Introduction:

In the present chapter I study the description in the Chabbisodhana-sutta and its Madhyama-āgama parallel of different facets of the mental purity reached by one who has attained full liberation. The two discourses present these different facets with the help of a series of investigations – taught by the Buddha to his disciples – for checking anyone's claim to having reached the final goal.[n.1] MN 112 at MN III 29,19 to 37,4.

According to this series of investigations, someone claiming to have become an arahant should be cross-questioned on various aspects of his or her alleged purity. In the Chabbisodhana-sutta, these cover:

• detachment in regard to four ways of expression (vohāra),
• detachment regarding the five aggregates [affected by] clinging,
• detachment from the six elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space and consciousness),
• detachment in regard to the six senses,
• freedom from any sense of 'I' through successful develop- ment of the gradual path.

What makes the Chabbisodhana-sutta worthy of attention is that it presents five types of purity, four of which draw out various aspects of the detachment and equanimity of an arahant, while the fifth combines another feature of such detachment with a description of how this level of purity has been reached. The count of five purities is noteworthy in so far as it does not match the title of the discourses: chabbisodhana, "six-fold purity".

The Pāli commentary attempts to arrive at six types of purity by dividing the last item listed into two.[n.2] Ps IV 94,21. On this suggestion, freedom from any sense of 'I' or 'mine' in regard to this body with its consciousness and in regard to any external sign should be applied to oneself and to others.

Although in this way a count of six could indeed be established, the same procedure could be applied to some of the other purities listed in the Chabbisodhana-sutta. One could, for example, distinguish between detachment in regard to one's own material elements and those of others. That is, a consistent application of this procedure would exceed the required count of six types of purity.

The commentary records also another opinion, attributed to the "elders that live on the other side of the sea".[n.3] Ps IV 94,23: parasamuddavāsī therā; this expression, as already noted by Mori 1991: 746f, would refer to elders from India. According to the explanation of these elders, a count of six purities can be reached by adding the detached attitude of an arahant in regard to the four nutriments. That this is indeed the way to arrive at six types of purities finds its confirmation in the Madhyama-āgama parallel to the Chabbisodhana-sutta, which besides the five purities mentioned in the Pāli version does describe the detached attitude of an arahant towards the four nutriments of edible food, contact, intention and consciousness.[n.4] MĀ 187 at T I 732b18. I briefly drew attention to this finding in Anālayo 2005: 104. The four nutriments occur also in the description of the detachment of an arahant in the Saundaranandakāvya 18.18, Johnston 1928: 136,5, together with the elements (18.14), the aggregates (18.15), and the senses (18.16).

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Translation

Discourse on a Declaration of [Final] Knowledge[n.5] The translated text is MĀ 187 at T I 732a21 to 734a25; for a comparative study of MĀ 187 cf. Anālayo 2011a: 635–639.

1. Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was dwelling at Sāvatthī, staying in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.[n.6] MN 112 at MN III 29,21 at this point has a pericope found frequently in the Majjhima-nikāya, according to which the Buddha first addresses the monks: "bhikkhus", and they reply: "venerable sir", and only after this exchange the Buddha begins to deliver the discourse proper; on this pericope cf. also Anālayo 2011a: 21f.

2. At that time the Blessed One told the monks: "Suppose a monk approaches you and declares to have attained [final] knowledge, [saying]: 'I know as it really is that birth has been extinguished, the holy life has been established, what had to be done has been done, there will be no experiencing of a further existence.'

5. "Hearing this you should approve of it as good and correct,[n.7] The advice given in MN 112 at MN III 29,26 is different, as here the monks are recommended to neither approve nor disapprove of the claim that has been made, n' eva abhinanditabbaṃ nappaṭikkositabbaṃ. That is, whereas according to MĀ 187 a claim to full awakening should be given an initial approval that is then followed by an investigation, in MN 112 approval will only be given once the investigation has been carried to its successful conclusion. rejoice in it, and receive it respectfully. Having approved of it as good and correct, having rejoiced in it and received it respectfully, you should ask that monk further like this:

"'Venerable friend, the Blessed One has taught five aggregates [affected by] clinging, the aggregates [affected by] clinging of bodily form, feeling, perception, volitional formations and consciousness.[n.8] While MĀ 187 at T I 732a27 just speaks of the teachings by the "Blessed One", 世尊, MN 112 at MN III 29,29 refers to the teachings by the "Blessed One who knows and sees, the arahant, the Fully Awakened One", bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena. Venerable friend, knowing what and seeing what in regard to these five aggregates [affected by] clinging have you attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated?'

6. "A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this: 'Venerable friends, the bodily form aggregate [affected by] clinging is without 〈strength〉,[n.9] MĀ 187 at T I 732b2: 非果, literally "without fruit", which, based on the parallel passage in MN 112 at MN III 30,31: rūpaṃ kho ahaṃ, āvuso, abalaṃ ... viditvā, I presume to be a mistaking of an equivalent of abala for aphala. empty and void, it is undesirable, it has no permanent existence, it cannot be relied on and is of a nature to change.

