Fruits of the practice according to Buddhaghosa

"Pleasant dwelling in the happiness of truth in the present life; enjoyment of all objects through investigation; acquisition of worldly knowledge; the attainment of perfection." (p. 40 Path of Freedom)

Dwelling in happiness is like heaven on earth or living in the pure land. The happiness research can plug into this but it's separate. There are objective non-Buddhist things people do to achieve happiness, and those things have been studied. It's kind of like asking not how to do I overcome my problems, but what could I do to be happy. It might be a form of bypassing, it might be a form of burying your head in the sand, and it might be something only for the rich, but anyway, there's a lot of research into it. Emotional intelligence is often said to be a key component, more important than education or intelligence. Money can give you a greater sense of independence (source). Some people think gut health is the secret to happiness.

The Buddhist path is quite austere and involves a lot of support, space and meditation. 

Buddhaghosa explains, "At first I was a naked ascetic; I did not move my body or open my mouth for seven days and seven nights; I sat in silence enwrapped in bliss." This is the meaning, in the Noble Teaching, of 'pleasant dwelling in the happiness of truth in the present life'."

"Enjoying of all objects through investigation" is a kind of wisdom of equality and quite a level of resolution and integration.

Buddhaghosa explains, "a yogin acquires concentration and is not hindered by objects."

"acquisition of worldly knowledge": What? That's kind of a surprise. You mean you can't survive just on Buddhist knowledge alone? 

Buddhaghosa explains, "Acquisition of worldly knowledge' means that one having acquired concentration, develops the five faculties of knowledge, namely, psychic power, divine ear, knowledge of others' thoughts, recollection of past existences, and the divine eye. Therefore, the Blessed One has declared: "With concentrated mind one is able to change one's body at will. Thus one produces psychic power in the various modes."

Huh? I guess I thought that stuff might be a fruit, but it's not really something you play with. I need to think more about this.

"attainment of perfection": As someone who has identified aspects of perfectionist, this kind of talk makes me anxious. Of course it's an easy put down to point out how not close to perfection a perfectionist is. When I was introduced to the topic, I began to see it everywhere. My grandfather showing me wedding photos where he pointed out the flaws in tailoring. It's basically the critical mind that is so useful to humans, but also so nerve wracking. Buddhaghosa isn't afraid to talk of purity and perfection. He's pointing at something. My modern ears twitch at the words, but he's pointing at something. It's the ultimate level, I think, the top, the highest attainments. There is something higher, something deeper, something more, hard to imagine for someone like me, but I do like a good challenge.

I like it that he says you become "perfect gradually", that's feels like an infinite number approaching a limit.

Buddhaghosa explains, "'The attainment of perfection' means that one having a concentrated mind, although one has yet to reach the stage of the learning-ender, may not fall back at all. One gains (a good) reward through concentration. One attains to 'the form', 'the formless' and to perfection." (p. 41)

Eight mental states that prevent concentration: lust, hatred, indolence, rigidity, agitation, uncertainty, delusion, absence of joy and bliss.

"eight states are causes: renunciation, non-hatred, brightness, non-disturbedness, all skilful states, sustained application of thought, gladness, and those states that arouse knowledge of the truth."

7 requisites: "virtue, contentment, shielding of the faculties, moderation in drink and food, not sleeping in the first, middle and last watches of the night, the being intent on wisdom and a calm and quiet dwelling-place."

Good lists, but I fear I'm not as evolved as I need to be to interpret all this.

Unrelated graphic:

Vimuttimagga and Visuddhimagga

If I waited till I fully grok a text, I would never write, and that might be the best thing, but I find value in expressing incomplete thoughts, and efforts. The is a public diary that I edit as I go along.

The Vimuttimagga is an ancient text purportedly written by the arahant Upatissa. The Visuddhimagga is written by Buddhaghosa. These two works are often spoken together. I say them over and over again to differentiate them.

