and finally had a discussion on the seven
purifications.53
51
M I 150-151: Acchariyaṃ āvuso abbhutaṃ āvuso, yathā taṃ sutavatā sāvakena samma-d-eva Satthusāsanaṃ
ājānantena evam-evaṃ āyasmatā Sāriputtena gambhīrā gambhīrā pañhā anumāssa anumāssa pucchitā. Lābhā
sabrahmacārīnaṃ suladdhalābhā sabrahmacārīnaṃ ye āyasmantaṃ Sāriputtaṃ labhanti dassanāya labhanti
payirūpāsanāya.
52 Ps II 154: Puṇṇo kira nāma Mantāṇiputto catūhi parisāhi saddhiṃ asaṃsaṭṭho; so Dasabalassa dassanatthāya
āgamissati; kacci nu kho maṃ adisvā va gamissatīti….Mahallakabhikkhū nāma na sabbakālaṃ antovihāre
honti;…yo ca naṃ bhikkhuṃ passissati, so va āgantvā ārocessatī ti. The passage is abridged by me.
53 M I 146-147: Atha kho aññataro bhikkhu yen’āyasmā Sāriputto ten’upasaṅkami, upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṃ
Sāriputtaṃ etadavoca: Yassa kho tvaṃ āvuso Sāriputta Puṇṇassa nāma bhikkhuno Mantāṇiputtassa abhinhaṃ
kittayamāno hosi so Bhagavatā dhammiyā kathāya sandassito samādapito samuttejito sampahaṃsito Bhagavato
Page 19
The Pāli literature enumerates that it is part of the Buddhist practice that when the
bhikkhus gather together, they should either engage in the discussion of dhamma or practice
noble silence, i.e., meditation (Sannipatitānaṃ vo bhikkhave dvayaṃkaraṇīyaṃ dhammī vā kathā
ariyo vā tuṇhī bhāvo’ti).54
Hence, Sāriputta was eager enough to meet Puṇṇa, because he will
have an opportunity to have a discussion with him on dhamma. Not just because it is part of the
practice, but also probably to sharpen their understanding about the gradual path, the seven
purifications, that lead to the anupāda-parinibbāna.
The Pāli canon, in fact, provides us with incidents of dhamma discussions taking place
either between the Buddha and his fourfold disciples or among the disciples themselves. The
Mahāvedalla Sutta (M I 291-298) and the Cūḷavedalla Sutta (M I 298-304) of the Majjhima
Nikāya are two examples in this case. In the former the discussion took place between the Mahā
Koṭṭhila and the Sāriputta thera and in the latter it was between Visākha and Dhammadinnā therī.
Such discussions take place usually with the presence of other junior bhikkhus so that knotty
points regarding the teaching become clear to them. But as it is clear the discussion in the sutta
of our study took place only between these two great theras with no audience present.
So far we have attempted to understand the reason behind the opening question by
Sāriputta to Puṇṇa before the actual discussion on the sevenfold purification began. But the
subject of the discussion, the sevenfold purification, also generates some questions. The first
question is, even though Sāriputta became interested to meet Puṇṇa hearing the Buddha praising
him for his acquaintance with ten subjects of discussion, why Sāriputta had decided to ask Puṇṇa
questions regarding the sevenfold purification? Secondly, how both the theras knew so well the
subject?
To the first question, the RVS commentary provides an answer. It states that by asking
questions on the seven purifications, Sāriputta actually inquired about the ten subjects of
discussion; and by explaining the seven purifications, Puṇṇa actually explained about the ten
bhāsitaṃ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāy’āsanā Bhagavanta abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṃ katvā yena Andhavanaṃ
tena pakkanto divāvihārāyāti.
54 M I 161; Ud 11.
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subjects of discussion.55
Thus both the theras, having known the subject well, are said to have
asked questions and provided answers on the subject.
Regarding the second question as to how both theras knew the subject so well, the
commentary is silent. Anālayo however provides following remarks. He says that “…the seven
purifications could have been a list of purifications commonly discussed and aspired to among
the various contemplative and philosophical traditions in ancient India.”56
His argument is based
on the idea that the two theras did not recognize each other as follower of the Buddha from their
outer appearance. They thought each belonged to a different ascetic group, but in their discussion
of the sevenfold purification, they seem quite well versed on the subject. If it was not a common
ascetic practice, they would have not known it so well. And because it was not particularly a
Buddhist practice there is little material for it in the Pāli Canon.
Although nowhere in the Pāli Canon the sevenfold purification is mentioned to have
expressly taught by the Buddha, there is however an indication in the RVS that the Buddha had
discussed about it. In the sutta when Sāriputta asked Puṇṇa ‘if the purification of virtue final
nibbāna without clinging?’ Puṇṇa’s reply was that the purification of virtue is not final nibbāna
without clinging, because if the Buddha had described so, he would have said what is still
accompanied by clinging as final nibbāna without clinging.57
Here is an indication that the
Buddha had discussed about the seven purifications.
Furthermore, if the sevenfold purification was not particularly a Buddhist practice, both
theras, being ardent follower of the Buddha, would not have engaged in its discussion. And the
55
Ps II 158: Tasmā Sāriputtatthero satta visuddhiyo pucchanto na aññaṃ pucchi; dasa kathāvatthūni yeva pucchi.
Puṇṇatthero pi satta visuddhiyo vissajjento na aññaṃ vissajjesi; dasa kathāvatthūni yeva vissajjesi. Iti ubho p’ete
jānitvā titthakusalā hutvā visaye eva pañhaṃ pucchiṃsu c’eva vissajjesuṃ cā ti veditabbā.
56 Anālayo, 2005a, p. 135.
57 In the Pāli Tipiṭaka the seven purifications are mentioned twice – in the Rathavinīta Sutta and in the Dsauttara
Sutta in the list of nine factor of exertion for purity (nava-pārisuddhi-padāniyaṅga). There is however an indication
in the Rathavinīta Sutta that the teaching of the sevenfold visuddhi leading to the attainment of anupādā-
parinibbāna is taught by the Buddha – (sīlavisuddhiñce āvuso bhagavā anupādāparinibbānaṃ paññāpessa,
saupādānaṃyeva samānaṃ anupādāparinibbānaṃ paññāpessa).
Page 21
fact that Buddhaghosa had written his monumental encyclopedic text Visuddhimagga following
the seven purifications scheme shows how significantly the teaching had been taken by the later
Buddhists.58
§2.3 A General Survey of the Ten Subjects of Discussion (dasa-kathā-vatthu)
Unlike the seven purifications, the treatment on the ten subjects of discussion (dasa-
kathā-vatthu) appears several places in the Pāli Canon. They are spoken of as a replacement of
the thirty two talks (bāttiṃsa-tiracchāna-kathā) that are explained as lowly and pointless and the
discussion of which leads to misfortune (anattha) in the spiritual practice. On the contrary the
discussion of the ten talks lead to peace, direct knowledge and nibbāna (M III 113). It is said that
by engaging in a discussion of any of the ten talks, one develops such radiance (teja) that might
even surpass the radiance of the sun and the moon, not to talk of the effulgence of the wanderers
of other sects (A V 129). Thus a sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya (M III 115) states that a disciple,
after having necessary instructions, should leave the teacher and carry on his own practice. But if
he wished to hear discussion on the ten talks he should stay back even though he was told to go
away. Here I shall present only a brief discussion of the ten talks mainly based on the
explanation provided in the commentary to the RVS, because I shall devote a separate chapter
with an in depth study of the subject later.