"Knowing like this, [whatever] I had of desire, defilement, attachment, bondage and underlying tendency to bondage and attachment in regard to the bodily form aggregate [affected by] clinging[n.10] MN 112 at MN III 31,1 also mentions (here and elsewhere) the overcoming of mental standpoints and adherences, adhiṭṭhāna and abhinivesa. ‒ that has been extinguished, has faded away, ceased, been tranquillized and calmed; and I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.

"Like this [the aggregate affected by clinging of] feeling ... perception ... volitional formations ... the aggregate [affected by] clinging of consciousness is without strength, empty and void, it is undesirable, it has no permanent existence, it cannot be relied on and is of a nature to change.

"Knowing like this, whatever I had of desire, defilement, attachment, bondage and underlying tendency to bondage and attachment in regard to the aggregate [affected by] clinging of consciousness ‒ that has been extinguished, has faded away, ceased, been tranquillized and calmed; and I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.

"Venerable friends, knowing like this and seeing like this in regard to these five aggregates [affected by] clinging, I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.' A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this.

"Hearing this you should approve of it as good and correct, rejoice in it and receive it respectfully. Having approved of it as good and correct, having rejoiced in it and received it respectfully, you should further ask that monk like this:

"'Venerable friend, the Blessed One has taught four nutriments, due to which living beings obtain existence and continue growing.[n.11] Descriptions of the four nutriments in Pāli discourses, e.g., MN 9 at MN I 48,4, also refer to the support provided by these four nutriments for those who are about to come into existence or else who seek to come into existence, sambhavesīnaṃ vā anuggahāya (on -esin cf. Bodhi in Ñāṇamoli 1995/2005: 1186 note 120). What are the four? Edible food, coarse and fine, is reckoned the first, contact is reckoned the second, volition is reckoned the third and consciousness is reckoned the fourth. Venerable friend, knowing what and seeing what in regard to these four nutriments have you attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated?'

"A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this: 'Venerable friends, being neither mentally elated nor depressed in regard to edible food ‒ not depending on it, not bound by it, not defiled by it and not attached to it ‒ I attained release, I attained emancipation, I attained total liberation, freeing the mind from the perversions (vipallāsa), knowing as it really is that birth has been extinguished, the holy life has been established, what had to be done has been done, there will be no experiencing of a further existence.

"Like this being neither mentally elated nor depressed in regard to the nutriment of contact ... volition ... consciousness ‒ not depending on it, not bound by it, not defiled by it and not attached to it ‒ I attained release, I attained emancipation, I attained total liberation, freeing the mind from the perversions, knowing as it really is that birth has been extinguished, the holy life has been established, what had to be done has been done, there will be no experiencing of a further existence.

"Venerable friends, knowing like this and seeing like this in regard to these four nutriments I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.' A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this.

3. "Hearing this you should approve of it as good and correct, rejoice in it and receive it respectfully. Having approved of it as good and correct, having rejoiced in it and received it respectfully, you should further ask that monk like this:

"'Venerable friend, the Blessed One has taught four [ways of] expression.[n.12] MĀ 187 at T I 732b28: 四說. Bapat 1975: 28 notes that this rendering correctly conveys vohāra in the sense of Skt. vyāhāra, just as in MĀ 203 at T I 773a15 (counterpart to vohāra in MN 54 at MN I 360,4) the translation 俗事 correctly conveys vohāra in the sense of Skt. vyavahāra), showing that the translator was clearly aware of the different meanings of the term. What are the four? Declaring to have seen [what has been] seen is reckoned the first, declaring to have heard [what has been] heard is reckoned the second, declaring to have experienced [what has been] experienced is reckoned the third, declaring to have come to know [what has been] known is reckoned the fourth.[n.13] Notably, MĀ 187 at T I 732b30 has 識識說 at the point in its listing where its parallel MN 112 at MN III 29,30 has mute mutavāditā, and then 知知說 where MN 112 reads viññāte viññātavāditā. In their general usage in the Madhyama-āgama, 識 stands for "consciousness" or "being conscious", whereas 知 represents "knowing". The Madhyama-āgama seems to be consistent in its rendering of the four vohāras; cf. MĀ 106 at T I 596b18: 見, 聞, 識, 知, parallel to diṭṭha, suta, muta and viññāta in MN 1 at MN I 3,15 (in which case another parallel, EĀ 44.6 at T II 766b3, reads 見, 聞, 念, 知, and a third parallel, T 56 at T I 851b3, reads 見, 聞, 知, 識); or MĀ 200 at T I 764c22: 見, 聞, 識, 知, parallel to diṭṭha, suta, muta and viññāta in MN 22 at MN I 135,34. According to Vin IV 2,25, muta refers to what is experienced by the sense organs nose, tongue and body, whereas viññāta refers to what is experienced by the mind, an explanation given similarly in the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, T 1428 at T XXII 634b6. Vetter 2000: 101 note 7, however, suggests that "muta rather points to 'experienced by the ['sense organ'] mind', whereas viññāta probably has ... the meaning 'experienced by other external senses'". Nakamura 1983: 312 notes that the same set is also found in the Jain tradition as diṭṭhaṃ suyaṃ mayaṃ vinnāyaṃ. The same group of four also occurs in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 3.7.23, Radhakrishnan 1953/1992: 229: adṛṣṭo draṣṭā aśrutaḥ śrotā, amata mantā, avijñāto vijñātā. Venerable friend, knowing what and seeing what in regard to these four [ways of] expression have you attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated?'