The Path of Freedom, an alternate name for the Vimuttimagga, was lost in the original Pali, it is translated back from a surviving Chinese translation.

Wikipedia: "Gunaratana further notes that Buddhaghosa invented several key meditation terms which are not to be found in the suttas, such as "parikamma samadhi (preparatory concentration), upacara samadhi (access concentration), appanasamadhi (absorption concentration)." Gunaratana also notes that the Buddhaghosa's emphasis on kasina-meditation is not to be found in the suttas, where dhyana is always combined with mindfulness. Bhikkhu Sujato has argued that certain views regarding Buddhist meditation expounded in the Visuddhimagga are a "distortion of the Suttas" since it denies the necessity of jhana."

Interesting sectarian note: "Despite the general belief that he was Indian by birth, he later may have been claimed by the Mon people of Burma as an attempt to assert primacy over Sri Lanka in the development of Theravada tradition."

"According to Maria Heim, he is "one of the greatest minds in the history of Buddhism" and British philosopher Jonardon Ganeri considers Buddhaghosa "a true innovator, a pioneer, and a creative thinker." Yet, according to Buddhadasa, Buddhaghosa was influenced by Hindu thought, and the uncritical respect for the Visuddhimagga has even hindered the practice of authentic Buddhism."

Quote: Vimuttimagga on virtue: "The destruction of sense desires by renunciation (is virtue). This virtue can remove evil. It is the 'virtue of volition', the 'virtue of restraint', the 'virtue of abstention'. The destruction of ill will by not-ill will, the destruction of rigidity and torpor by the perception of brightness, the destruction of agitation and anxiety by non-distraction, the destruction of uncertainty by the determination of states, the destruction of ignorance by knowledge, the destruction of discontent by gladness, the destruction of the five hindrances by the first meditation"

p.9-10: ""Anger, malice, hypocrisy, agitation, covetousness, jealousy, wile, craftiness, resentment, disputatiousness, pride, self-conceit, arrogance, negligence, idleness, lust, non-contentment with little, not following the wise, non-mindfulness, harsh speech, evil companionship, evil knowledge, evil views, impatience, want of faith, immodesty, indecorum, indulgence of body mouth and palate, vulgarity, contact with women, not honouring the teacher, non-practice of restraint of the senses, non-practice of concentration in the first and last watches of the night, not reciting the discourses in the first and last watches of the night—these thirty-four states are 'obstacles'." (p. 9-10 Path of Freedom)

p.39: "Concentration means that one has purity of mind, endeavours steadfastly, dwells with the truth having the benefit of tranquillity and is not distracted. This is called concentration. And again, it means not allowing one's mind to be bent by the strong wind of passion. It is comparable to the unflickering flame of the lamp behind the palace. It is said in the Abhidhamma thus: "What fixes the mind aright, causes it to be not dependent on any, causes it to be unmoved, undisturbed, tranquillized and non-attached, and rightens the faculty of concentration and the power of concentration is called concentration.""

p. 40: "'What is 'meditation' ? It is to contemplate on reality, to remove resentment, to make the mind happy, to discard the hindrances, to gain freedom, to equalize, to arouse concentration skilfully, to acquire liberation, to dwell in right observance, to wish to arouse concentration and to aspire to possess freedom."

Copies Vimuttimagga:

Read online

PDF Translated from the Chinese by Rev. N.R.M. Ehara, Soma Thera, and Kheminda Thera

PDF of the copy I'm reading from 1961

PDF The Open Buddhist University

Visuddhimagga 

Access to insight version by Nanamoli 1975

Links: Vimuttimagga in Encyclopedia of Buddhism

Link to read the ancient biography of Buddhaghosa called Buddhaghosuppatti, which says he was from India and came to Sri Lanka, and has more the air of a legendary account. The Mahāvaṃsa, which is earlier, describes him as a Vedic scholar who is converted in debate by Revata. There are no corroborating accounts.