The list of the ten talks appears at the beginning of the RVS in the question of the Buddha
to a group of visiting monks. The text enumerates that a group of bhikkhus came to visit the
Buddha in Rājagaha. The Buddha, after exchanging greetings with them, asked if there was any
bhikkhu in his birth-land who possessed the ten talks and taught them to the fellow monks. Here I
like to present the complete passage containing the question that the Buddha is said to have
asked to the bhikkhus:
“O bhikkhus, who in [my] birth-land is thus esteemed among the native bhikkhus who are
fellow practitioners: being one of little wish by himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on little
wish; being contented by himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on contentment; being
secluded by himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on seclusion; being dissociated [from
58
Cf. Bodhi, 1995, p. 1213, note 288; Anālayo, 2005b, p. 519; Nanarama, 1981, p. 13.
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society] by himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on dissociation; being strenuous by himself,
he talks to the bhikkhus on application of exertion; being endowed with morality by
himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on endowment in morality; being endowed with
concentration by himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on endowment in concentration; being
endowed with wisdom by himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on endowment in wisdom;
being endowed with deliverance by himself, he talks to the bhikkhus on endowment in
deliverance; and being endowed with vision and knowledge of deliverance by himself, he
talks to the bhikkhus on endowment in vision and knowledge of deliverance, he is one
who advices, instructs, points out, incites, instigates, and gladdens to the fellow
practitioners?”59
Having heard the question, the bhikkhus, in their reply, mentioned the name of Venerable
Puṇṇa, who, in fact, was said to be their teacher (Ps II 138: …attano ācariyaṃ
Puṇṇattheraṃ…). This conversation between the Buddha and the visiting monks indicates that
not only Venerable Puṇṇa, but also the monks themselves have been endowed with the ten-talks.
Apart from the RVS, the ten talks appear as a set several other places in the Nikāya texts,
specifically in the Aṅguttara Nikāya. A sutta in the Aṅguttara Nikāya (A III 117), for example,
mentions that the ten talks are connected to the austere practice and are conducive to opening of
the heart. If a bhikkhu, who is a trainee (sekha), does not get an opportunity to hear the teachings
on the ten-talks, he neglects seclusion and does not develop internal serenity of mind. And thus it
59
M I 145-146: Ko nu kho, bhikkhave, jātibhūmiyaṃ jātibhūmakānaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ sabrahmacārīnaṃ evaṃ
sambhāvito – ‘attanā ca appiccho appicchakathañca bhikkhūnaṃ kattā, attanā ca santuṭṭho santuṭṭhikathañca
bhikkhūnaṃ kattā, attanā ca pavivitto pavivekakathañca bhikkhūnaṃ kattā, attanā ca asaṃsaṭṭho
asaṃsaggakathañca bhikkhūnaṃ kattā, attanā ca āraddhavīriyo vīriyārambhakathañca bhikkhūnaṃ kattā, attanā ca
sīlasampanno sīlasampadākathañca bhikkhūnaṃ kattā, attanā ca samādhisampanno samādhisampadākathañca
bhikkhūnaṃ kattā, attanā ca paññāsampanno paññāsampadākathañca bhikkhūnaṃ kattā, attanā ca
vimuttisampanno vimuttisampadākathañca bhikkhūnaṃ kattā, attanā ca vimuttiñāṇadassanasampanno
vimuttiñāṇadassanasampadākathañca bhikkhūnaṃ kattā, ovādako viññāpako sandassako samādapako samuttejako
sampahaṃsako sabrahmacārīna’nti?
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leads to his decline.60
In another sutta (A IV 352), the tenfold talk is stated to be one of the five
proximate causes for the development of the aids to enlightenment. It also says that it is only a
bhikkhu, who has a good friend, a good companion and a good comrade, will get to hear these
ten talks. And this, together with the other proximate causes, leads to the development of the four
things, viz., the perception of impurity for abandoning lust, loving kindness for abandoning
malevolence, mindfulness of breathing for cutting off thoughts, and the perception of
impermanence for eradicating egotism.61
The Meghiyasutta (A IV 357; Ud 36), which appears
both in the Aṅguttara Nikāya and in Udāna, points out that the tenfold talk is one of the five
things, the practice of which contributes to the maturation of the liberation of mind (cetovimutti).
The sutta further illustrates that once Meghiya thera, who was then an attendant of the Buddha,
on his return from alms round from Jantugāma62
came across the Kimikāla River. While walking
along the bank of the river he saw a Mango Grove that was delightful and which he thought
would be a suitable place for a clansman (kulaputta) to strive for his practice. Subsequently
having been permitted by the Buddha, he was said to have entered the grove and meditated. But
soon he was surprised to learn that three kinds of bad, unwholesome thoughts recurrently
occurring in his mind, which he was probably not expecting to arise.63
When he approached to
the Buddha to clarify this matter, the Buddha explained him about the five things, including the
60
A III 117: ‘Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, sekho bhikkhu yāyaṃ kathā ābhisallekhikā cetovivaraṇasappāyā,
seyyathidaṃ – appicchakathā santuṭṭhikathā pavivekakathā asaṃsaggakathā vīriyārambhakathā sīlakathā
samādhikathā paññākathā vimuttikathā vimuttiñāṇadassanakathā, evarūpiyā kathāya na nikāmalābhī hoti na
akicchalābhī na akasiralābhī; riñcati paṭisallānaṃ, nānuyuñjati ajjhattaṃ cetosamathaṃ.
61 A IV 353: ‘Tena ca pana, bhikkhave, bhikkhunā imesu pañcasu dhammesu patiṭṭhāya cattāro dhammā uttari
bhāvetabbā – asubhā bhāvetabbā rāgassa pahānāya, mettā bhāvetabbā byāpādassa pahānāya, ānāpānassati
bhāvetabbā vitakkupacchedāya, aniccasaññā bhāvetabbā asmimāna samugghātāya.
62 In DPPN, Jantugāma was said to be a village near Cālika, and close to the village was the river Kimikālā. It was
also said to be a village in Pācinavamsamigadāya. See: DPPN, s.v. Jantugāma.
63 Ud 36: As he went forth from home into homelessness out of faith, Meghiya found it surprising that during his
practice of meditation the three unwholesome thoughts, viz., thoughts of sensuality, ill-will, and cruelty, arose in his
mind (Atha kho āyasmato meghiyassa etadahosi – ‘‘acchariyaṃ vata bho, abbhutaṃ vata bho! Saddhāya ca
vatamhā agārasmā anagāriyaṃ pabbajitā. Atha ca panimehi tīhi pāpakehi akusalehi vitakkehi anvāsattā,
seyyathidaṃ – kāmavitakkena, byāpādavitakkena, vihiṃsāvitakkena).
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tenfold talk, that lead to the maturation of the liberation of mind indicating that without the
maturation, the mind will not be freed from the threefold unwholesome thoughts.64
The canonical texts do not provide an in depth treatment of the ten subjects of discussion.
It is in the commentarial literature that we find a detailed explanation of the talks. Apart from the
commentary to the RVS, there are at least two other places in the commentarial literature where
the ten subjects of discussion are enumerated. They are: 1) the section on the commentary to
Udāna of the Paramatthadīpani (Ud-a 227-233), and 2) the Saddhammapajjotika, a commentary
to Niddesa (Nidd-a 327-333). A brief discussion of the ten subjects of discussion is give below.
