English
"the form of strength, the form of arising" the form of birth, the form of sickness, and according to some, the form of torpor." Thus, bringing forth other forms, their rejected nature is declared in the ancient commentaries. In the Great Commentary, "some" is explained as "the residents of Abhayagiri." Among these, the form of birth and the form of torpor are shown in the Vimuttimagga. Not merely a showing, but also the existence of the form of torpor is proven by statements like: "Torpor is of three kinds: born of food, born of season, born of mind. Among these, only that born of mind is a hindrance. The other two can exist even for Arahants." Thus far, it can be known that the Vimuttimagga contains statements not in agreement with the Visuddhimagga, and that the book was accepted by the residents of Abhayagiri. Many other such differing statements are indeed found there, but all of them cannot be shown here. However, its method of composition is mostly like that of the Visuddhimagga. Whatever Pāli passages are brought from the Abhidhamma-Vibhaṅga, or from the Paṭisambhidāmagga, or from other suttas, and shown in the Visuddhimagga as supporting evidence, those very Pāli passages are mostly seen there too. We will extract some of them to illustrate by inference. The Paṭisambhidāmagga Pāli passage shown in the Visuddhimagga (p. 1, 47), beginning with "The five precepts: the abandoning of the taking of life is virtue," is also seen in the Vimuttimagga. And the statement in the Visuddhimagga (p. 1, 137): "Concentration is the opposite of sensual desire... and so on... investigation is of doubt," which is shown as "stated in the Piṭaka," is also shown there in the same way, and designated as "stated in the Tipiṭaka." The name "Tipiṭaka" might have been used to refer to the instruction of the Piṭaka itself. For there, in the explanation of the passage "detached from sensual pleasures," the statement "through the fulfillment of non-greed, detachment from sensual pleasures is attained; through non-hatred; through the fulfillment of non-delusion, detachment from unwholesome states is attained," is shown as having been stated in the Tipiṭaka. And that passage is seen in the Peṭakopadesa (page 262) beginning with, "There, for the fulfillment of non-greed, one is detached from sensual pleasures." And just as in the Visuddhimagga (page 1, 258) the Pāli passage beginning with, "This concentration on mindfulness of breathing, monks, when developed," was brought from the Mahāvagga Saṃyutta and shown, so too it is there. And just as in the Visuddhimagga (page 1, 272) the Pāli passage beginning with, "Following with mindfulness the beginning, middle, and end of the in-breaths," and (page 1, 273) the Saw Simile Pāli passage were brought from the Paṭisambhidāmagga and shown, so too it is there. And just as in the Visuddhimagga (page 2, 69) the Pāli passage beginning with, "What is wisdom born of thought?", and the Pāli passage beginning with, "Therein, what is skill in income?", and (page 2, 71) the Pāli passage beginning with, "Knowledge of suffering is analytical knowledge of meaning," were brought from the Abhidhamma Vibhaṅga and shown, so too it is there. And all the discussions of one-fold, two-fold, etc., classifications of wisdom mentioned there are mostly similar to the discussions mentioned in the Visuddhimagga. "By which eye-sensitivity, one perceives forms; This is subtle, minute, like the tip of a louse's head." This verse is also shown in the Vimuttimagga as having been spoken by the Venerable Sāriputta Thera. The word "ūkāsirasamūpama" (like the tip of a louse's head) is, however, seen there as "ūkāsamūpama" (like a louse), and that might be merely a careless writing of successive scribes. Regarding the Four Noble Truths, a determination is shown, as in the Visuddhimagga, by word-meaning, by characteristic, by being neither deficient nor excessive, by sequence, by inclusion, by classification, and by simile; and that is mostly similar to the Visuddhimagga. And just as in the Visuddhimagga (2, 242-245), in the discussion of the knowledge of comprehension, the method of comprehending the five aggregates individually in eleven ways (past, etc.) and by the three characteristics (impermanence, etc.) is shown, so too it is there. However, regarding the sixty qualities, from eye to old age and death, ending with the investigation of qualities, The method of contemplating phenomena by way of their characteristics of impermanence and so on is shown there. However, in the Visuddhimagga, in the section on the purification of view (on pages 2, 230-232), the verse "The pair of name and form... ...both factors break apart," and the six verses beginning "They do not arise from the eye," and the six verses beginning "They do not arise by their own power," are shown in the Vimuttimagga in the discourse on the knowledge of contemplating dissolution. Only a slight textual difference is seen in