4. "A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this: 'Venerable friends, being neither mentally elated nor depressed in regard to declaring to have seen [what has been] seen[n.14] MN 112 at MN III 30,8 instead switches from the earlier mentioned diṭṭhe diṭṭhavāditā, etc., to just diṭṭhe, etc., so that in its exposition, even though the inquiry was after the four ways of expression, the monk's answer is about his attitude towards what is seen, heard, sensed and cognised. ‒ not depending on it, not bound by it, not defiled by it and not attached to it ‒ I attained release, I attained emancipation, I attained total liberation, freeing the mind from the perversions, knowing as it really is that birth has been extinguished, the holy life has been established, what had to be done has been done, there will be no experiencing of a further existence.

"Like this being neither mentally elated nor depressed in regard to declaring to have heard [what has been] heard ... to have experienced [what has been] experienced ... to have come to know [what has been] known ‒ not depending on it, not bound by it, not defiled by it and not attached to it ‒ I attained release, I attained emancipation, I attained total liberation, freeing the mind from the perversions, knowing as it really is that birth has been extinguished, the holy life has been established, what had to be done has been done, there will be no experiencing of a further existence.

"Venerable friends, knowing like this and seeing like this in regard to these four [ways of] expression I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.' A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this.

9. "Hearing this you should approve of it as good and correct, rejoice in it and receive it respectfully. Having approved of it as good and correct, having rejoiced in it and received it respectfully, you should further ask that monk like this:

"'Venerable friend, the Blessed One has taught six internal sense-spheres: The eye sense-sphere, the ear ... nose ... tongue... body ... and the mind sense-sphere. Venerable friend, knowing what and seeing what in regard to these six internal sensespheres have you attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated?'

10. "A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this: 'Venerable friends, in regard to the eye, as well as eye-consciousness and objects to be experienced by eye-consciousness,[n.15] MN 112 at MN III 32,16 also brings in the objects of the respective senses, reading (in the case of the first sense) cakkhusmiṃ ... rūpe, cakkhuviññāṇe, cakkhuviññāṇaviññātabbesu dhammesu. Here the presentation in MĀ 187 seems more economical, since once "things to be cognised" by one of the senses are taken into account, to mention the corresponding object would be redundant. Ps IV 93,22 attempts to explain this redundancy by suggesting that "form" refers to what is actually cognised, while the expression "things to be cognised by eye-consciousness" refers to what could have been cognised but has disappeared (or will disappear) without being cognised. This explanation is not fully convincing, since it would be irrelevant to describe the reaction of an arahant to what he or she does not experience at all. The commentary offers also another explanation, according to which the expression "things to be cognised by eye-consciousness" refers to the aggregates of feeling, perception and volitional formations that are present together with eye-consciousness during the act of cognition, while "form" stands for the object. This also does not seem to solve the problem, since the aggregates of feeling, perception and volitional formations are not cognisable by eye-consciousness or any of the other sense-consciousness, so that apart from "form" there would be little scope for finding anything that could be fitted into the category "things to be cognised by eye-consciousness". I have complete knowledge.

Having come to know these two aspects [of experience], venerable friends, delight [in regard to] the eye, as well as eye-consciousness and objects to be experienced by eye-consciousness, has been extinguished. [Through] that extinction, dispassion, cessation, tranquillization and calming I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.

"Like this in regard to the ear ... the nose ... the tongue ... the body ... the mind, as well as mind-consciousness and objects to be experienced by mind-consciousness, I have complete knowledge. Having come to know these two aspects [of experience], venerable friends, delight [in regard to] the mind, as well as mind-consciousness and objects to be experienced by mind-consciousness, has been extinguished. [Through] that extinction, dispassion, cessation, tranquillization and calming I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.

"Venerable friends, knowing like this and seeing like this in regard to these six internal sense-spheres I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.' A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this.

7. "Hearing this you should approve of it as good and correct, rejoice in it and receive it respectfully. Having approved of it as good and correct, having rejoiced in it and received it respectfully, you should further ask that monk like this:

"'Venerable friend, the Blessed One has taught six elements: the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the wind element, the space element and the consciousness element.

"Venerable friend, knowing what and seeing what in regard to these six elements have you attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated?'

