THE SEVEN PURIFICATIONS,
THE FIVE STAGES IN VIPASSANA,
AND THE NINE STEPS IN THE
PERFECTION OF KNOWLEDGE
Ven. Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
I. Moral purity
II. Mental purity
Ill.(1) Freedom from false views
IV.(2) Freedom from doubt
V.(3) Knowledge and vision of what is the true Path
VI.(4) Knowledge and vision of the progress along the Path
(a) Knowledge of arising and passing away
(b) Knowledge of passing away
(c) Awareness of fearsomeness
(d) Awareness of danger
(e) Disenchantment
(f) Desire for freedom
(g) Struggle to escape
(h) Imperturbability
(i) Readiness to perceive the Four Noble Truths
VII.(5) Full intuitive insight
The Purification consisting of freedom from misunderstanding
implies the elimination of all false views, both
inborn and acquired. It covers the whole range from irrational
belief in magic to false ideas as to the true nature of things
to, instance, regarding this body and mind as something
enduring something worthwhile, a self; seeing it as animal,
human being, celestial being, or god, or as something
magical or sacred; failing to perceive that it consists of just
the four elements, or of just body plus mind, and regarding
it instead as a possessing a soul or spirit, which
enters and leaves it; failing to see it as consisting of the
five aggregates; body feeling, perception, active thinking and
consciousness; failing to see it as just a mass of perceptions
received by way of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and
mind. False views lead to belief in magic and sacred objects,
and so give rise to fear. Rites and rituals are then performed
to neutralize the fear, and the end result is firm attachment
to rites and rituals -- all on account of false views. Such
a situation indicates viewe that are not as yet faultless. To
have given up false views is to have attained what was
originally called the third Purification, and what later teachers
classed the first stage in Vipassana.
The Purification consisting of freedom from doubt is
brought about by introspection into causes. With freedom from
false views, one sees oneself as just body plus mind. Freedom from
doubt consists in perceiving the nature of the
causes responsible for the coming into existence of the body-mind
complex. One sees penetratingly and in fine detail the coming into
existence
and the interaction of ignorance , desire, grasping and clinging, karma,
"nutriment," and so on, to form body and mind. Freedom from doubt results
simply from this clear knowledge of the causes and effects
of all things. In the Vipassana system, teachers recognize twenty -nine or
thirty kinds of doubt, but summed up they all amount to doubt as to
whether or not "one's self" exists, whether or not "one's self" existed
previously, whether or not 'one's self" will continue to exist in the future and , if
so, in what form. The only way doubt can be completely dispelled is to realize
that there is no "I," but only elements , aggregates, a nervous system
together with such causes as ignorance, craving, and attachment, karma,
"nutriment," and so on. Because no real "I" is involved at all, one starts
giving up the unclear idea: "I am, I have been, I shall be." With the complete
eradication of doubt, the second stag in Vipassana has been achieved. This does
not mean that the "I" -conceit has been given up for good and all ; fine vestiges
are still present. Adequate understanding of the mode. of interaction of
causes has resulted in the dispelling of doubt and has made it possible to
give up the idea of "I" in its grossest forms
When doubt has basin transcended, it becomes possible to bring
about the Purification consisting of perfect
knowledge as to what is the right path to follow and what is not.
There exist several obstacles to this further progress, which
usually arise in the course of Vipassana practice. While the mind is in
a concentrated state, there are likely to arise various strange
phenomena with which the meditator may become overawed, such
as wonderful impressive auras seen in the mind's eye (the physical
eyes being shut). If these effects are purposely encouraged, they
can become highly developed: and if the meditator jumps to the
conclusion that "this is the Fruit of Vipassana practice," or congratulates
himself saying. "This is something supernatural; this will do me!" and
the like, the arising of these phenomena is liable to bar the way to
the true Path and Fruit. Consequently, teachers consider it a side
track, a blind alley. Another example is the arising of feelings of joy
and contentment which continually overflow the mind to such an
extent that it becomes incapable of any further introspection, or
jumps to the conclusion that "this is Nirvana, right here and now," so
that the way becomes blocked and further progress is impossible.
This is another obstruction to insight. Teachers say, furthermore,
that even insight into the nature of body and mind may sometimes
lead to self satisfaction and the delusion that the meditator has a
remarkable degree of spiritual insight, so that he becomes over
confident. This too is an obstacle to progress in Vipassana.