In the commentary to RVS, ‘appicchatā’ or ‘having little wish’ is described as one of the
four types of wishing (-icchatā). The other three are: ‘wishing for more’ (atricchatā), ‘having
evil wish’ (pāpicchatā), and ‘wishing for the best’ (mahicchatā).65
It says, while appicchatā
should be developed, the remaining three should be avoided.66
One with little wish is said to be
free from even the subtlest evil desire in him (Ps II 138: Na hi tassa anto aṇumattā pi pāpikā
icchā nāma atthi). Again, the ‘little wish’ is enumerated to be fourfold, viz., little wish for
requisites (paccaya-appiccha), little wish regarding the ascetic practices (dhutaṅga-appiccha),
little wish regarding learning (pariyatti-appiccha), and little wish regarding attainment
(adhigama-appiccha).67
The ‘little wish for requisites’ refers to accepting the fourfold requisites,
viz., robes, foods, lodging, and medicine, according to one’s necessity and considering the
capacity of the donor. About the ‘little wish regarding the ascetic practices’, ‘learning’ and
‘attainments’, it is said that, even though a monk has been practicing ascetic practices for a long
period of time, much learned and attained various noble states such as stream entrance
64
Ud 36: Aparipakkāya, meghiya, cetovimuttiyā ime pañca dhammā paripākāya saṃvattanti.
65 Ps II 138: Apicettha atricchatā pāpicchatā mahicchatā appicchatāti ayaṃ bhedo veditabbo.
66 Having given up the three types of wishing, venerable Puṇṇa is said to have developed the ‘little wish’ himself
and taught it to other bhikkhus. Cf. Ps II 141: Āyasmā pana puṇṇo atricchataṃ pāpicchataṃ mahicchatañca pahāya
sabbaso icchāpaṭipakkhabhūtāya alobhasaṅkhātāya parisuddhāya appicchatāya samannāgatattā appiccho nāma
ahosi. Bhikkhūnampi, ‘‘āvuso, atricchatā pāpicchatā mahicchatāti ime dhammā pahātabbā’’ti tesu ādīnavaṃ
dassetvā evarūpaṃ appicchataṃ samādāya vattitabbanti appicchakathaṃ kathesi.
67 Ps II 140: Aparopi catubbidho appiccho – paccayaappiccho dhutaṅgaappiccho pariyattiappiccho
adhigamaappicchoti.
Page 25
(sotāpanna) and so on, yet he does not make them known to others.68
He is one who keeps them
within himself and is satisfied by that.
The Ps (II 141) provides following definition of santuṭṭha or contentment. It says,
contentment should be understood as being endowed with satisfaction in whatever requisites a
monk receives from devotees (Santuṭṭho ti itaritarapaccayasantosena samannāgato). The
requisites here refer to the fourfold requisite as mentioned in the description of the first talk
above. A monk is said to practice contentment in three manners with each single requisite.69
The
practice of threefold contentment with regard to the four requisites thus sums up to be twelve
types of contentment.
The threefold contentment are: 1) contentment in whatever is obtained
(yathālābhasantosa), 2) contentment in whatever power he has (yathābalasantosa), and 3)
contentment in whatever is suitable for him (yathāsāruppasantosa). In his practice of the first
type of contentment, it is said that, a monk is satisfied with whatever robes, foods, lodgings, and
medicine offered by the devotees. In other words, he does not have desire or wish for any
specific type of requisites. The second type of contentment is spoken of for a bhikkhu who is
weak, effected by sickness and is aged. If such a bhikkhu is offered requisites that are not
suitable for him or he feels uncomfortable using them, he should exchange them with a fellow
monk and use the suitable ones so that he could continue his practice. In the practice of the third
type of contentment a bhikkhu, even though receives a number of robes, foods, lodgings and
medicine, shares them with the fellow bhikkhus in need, and he lives the life the way he has been
living it. The text explains that he collects rags and worn out cloths and uses them as robes. For
foods, he goes for alms round, collects mixed food and eat it. He does not accept any specific
lodging as he dwells under open sky or at the root of trees. Making medicine with urine and
Myrobalan, he uses it and become satisfied with it.70
68
Ps II 140-141.
69 Ps II 141: So panesa santoso dvādasavidho hoti. Seyyathidaṃ, cīvare yathālābhasantoso yathābalasantoso
yathasāruppasantosoti tividho, evaṃ piṇḍapātādīsu.
70 Cf. Ps II 141-143.
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The third talk, the talk of seclusion or paviveka-kathā is described to be threefold. They
are: 1) seclusion of body (kāya-paviveka), 2) seclusion of mind (citta-paviveka), and 3) seclusion
of clinging (upadhi-paviveka). The bodily seclusion of a meditator refers to dwelling of a
meditator all alone at all time. He is alone when he walks, stands, sits, lies down, goes for alms
round, and wanders and so on.71
The mental seclusion refers to the obtainment of the eight
attainments (aṭṭha-samāpatti). It is interesting to note that the ‘endowment in concentration’
(samādhi-sampadā), which is the seventh talk in the list, is also described as the obtainment of
these eight attainments. The commentary however points out that in the case of samādhi they are
to be understood as basis for insight (vipassanāpādaka).72
And the third type of seclusion, the
seclusion of clinging is defined as nibbāna, an attainment where individuals are free from
attachments (nirupadhi) and divested of all material things (visaṅkhāragata).73
The asaṃsagga-kathā or the talk of dissociation, which is the fourth talk, is enumerated
as abstention from five kinds of association, because they contribute to the arising of lust in the
mind of the meditator. The fivefold associations are: 1) association by hearing, 2) association by
seeing, 3) association by conversation, 4) association by using, and 5) association by body.74
The fifth talk, the strenuous effort (āraddha-viriya), is understood as an exercise of
‘complete physical and mental effort’ (paripuṇṇa-kāyika-cetasika-viriya). It is said that if there
is defilement arisen while one is walking, he does not allow it to reach until standing. He
overcomes it while still walking.75
Further the Ps (II 147) enumerates that one uses strenuous
effort just as seizing a black snake oppressing with magic spell or attacking the enemy by its
neck.
71
Ps II 143: Tattha eko gacchati, eko tiṭṭhati, eko nisīdati, eko seyyaṃ kappeti, eko gāmaṃ piṇḍāya pavisati, eko
paṭikkamati, eko caṅkamamadhiṭṭhāti, eko carati, eko viharatīti ayaṃ kāyapaviveko nāma.
72 Ps II 147: samādhī ti vipassanāpādakā aṭṭha samapattiyo.
73 Ps II 143: Upadhiviveko ca nirupadhīnaṃ puggalānaṃ visaṅkhāragatāna’nti
74 Ps II 143: Asaṃsaṭṭhoti pañcavidhena saṃsaggena virahito. Savanasaṃsaggo dassanasaṃsaggo
samullapanasaṃsaggo sambhogasaṃsaggo kāyasaṃsaggoti pañcavidho saṃsaggo.
75 Ps II 147: Yo hi bhikkhu gamane uppannakilesaṃ ṭhānaṃ pāpuṇituṃ na deti, ṭhāne uppannakilesaṃ nisajjaṃ…
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Among the remaining talks are the talk of virtue (sīla-kathā), concentration (samādhi-
kathā), wisdom (paññā-kathā), deliverance (vimutti-kathā) and knowledge and vision of
deliverance (vimutti-ñāṇa-dassana-kathā). These talks are not provided with very little
explanation in the commentary. Fourfold virtue of purity (catuparisuddhi-sīla) is discussed under
sīla-kathā. In his monumental text Visuddhimagga, Ācariya Buddhaghosa provides detail
explanations of these fourfold virtue (Vism 6-46): virtue of pātimokkha restraint (pātimokkha-
saṃvara-sīla), virtue of restraints of the sense faculty (indriya-saṃvara-sīla), virtue of livelihood
purification (ājīva-parisuddhi-sīla) and virtue concerning requisites (paccaya-sannissita-sīla).