8. "A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this: 'Venerable friends, I do not see the earth element as mine, nor myself as pertaining to the earth element, nor the earth element as a self,[n.16] MN 112 at MN III 31,23 presents this purity only in a two-fold manner: neither taking the element as self, nor [conceiving a sense of] self based on the element, (e.g., in the case of earth): paṭhavīdhātuṃ ... anattato upagacchiṃ, na ca paṭhavīdhātunissitaṃ attānaṃ (Be and Ce read na attato upagacchiṃ). that is to say, [in regard to] the these three [modes of] clinging that in dependence on the earth element [can] come into existence, [n.17] A variant reading speaks instead of two types of clinging, 二受. The reference to three types of clinging is specific to the present instance, evidently intending what has been described in the previous sentence. Thus the occurrence of 三受 in MĀ 187 at T I 733a4 does not imply a departure from the standard set of four types of clinging, listed, e.g., in MĀ 29 at T I 463a7 in close agreement with its Pāli counterpart MN 9 at MN I 51,1, 謂有四受, 欲受, 戒受, 見 受, 我受, a listing found also in MĀ 103 at T I 591b9 (parallel to MN 11 at MN I 67,5). The only difference between such listings in the two collections is that instead of the Pāli versions' "clinging to a doctrine of self", attavādupādāna, Madhyama-āgama listings simply speak of "clinging to [a sense of] self"; for a discussion of this difference cf. Anālayo 2008c. [through] the extinction, fading away, cessation, tranquillization and calming of any underlying tendency to attachment,[n.18] Following the variant reading 諸 instead of 識. I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.

"Venerable friends, I do not see the water ... the fire ... the wind ... the space ... the consciousness element as mine, nor myself as pertaining to the consciousness element, nor the consciousness element as the self, that is to say, [in regard to] these three [modes of] clinging that in dependence on the consciousness element [can] come into existence, [through] the extinction, fading away, cessation, tranquillization and calming of any underlying tendency to attachment, I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.

"Venerable friends, knowing like this and seeing like this in regard to these six elements I attained the knowledge that there is no clinging to anything and that [through] the destruction of the influxes the mind has been liberated.' A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this.

11. "Hearing this you should approve of it as good and correct, rejoice in it and receive it respectfully. Having approved of it as good and correct, having rejoiced in it and received it respectfully, you should further ask that monk like this:

"'Venerable friend, knowing what and seeing what in regard to this internal body with consciousness and [in regard to] all external signs has any [notion of an] 'I', I-making and underling tendency to conceit been abandoned, is known to have been uprooted and cut off at its root, unable to come to growth again?'

12. "A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this: 'Venerable friends, formerly at the time when I had not yet gone forth to train in the path, I felt weary of birth, old age, disease and death; of sorrow, lamentation and distress; of worry, mourning, dejection and grief ‒ wishing to abandon this great mass of dukkha.

"Venerable friends, having felt weary of this misery I had this reflection: 'Life in the house is confined, a place full of dust; going forth to train in the path is [like] emerging into a great open space. Now for me at home, being chained by [such] chains, it is not possible for the [whole] life to manifest completely the pure practice of the holy life. I would rather forsake my wealth, little or much, forsake my relatives, few or many, shave off beard and hair, put on monastic robes and out of confidence leave the home life, become homeless to train in the path.

"Venerable friends, at a later time I forsook my wealth, little or much, forsook my relatives, few or many, shaved off beard and hair, put on monastic robes and out of confidence left the home life, became homeless to train in the path.

13. "Venerable friends, having gone forth to train in the path, having forsaken the [outward] signs of being a family [man] and received the essentials of monkhood, I practised the precepts, guarding the code of rules; I adopted proper conduct and manners, always fearing the slightest fault, upholding the essentials of the training.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from killing and had abandoned killing, having discarded sword and club, I had a sense of shame and fear of blame, with a mind [full of] benevolence and compassion for the welfare of all [beings], even insects.[n.19] MN 112 does not explicitly mention insects, nor does it mention purification of the mind in respect to each restraint, except for the case of taking what is not given; cf. MN 112 at MN III 33,23: sucibhūtena attanā vihāsiṃ. I purified my mind with regard to killing living beings.