Occasionally the meditator may make use of the mental power he
has developed to make his body go rigid, with the result that
he loses the awareness necessary for further introspection. This is a
stubborn obstacle in the path to further progress, yet meditators
usually approve of it, regarding it as a supernatural faculty, or oven as
the Fruit of the Path. Anyone who becomes so pleased with and
infatuated by the attainment of deep concentration, this sitting with body
rigid and devoid of all sensation, that he is unable to progress further
in Vipassana, is in a most pitiable position.
Another condition that may very easily come about is a blissful rapture
the like of which the meditator has never
encountered before. Once arisen it induces wonder and amazement and
unjustified self satisfaction. While the rapture lasts, the body and the
mind experience extreme
bliss and all problem vanish. Things that formerly were liked or
disliked are liked or disliked no longer when recalled to mind. Things
the meditator had formerly feared and dreaded or worried and fretted
over no longer induce those reactions, so that he gets the
false idea that he has already attained liberation, freedom from all
defilements; because for as long as he is in that condition he has all the
characteristics of a genuinely perfected individual. Should satisfaction
arise with raspect to this condition, it acts as an obstacle to further
progress in Vipassana. And in time the condition will fade away so that
things formerly liked or disliked will be liked or disliked again just as
before, or even more so.
Yet another kind of obstacle involves faith. Faith or confidence never
felt before becomes firmly established, for example confidence in the
Threefold Gem, Buddha, Dhamme, and Sangha, or in theories the
meditator thinks out for himself. There may even come about a most
intense satisfaction in Dhamma. The ability to remain unmoved by anything
becomes so strongly developed that it may even delude the meditator
into believing he has already attained the Fruit of the Path and Nirvana
itself. These things are a great difficulty for anyone encountering them
for the first time. As you can see they constitute a barrier in the way of
Vipassana. The meditator, however, is likely to regard them as highly
desirable until such time as he develops the unobscured knowledge
that these things are in fact obstacles and succeeds in cutting out these
finer defilements completely. This knowledge of what is the right path
and what is not constitutes the third stage in Vipassana and the fifth
Purification.
Until such time as the aspirant has developed this knowledge of what
really constitutes the right path, he has to be always steering himself
away from the various side tracks. Once this knowledge of the path to
be followed has become fully established, however any further
knowledge will automatically develop along the right line. It will progress
step by step, bringing correctly clear understanding of the true nature
of things and ultimately perfect freedom from,
and noninvolvement in things. The mind, equipped with this right
understanding, is all set to allain insight into the Four Noble Truths,
and is said to have attained the Purity by Knowledge and Vision of the progress
along the Path. This is counted as the fourth stage in Vipassana and
the sixth Purification. The Tipitaka contains no detailed explanation of the
stages in this Knowledge and Vision of the progress along the Path,
but later teachers recognized in it nine steps, as follows:
a) Vipassana has progressed properly, and the birth, ageing, pain, and
death of phenomena have been thoroughly scrutinized. The arising and
passing away of phenomena has been perceived in all clarity. All
phenomenal existence a seen to consist of just an endless process of
arising and ceasing like the glittering dazzle on the surface of the sea, or
like the he forming and bursting of the foamy
crests of waves. This is known as knowledge of arising and passing
away (Udayabbayanupassana - nana). It is brought about by
concentrated introspection so clear, and sustained for so long a time that
the knowledge becomes firmly established, like a dye absorbed by the
mind, powerful enough to make the meditator become disenchanted
with things and give up clinging to them. This is the first step in the
Knowledge and Vision of the Progress along the Path.
b). Arising and passing away, if observed simultaneously,
cannot be perceived with such clarity as they can If either one is
concentrated on separately. At this stage, the meditator gives up
watching one of the two, namely arising, and concentrates exclusively
on the passing away. This permits him to see the process of
disintegration and decay in such depth and intensity that he comes to
realize that decay and perishing are universally evident no matter
where in the world one looks. A mind dwelling in this knowledge is said
to be equipped with knowledge of decay and dissolution
(Bhanganupassana nana). This Is the second step in the developing
of knowledge.
c) Knowledge of decay and dissolution, when sufficiently well
developed, gives rise next to the awareness that all things are to be
feared. All phenomenal existence, whether in the sensual realm, in the
form realm, or in the formless realm, is seen as inherently fearsome. All
spheres of existence are seen as thoroughly fearsome because the
decay and dissolution of all phenomena is perceived in every
conscious moment. Thus an intense apprehension arises in the mind of
one possessing this awareness and becomes established as a
genuine fear. This awareness sees nothing but fearsomeness, like
poison, or deadly weapons, or vicious armed bandits, completely filing
the three spheres of phenomenal existence nothing but fearsomeness.