As it has been discussed earlier concentration here refers to the eight attainments that
include four form absorptions (rūpa-jhāna) and four formless absorptions (arūpa-jhāna).
Wisdom is said to be consisted of twofold knowledge (ñāṇa) – mundane (lokiya) and supra-
mundane (lokuttara).76
In the commentary to Udāna, mundane knowledge is said to include the
knowledge by hearing, the knowledge by thinking, the knowledge by developing, the knowledge
associated with jhāna, and the knowledge of insight. And the supra-mundane knowledge
includes the knowledge of the path and of the fruition in it.77
Deliverance is explained to be the
attainment of the noble fruitions (ariya-phala). This certainly refers to the four noble fruitions,
viz., fruition of stream entry, of once returner, of non-returner, and of arahat. And the last of the
ten talks, the knowledge and vision of liberation, is said to refer to having nineteen types of
reflective knowledge (ekūnavīsatividhaṃ paccavekkhāṇa-ñānaṃ).78
The Paṭisambhidhamagga-
aṭṭhakatha explains these knowledge to be connected with the realization of the fourfold noble
persons.79
76
Kv, 602.
77 Ud-a 233: Tathā paññāpi lokiyā sutamayā cintāmayā jhānasampayuttā vipassanāñāṇañca. Visesato panettha
vipassanāpaññā gahetabbā, lokuttarā maggapaññā phalapaññā ca.
78 Ps II 147: Sīlasampannotiādīsu sīlanti catupārisuddhisīlaṃ. Samādhīti vipassanāpādakā aṭṭha samāpattiyo.
Paññāti lokiyalokuttarañāṇaṃ. Vimuttīti ariyaphalaṃ. Vimuttiñāṇadassananti ekūnavīsatividhaṃ
paccavekkhaṇañāṇaṃ.
79 Paṭs-a I 31: Iti sotāpannassa ariyasāvakassa pañca paccavekkhaṇāni honti. Yathā ca sotāpannassa, evaṃ
sakadāgāmianāgāmīnampi. Arahato pana avasiṭṭhakilesapaccavekkhaṇaṃ nāma natthīti cattāriyeva
paccavekkhaṇāni. Evaṃ sabbāni ekūnavīsati paccavekkhaṇañāṇāni.
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§2.4 A General Survey of the Sevenfold Purification (satta-visuddhi)
As recorded in the RVS, when asked by Sāriputta, Puṇṇa told that the paramount
objective for ‘living the holy life’ (brahmacariya) under the blessed one was to obtain the ‘final
nibbāna without clinging’ (anupādā-parinibbāna). He made it vibrant that the holy life was not
lived for the purpose of obtaining the seven purifications, singly or wholly, because they are with
clinging whereas the final nibbāna is without clinging.
How the seven purifications are to be practiced? They are to be practiced methodically
and successively. Hence the seven purifications form a progressive path where each preceding
purification functions as a necessary cause for obtaining the following ones until one attains to
the seventh purification which ultimately contributes to the obtainment of the anupādā-
parinibbāna. The analogy provided was that of the relay chariots (rathavinīta). It says ‘just as
the king of Kosala, the Pasenadi, while going from Sāvatthī to Sāketa on the relay chariots,
mounts on the second chariot only after leaving the first one, in the same way, a bhikkhu too
should leave the first purification so as to attain to the second one’. Thus each preceding
purification should be left to proceed on to the following ones.
Nonetheless, ‘leaving’ (nissajja) in this context does not mean literally ‘giving up’. What
it means is that each preceding purification is supportive to the attainment of the purifications
that follow. In other words, without the attainment of the preceding purifications, which function
as a necessary cause, the practice and the attainment of the subsequent purifications are not
possible.80
Thus accomplishment in each purification takes the practitioner one step closer to the
final realization, the anupādā-parinibbāna.
The only text that provides a full treatment of these seven purifications is the
Buddhaghosa’s monumental work the Visuddhimagga. The Papañcasudāni, in fact, clearly states
that a detailed explanation of the purifications is given in the Visuddhimagga.81
And thus we find
not even a brief explanation of the purifications in the commentary. Buddhaghosa, in his text,
80
Cf. Bodhi, 2006, 345: These seven stages of purification are to be attained in sequence, each being the support for
the one that follows.
81 Ps II 155: Tāsaṃ vitthārakathā Visuddhimagge vuttā.
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presents the seven purifications in terms of the three trainings, viz. virtue, concentration and
wisdom. While the first purification is enumerated in the section of virtue, the second
purification in the section of concentration, and the rest of the purifications are treated in the
section of wisdom.
I shall now present a brief survey of the seven purifications which, according to the
Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha, actually constitute the insight meditation.82
Among the seven
purifications, the first six are categorized as mundane (lokiya) and the seventh one as supra-
mundane (lokuttara).83
The following chart presents a glimpse of Buddhaghosa’s presentation, in his
Visuddhimagga, of the practices attached to the seven purifications.
Seven purifications Corresponding practices
1) purification of virtue 1) the virtue of pātimokkha-restraint
2) the virtue of restraint of the sense faculties
3) the virtue of livelihood-purification
4) the virtue concerning requisites
2) purification of mind 1) access concentration
2) four form-absorptions, and
3) four formless-absorptions
3) purification of view correct seeing of mind and matter
4) purification of overcoming
doubt
knowledge of the conditions of mind and
matter
5) purification of knowledge
and vision of the path and not
path
1) knowledge of comprehension
2) knowledge of contemplation of rise and
fall (tender)
6) purification of knowledge
and vision of the means
knowledge of contemplation:
2) of rise & fall (mature)
3) of dissolution
4) of appearance as terror
5) of danger
6) of dispassion
7) of desire for deliverance
8) of reflection
9) of equanimity about formations, and
82
Abhidh-s CST4 9.43: Tasmiṃ vipassanākammaṭṭhāne sattavidhena visuddhisaṅgahoti sambandho. Also cf.
Bodhi, 2006, p. 345.
83 Cf. Bodhi, 2006, p. 346.
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10) knowledge in conformity with the truth
between 6 and 7 purifications knowledge of change of lineage
7) purification of knowledge
and vision
knowledge of the four paths:
a) of stream entry
b) of once returner
c) of non-returner, and
d) of arahant
The sīla-visuddhi or the purification of virtue is explained as the foundation for the
subsequent practices, viz. samādhi and paññā. The Dīgha Nikāya, for example, states that
concentration, when cultivated being fully established in virtue; and wisdom, when cultivated
being fully established in concentration; produce great fruits and profits. Thus a mind that is
filled with such wisdom is completely free from all kinds of impurities and hindrances’.84
The
very first verse in the Vuddhimagga also speaks in the same line. The verse reads:
“When a wise man, established well in virtue,
Develops consciousness and understanding,
Then as a bhikkhu ardent and sagacious
He succeeds in disentangling his tangle.”85
The sīla-visuddhi, just as the sīla-sampāda-kathā of the ten subjects of discussion, refers
to purity of fourfold virtue. The Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha (CST4 9.49), for example, gives
following definition of sīla-visuddhi. It says ‘the purification of virtue means the purity of
fourfold virtue, namely, the virtue of pātimokkha restraint, the virtue of restraint of sense faculty,
the virtue of livelihood purification, and the virtue concerning requisites’ (Pātimokkha-saṃvara-
sīlaṃ indriya-saṃvara-sīlaṃ ājīva-pārisuddhi-sīlaṃ paccaya-sannissita-sīlañceti catu-
pārisuddhi-sīlaṃ sīlavisuddhi nāma). According to the Visuddhimagga,86
the pātimokka-
saṃvara-sīla refers to dwelling of a bhikkhu in proper conduct and resort, undertaking the
84
D II 98: Sīlaparibhāvito samādhi mahapphalo hoti mahānisaṃso. Samādhiparibhāvitā paññā mahapphalā hoti
mahānisaṃsā paññāparibhāvitaṃ cittaṃ sammadeva āsavehi vimuccati.