"[Venerable friends], I abstained from taking what is not given and had abandoned taking what is not given, taking [only] after it had been given, delighting in taking what is given, always being fond of giving in generosity, rejoicing in [generosity] without stinginess, not expecting a reward. I purified my mind with regard to taking what is not given.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from sexual activity and had abandoned sexual activity, diligently cultivating the practice of celibacy, energetically [practising this] immaculate conduct with unsoiled purity, free from sensual desires, giving up sexual desires. I purified my mind with regard to sexual activity.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from false speech and had abandoned false speech, I spoke the truth, delighting in truth, unshakeably established in speaking truth, being completely trustworthy, not deceiving [anyone in] the world. I purified my mind with regard to false speech.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from divisive speech and had abandoned divisive speech, I engaged in speech that is not divisive, that does not harm others. I did not tell those what I had heard here, out of a wish to harm these; nor did I tell these what I had heard there, out of a wish to harm those. I had the wish to unite those who were divided, delighting in union. I did not create factions, did not delight in or praise the [forming of] factions. I purified my mind with regard to divisive speech.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from harsh speech and had abandoned harsh speech. Whatever speech there is that is rough and rude in tone, offensive sounds that grate on the ear, that people neither enjoy nor desire, [speech] that causes others suffering and vexation and that does not lead to calmness, such speech I had abandoned.[n.20] MN 112 takes up the case of harsh speech in brief, only giving a detailed description in relation to its opposite of gentle speech. Whatever speech there is that is clear, peaceful and gentle, that is pleasant to the ear and [easily] enters the mind, that is enjoyable and desirable, that gives others happiness, words endowed with meaning, that do not make others afraid and that lead to calmness in others,[n.21] MĀ 187 at T I 733b14: 令他得定, an aspect not mentioned in MN 112. That gentle speech is conducive to concentration is also indicated, e.g., in MN 41 at MN I 286,37, which considers harsh speech to be asamādhisaṃvattanika; cf. also SHT III 808 R5, Waldschmidt 1971: 15, which in the context of a gradual path treatment qualifies harsh speech as asamā[dh]i[sa]ṃ[va]r[dhan]ī. such speech I spoke. I purified my mind with regard to harsh speech.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from frivolous speech and had abandoned frivolous speech. I spoke at the [proper] time, speaking what is true, what is Dharma, what is meaningful, what [leads to] appeasement, delighting in appeasing litigations, I would teach well and admonish [others] well in accordance with the [proper] time and in a proper way.[n.22] MN 112 does not refer to litigations or to teaching and admonishing. I purified my mind with regard to frivolous speech.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from earning profits and had abandoned earning profits. I had discarded weights and measures and did not accept goods [on commission], I did not bind people [with debts], I did not try to cheat with measures, nor did I deceive others for the sake of some small profit.[n.23] The present case combines into one what MN 112 at MN III 34,19 presents as two distinct aspects: buying and selling, kayavikkaya; and using false weights, etc., tulākūṭakaṃsakūṭamānakūṭa, which, moreover, occur towards the end of the Pāli version's listing. For a survey of the sequence of listings in the two versions see table 12. I purified my mind with regard to earning profits.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from accepting widows or girls and had abandoned accepting widows or girls. I purified my mind with regard to accepting widows or girls.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from accepting male or female slaves and had abandoned accepting male or female slaves. I purified my mind with regard to accepting male or female slaves.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from accepting elephants, horses, cows or sheep and had abandoned accepting elephants, horses, cows or sheep. I purified my mind with regard to accepting elephants, horses, cows or sheep.[n.24] The present case combines into one what MN 112 at MN III 34,15 presents as two distinct aspects: accepting goats or sheep; and accepting elephants, cows, horses or mares (MĀ 187 does not mention mares or goats).

"Venerable friends, I abstained from accepting chickens or swine and had abandoned accepting chickens or swine. I purified my mind with regard to accepting chickens or swine.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from accepting farmlands or marketplaces and had abandoned accepting farmlands or marketplaces.[n.25] MN 112 at MN III 34,17 speaks instead of accepting "ground", vatthu. I purified my mind with regard to accepting farmlands or marketplaces.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from accepting uncooked rice, wheat or legumes and had abandoned accepting uncooked rice, wheat or legumes.[n.26] MN 112 at MN III 34,12 also mentions accepting raw meat, āmakamaṃsa. Minh Chau 1991: 31 takes this difference to have deeper significance, in the sense that from the perspective of the Pāli tradition cooked meat is allowed, whereas the dropping of any reference to meat in the corresponding section in Madhyama-āgama discourses implies that all kinds of meat are prohibited, thereby representing – according to Minh Chau – the Sarvāstivāda championing of vegetarianism. Yet, if all kinds of meat were considered as being prohibited, one would expect MĀ 187 to simply state that, i.e., to drop the reference to "raw" and keep the remainder of the regulation, instead of dropping the whole rule. Moreover, Prasad 1985: 136 points out that the reference to accepting raw meat lacks a counterpart also in the other Āgamas and therefore is not specific to the Sarvāstivāda tradition; cf. also below page 528ff. I purified my mind with regard to accepting uncooked rice, wheat or legumes.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from alcoholic beverages and had abandoned alcoholic beverages.[n.27] Notably this is the only item in the listing in MĀ 187 that does not have a counterpart in MN 112, though the Pāli discourses refer to the need of abstaining from alcohol in the context of the five precepts; cf., e.g., DN 5 at DN I 146,20 (with its monastic counterpart in pācittiya 51 at Vin IV 110,13). Whereas a description of ethical restraint as part of the gradual path in the Saṅghabhedavastu, Gnoli 1978a: 233, also does not refer to the consumption of alcohol, the same is taken into account in a gradual path account in DĀ 20 at T I 83c27. Nattier 2003a: 109 note 11 points out that variations in regard to reference to abstaining from alcohol occur even within a single work, such as the Mahā-vastu, where in one instance a listing of the ten courses of action, karmapatha, includes the prohibition against alcohol (at the cost of omitting a reference to harsh speech), whereas in another instance the ten courses are listed without a reference to alcohol; cf. Senart 1882: 107,13 and Senart 1890: 99,5. The importance of such abstention is highlighted in the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya, Pradhan 1967: 218,18, according to which lack of restraint in this respect endangers keeping the other precepts as well. The long term consequences of alcohol consumption are, according to AN 8.40 at AN IV 248,9, either rebirth in hell, or as an animal, or as a ghost, or as a mentally deranged human. Reat 1996: 49 comments that "though it is clear that the Buddha did not approve of alcohol and drugs, abstinence from intoxicants ... in the Pali sūtras ... is ... not nearly as prominent [an] ... ethical issue as it came to be in later Buddhism". I purified my mind with regard to drinking alcoholic beverages.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from [reclining on] high and broad beds and had abandoned [reclining on] high and broad beds. I purified my mind with regard to [reclining on] high and broad beds.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from [using] flower garlands, necklaces, perfumes and cosmetics and had abandoned [using] flower garlands, necklaces, perfumes and cosmetics. I purified my mind with regard to flower garlands, necklaces, perfumes and cosmetics.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from singing, dancing or acting, and from going to see or hear [singing, dancing or acting]; I had abandoned singing, dancing or acting, and [abandoned] going to see or hear [singing, dancing or acting]. I purified my mind with regard to singing, dancing or acting, and [with regard to] going to see or hear [singing, dancing or acting].