them. In the Visuddhimagga (on pages 2, 261-2), the method of contemplating by way of kalāpa and yamaka, mentioned in the discourse on the noble lineages among the formless beings, is shown in the Vimuttimagga right here in the discourse on the knowledge of contemplating dissolution. In the Vimuttimagga, in the discourse on the recollection of the Buddha, in the explanation of the meaning of the word "knower of the world," only two worlds are shown: the world of beings and the world of formations, but not the world of space, as in the Visuddhimagga (on pages 1, 199-200). From this, it is possible to infer what kind of text the Vimuttimagga is. Just as it is not a text of the Mahāvihāra dwellers, so too it is not of the Mahāyānists, because it is based solely on the Theravāda Piṭaka. However, since no name or Theravāda specific to Sri Lanka is found there, it is not a text composed in Sri Lanka. But Indian names and usages are found in many places there, so it might be a text composed in India. And since its reliance on the Peṭakopadesa is seen in many places, and especially the existence of the form of torpor, and its existence even for Arahants is shown based on it, and in the glossary of the Paṭisambhidāmagga, in the explanation of the meaning of the word "Peṭaka" [Paṭi. Ma. Aṭṭha. 1.1.36], it is explained as "Peṭaka is an commentary on the Suttanta Piṭaka, a text of the Mahisāsakas." Therefore, our opinion is that this Vimuttimagga might have been composed by a Mahisāsaka sectarian. Explanation of the Nissaya Commentary Purification The path was made not only in the manner stated before, but also in the manner now being stated. For thus, the Elder Acariya Buddhaghosa, having collected from the ancient commentaries and presenting them by way of language translation, wherever there was a description of meaning, or a decision, or a point of doubt, there he would say "it is stated in the Vinaya Commentary" (1, 263), or "it is stated in the Vinaya Commentaries, but in the Majjhima Commentaries..." (1, 70), or "the Anguttara reciters (say)" (1, 72), or "the decision is according to the opinion of the commentary teachers" (1, 99), or "this is also stated in the commentaries" (1, 118), or "that is rejected in the commentaries" (1, 134), or "this is the view of the Digha reciters and Samyutta reciters, but the Majjhima reciters wish (it to be so)" (1, 267), or "the decision in the commentaries (is so)" or "thus far the Digha reciters, but the Majjhima reciters say" (1, 277), or "in the Anguttara Commentary... etc.... this order is stated, but it does not agree with the Pāli" (1, 309), or "thus far the Majjhima reciters, but the Samyutta reciters (say)" (2, 62), or "it is stated in the Samyutta Commentary" (2, 63), or "but in the Commentary" (2, 80); thus, having clarified the basis for those various descriptions of meaning and decisions, he presented them, dispelling any doubt that might arise for later generations. Therefore, this meaning becomes very clear: that at the time of making this Visuddhimagga, all the Sinhala commentaries were with the Acariya; and that previously they had been heard by the Acariya from the Sinhala Elders; and that having taken all that was to be taken from them, this Visuddhimagga was written by the Acariya. Therefore, what is said in the Mahavamsa – "The Sangha gave him the power of two verses" and so on – the eulogistic statement spoken with the intention that "Acariya Buddhaghosa made the Visuddhimagga by merely looking at two verses and without looking at any other book," that should be understood as merely praise. Display of ancient sayings Not only The teacher showed it as a basis only in the commentary, but also showed the words of the ancients, saying, "But the ancients said..." This is seen in twenty-two places [Visuddhi. 1.15, 137, 142, 217, 252, 303; 2.581, 675-676, 689, 706, 736, 745, 746, 749, 755, 778, 839]. Who, then, are these ancients? They should be understood as the great elders who were included in the reciters of the councils up to the time of the Fourth Council, or those like them. Thus, in the Paṭisambhidāmagga (pp. 292-3): "In light and in knowledge, he trembles with rapture... He is skilled in the agitation of phenomena, and does not fall into distraction." Such verses are shown here (pp. 273-4) as the words of the ancients. If these verses were inserted by the reciters of the councils, just as the verses indicating the lineage of teachers in the Parivāra Pāḷi (p. 3) are shown in the Samantapāsādikā (1, p. 46) as the words of the ancients, then in that case, those very reciters of the councils should be understood as the ancients. Or if they were spoken by the very expounder of the Paṭisambhidāmagga, then those great elders, worthy of respect, trustworthy, and to be believed, like them, should be understood as the ancients. In the Samantapāsādikā, Sumaṅgalavilāsinī, and others, in places where it is said, "But the ancients explain thus,"