The Visuddhimagga ( the way of the purity ) is the most recognized comments theravadin of the Buddhist gun Pali. It was written by Buddhaghosa into 430 after J-C., in Magâdhi.

Introduction

The Rathavinitasutta , speech of Gautama Buddha, sign the parabola of the seven relays. Just as a man must borrow several carriages, taking correspondences, in order to arrive so much so that it wishes, in the same way that which practices, if it wants to reach Nibbana, must pass by seven points. The purity of the discipline allows the purity of the concentration, which allows the purity of the sight, etc

This teaching of Seven purities was initially taken again by the commentator Upatissa. Buddhaghosa was inspired some; Visuddhimagga has these seven purities.
The book comprises four parts, namely:

• the discipline, ethics ( sila ),
• méditative concentration ( Samadhi ),
• the ground of sagacity or wisdom,
• sagacity or wisdom ( prajña ).

Discipline

The discipline, ethics, is the first part of the Buddhist drive, which makes it possible to cultivate the first purity.

• the first part details the discipline: various precepts, various rules which the monk must make an effort to respecter  ;

• It exposes also austerities, which are not mortifications (that Buddhism refuses) but additional exercises (see Dhutanga).

Concentration

It is the second part of the Buddhist drive: Samatha bhavana, which makes it possible to cultivate the second purity.

• It initially acts to describe for the monk how to proceed to find a monastery, a place where to practice, a Master, and other instructions pratiques  ;

• This part describes then the various stages of the concentration méditative : the attack of the Concentration of proximity, then jhana, by using like object the globality of the ground .
• This part describes forty objects of practice making it possible to concentrate - to see Samatha bhavana.
• It describes finally which magic capacities the monk will be able to develop.

Ground of sagacity

It is about the theoretical part, which exposes the " bases of the sagacité" , of wisdom:

• the list of the aggregates, Skandha S;

• fields - āyatana S - and elements - Dhātu S;
• faculties - Indriya S;
• Four noble truths;
• the conditioned Coproduction.

Sagacity

It is about the third and last part of the Buddhist drive, which corresponds to Vipassana bhavana. It makes it possible to cultivate five purities.

• purity of the sight;
• purity in the elimination of the doubts;
• knowledge of the way and nonthe way;
• knowledge and vision of the course;
• knowledge and vision.

Translations

• Faded Text Society, edition in faded, 1921
• Sayâ U EP Maung Chock, The Path off Purity , Faded Text Society, London, 1931
• Henry Clarke Warren, revised by Dharmananda Kosambi, 1950.
• Bhikku Nyanamoli, The Path off Purification , Seattle Pariyatti Publishing (Buddhist Society Publication), 1956
• Christian Maës, the way of the purity , Beech 2002

References

• Mahavihara : the tradition of Buddhaghosa.
• Seven purities organize the chapitrage of Visuddhimagga.
• Abhidhamma : comments included in the Tipitaka.

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