Visuddhimagga. The Path of Purification. Volume 2

Visuddhimagga is the "great treatise" of Theravada Buddhism, an encyclopedic guide to Buddhist doctrine and meditation, written in the fifth century by the famous Buddhist commentator Bhaddantacariya Buddhaghosa. In writing this book, the author aimed to systematize and unify various teachings of the Buddha found throughout the Pali Canon into a clear and comprehensive path leading to the ultimate Buddhist goal—Nibbana, a state of complete purification from afflictions and cessation of suffering. The treatise consists of three large sections. The first is devoted to a very detailed discussion of various aspects of Buddhist morality, the most important component of the Eightfold Path. The second part presents theoretical and practical questions related to the nature of concentration (samadhi), its varieties, paths to attainment, and the benefits it brings. The author discusses in detail various types of meditative supports through which immersion into subtle and purified states of consciousness (jhanas) is achieved, and reveals the nature of different levels of meditative absorption. The third section is dedicated to the discussion of the development of understanding, wisdom capable of perceiving things as they truly are, which leads to the final liberation from the bonds of samsara. The treatise is published in two volumes. The first volume contains the first two sections, while the second contains the third. All tables mentioned in the book will be presented in the second volume. Translation from English: Dhammānissita (D. Platonov)