This awareness of the fearsomeness (Bhayatupatthana-nana) of all
phenomenal existence is reckoned as the third step.
d) When awareness of the completely fearsome nature of all phenomenal
existence has been fully developed, there will arise in its turn awareness that
all things are inherently dangerous. To become involved in things is not safe.
They are like a forest full of dangerous beasts, and anyone seeking
diversion in that forest finds nothing pleasing there. This awareness
of the danger (Adinavan-upassana - hare) inherent in all phenomenal
existence is the fourth step.
e) When all things am seen to be in every way full of
danger, this gives rise to disenchantment. Things are seen
as resembling a burnt-out house of which nothing remains but ashes and a skeleton,
utterly unattractive. This disenchantment (Nibbidan-upassana - nana) with
having to be associated with conditioned things is the fifth step in the
developing of knowledge.
f) When genuine disenchantment has become established,
there arises a desire to become really free from those things,
This is quite unlike our ordinary desire for freedom, which,
lacking the power of concentration or insight to boost it up,
is not a real desire for freedom. The disenchantment arising
out of Vipassana insight involves the entire mind; and the
desire for freedom is as great as the disenchantment, so
is very real and genuine This desire to escape from the
unsatisfactoriness of phenomenal existence is as great as
the desire for freedom of a frog struggling to escape from
a snake's jaws, or the desire for freedom of a deer or bird
struggling to break loose from a snare. This real desire to escape
(Muncitukamyata - nana) from unsatisfactoriness is the sixth step.
g) Now with the full development of the desire to escape, there
arises a feeling of an intense struggling to find a way out, an
everpresent feeling that, phenomenal existence being as it is,one
has to escape from it, Introspecting, one perceives the clinging and
one perceives the defilements that are the cause of the mind's
bondage, the fetters binding it securely to that condition.
Consequently one seeks for ways of weakening the defilements.
Then seeing the defilements weakened, one sets about destroying
them completely.
This weakening of the defilements is illustrated by means of a simile.
A man goes to his fish trap and pulls out a snake thinking it to be a
fish. When told it is a snake, he doesn't believe it, at least not unit he
meets a wise, benevolent, and sympathetic teacher, who guides and
instructs him so that he comes to realize that it is in fact
a snake. He then becomes afraid and searches about for
a means of killing it. He grabs the snake by the neck and, lifting it
above his head, swings it in a circle until it is worn out and falls down
dead. This simile illustrates the arising of the knowledge that the
defilements are the cause of peoples bondage to a condition much to
be feared and dreaded.
If one has no technique for reducing the force of the defilements day by
day, eradicating them is bound to be impossible. The power of the
defilements far exceeds that of the still meagre knowledge to be used in
destroying them; hence knowledge must be developed and
increased, and the suffering produced by the defilements will
simultaneously diminish. Always maintaining and developing the
knowledge that all things are transient, worthless, and devoid of
selfhood, that they are not worth getting or being, serves to cut off the
food supply to the defilements, weakening them day by day. It behoves
us to build ourselves up, develop, become more skillful and ingenious.
By this means, we can conquer defilements the size of mountains,
small though we may be. Our situation can be compared to that of a
small mouse faced with the job of killing several tigers. We have to be
really steadfast and always on the lookout for means appropriate to a
small mouse. If we get nowhere, we must use all sorts of devices and
techniques to weaken those tigers day by day rather than trying to kill
them outright. This intense search for a way of escape (Patisankhan-
upassana - nana) constitutes the seventh step in the Knowledge and
Vision of the Progress along the Path.
h) This weakening of the defilements serves to make us progressively
more and more independent of and oblivious to things. So this next step
in the developing of right understanding, which results in
imperturbability with respect
to all things, consists in seeing all phenomena as empty, as devoid of
essence, as devoid of status such as "animal" or "person," devoid
of substance or real permanence, devoid of worth because they are
thoroughly unsatisfactory, and devoid of all attraction because they are
thoroughly disenchanting. Ultimately the mind becomes independent of
and unperturbed by anything in any realm of existence. Things
formerly likable, desirable, and infatuating, come to be seen as lumps of
rock and earth.