85 Vism 1, originally from S I 13: Sīle patiṭṭhāya naro sapañño cittaṃ paññca bhāvayaṃ, Ātāpī nipako bhikkhu so
imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭanti; the English translation is adopted from Ñāṇamoli, 1956, p. 5.
86 Vism 15-16; also cf. Bodhi, 2006, p. 348.
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precepts seeing fear in the slightest fault. The indriya-saṃvara-sīla means guarding properly the
sense organs such as eye, ear etc. when coming in contact with sense objects such as form, sound
and so on; and thus not allowing any evil, unwholesome mental states to arise. The ājīva-
pārisuddhi-sīla is explained to be leading a livelihood by a bhikkhu which is ethical and which
does not entail evil stages such as ‘scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, and pursuing gain with
gain’ and so on. And finally the paccaya-sannissita-sīla refers to the usage of the four requisites
properly with wise reflection by a bhikkhu.
The citta-visuddhi or the purification of mind is the second stage in the practice of the
seven purifications. Being firmly established in the purification of virtue, a meditator proceeds
on to purify his mind. This stage is comprised of the eight attainments together with access
concentration (Cf. Paṭis I 106; Vism CSCD 2.220: cittavisuddhīti saupacārā aṭṭha samāpattiyo).
The eight attainments include the four absorptions of the fine material sphere (rūpa-jhāna) and
the four absorptions of the immaterial sphere (arūpa-jhāna).87
The access concentration
(upacāra-samādhi) is said to be the prerequisite and a proximate cause for the arising of the
‘absorption concentration’ (appanā-samādhi). The absorption-concentration is so called due to it
being present throughout the absorptions. The Visuddhimagga presents an extensive discussion
of the forty meditation objects (kammaṭṭhāna) contributing to the development of both these
concentrations.88
These kammaṭṭhānas are said to be practised by a meditator following the
vehicle of tranquillity (samathayāna), not by one following the vehicle of insight
(vipassanāyāna). Because a vipassanāyānika, also called a practitioner of the dry insight
meditation (sukkhavipassaka), is not required to develop the citta-visuddhi. Just after the
purification of morality, he could directly take up the practice of insight meditation. However, he
87
Cf. NBD and PED, s.v. samāpatti and jhāna; the Vibhaṅga (343) speaks of nine successive attainments, of which
the ninth one which is the attainment of neither perception and nor non-perception is not counted in the citta-
visuddhi. The nine attainment are: ‘Samāpattī’ti Nava anupubbavihārasamāpattiyo – paṭhamajjhānasamāpatti,
dutiyajjhānasamāpatti, tatiyajjhānasamāpatti, catutthajjhānasamāpatti, ākāsānañcāyatanasamāpatti,
viññāṇañcāyatanasamāpatti, ākiñcaññāyatanasamāpatti, nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasamāpatti,
saññāvedayitanirodhasamāpatti’.
88 The forty subjects of meditation (kammaṭṭhāna) are enumerated extensively in the Visuddhimagga (118-340) in
relation to the attainments of the eight jhānas.
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develops a certain kind of momentary-concentration (khaṇika-samādhi) which is equated with
the access-concentration.89
The diṭṭhi-visuddhi or the purification of view is the first of the five purifications in the
category of wisdom. The five purifications, starting with the purification of view to the
purification of knowledge and vision, are said to form the ‘body’ (sarīra) of wisdom. The first
two of the seven purifications, namely, the purification of virtue and the purification of mind,
constitute the roots (mūla) and the things such as aggregates, bases, elements, faculties, truths,
dependent origination etc. are said to function as the soil (bhūmi) of wisdom.90
In the Visuddhimagga, the purification of view is defined as the ‘correct seeing of the
mentality and materially’.91
The Abhidhammatthasaṅgaha defines it as the ‘understanding of the
mentality-materiality in respect to their characteristics, taste, and proximate cause’ (Abhidh-s
CST4 9.51: Lakkhaṇarasapaccupaṭṭhānapadaṭṭhānavasena nāmarūpa pariggaho diṭṭhivisuddhi
nāma). It is explained that this purification could be developed by both the ones following the
vehicle of serenity and the ones following the vehicle of insight. The meditators are said to
perceive the mentality and materiality in terms bending (namana) and molested (ruppana)
respectively.92
At this stage the meditator is said to possess an analytical knowledge of mind and
matter, and thus he starts to comprehend the non-existence of a permanent self within him.93
The kaṅkhāvitaraṇa-visuddhi or the purification of overcoming doubt is defined as ‘an
understanding established through overcoming doubt about three periods of time by discerning
89
Cf. Bodhi, 2006, pp. 348-349.
90 Vism 443: … ettha pana yasmā imāya paññāya khandhāyatanadhātuindriyasaccapaṭiccasamuppādādibhedā
dhammā bhūmi. Sīlavisuddhi ceva cittavisuddhi cāti imā dve visuddhiyo mūlaṃ. Diṭṭhivisuddhi,
kaṅkhāvitaraṇavisuddhi, maggāmaggañāṇadassanavisuddhi, paṭipadāñāṇadassanavisuddhi, ñāṇadassanavisuddhīti
imā pañca visuddhiyo sarīraṃ. Cf. Ñāṇamoli, 1956, p. 488.
91 Vism 587: tattha nāmarūpānaṃ yāthāvadassanaṃ diṭṭhivisuddhi nāma.
92 Vism 588: Tato namanalakkhaṇaṃ nāmaṃ, ruppanalakkhaṇaṃ rūpan ti saṅkhepato nāmarūpaṃ vavatthapeti.
93 Cf. Bodhi, 2006, p. 349.
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conditions of that same mentality and materiality’.94
This stage is also defined as the ‘knowledge
of discerning conditions’ (paccayapariggañāṇa).95
Because at this stage the meditator
comprehends the causes and conditions behind the origination of mentality and materiality. In
this regard, the Visuddhimagga (598) presents an apt simile that says that it is like a skilled
physician, encountering a disease, seeks for its origin. Among others, the meditator is said to
understand the causes and conditions for materiality to be fivefold, viz., ignorance, craving,
clinging, kamma and nutriment. And the causes and conditions for the mentality to be the contact
between the sense organs, sense objects and sense consciousness. And he perceives these as
causes and conditions not only for the origination of the present mind and matter, but also of the
past and future.96
Thus it is about understanding properly the causes and conditions of mind and
matter.
The fifth purification in the series which is the purification of knowledge and vision of
the path and not path (maggāmagga-ñāṇadassana-visuddhi) is an understanding of the
distinction between the true path that will lead to nibbāna and the path that will not. At this stage
the meditator knows clearly that ‘this is the path’ and ‘this is not the path’.97
The meditator
experiences two insight knowledges, namely, the knowledge of comprehension (sammasana-
ñāṇa) and the knowledge of rise and fall (udayabbaya-ñāṇa). Through the knowledge of
comprehension he apprehends the five aggregates of all periods of time and in all their aspects.
