Title page
Contents (Detailed, by Topic and Paragraph No.)
Printed Editions of the Visuddhimagga
Translations of the Visuddhimagga
Other Works
List of Abbreviations for Texts Used
Other Abbreviations
Message from his Holiness the Dalai Lama
Publisher’s Foreword to Third Edition
Publisher’s Foreword to Fourth Edition
Translator’s Preface
Introduction
Background and Main Facts
The Visuddhimagga and its Author
The Vimuttimagga
Trends in the Development of Theravāda Doctrine
The Paramatthamañjusā
Some Main Threads in the Visuddhimagga
Concerning the Translation
Concluding Remarks
Chapter I Description of Virtue (Sīla-niddesa)
[I. Introductory]
[II. Virtue]
Chapter II The Ascetic Practices (Dhutaṅga-niddesa)
[The 13 kinds of Ascetic Practices]
Chapter III Taking a Meditation Subject (Kammaṭṭhāna-gahaṇa-niddesa)
[A. Development in Brief]
[B. Development in Detail]
Chapter IV The Earth Kasiṇa (Pathavī-kasiṇa-niddesa)
[The Eighteen Faults of a Monastery]
[The Five Factors of the Resting Place]
[The Lesser Impediments]
[Detailed Instructions for Development]
[The Earth Kasiṇa]
[Making an Earth Kasiṇa]
[Starting Contemplation]
[The Counterpart Sign]
[The Two Kinds of Concentration]
[Guarding the Sign]
[The Ten Kinds of Skill in Absorption]
[The Five Similes]
[Absorption in the Cognitive Series]
[The First Jhāna]
[Extension of the Sign]
[The Second Jhāna]
[The Third Jhāna]
[The Fourth Jhāna]
[The Fivefold Reckoning of Jhāna]
Chapter V The Remaining Kasiṇas (Sesa-kasiṇa-niddesa)
[The Water Kasiṇa]
[The Fire Kasiṇa]
[The Air Kasiṇa]
[The Blue Kasiṇa]
[The Yellow Kasiṇa]
[The Red Kasiṇa]
[The White Kasiṇa]
[The Light Kasiṇa]
[The Limited-Space Kasiṇa]
[General]
Chapter VI Foulness as a Meditation Subject (Asubha-kammaṭṭhāna-niddesa)
[General Definitions]
[The Bloated]
[The Livid]
[The Festering]
[The Cut Up]
[The Gnawed]
[The Scattered]
[The Hacked and Scattered]
[The Bleeding]
[The Worm-Infested]
[A Skeleton]
[General]
Chapter VII Six Recollections (Cha-anussati-niddesa)
[(1) Recollection of the Enlightened One]
[Accomplished]
[Fully Enlightened]
[Endowed With Clear Vision and Virtuous Conduct]
[Sublime]
[Knower of Worlds]
[Incomparable Leader of Men to be Tamed]
[Teacher of Gods and Men]
[Enlightened]
[Blessed]
[(2) Recollection of the Dhamma]
[Well Proclaimed]
[Visible Here and Now]
[Not Delayed]
[Inviting of Inspection]
[Onward-Leading]
[Is Directly Experienceable by the Wise]
[(3) Recollection of the Saṅgha]
[Entered on the Good, Straight, True, Proper Way]
[Fit for Gifts]
[Fit for Hospitality]
[Fit for Offering]
[Fit for Salutation]
[As an Incomparable Field of Merit for the World]
[(4) Recollection of Virtue]
[(5) Recollection of Generosity]
[(6) Recollection of Deities]
[General]
Chapter VIII Other Recollections as Meditation Subjects (Anussati-kammaṭṭhāna-niddesa)
[(7) Mindfulness of Death]
[Definitions]
[Development]
[Eight Ways of Recollecting Death]
[Conclusion]
[(8) Mindfulness Occupied with the Body]
[Text]
[Word Commentary]
[Development]
[The Sevenfold Skill in Learning]
[The Tenfold Skill in Giving Attention]
[Starting the Practice]
[The Thirty-two Aspects in Detail]
[Head Hairs]
[Body Hairs]
[Nails]
[Teeth]
[Skin (Taca)]
[Flesh]
[Sinews]
[Bones]
[Bone Marrow]
[Kidney]
[Heart]
[Liver]
[Midriff] [28]
[Spleen]
[Lungs]
[Bowel]
[Entrails (Mesentery)]
[Gorge]
[Dung]
[Brain]
[Bile]
[Phlegm]
[Pus]
[Blood]
[Sweat]
[Fat]
[Tears]
[Grease]
[Spittle]
[Snot]
[Oil of the Joints]
[Urine]
[The Arising of Absorption]
[(9) Mindfulness of Breathing]
[Text]
[Word Commentary]
[Word Commentary Continued—First Tetrad]
[Method of Development]
[Word Commentary Continued—Second Tetrad]
[Word Commentary Continued—Third Tetrad]
[Word Commentary Continued—Fourth Tetrad]
[Conclusion]
[(10) Recollection of Peace]
Chapter IX The Divine Abidings (Brahmavihāra-niddesa)
[(1) Loving-Kindness]
[Getting Rid of Resentment]
[The Breaking Down of the Barriers—The Sign]
[Texts and Commentary]
[(2) Compassion]
[(3) Gladness]
[(4) Equanimity]
[General]
[Meanings]
[Characteristic, Etc.]