"Venerable friends, I abstained from accepting gold, jewellery and the like and had abandoned accepting gold, jewellery and the like. I purified my mind with regard to accepting gold, jewellery and the like.

"Venerable friends, I abstained from eating after noon and had abandoned eating after noon. I took [only] a single meal [per day], not eating at night, training in eating at the [proper] time. I purified my mind with regard to eating after noon.

14. "Venerable friends, having accomplished this noble aggregate of virtue I further engaged in contentment, taking robes [just] to cover the body and taking food [just] to sustain the physical body. Wherever I went, I took robes and bowl with me, without concerns or longings, just as a wild goose flies through the air with [only] its two wings, I was like that.

15. "Venerable friends, having accomplished this noble aggregate of virtue and this supreme contentment,[n.28] MN 112 at MN III 34,30 adds that at this point a form of happiness that is due to blamelessness is experienced within, ajjhattaṃ anavajjasukhaṃ paṭisaṃvedesiṃ. I further guarded the senses, always mindful of stopping thoughts of desire, with clear understanding successfully guarding the mind through mindfulness and attaining perfection [therein], constantly willing to arouse the mind.[n.29] MN 112 does not describe the role of mindfulness and energy in this way. Yit 2004: 185 notes that a similar specification can be found in AN 5.114 at AN III 138,20, however, which associates sense-restraint with "protective mindfulness", ārakkhasatino, and speaks of being "endowed with a mind protected by mindfulness", satārakkhena cetasā samannāgata; as is the case for the Mahāvastu, Senart 1897: 52,4: ārakṣāsmṛti ... araktena cetasā samanvāgataḥ, and the Saṅghabhedavastu, Gnoli 1978a: 240,20, which speaks of guptasmṛtimānasaḥ; cf. also the Śrāvakabhūmi, Shukla 1973: 64,6, 65,9 and 66,4 or ŚSG 1998: 100,8+18 and 101,2 as well as T 1579 at T XXX 406b24 and T XXX 406c3+10, which gives a detailed exposition on the implications of ārakṣitasmṛti / 防守正念, nipakasmṛti / 委正念 and smṛtyārakṣitamānasa / 念防護意 under the heading of indriyasaṃvara. Thus, on seeing a form with the eye, I did not grasp its sign nor did I savour the form.[n.30] MN 112 at MN III 34,31 speaks of not grasping the sign or the details, na nimittaggāhī and nānubyañjanaggāhī. That is to say, I guarded the eye faculty for the sake of restraint,[n.31] MĀ 187 at T I 733c19: 謂忿諍故, where I follow the indication in Hirakawa 1997: 471 that 忿諍 can render viruddha. so that no covetousness, sadness and worry, evil and unwholesome phenomena would arise in the mind, for that reason I guarded the eye faculty.

"Like this, on [hearing a sound] with the ear ... [smelling an odour] with the nose ... [tasting a flavour] with the tongue ... [experiencing a touch] with the body ... coming to know a phenomenon with the mind, I did not grasp its sign nor did I savour the phenomenon. That is to say, I guarded the mind faculty for the sake of restraint, so that no covetousness, sadness and worry, evil and unwholesome phenomena would arise in the mind, for that reason I guarded the mind faculty.

