The Path of Freedom (Vimutti-Magga)

Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly, Wiki edit

The Vimuttimagga ("Path of Freedom") is a classic Buddhist practice manual, traditionally attributed to the Arahant (fully enlightened) Upatissa (circa 1st or 2nd century [1]).

It was translated into Chinese in the 6th century as the Jietuo dao lun (解脫道論) by Sanghapala. The original text (possibly in Pali or Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit) is no longer extant, but the work has survived in Chinese.

This precious text was probably written in India then later brought to Sri Lanka [1].

Some doctrines of The Path to Freedom have been associated with those attributed to Sri Lanka's Abhayagiri Monastery by Dhammapāla, but this has been disputed in recent scholarship [2, 3].

Contents

The Path to Freedom recommends various meditation practices such as

• mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati),
• disc (kasina) meditation and
• recollection of the virtues of the Buddha (Buddha-anussati).

Its chapters are (based on the translation by Ehara, Soma, and Kheminda):

• Introductory Discourse (referencing the Three Trainings and ultimate freedom [4])
• On Distinguishing Virtue
• On Austerities
• On Distinguishing Samadhi
• On Approaching a Good Friend
• The Distinguishing of Behavior
• The Distinguishing of the Subjects of Meditation
• Entrance into the Subject of Meditation
• The Five Forms of Higher Knowledge
• On Distinguishing Wisdom
• The Five Methods (aggregates, sense organs, elements, conditioned arising, Truth)
• On Discerning Truth

Relationship to the The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga)

The Path of Freedom bears a striking similarity to The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga) by Ven. Buddhaghosa, and it is highly probable that it had an influence on Ven. Buddhaghosa [5].

• [EDITORIAL NOTE: It is likely both texts are by Ven. Buddhaghosa, the first an outline of a manual, the latter fleshed out and edited. Ven. Buddhaghosa was reputed to be an arahant (fully enlightened disciple), and he may have written The Path to Freedom under the monastic name Upatissa (Ven. Sariputta's name, the disciple declared by the Buddha "foremost in wisdom" among the monks, like Ven. Khema was declared among the nuns, before his ordination). "Buddha-ghosa," which means "Voice of the Buddha," is not a "name" so much as distinguished title or epigraph, just as "Buddha" is not a name, with nearly no one in Buddhism keeping a personal name and instead taking on what they were called for ease of remembering. Yasodhara, Anathapindika, and so many others are not names, though many now regard them as such, but rather as descriptions, whereas "Upatissa" is a name.]

While The Path of Purification is a much longer work, both texts differ on several points. According to Bhikkhu Analayo, the Chinese version of The Path to Freedom states that the 13 Ascetic Practices (dhutangas) can be unwholesome and wholesome, while the The Path of Purification denies that they can be unwholesome, although he notes that the Tibetan Vimuktimārga classifies ascetic practices as "wholesome" [6].

• [Obviously, they can be unwholesome if motivated by one of the unwholesome roots. They are a means to an end, a way of overcoming particular defilements. If not practiced under a good teacher, they may be wrongly employed or wrongly undertaken and thereby be unwholesome. For example, if one does not lie down or wears only rag robes with the motivation that these rites and rituals could in and of themselves awaken one or impart psychic powers, that would be unwholesome. They should not be undertaken as DIY quick fixes for exactly this reason. They cannot all be followed at once, and following the wrong ones or any of them in the wrong way could indeed lead to more imbalance rather than serving their intended purpose of bringing one to balance.]

A similar difference can be seen with regards to "stillness" (samādhi, commonly and misleadingly defined in English as "concentration"), which The Path of Freedom states can be wholesome or unwholesome (micchā samādhi/邪定, "wrong concentration"), while The Path of Purification disagrees that it can be unwholesome [7].

• [Similarly, misdirected samadhi can be unwholesome, or else it would not be able to be employed in the misuse of psychic powers (abhinnas, iddhis).]

Another major difference is in the scheme of the progress of insight, which The Path of Freedom based on the Four Noble (Ennobling) Truths and The Path of Purification arranges based on the Seven Purifications, which stem from the Rathavinīta Sutta [8].

Minor differences can also be seen in the particular schemes of practice. Ven. Upatissa gives four categories of virtue (sīla), while Ven. Buddhaghosa gives five.

Ven. Upatissa gives four ways of cultivating mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati), while Ven. Buddhagosa gives eight [5].

In addition, The Path of Purification identifies 40 subjects of meditation (kammatthana, themes or subjects of endeavor, of action, of effort, of karma), while The Path of Freedom identifies 38 [9].