He apprehends the five aggregates of past, future or present, internal or external, gross or subtle,
inferior or superior, far or near and so on as impermanent, suffering and without self.98
The
meditator comprehends that only what is subject to fall arises and the arisen undergoes decay
(Vism 633: Ettāvatā’nena vayadhammameva uppajjati, uppannañca vayaṃ upetī ti). Thus with
such an understanding he reaches to the tender stage of the insight knowledge
(taruṇavipassanāñāṇa) and the ten impurities of insight arise in him. With the arising of the ten
94
Vism 598: Etasseva pana nāmarūpassa paccayapariggahaṇena tīsu addhāsu kaṅkhaṃ vitaritvā ṭhitaṃ ñāṇaṃ
kaṅkhāvitaraṇavisuddhi nāma.
95 Cf. Bodhi, 2006, p. 350.
96 Vism 589-599.
97 Vism 606: Ayaṃ maggo, ayaṃ na maggoti evaṃ maggañca amaggañca ñatvā ṭhitaṃ ñāṇaṃ pana
maggāmaggañāṇadassanavisuddhi nāma.
98 Vism 607; Abhidh-s CST4 9.53; also cf. Ñāṇamoli, 1956, p. 706 and Bodhi, 2006, p. 350.
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imperfections, viz., splendour, knowledge, rapture, tranquillity, happiness, determination,
exertion, attentive, equanimity, and longing, the meditator is tend to think that he already reached
the expected path and fruit of the practice and due to that he is diverted from the path.99
The text
‘A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma’ (Bodhi, 2006, p. 352) provides following
interpretation of such confused mental state of the meditator. It says:
“When such elevated experiences occur to a meditator, if he lacks discrimination he will
give rise to the misconception that he has reached the supramundane path and fruit. He
will then drop his insight meditation and sit enjoying these experiences, unaware that he
is clinging to them.”
The Visuddhimagga (637) makes it clear that the ten factors are not imperfections in
themselves. They are called imperfections in the sense that they become basis for the
imperfection. And it is the clinging to them which is the imperfection. If the meditator, without
being attached to the splendour etc., contemplates them as impermanent, suffering and without
self, he is then said to be in the right path. The understanding of the path and not path at this
stage acts as a deciding factor in the practice of insight.
The meditator now is on the right track in his practice of insight meditation. This is said
to be the purification of knowledge and vision of the path (paṭipadā-ñāṇadassana-visuddhi)
which is constituted of nine insight knowledges (vipassanā-ñāṇā). They are: 1) knowledge of
contemplation of rise & fall, 2) knowledge of contemplation of dissolution, 3) knowledge of
contemplation of appearance as terror, 4) knowledge of contemplation of danger, 5) knowledge
of contemplation of dispassion, 6) knowledge of contemplation of desire for deliverance, 7)
knowledge of contemplation of reflection, 8) knowledge of contemplation of equanimity about
formations, and 9) knowledge in conformity with Truth.100
99
Vism 633: Katame pana te dasa upakkilesāti? Obhāso, ñāṇaṃ, pīti, passaddhi, sukhaṃ, adhimokkho, paggaho,
upaṭṭhānaṃ, upekkhā, nikantīti.
100 Vism 639: Aṭṭhannaṃ pana ñāṇānaṃ vasena sikhāppattā vipassanā nava mañca saccānulomikañāṇanti ayaṃ
paṭipadāñāṇadassanavisuddhi nāma. Aṭṭhannanti cettha upakkilesavimuttaṃ vīthipaṭipannaṃ vipassanā saṅkhātaṃ
udayabbayānupassanāgñāṇaṃ bhaṅgānupassanāñāṇaṃ bhayatu paṭṭhānañāṇaṃ ādīnavānupassanāñāṇaṃ
nibbidānupassanāñāṇaṃ mudvitukamyatāñāṇaṃ paṭisaṅkhānupassanāñāṇaṃ saṅkhārūpekkhā ñāṇanti imāni aṭṭha
ñāṇāni veditabbāni. Navamaṃ saccānulomikañāṇanti anulomassetaṃ adhivacanaṃ…
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The first insight knowledge, the knowledge of contemplation of rise and fall, is said to
continue from the previous stage of the practice. The Visuddhimagga (639) explains that it is
now the matured state of the knowledge. It is said that at the earlier state, this knowledge of rise
and fall is weak due to the interference of the ten imperfections. And thus the meditator is not
able to perceive fully the three universal characteristics of the phenomenal world. But at this
stage, being freed from the imperfections, he is able to do so. Gradually passing through the
insight knowledges one by one, he reaches to the knowledge in conformity with Truth
(saccānulomikañāṇan). This is said to be the preceding phase before the knowledge of change of
lineage (gotrabhūñāṇa) in the cognitive process. In Bodhi (2006, p. 354), it is said that: ‘This
phase of insight is called conformity because it conforms to the functions of truth both in the
preceding eight kinds of insight knowledge and in the path attained to follow’.
The last and the final purification in the list is the purification of knowledge and vision
(ñāṇadassana-visuddhi). Prior to entering into the practice of this purification the meditator is
said to pass through a few moments of cognitive change from the plane of ordinary man to the
plane of noble ones. This intermediate state between the last moment of the purification of
knowledge and vision of the path and the first moment of the purification of knowledge and
vision is called the knowledge of change of lineage. Now the meditator is a noble person,
because he has already entered in the supra-mundane path. This purification thus consists of the
knowledge of the four paths, viz., 1) the path of stream entry, 2) the path of once return, 3) the
path of non-return, and 4) the path of arahat-hood.101
The meditator, understanding thoroughly
the four noble truths in terms of ‘complete understanding’ (pariññā), ‘overcoming’ (pahāna),
‘realizing’ (sacchikiriya), ‘developing’ (bhāvana), enters the first path which is then followed by
two three moments of fruit consciousness.102
Thus he passes through the seven noble stages,
from the path of stream entry to the path of arahat-hood, and reach to the eighth stage, the
101
Vism 672; Ñāṇamoli, 1956, p. 785.
102 Bodhi, 2006, p. 356.
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fruition of arahat-hood. In the process the meditator comes across nineteen kinds of reviewing
knowledge (paccavekkhaṇañāṇa) regarding the four paths.103
This, in brief, is an exposition of the seven purifications that should be practiced
successively, if a bhikkhu wishes to obtain the final nibbāna without clinging.
§2.5 The Classification of the dasakathāvatthu, and sattavisuddhi into Threefold
Training (tisso-sikkhā)
The RVS tells us that Sāriputta generated a wish to meet Puṇṇa, after he had heard Puṇṇa
being praised by his fellow monks, in front of the Buddha in Rājagaha, for possessing the ten
subjects of discussion and teaching them to the co-dwelling monks. But when Sāriputta finally
met Puṇṇa in the Andhavana in Vesalī, instead of discussing the ten subjects of discussion, he
asked questions on the seven purifications. And Puṇṇa, without any difficulty, answered all the
questions properly (see § 2.1). The legitimate question therefore is why Sāriputta chose to
discuss with Puṇṇa the seven purifications, not the ten subjects of discussion.104
The commentary
to the RVS (Ps II 157-158) explains that the ten subjects of discussion and the seven
purifications are actually the same thing. The only difference is that something which is
explained briefly in the purifications is explained in detail in the discussions (kathā) and vice
versa. Thus it says that when asking about the seven purifications, Sāriputta actually asked about
the ten subjects of discussion. Puṇṇa too, when explaining about the seven purifications,
explained about the ten subjects of discussion.105
The commentary, in fact, presents a
classification of the purifications and the discussions to show which teaching in each category
103
The nineteen reviewing knowledges consist of five knowledges regarding the path of stream entry, once-return,
non-return each and four knowledges regarding the path of arahanthood. Cf. Vism 676; Ñāṇamoli, 1956, pp. 789-
790.