16. "Venerable friends, having accomplished this noble aggregate of virtue, this supreme contentment, and this noble guarding of the senses,[n.32] MN 112 at MN III 35,10 adds that at this point the monk experienced an unimpaired type of happiness within, ajjhattaṃ abyāsekasukhaṃ paṭisaṃvedesiṃ. I had right comprehension when going out and coming in,[n.33] MN 112 additionally mentions clear comprehension when looking in any direction. The same aspect of clear comprehension is also mentioned in DĀ 2 at T I 14a3 and in the Śrāvakabhūmi, Shukla 1973: 11,12 or ŚSG 1998: 20,4 and T 1579 at T XXX 397b17. contemplating and distinguishing well when bending, stretching, lowering and lifting up [a limb]; with orderly manners and appearance,[n.34] MĀ 187 at T I 733c26: 庠序; cf. the explanation given in T 2128 at T LIV 615b23. This aspect of clear comprehension is not mentioned in MN 112. I properly carried the outer robe, the other robes and the bowl;[n.35] At this point MN 112 additionally mentions clear comprehension when eating and when defecating or urinating. A description of clear comprehension in DĀ 2 at T I 14a3 also mentions eating and drinking, as does the Śrāvakabhūmi, Shukla 1973: 11,13 or ŚSG 1998: 20,5 and T 1579 at T XXX 397b19. A reference to clear comprehension in a Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra fragment, S 360 folio 167 V6, Waldschmidt 1950: 15, however, appears to be similar to the listing found in MĀ 187, as it continues straightaway after sāṃghāṭīcīvarapātradhāraṇe with gate sthite niṣaṃṇe śayite, whereas in MN 112 at MN III 35,14 asite pīte khāyite sāyite and uccārapassāvakamme are found between saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇe and gate ṭhite nisinne sutte. when walking, standing, sitting and reclining, when sleeping or awake, when talking or keeping silent, I always had right comprehension.

17. "Venerable friends, having accomplished this noble aggregate of virtue, this supreme knowledge of contentment, this noble guarding of the senses, and having obtained right comprehension when going out or coming in, I stayed alone in a secluded solitary place, either going to an empty peaceful place at the foot of a tree, or to a mountain cave, or to a heap of straw in an open place, or to a forest, or to a cemetery.

"Venerable friends, having stayed in a solitary place, or having gone to an empty peaceful place at the foot of a tree, I spread the sitting mat and sat down cross-legged with straight body and straight mental aspiration, and with mindfulness that was not scattered.[n.36] MĀ 187 at TI 734a4: 念不向; MN 112 at MN III 35,24 speaks of parimukha sati.

I abandoned and removed covetousness, with a mind free from agitation,[n.37] MĀ 187 at T I 734a4: 心無有諍, where in my translation I follow the indication given in Hirakawa 1997: 1085 that 諍 can also render kṣobha. not giving rise to covetousness with the wish 'may I get it' when seeing the wealth of others and their endowment with livelihood. I purified my mind with regard to covetousness.

"Like this I abandoned ill will ... sloth-and-torpor ... restlessness-and-worry ... doubt, overcoming hesitation, free from vacillation in regard to wholesome things. I purified my mind with regard to doubt.

18. "Venerable friends, when I had abandoned these five hindrances, which are blemishes of the mind that weaken wisdom, secluded from sensual desires and secluded from evil and unwholesome things ... (up to) ... I dwelled having attained the fourth absorption.

19. "Venerable friends, when I had obtained concentration like this, with a mind that is purified and without blemish or affliction, that had become soft and supple, well steadied and attained to imperturbability, I roused the mind to progress towards knowledge and realization of the destruction of the influxes.

"Venerable friends, I knew: 'this is dukkha' as it really is, I knew: 'this is the arising of dukkha' ... I knew: 'this is the cessation of dukkha' ... I knew: 'this is the path leading to the cessation of dukkha' as it really is. I knew: 'these are the influxes'... I knew: 'this is the arising of the influxes' ... I knew: 'this is the cessation of the influxes' ... I knew: 'this is the path leading to the cessation of the influxes' as it really is.

20. "When I knew and saw that like this, the mind was liberated from the influx of sensual desire, from the influx of existence and the mind was liberated from the influx of ignorance. Being liberated I knew to be liberated, knowing as it really is: 'Birth has been extinguished, the holy life has been established, what had to be done has been done, there will be no experiencing of a further existence'.

"Knowing like this and seeing like this in regard to this internal body with consciousness and [in regard to] all external signs any [notion of an] 'I', I-making and underlying tendency to conceit has been abandoned, is known to have been uprooted and cut off at its root, unable to come to growth again.' A monk, whose influxes are destroyed and who has attained the knowledge of having established the holy life, would properly answer like this.

21. " Hearing this you should approve of it as good and correct, rejoice in it and receive it respectfully. Having approved of it as good and correct, having rejoiced in it and received it respectfully, you should further tell that monk like this:

"'Venerable friend, at your first declaration we already felt approval and rejoiced in it. Yet, we wanted to further listen to the venerable one [as he proceeds] from high to higher and seek out his wisdom and eloquence in replying, for this reason we kept on asking the venerable question after question'."[n.38] Such a statement is not found in MN 112 at MN III 37,1, where the monks only at this point fully approve of his claim by stating that they consider it a great gain to have a companion like him.

