1On one occasion the Venerable Ānanda was dwelling among the Koliyans near the Koliyan town named Sāpūga. Then a number of young Koliyans from Sāpūga approached the Venerable Ānanda, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Venerable Ānanda then said to them:

2"Byagghapajjas, there are these four factors of striving for purity [n.913] Pārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgāni. I translate the compound in accordance with Mp's resolution: pārisuddhi-atthāya padhāniyaṅgāni. that the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, knowing and seeing, has rightly expounded for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and dejection, for the achievement of the method, for the realization of nibbāna. What four? The factor of striving for purity of virtuous behavior, the factor of striving for purity of mind, the factor of striving for purity of view, and the factor of striving for purity of liberation. [n.914] Sīlapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅga, cittapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅga, diṭṭhipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅga, vimuttipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅga. Sīlavisuddhi, cittavisuddhi, and diṭṭhivisuddhi are included among the seven purifications (satta visuddhi) in MN 24, which is used as the scaffolding for Vism. The four are included among the nine pārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgāni in DN 34.178, III 288,16–25, where they are all conjoined with the word visuddhi, for instance, sīlavisuddhipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ. It is intriguing that no suttas on the seven purifications are included in the Sevens. This suggests a late origin for the scheme, as well as a late origin for MN 24.

3(1) "And what, Byagghapajjas, is the factor of striving for purity of virtuous behavior? Here, a bhikkhu is virtuous … as at 4:181 … he trains in them. This is called purity of virtuous behavior. The desire, effort, zeal, enthusiasm, indefatigability, mindfulness, and clear comprehension applied with the intention: ‘In just such a way I will fulfill purity of virtuous behavior that I have not yet fulfilled or assist with wisdom in various respects purity of virtuous behavior that I have fulfilled’ [n.915] Tattha tattha paññāya anuggahessāmi. Mp: "In this and that respect I will assist it with the wisdom of insight (vipassanāpaññāya)." —this is called the factor of striving for purity of virtuous behavior.

4(2) "And what, Byagghapajjas, is the factor of striving for purity of mind? Here, secluded from sensual pleasures … a bhikkhu enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna. This is called purity of mind. The desire, effort, zeal, enthusiasm, indefatigability, mindfulness, and clear comprehension applied with the intention: ‘In just such a way I will fulfill purity of mind that I have not yet fulfilled or assist with wisdom in various respects purity of mind that I have fulfilled’—this is called the factor of striving for purity of mind.

5(3) "And what, Byagghapajjas, is the factor of striving for purity of view? Here, a bhikkhu understands as it really is: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’ This is called purity of view. [n.916] Since, in the Nikāyas, direct understanding of the four noble truths typically marks the attainment of stream-entry, purification of view here can be identified with the wisdom of the stream-enterer. This stands in contrast with the scheme of Vism, in which purification of view (diṭṭhivisuddhi) is the third of the seven purifications. Vism explains it as the clear understanding of mental and material phenomena (nāmarūpavavatthāna), also known as the delimitation of conditioned phenomena (saṅkhāraparicccheda). In the Vism scheme, the attainment of stream-entry (and each subsequent path) occurs only with the seventh purification, purification of knowledge and vision (ñāṇadassanavisuddhi). The desire, effort, zeal, enthusiasm, indefatigability, mindfulness, and clear comprehension (applied with the intention): ‘In just such a way I will fulfill purity of view that I have not yet fulfilled or assist with wisdom in various respects purity of view that I have fulfilled’—this is called the factor of striving for purity of view.

6(4) "And what, Byagghapajjas, is the factor of striving for purity of liberation? That same noble disciple, possessing this factor of striving for purity of virtuous behavior, this factor of striving for purity of mind, and this factor of striving for purity of view, detaches his mind from the things that cause attachment and emancipates his mind through the things that bring emancipation. He thereby reaches right liberation. This is called purity of liberation. [n.917] A separate purification of this name does not occur in the Vism scheme, but perhaps it could be considered the culmination of purification of knowledge and vision. The desire, effort, zeal, enthusiasm, indefatigability, mindfulness, and clear comprehension applied with the intention: ‘In just such a way I will fulfill purity of liberation that I have not yet fulfilled or assist with wisdom in various respects purity of liberation that I have fulfilled’—this is called the factor of striving for purity of liberation.

7"These, Byagghapajjas, are the four factors of striving for purity that the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, knowing and seeing, has rightly expounded for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and dejection, for the achievement of the method, for the realization of nibbāna."

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā ānando koliyesu viharati sāmugaṁ nāma koliyānaṁ nigamo. Atha kho sambahulā sāmugiyā koliyaputtā yenāyasmā ānando tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinne kho te sāmugiye koliyaputte āyasmā ānando etadavoca:

2"Cattārimāni, byagghapajjā, pārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgāni tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātāni sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya. Katamāni cattāri? Sīlapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ, cittapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ, diṭṭhipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ, vimuttipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ.

3Katamañca, byagghapajjā, sīlapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ? Idha, byagghapajjā, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti … pe … samādāya sikkhati sikkhāpadesu. Ayaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, sīlapārisuddhi. Iti evarūpiṁ sīlapārisuddhiṁ aparipūraṁ vā paripūressāmi paripūraṁ vā tattha tattha paññāya anuggahessāmīti, yo tattha chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca, idaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, sīlapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ.

4Katamañca, byagghapajjā, cittapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ? Idha, byagghapajjā, bhikkhu vivicceva kāmehi … pe … catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati. Ayaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, cittapārisuddhi. Iti evarūpiṁ cittapārisuddhiṁ aparipūraṁ vā paripūressāmi paripūraṁ vā tattha tattha paññāya anuggahessāmīti, yo tattha chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca, idaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, cittapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ.

5Katamañca, byagghapajjā, diṭṭhipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ? Idha, byagghapajjā, bhikkhu ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Ayaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, diṭṭhipārisuddhi. Iti evarūpiṁ diṭṭhipārisuddhiṁ aparipūraṁ vā … pe … tattha tattha paññāya anuggahessāmīti, yo tattha chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca, idaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, diṭṭhipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ.

6Katamañca, byagghapajjā, vimuttipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ? Sa kho so, byagghapajjā, ariyasāvako iminā ca sīlapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgena samannāgato iminā ca cittapārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgena samannāgato iminā ca diṭṭhipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgena samannāgato rajanīyesu dhammesu cittaṁ virājeti, vimocanīyesu dhammesu cittaṁ vimoceti. So rajanīyesu dhammesu cittaṁ virājetvā, vimocanīyesu dhammesu cittaṁ vimocetvā sammāvimuttiṁ phusati. Ayaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, vimuttipārisuddhi. Iti evarūpiṁ vimuttipārisuddhiṁ aparipūraṁ vā paripūressāmi paripūraṁ vā tattha tattha paññāya anuggahessāmīti, yo tattha chando ca vāyāmo ca ussāho ca ussoḷhī ca appaṭivānī ca sati ca sampajaññañca, idaṁ vuccati, byagghapajjā, vimuttipārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgaṁ.

7Imāni kho, byagghapajjā, cattāri pārisuddhipadhāniyaṅgāni tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sammadakkhātāni sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāyā"ti.

Catutthaṁ.