This too has been explained by means of a simile. A man who has
always loved a certain woman may one day experience a change of
heart and stop loving her. For instance, he will stop loving his wife if
she is unfaithful. Once divorced, however, he is free to go ahead and do as
he pleases; his mind can be unperturbed. And at this level of
knowledge, conditions hitherto delightful, each in its own way, are
recognized as devoid of substance, so that on
can be independent of them and unperturbed by them in all
circumstances, just like the man who becomes independent on
divorcing his wife. This indifference to all phenomena
(Sankharupekka - nana) is the eighth step.
i) The mind thus independent of and unmoved by all phenomenal
existence is ready to perfect the Path and know the Four Noble Truths
(Saccanulomika - nana). At this stage one is all set to overcome the
defilements, to break the
fetters binding one to the world, and become an Ariyan of one degree or
another. This is the ninth step in the process of Knowledge and Vision of
the Progress along the Path.
When this stepwise developing of knowledge, from knowledge of
arising and passing away up to the state of readiness to perceive the
Four Noble Truths, has been carried through to completion, one is said
to have achieved the fourth state in Vipassana, or the sixth
Purification.
The pure and perfect knowledge it yields is an instrument that reveals to
the meditator the path by which he has come, and can lead on to the
perfect intuitive insight that will destroy the defilements.
This perfect intuitive insight, or Purity of Knowledge and Vision, the
seventh Purification, is the insight that arises out of the perfected
Path, It is the goal, the Fruit of Vipassana practice. This insight that arises
out of the perfected Path is the fifth and final stage in Vipassana.
In between the state of readiness to perceive the Noble Truths and this
perfect intuitive insight comes qualifying knowledge (Gotrabhu - nana),
which marks the point of transition from the ordinary defiled individual
to the Ariyan. But this qualifying knowledge lasts only an instant. It is the
culmination of the progressive perfection of knowledge and is still at the
level of good karma, still in the sensual realm.
To sum up, then, Vipassana has as its foundation marality and
concentration. What do we examine? The answer is: We examine all
things, or to use other terms, the world, or phenomenal existence, or
conditioned things, or the five aggregates, since all phenomenal
existence consists of nothing apart from the five aggregates. What do
we aim at seeing as a result of this scrutiny? We aim at seeing the
transience, the unsatisfactoriness, the nonselfhood inherent in all
things In the world. We observe them arising , persisting, and
ceasing until we come to perceive them as absolutely fearsome
and disenchanting, and realize that nothing Is worth getting or being.
These are the conditions that ought to arise in Vipassana practice.
What is the objective of Vipassana? The immediate objective of
Vipassana is to reduce delusion, the meaning of "Vipassana" being
"clear vision." What is the fruit of Vipassana? The fruit is the arising
of clear intuitive insight, clear and enduring insight into the nature of all
things, which ultimately will reduce the defilements to nothing. With the
defilements gone, there is just perfection, enlightenment, peace. Nothing
remains to bind the mind to any worldly condition. As a result, there
comes about a slipping free from the world, this place of slavery to
sensuality. The mind is freed of suffering because it's freed for good of
all craving or desire. Buddha called this the attainment of the cessation
of suffering, the attainment of the Fruit of the Path, Nirvana.
To have achieved this is to have carried out to completion the task
Buddhism has set for us.
This shows us the path of insight that has to be walked. There are
seven stages of Purification which must be integrated in this way, and
nine steps in the process of developing krowledge of the world. These
taken together are known as Vipassana. In the Texts it is set out as an
ordered system. The finer details can be found in the books written by
later teachers. There is one important thing that must be realized,
however, in order to avoid misunderstanding. It so happens that even
in the field of Dhamma practice, the highest aspect of Buddhism, there
are misguided people. At the present time there are many who have
got hold of
things that are not Vipassana at all and are presenting them as being
the real thing. They have made Vipassana practice their means of
livelihood. They win people over in order to get classes together,
then proceed to certify them as noble ones (Ariyapuggala), modern
style, all of which is most despicable and regrettable,