Human Development

Purification by knowledge and vision

Description:
This is knowledge of the four paths. Having passed through the 9 knowledges of purification by knowledge and vision of the way, there comes knowledge of change of lineage. It is intermediate between purification by knowledge and vision of the way and purification by knowledge and vision. Activated by knowledge of change of lineage, knowledge of the path of stream entry follows immediately, with nirvana as object. Its result is the immediate arising of two or three fruition consciousnesses. Here the stream enterer is called the second noble person. He reviews the path he has come by, the blessings he has obtained, the defilements abandoned, the defilements still remaining, and deathless nirvana as the state entered as object. The once-returner and non-returner do the same, except that the non-returner has no defilements still remaining. Thus further reviewing brings knowledge of the second path (the path of once-return), third (the path of non-return) and fourth path (the path of arahantship), with second, third and fourth fruition. The end of the first path is the first noble person, of first fruition the second noble person, of second path the third noble person and so on until after fourth fruition is the eighth noble person. This last is one of the great ones, all cankers destroyed, bearing his last body, his burdens laid down. He has reached his goal and destroyed the fetters of becoming, liberated with right or final knowledge.
Context:
One of the five purifications or purities which constitute the trunk or body of understanding according to Hinayana Buddhism, the others being: purification or purity of view; purification or purity of overcoming doubt; purification by knowledge and vision of what is the path and what is not the path or purity of knowledge and discernment of the right path and the wrong path; purification by knowledge and vision of the way or purity of knowledge and discernment of the middle way.<
Broader:
Purifications
Related:
Purification by overcoming doubt