[Purpose]
[The Near and Far Enemies]
[The Beginning, Middle and End, Etc.]
[The Order in Extension]
[The Outcome]
[Four Questions]
[As Producing Three Jhānas and Four Jhānas]
[The Highest Limit of Each]
Chapter X The Immaterial States (Āruppa-niddesa)
[(1) The Base Consisting of Boundless Space]
[Text and Commentary]
[(2) The Base Consisting of Boundless Consciousness]
[Text and Commentary]
[(3) The Base Consisting of Nothingness]
[Text and Commentary]
[(4) The Base Consisting of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception]
[Text and Commentary]
[General]
Chapter XI Concentration—Conclusion: Nutriment and the Elements (Samādhi-niddesa)
[Perception of Repulsiveness in Nutriment]
[Defining of The Elements: Word Definitions]
[Texts and Commentary in Brief]
[In Detail]
[Method of Development in Brief]
[Method of Development in Detail]
[(1) With Constituents in Brief]
[(2) With Constituents by Analysis]
[(3) With Characteristics in Brief]
[(4) With Characteristics by Analysis]
[Additional Ways of Giving Attention]
[Development of Concentration—Conclusion]
[The Benefits of Developing Concentration]
Chapter XII The Supernormal Powers (Iddhividha-niddesa)
[The Benefits of Concentration (Continued)]
[(1) The Kinds of Supernormal Power]
Chapter XIII Other Direct-knowledges (Abhiññā-niddesa)
[(2) The Divine Ear Element]
[(3) Penetration of Minds]
[(4) Recollection of Past Lives]
[(5) The Divine Eye—Knowledge of Passing Away and Reappearance of Beings]
[General]
Chapter XIV The Aggregates (Khandha-niddesa)
[A. Understanding]
[B. Description of the Five Aggregates]
[The Materiality Aggregate]
[The Consciousness Aggregate]
[The 89 Kinds of Consciousness—see Table III]
[The 14 Modes of Occurrence of Consciousness]
[The Feeling Aggregate]
[The Perception Aggregate]
[The Formations Aggregate—see Tables II & IV]
[According to Association with Consciousness]
[C. Classification of the Aggregates]
[Materiality]
[Feeling]
[Perception, Formations and Consciousness]
[D. Classes of Knowledge of the Aggregates]
Chapter XV The Bases and Elements (Āyatana-dhātu-niddesa)
[A. Description of the Bases]
[B. Description of the Elements]
Chapter XVI The Faculties and Truths (Indriya-sacca-niddesa)
[A. Description of the Faculties]
[B. Description of the Truths]
[The Truth of Suffering]
[(i) Birth]
[(ii) Ageing]
[(iii) Death]
[(v) Lamentation]
[(vi) Pain]
[(vii) Grief]
[(viii) Despair]
[(ix) Association with the Unloved]
[(x) Separation from the Loved]
[(xi) Not to Get What One Wants]
[(xii) The Five Aggregates]
[The Truth of the Origin of Suffering]
[The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering]
[Discussion on Nibbāna]
[The Truth of the Way]
[General]
Chapter XVII The Soil of Understanding—Conclusion: Dependent Origination (Paññā-bhūmi-niddesa)
[Section A. Definition of Dependent Origination]
[Section B. Exposition]
[I. Preamble]
[II. Brief Exposition]
[III. Detailed Exposition]
[(i) Ignorance]
[(ii) Formations]
[The 24 Conditions]
[How Ignorance is a Condition for Formations]
[No Single Fruit from Single Cause]
[(iii) Consciousness]
[(1) Kinds of Mundane Resultant Consciousness]
[(2) The Occurrence of Resultant Consciousness]
[2. (a) In the Course of an Existence]
[2. (b) At Rebirth-Linking]
[How Kamma is a Condition]
[(3) How Formations are a Condition for Consciousness]
[(iv) Mentality-Materiality]
[(v) The Sixfold Base]
[(1) Mentality as Condition]
[(3) Mentality-Materiality as Condition]
[(vi) Contact]
[How the Sixfold Base is a Condition for Contact]
[(vii) Feeling]
[(viii) Craving]
[(ix) Clinging]
[How Craving is a Condition for Clinging]
[(x) Becoming]
[How Clinging is a Condition for Becoming]
[(xi)–(xii) Birth, Etc.]