104 Ps II 157: Iti āyasmantaṃ puṇṇaṃ dasakathāvatthulābhiṃ dhammasenāpatisāriputtatthero satta visuddhiyo
pucchi. Āyasmā puṇṇo dasa kathāvatthūni vissajjesi. Evaṃ pucchanto pana dhammasenāpati kiṃ jānitvā pucchi,
udāhu ajānitvā?
105 Ps II 158: Tasmā sāriputtatthero satta visuddhiyo pucchanto na aññaṃ pucchi, dasa kathāvatthūniyeva pucchi.
Puṇṇattheropi satta visuddhiyo vissajjento na aññaṃ vissajjesi, dasa kathāvatthūniyeva vissajjesīti. Iti ubhopete
jānitvā titthakusalā hutvā visayeva pañhaṃ pucchiṃsu ceva vissajjesuṃ cāti veditabbo.
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covers which other teachings. The classification seems to be formulated in terms of threefold
training – virtue, mind/concentration and wisdom.106
purifications talks
1) purification of virtue 1) talk of little wish
2) talk of contentment
4) talk of dissociation
6) talk of virtue
2) purification of mind 3) talk of seclusion
5) talk of strenuous effort
7) talk of concentration
3) purification of view
4) purification of overcoming doubt
5) purification of knowledge and vision of the path and
not path
6) purification of knowledge and vision of the means
7) purification of knowledge and vision
8) the talk of wisdom
9) talk of liberation
10) talk of knowledge
and vision
As it is clear from the table, the virtue and mind are two purifications that cover seven talks in
them and the wisdom is a talk that covers the last five purifications in it. The last two talks from
the list are left out. However, in the Papañcasudanī (Ps I 97), we find another classification of the
ten subjects of discussion into threefold training where the last two talks are added together with
the talks of wisdom in the category of wisdom.107
106
Ps II 158: Visuddhīsu hi ekā sīlavisuddhi cattāri kathāvatthūni hutvā āgatā appicchakathā santuṭṭhikathā
asaṃsaggakathā, sīlakathāti. Ekā cittavisuddhi tīṇi kathāvatthūni hutvā āgatā – pavivekakathā, vīriyārambhakathā,
samādhikathāti, evaṃ tāva yaṃ visuddhīsu saṃkhittaṃ, taṃ kathāvatthūsu vitthiṇṇaṃ. Kathāvatthūsu pana ekā
paññākathā pañca visuddhiyo hutvā āgatā – diṭṭhivisuddhi, kaṅkhāvitaraṇavisuddhi,
maggāmaggañāṇadassanavisuddhi, paṭipadāñāṇadassanavisuddhi, ñāṇadassanavisuddhīti, evaṃ yaṃ
kathāvatthūsu saṃkhittaṃ, taṃ visuddhīsu vitthiṇṇaṃ.
107 Ps I 97-98: Dasa kathāvatthūni paripūrāni tisso sikkhā paripūressanti. Kathaṃ? Etesu hi appicchakathā
santosakathā asaṃsaggakathā sīlakathāti imā catasso kathā adhisīlasikkhāsaṅgahitāyeva. Pavivekakathā
vīriyārambhakathā samādhikathāti imā tisso adhicittasikkhasaṅgahitā. Paññākathā vimuttikathā
vimuttiñāṇadassanakathāti imā tisso adhipaññāsikkhāsaṅgahitāti. Evaṃ dasa kathāvatthūni paripūrāni tisso sikkhā
paripūressanti. Tisso sikkhā paripūrā pañca asekkhadhammakkhandhe paripūressanti.
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threefold training ten talks
higher virtue 1) talk of little wish
2) talk of contentment
4) talk of dissociation
6) talk of virtue
higher mind 3) talk of seclusion
5) talk of strenuous effort
7) talk of concentration
higher wisdom 8) the talk of wisdom
9) talk of liberation
10) talk of knowledge and vision
The seven purifications are also classified and discussed in terms of the threefold training by
Buddhaghosa in his Visuddhimagga.
threefold training purifications
virtue 1) purification of virtue
concentration 2) purification of mind
wisdom 3) purification of view
4) purification of overcoming doubt
5) purification of knowledge and vision of the path and not path
6) purification of knowledge and vision of the means
7) purification of knowledge and vision
From the above discussion and the tables what we can understand is that the last three talks, viz.,
the talk of wisdom, liberation and knowledge and vision, should contain the last five
purifications in them, as both set of teachings come under the category of wisdom. So, when
classified the ten subjects of discussion and the sevenfold purification together into threefold
training, we find the following picture.
threefold
training
ten talks seven purifications
virtue 1) talk of little wish
2) talk of contentment
4) talk of dissociation
1) purification of virtue
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6) talk of virtue
mind 3) talk of seclusion
5) talk of strenuous effort
7) talk of concentration
2) purification of mind
wisdom 8) the talk of wisdom
9) talk of liberation
10) talk of knowledge and vision
3) purification of view
4) purification of overcoming doubt
5) purification of knowledge and vision
of the path and not path
6) purification of knowledge and vision
of the means
7) purification of knowledge and vision
§2.6 The Simile of the Relay Chariots (ratha-vinīta)
As it is clear from the text, the simile of the relay chariot is employed to point out the
gradual nature of the practice of the seven purifications. It shows how a practitioner should
progress in his spiritual journey step by step following the sevenfold purification, just as the king
Pasenadi of Kosala travels from Sāvatthī to Sāketa using seven relay chariots. It says the king
has an urgent matter to settle in Sāketa. Seven relay chariots are made ready for him in between
Sāvatthī to Sāketa. The king taking the first chariot goes up to the second one, dismounting from
the first he mounts on to the second one, likewise the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and finally the
seventh chariot by which he reaches the final destination. The sevenfold purification too should
be understood in this way. The first among the seven purifications, the purification of virtue, is
for the sake of reaching the second one, i.e., the purification of mind. Likewise the third, fourth,
fifth, sixth, and finally the seventh purification by which one reaches to the complete nibbāna
without clinging.
The simile is one that is carefully chosen by Puṇṇa. The chariot was probably a
prestigious and quick transportation exclusively used by people of elite society like kings and
millionaires. The simile illustrates that it was a very urgent matter that the king needed to attend
to in Sāketa. And the seven relay chariots were not just prestigious, but probably the safe and
sound carriage for the king to travel and reach to the destination. Understood thus it means the
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sevenfold purification is a quick and elegant path to reach the ‘anupādā parinibbāna’.108
This
path is completed by those who have greatly enhanced their capabilities of understanding. The
yogī must be fully aware of the goal that the practice was leading to. In fact, the sutta reports that
when asked by Sāriputta, Puṇṇa said that it is for the sake of attaining the anupādā parinibbāna
that one should practice the holy life.109
A similar expression is found in the Saṃyutta Nikāya
which says that the destruction of taints is for him who knows and sees, not for him who does not
know and see.110
The Buddhaghosa in his Visuddhimagga points out various criteria of the
people and the relevant paths of practices following which the deliverance could be obtained.
