Seven Purifications (Maṅgala Sutta – Protection with Blessing)

revised on 2021-03-16

---

By Venerable Uttamo Thera（尊者 鄔達摩 長老）

---

It is very important to have some knowledge about the practice for a yogi without a teacher’s guidance for practice. Therefore, here includes a general idea of the process and progress of the stages of practice—the path of purification.

There are seven stages; purification in terms of virtue (sīla), mind (citta), view (diṭṭhi), the overcoming of doubt or perplexity (vicikicchā), knowledge and vision of what is and what is not the path, knowledge and vision of the way, and knowledge and vision. These seven purifications cover all three parts of the 3-fold training in virtue, concentration and discernment (sīla, samādhi and paññā)

Ven. Sāriputta and Ven. Puṇṇa spoke of this list of seven purifications on a discourse called Ratha-vinīta Sutta—Relay Chariots (MN.24 Rathavinītasuttaṃ) in the Majjhima Nikāya. Here I give a general outline of this subject from the notes of Dhamma talks by Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivamsa. People who want to know more details about them should read the Visuddhimagga—the Path of Purification by Buddhaghosa.

The seven stages of purifications are:

① Purification of Virtue (Sīla-visuddhi)

② Purification of the Mind (Citta-visudhi)

③ Purification of View (Diṭṭhivisuddhi)

④ Purification by Overcoming Doubt (Kaṅkhāvitaraṇavisuddhi)

⑤ Purification of the Path and Not-Path (Maggāmagga ñāṇadassanavisuddhi)

⑥ Purification of the Way (Paṭipadā ñāṇadassanavisuddhi)

⑦ Purification by Knowledge and Vision (Ñāṇadassana-visuddhi)

Here we can combine the ⑥ and ⑦ purification together. The reason is after the purification of the way and purification by knowledge and vision appears, i.e., maggañāṇa and phala ñāṇa– the path and fruit knowledges.

---

revised on 2020-09-06; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4702&p=36990#p36990 (posted on 2019-11-22)

---

• Content of "Maṅgala Sutta – Protection with Blessing"

---

• Content of Publications of Ven. Uttamo

---

According to the translator— Ven. Uttamo's words, this is strictly for free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma—Dhamma Dāna. You may re-format, reprint, translate, and redistribute this work in any medium.