The Buddha spoke like this. The monks, having listened to what the Buddha said, were delighted and received it respectfully.

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Study

Apart from the lack of any reference to the arahant’s purity in regard to the four nutriments in the Chabbisodhana-sutta, the two versions are quite similar in their expositions, which do not seem to involve substantially different perspectives on the theme of the mental purity of an arahant.

The degree to which oral transmission can affect a discourse can be seen by comparing the listing of ethical observances and the listing of purities in the two versions. As shown in table 12 and table 13, in both cases the sequence of listing varies considerably, even though the actual items listed show much overlap.[n.39] When comparing the listing in MĀ 187 with MN 112, in table 12 and 13 I use → to indicate correspondence with MN 112 and ≠ if no counterpart is found. Thus, e.g., → 1 means that this corresponds to the first quality in MN 112.

In regard to the listing of ethical restraints (table 12), it would be difficult to decide whether items found only in one version are due to an addition in this version or to a loss in the parallel version. Besides, none of these differences appears to be significant enough to involve a substantially different attitude to ethical restraint.

Table 12: Listing of Ethical Restraints

MN 112:	MĀ 187:
killing (1)	killing (→ 1)
theft (2)	theft (→ 2)
sexual activity (3)	sexual activity (→ 3)
false speech (4)	false speech (→ 4)
divisive speech (5)	divisive speech (→ 5)
harsh speech (6)	harsh speech (→ 6)
frivolous speech (7)	frivolous speech (→ 7)
injuring seeds and plants (≠)	trading and cheating (→ 23 & 24)
eating after noon (9)	accepting women (→ 16)
dancing and singing (10)	accepting slaves (→ 17)
garlands and beautification (11)	accepting elephants, etc., (→ 18 & 20)
using high beds (12)	accepting chicken or pigs (→ 19)
accepting gold, etc. (13)	accepting land (→ 21)
accepting grain (14)	accepting grain (→ 14)
accepting raw meat (≠)	taking alcohol (≠)
accepting women (16)	high beds (→ 12)
accepting slaves (17)	garlands and beautification (→ 11)
accepting goats or sheep (18)	dancing and singing (→ 10)
accepting chicken or pigs (19)	accepting gold etc. (→ 13)
accepting elephants, etc. (20)	eating after noon (→ 9)
accepting land (21)
going on errands (≠)
trading (23)
cheating (24)
accepting bribes, etc. (≠)
murder and robbery (≠)

In regard to the listing of purities (table 13), however, it seems quite probable that the Pāli version lost one item from the listing. This suggests itself from the title of the Pāli version, which only makes sense if at an earlier time an additional type of purity, such as provided through the treatment of the four nutriments, was part of the Chabbisodhana-sutta. The "elders that live on the other side of the sea", mentioned in the Pāli commentary, were apparently still familiar with such an earlier version that included the four nutriments, a treatment probably lost at some point during or after the transmission of the Pāli discourse from India to Sri Lanka.

Table 13: Listing of Purities

MN 112:	MĀ 187:
four ways of expression (1)	five aggregates (→ 2)
five aggregates (2)	four nutriments (≠)
six elements (3)	four ways of expression (→ 1)
six senses (4)	six senses (→ 4)
sense of 'I' (5)	six elements (→ 3)
	sense of 'I' (→ 5)

From the perspective of oral transmission, this apparent loss of a whole section of the Pāli discourse, together with the commentarial gloss on this loss, are noteworthy. Although the present case reveals that even a considerable part of a discourse can be lost, it also shows the degree to which the reciting monks were committed to preserving a discourse as they had received it. It would have been easy for the reciters to supply the missing section about the four nutriments on the strength of the discourse's title and the commentarial explanation by simply inserting a treatment of the four nutriments from another discourse; or else they could have changed the title to "five-fold purity" in order to make it fit with the discourse's content. This did not happen and the Pāli discourse was instead handed down in its present truncated state. That no such change was introduced, testifies to the fidelity of the reciters and their earnest efforts, albeit not always successful, to pass on a discourse the way they had received it.

Even with this substantial loss, the basic message of the Chabbisodhana-sutta and its parallel remains the same. Once a claimant to full awakening could prove his or her total detachment in regard to the four ways of expression, the five aggregates [affected by] clinging, the six elements, and the six senses, and furthermore through successful completion of the gradual path has gone completely beyond any sense of 'I' or 'mine', it would naturally follow that this level of accomplishment also implies total detachment in regard to the four nutriments. Thus, even though the Pāli version appears to have suffered a substantial textual loss, the descriptions of mental purity given in the two versions otherwise agree closely.

The present case thus clearly shows the impact of orality on early Buddhist discourse material and illustrates the potential of comparative studies between discourses from the Pāli Nikāyas and their parallels in the Chinese Āgamas in bringing out details of the teaching with additional clarity, while at the same time confirming essentials. This confirmation is, perhaps, the most important result of such comparative studies, in that it takes our understanding of early Buddhism beyond the confines of a single tradition and places it on a broader basis.