Although the seven purifications are shown as a gradual practice where one needs to
proceed from one stage to the next, it is not exactly like the relay chariots that one leaves behind
each preceding chariot to proceed to the succeeding one. In the case of the purifications each
preceding purification functions as a basis for the succeeding ones. Unlike the used relay chariots
one does not leave it behind, it remains within the practitioner with the change of the focus or
emphasis. Thus when one is established in virtue only can proceed to the purification of the
mind. But when developing the mind, one does not leave out the virtue. In fact, one factor
becomes the cause for developing the other. While virtue contributes to the development of the
mind, the well-developed mind contributes to the refinement of virtue.111
§2.7 Defining ‘anupādā-parinibbāna’
The ultimate objective of the Buddhist spiritual practice is to obtain the final
emancipation called nibbāna or parinibbāna. It is a state of complete freedom from saṃsāric
existence characterized by greed, hatred, and delusion. Thus nibbāna is explained as a state free
108
Not only by following seven visuddhis one could reach to the ‘anupādā parinibbāna’, but according to the
Anupādāparinibbāna Sutta the noble eightfold path is also a way to attain it. S V 28: katamo ca, bhikkhave, maggo,
katamā ca paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāya? ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṃ – sammādiṭṭhi…pe…
sammāsamādhi. ayaṃ, bhikkhave, maggo, ayaṃ paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyāti.
109 M I 148: Anupādā parinibbānatthaṃ kho āvuso Bhagavati brahmacariyaṃ vussatī ti.
110 S V 434: Jānato ahaṃ bhikkhave, passato āsavānaṃ khayaṃ vadāmi. No ajānato no apassato.
111 Cf. Anālayo, 2011a, p. 167.
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from these three roots of unwholesome psychology.112
Two elements of nibbāna have commonly
been discussed throughout the Buddhist literatures. They are the saupādisesa-nibbāna-dhātu, and
the anupādisesa-nibbāna-dhātu. There is no difference in practice to obtain the two types of
nibbāna. They are classified in terms of upādi being present or absent. The former is a nibbāna
with the upādi still present, and the latter is a nibbāna with the upādi absent.113
Upādi here refers
to the five aggregates. Thus the saupādisesa-nibbāna-dhātu refers to the experience of nibbāna
by the practitioner, the arahant, while still living with bone and flesh in this very world. It is also
called kilesa-parinibbāna, because of the complete extinction of the defilements. The
anupādisesa-nibbāna-dhātu is just state of the same experience after the breaking up of the five
aggregates. It is also termed as khandha-parinibbāna because of the extinction of the five
aggregates.
It seems the anupādā-parinibbāna actually refers to the saupādisesa-nibbāna, for it is
achieved and experienced by the arahants in this very life. The specific practices mentioned for
the attainment of this are the sevenfold purification,114
the kāyagatasati,115
and the noble
eightfold path.116
The Saṃyutta Nikāya in fact states that the dhamma is taught for the attainment
112
S IV 251: ‘‘Yo kho, āvuso, rāgakkhayo dosakkhayo mohakkhayo – idaṃ vuccati nibbāna’’nti.
113 Paṭis-a I 323: Anupādisesāya nibbānadhātuyāti duvidhā hi nibbānadhātu saupādisesā ca anupādisesā ca. Tattha
upādīyate ‘‘ahaṃ mamā’’ti bhusaṃ gaṇhīyatīti upādi, khandhapañcakassetaṃ adhivacanaṃ. Upādiyeva seso
avasiṭṭhoti upādiseso, saha upādisesena vattatīti saupādisesā. Natthettha upādisesoti anupādisesā. Saupādisesā
paṭhamaṃ vuttā. Ayaṃ pana anupādisesā. Tāya anupādisesāya nibbānadhātuyā.
114 M I 149: ‘‘Evameva kho, āvuso, sīlavisuddhi yāvadeva cittavisuddhatthā, cittavisuddhi yāvadeva
diṭṭhivisuddhatthā, diṭṭhivisuddhi yāvadeva kaṅkhāvitaraṇavisuddhatthā, kaṅkhāvitaraṇavisuddhi yāvadeva
maggāmaggañāṇadassanavisuddhatthā, maggāmaggañāṇadassanavisuddhi yāvadeva
paṭipadāñāṇadassanavisuddhatthā, paṭipadāñāṇadassanavisuddhi yāvadeva ñāṇadassanavisuddhatthā,
ñāṇadassanavisuddhi yāvadeva anupādāparinibbānatthā. Anupādāparinibbānatthaṃ kho, āvuso, bhagavati
brahmacariyaṃ vussatī’’ti.
115 A I 44: ‘‘Ekadhammo, bhikkhave, bhāvito bahulīkato paññāpabhedāya saṃvattati… anupādāparinibbānāya
saṃvattati. Katamo ekadhammo? Kāyagatā sati. Ayaṃ kho, bhikkhave, ekadhammo bhāvito bahulīkato
paññāpabhedāya saṃvattati… anupādāparinibbānāya saṃvattatī’’ti.
116 S V 28: Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṃ – sammādiṭṭhi…pe… sammāsamādhi. Ayaṃ, bhikkhave,
maggo, ayaṃ paṭipadā anupādāparinibbānāyāti.
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of the anupādā-parinibbāna.117
It is understood that the dhamma which is the collection of the
teachings of the Buddha when practiced should necessarily leads to the final emancipation,
nibbāna. The teachings are broadly divided into threefold training, viz., virtue, concentration,
and wisdom. The sevenfold purification and the noble eightfold path too fall in this category of
threefold training. But how the kāyagatasati contributes to the attainment of the anupādā-
parinibbāna is not very clear. That is precisely because among the forty kammaṭṭhānas discussed
in the Visuddhimagga, this together with the ten foulness is mentioned to lead only to the first
jhāna.
The commentary to the RVS provides two interpretations of the anupādā-parinibbāna
taking upādāna to mean grasping (gahaṇa) and support (paccaya). The first view is that the
anupādā-parinibbāna is result of the attainment of arahant-hood and it is devoid of fourfold
grasping, viz., of sense pleasure (kāmupādāna), of view (diṭṭhupādāna), of precepts and rituals
(sīlabbatupādāna), and of self-view (attavādupādāna). His defilements are completely extinct at
this point. The second view is that the anupādā-parinibbāna is that which is devoid of any
support (appaccaya). The paccaya here is understood as the twelve links of dependent
origination. It does not arise due to any support, thus it is unconditioned (asaṅkhata), just a
deathless element (amatadhātu). This is said to be the end, the summit, the complete perfection
that one can ever obtain.
The Aṅguttara Nikāya identifies the arahant who attains the anupādā-parinibbāna to be
an ubhatobhāga-vimutta. It says: ‘with the destruction of taints, he has realized for himself with
direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and
having entered upon it, he dwells in it.’118
This is of course in agreement with the exposition of
the seven purifications where the practitioner first being established in virtue, developed
concentration and obtains all the jhānas and then moves to the practice of wisdom meditation by
which he attains to the noble paths and fruitions culminating in the attainment of the arahant-
hood.
117
S IV 47: ‘‘Anupādāparinibbānatthaṃ khvāhaṃ, bhante, bhagavatā dhammaṃ desitaṃ ājānāmī’’ti.
118 Cf. A IV 13: So āsavānaṃ khayā anāsavaṃ cetovimuttiṃ paññāvimuttiṃ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṃ abhiññā
sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. Tr. By Bodhi (2012, p. 1006).