[Section C. The Wheel of Becoming]
[(i) The Wheel]
[(ii) The Three Times]
[(iii) Cause and Fruit]
[(iv) Various]
Chapter XVIII Purification of View (Diṭṭhi-visuddhi-niddesa)
[Defining of Mentality-Materiality]
[(1) Definition Based on the Four Primaries]
[(2) Definition Based on the Eighteen Elements]
[(3) Definition Based on the Twelve Bases]
[(4) Definition Based on the Five Aggregates]
[(5) Brief Definition Based on the Four Primaries]
[If the Immaterial Fails to Become Evident]
[How the Immaterial States Become Evident]
[No Being Apart from Mentality-Materiality]
[Interdependence of Mentality and Materiality]
Chapter XIX Purification by Overcoming Doubt (Kaṅkhāvitaraṇa-visuddhi-niddesa)
[Ways of Discerning Cause and Condition]
[Neither Created by a Creator nor Causeless]
[Its Occurance is Always Due to Conditions]
[General and Particular Conditions]
[Dependent Origination in Reverse Order]
[Dependent Origination in Direct Order]
[Kamma and Kamma-Result]
[No Doer Apart from Kamma and Result]
[Full-Understanding of the Known]
Chapter XX Purification by Knowledge and Vision of What is the Path and What is Not the Path (Maggāmagga-ñāṇadassana-visuddhi-niddesa)
[The Three Kinds of Full-Understanding]
[Insight: Comprehension by Groups]
[Comprehension by Groups—Application of Text]
[Strengthening of Comprehension in Forty Ways]
[Nine Ways of Sharpening the Faculties, Etc.
[Comprehension of the Material]
[(a) Kamma-Born Materiality]
[(b) Consciousness-Born Materiality]
[(c) Nutriment-Born Materiality]
[(d) Temperature-Born Materiality]
[Comprehension of the Immaterial]
[The Material Septad]
[The Immaterial Septad]
[The Eighteen Principal Insights]
[Knowledge of Rise and Fall—I]
[The Ten Imperfections of Insight]
Chapter XXI Purification by Knowledge and Vision of the Way (Paṭipadā-ñāṇadassana-visuddhi-niddesa)
[Insight: The Eight Knowledges]
[1. Knowledge of Rise and Fall—II]
[2. Knowledge of Dissolution]
[3. Knowledge of Appearance as Terror]
[4. Knowledge of Danger]
[5. Knowledge of Dispassion]
[6. Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance]
[7. Knowledge of Reflection]
[Discerning Formations as Void]
[8. Knowledge of Equanimity about Formations]
[The Triple Gateway to Liberation]
[The Seven Kinds of Noble Persons]
[The Last Three Knowledges are One]
[Insight Leading to Emergence]
[The Twelve Similes]
[The Difference in the Noble Path’s Factors, Etc.]
[9. Conformity Knowledge]
[Sutta References]
Chapter XXII Purification by Knowledge and Vision (Ñāṇadassana-visuddhi-niddesa)
[I. Change-of-Lineage, Paths, and Fruits]
[The First Path—First Noble Person]
[The First Fruition—Second Noble Person]
[The Second Path—Third Noble Person]
[The Second Fruition—Fourth Noble Person]
[The Third Path—Fifth Noble Person]
[The Third Fruition—Sixth Noble Person]
[The Fourth Path—Seventh Noble Person]
[The Fourth Fruition—Eighth Noble Person]
[II. The States Associated with the Path, Etc.]
[The Four Functions]
[The Four Functions in a Single Moment]
[The Four Functions Described Separately]
[Conclusion]
Chapter XXIII The Benefits In Developing Understanding (Paññābhāvanānisaṃsa-niddesa)
[A. Removal of the Defilements]
[B. The Taste of the Noble Fruit]
[C. The Attainment of Cessation]
[D. Worthiness to Receive Gifts]
Conclusion
[Postscript]
Pali-English Glossary of Some Subjects and Technical Terms
Table I.The Materiality Aggregate [1]
Table II.The Formations Aggregate [1]
Table III. Consciousness Aggregate[1]
Table IV. The Combination of the Formations Aggregate and Consciousness Aggregate [1]
Table V. The Cognitive Series in the Occurrence of Consciousness (citta-vīthi) as Presented in the Visuddhimagga and Commentaries
Table VI.Dependent Origination (paṭicca-samuppāda)[1]