“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, soceyyāni. “Bhikkhus, there are these three kinds of purity. Katamāni tīṇi? What three? Kāyasoceyyaṁ, vacīsoceyyaṁ, manosoceyyaṁ. Purity of body, speech, and mind.
Katamañca, bhikkhave, kāyasoceyyaṁ? And what is purity of body? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, abrahmacariyā paṭivirato hoti. It’s when a bhikkhu abstains from killing living creatures, stealing, and incelibacy. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kāyasoceyyaṁ. This is called ‘purity of body’.
Katamañca, bhikkhave, vacīsoceyyaṁ? And what is purity of speech? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti. It’s when a bhikkhu abstains from false, malicious, harsh, and trivial speech. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, vacīsoceyyaṁ. This is called ‘purity of speech’.
Katamañca, bhikkhave, manosoceyyaṁ? And what is purity of mind?
Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ kāmacchandaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ kāmacchando’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ kāmacchandaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ kāmacchando’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa kāmacchandassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa kāmacchandassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa kāmacchandassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; It’s when a bhikkhu, when there is sensual desire internally, understands ‘There is sensual desire internally for me.’ When there is no sensual desire internally, he understands ‘There is no sensual desire internally for me.’ He understands how unarisen sensual desire arises; how arisen sensual desire is abandoned; and how abandoned sensual desire doesn’t arise again in the future.
santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ byāpādaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ byāpādo’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ byāpādaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ byāpādo’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa byāpādassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa byāpādassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa byāpādassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; When there is ill will internally, he understands ‘There is ill will internally for me.’ When there is no ill will internally, he understands: ‘There is no ill will internally for me.’ He understands how unarisen ill will arises; how arisen ill will is abandoned; and how abandoned ill will doesn’t arise again in the future.
santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhan’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhan’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa thinamiddhassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa thinamiddhassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa thinamiddhassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; When there is indolence-and-lethargy internally, he understands ‘There is indolence-and-lethargy internally for me.’ When there is no indolence-and-lethargy internally, he understands, ‘There is no indolence-and-lethargy internally for me.’ He understands how unarisen indolence-and-lethargy arises; how arisen indolence-and-lethargy is abandoned; and how abandoned indolence-and-lethargy doesn’t arise again in the future.
santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccan’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccan’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa uddhaccakukkuccassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa uddhaccakukkuccassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa uddhaccakukkuccassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; When there is restlessness-and-anxiety internally, he understands ‘there is restlessness-and-anxiety internally for me.’ When there is no restlessness-and-anxiety internally, he understands: ‘There is no restlessness-and-anxiety internally for me.’ He understands how unarisen restlessness-and-anxiety arises; how arisen restlessness-and-anxiety is abandoned; and how abandoned restlessness-and-anxiety doesn’t arise again in the future.
santaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ vicikicchaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ vicikicchā’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ vā ajjhattaṁ vicikicchaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ vicikicchā’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannāya vicikicchāya uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannāya vicikicchāya pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnāya vicikicchāya āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti. When there is doubt internally, he understands ‘There is doubt internally for me.’ When there is no doubt internally, he understands: ‘There is no doubt internally for me.’ He understands how unarisen doubt arises; how arisen doubt is abandoned; and how abandoned doubt doesn’t arise again in the future.
Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, manosoceyyaṁ. This is called ‘purity of mind’. *Note how purity is not defined as the simple absence of these things (which can happen out of circumstance or accident). The principle behind this counterintuitive situation is that when these states have been fully understood (i.e., _avijjā_ is destroyed), they cannot be called “hindrances” anymore. They are hindrances when there is craving, and without ignorance craving cannot exist, even amidst the things that used to provoke it. To use an analogy, if someone has the key for the cell door and knows for a fact that they can get out at will, can that really be called imprisonment? The Dhamma applies to and must be realized solely within oneself, which in turn means that one is either hindered by these things because there is craving and ignorance in one’s own mind, or one isn’t. Thus it would be wrong to say “the hindrances are not _actually_ hindrances” as if it were a universal truth independent of one’s point of view.
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi soceyyānīti. These are the three kinds of purity.
Kāyasuciṁ vacīsuciṁ, Purity of body, purity of speech, cetosuciṁ anāsavaṁ; and undefiled purity of mind. Suciṁ soceyyasampannaṁ, One who is clean, endowed with purity, āhu ninhātapāpakan”ti. has washed off all evil, they say.”
Navamaṁ.
Origin URL: https://suttas.hillsidehermitage.org/?q=an3.121