The path of freedom (Vimuttimagga)

433 Pages·1995·32.365 MB·English, Chinese

by  Soma Thera, N.R.M. Ehara

The Path of Freedom
(Vimuttimagga)
Anupubbena medhiivi thokathokariJ. khal).e khal).e
kammiiro rajatass'eva niddhame malam attano.
Gradually should the perspicacious one,
Moment by moment, little by little, expel
His own dross, as would the smith
That which is in silver.
Dhammapada v. 239
(Trans. by Soma Thera)
The Path of Freedom
(Vimuttimagga)
By the Arahant Upatissa
Translated into Chinese as
Cie-to-tao-lun
by Tipitaka Sanghapiila of Funan
Translated from the Chinese
by Rev. N.R.M. Ehara, Soma Thera,
and Kheminda Thera
Buddhist Publication Society
Kandy • Sri Lanka
Buddhist Publication Society
P.O. Box 61
54, Sangharaja Mawatha
Kandy, Sri Lanka
First published in 1961 by
Dr. D. Roland D. Weerasuria
First BPS edition 1977
Reprinted 1995
Copyright © 1995 Buddhist Publication Society
ISBN 955-24-0054-6
Reprinted and Donated for free distribution by
The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation
IIF., 55 Hang Chow South Road Sec 1, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
PUBLISHER'S NOTE
In several places in the Preface and the Introduction (p. xxxi, 1.2; p. xxxvi,
1.13; p. xlviii, 1. 10), the Gedatsu-Do-Ron is referred to as being the Chinese
name for the .Vimuttimagga. That title, however, is actually the Japanese render
ing of the Chinese characters used to translate the original title. The proper
Chinese title of the work (as indicated on p. xxxvi) is Cie-to-tiio-Iun.
ADDmONS AND CORRECTIONS
P. 6, D. 3: read paccupat/hdna
P. 13, n. 3, for achiddehi read acchiddehi
P. 17, last line but one for (In his) read (In this)
P. 21, D. 4, line 3: for sara1Jattamo read sara1Jattano
P. 25, n. 5, line 2: read briihma1Ja-parisam
P. 27, n. 10: read Khalupacchiibhattika-'
P. 41, n. 2: read ManopubbaIigama
P. 44, n. 5: alter 5 to 4; n. 4: alter 4 to 5
P. 49, n. 2: read vacanakkhamo ca, gambhirafi ca
P. 72, n .. 3: delete black
P. 78, n. 1, line 3: read pa!ipajjati
P. 91, n. 2, line 3: read thinamiddham
P. 124, n. 1, last line: read paficamam
P. 132, D. 1 (b) continued from previous page, line 1: read patipii!iyii
P. 145, n. 5, par. 3, line 2: read yathiibhiitaril
P. 161, n. 2: read kiiyasalikhiirehi
P. 183, n. 3: read Surattam
P. 187, n. 2, line 4: read appamii1Jena
P. 195, n. 1, par. 5, line 1: read kimphald
P. 208, D. 1: read Piiliputta
P. 227, n. 3, line 2: read vijjii-carQ1Ja-sampanno
P. 233, n. 2, line 6: read ta7;hd-samudaya-saccam
P. 243, n. 1: read Gabbhaseyyaka-sattassa; n. 2: read Abhiiva-gabbhaseyydnam
P. 244, line 10 from bottom: substitute kinds for hinds
P. 290, n. 4 (a) continued from previous page, line 1: read attho
P. 302, n. 4, line 4: read dukkham
P. 315, n. 1: substitute-(a) D. II, 81, 84, 91, 98, 123, 126: Pafifiii-pari
bhdvitam cittam sammad eva iisavehi vimuccati,
seyyathidam kdmiisavii bhaviisavii di!fhiisavd
avijjiisavii ti.
(b) Dhs. 195, par. 1096: Cattiiro iisal'ii-kiimii
savo bhavdsavo di!!hdsavo avijjiisavo.
(c) NeW. 116: Tassa evam gandhitd kilesii iisavanti.
Kuto ca vuccati iisavanti ti? Anusayato
vii pariyu!!hiinato vii. Tattha abhijjhii
kiiyagandhena kdmdsavo, byiipddakii
yagandliena bhaviisavo, pariimdsakii
yagandhena ditthiisavo, idarh-sacciibhi
nivesakdyagandhena avijjiisavo.
(d) Pts. I, 94, 117: 'Asavd' ti. Katame te iisavd?
Kdmdsavo, bhavdsavo, diUhd
savo, avijjdsavo.
P. XXXII, line 8 read ask the
P. XLII, line 3 from bottom delete to
DEDICATED
to
the memory of
The Venerable Mahii Nayaka Thera,
Paelaene Siri VajiraiiaI;la of Vajirarama,
Colombo, Ceylon
and
The Venerable Myin Mu Myo Sayadaw,
Pal}Qava Maha Thera of the SatipaUhiina Monastery,
Moulmein, Burma.

In Memoriam
SOMA MAHATHERA
(1898 -1960)
Aciram vat' ayam kiiyo pa/hav;m adhisessati
Chuddho.apetaviiiiiiir)o, nirattham va kalingaram.1
Truly it will not be long before this body lies in the earth, bereft of con-
sciousness, like a useless piece of wood; which is thrown away. '
Soma Thera's translation in
"Words Leading to Disenchant• .
ment", Bosat, Oct. 1959.
Truly, indeed, it was not long. after-just four months since he wrote this
article-that he suddenly passed away. Often he used to say that this was
the $ort of death. he preferred.
It is fitting to record here the life and work of the Venerable Soma Mahii
Thera, for, but for his indomitable energy and earnestness this work would
not have been undertaken, persisted in, and brought to ·a conclusion in just
four months. Whenever any difficulty arose it was to him that the others
turned. When we were tempted to give up the work on encountering really
hard patches, he was always ready with encouragement and with a way out of
the difficulty. He loved to work hard, and half-hearted effort was unknown
to him. Not infrequently he used to say, "Better wear out than rust out".
Soma Maha Thera was born on December 23, 1898, in Kotahena, Colombo,
and passed away at Vajiriiriima, Bambalapitiya, Colo~bo, Tuesday, February
23, 1960. His father was Emmanuel Marian Perera Pulle, and his mother,
Theresa Rodrigo Babapulle. His name was Victor Emmanuel Perera Pulle.
5t.
He receiyed his education at Benedict's College, Kotahena.
Once at the age of eleven, when he was told by his teacher that God made
man, he promptly asked him, "Who made God 7". The teacher, apparently
unused to this sort -of question from his pupils, snapped back, "Do not question
the antecedents of God". However, this incident pleased neither the teacher
nor the pupil. He began to read and think for himself. One day his mother
gave him one rupee as pocket-money, and Victor walked !lbout three miles to
a bookshop in the Fort, Colombo, looking out for a book priced at one rupee
or less, as that was all he had. Finding an English translation of the Dhamma
pada being sold for a rupee he quickly bought and read it again and again.
This was his introduction to the Buddhadhamma. From that day' on he
1. Dh.41.
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