The first step of Vipassana - Chapter 18 of the Visuddhimagga
The chapter 18 of the Visuddhimagga called « The purification of view », which is synonynmous with « analytical knowledge of name and form », exposes the first step of vipassana. At this stage, the view of a self is destroyed.
This chapter of the visuddhimagga indicates 5 ways of arriving at this knowledge.
Each time, it is said that first form must be thoroughly understood, so that name can be seen clearly.
Name consists in the non-physical aggregates, i.e feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness.
Note that this knowledge is the first step of « tender vipassana », the first knowledge of vipassana as power being knowledge of rise and fall, exposed in Ch. 21.
I- Starting with the four great elements in the 32 parts of the body.
A) Form
1) The monk examins the 32 parts of the body:
a) Earth (20)
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2) 10 other aspects
a) FIRE (4)
Fever, aging, burning feeling, and digestion
b) WIND (6)
- ascending winds, descending winds
- abdominal winds, intestinal winds
- winds following the limbs
- the inbreath and the outbreath
- Hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin
- Flesh, sinews, bone, marrow, kidneys
- Heart, liver, membranes, spleen, lungs
- Bowels, intestines, gorge, dung, brain
b) Water (12)
- Bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat
-Tears, grease, snot, spittle, oil of the joints, urine
B) Name (non-physical dhammas)
1) 81 worldly cittas (aggregate of consciousness)
2) 7 mental factors (include 2nd, 3rd and part of the 4th aggregate)
- Contact
- Feeling
- Perception
- Volition
- One-pointedness
- Life faculty
- Attention
II- From the 18 elements
A) Form
The yogi examins the elements pertaining to form (10 ½ elements)
1- The eye element
2- The ear ''
3- The nose ''
4- The tongue ''
5- The body ''
6- The form ''
7- The sound ''
8- The smell ''
9- The taste ''
10- The tangible -
10 ½ – Mental object element (corresponding to subltle matter)
B) Name
The yogi examins the 7 ½ elements pertaining to name
III- From the 12 bases
A) Form
1) The eye base
2) The ear ''
3) The nose ''
4) The tongue ''
5) The body ''
6) The form ''
7) The sound ''
8) The smell ''
9) The taste ''
10) The tangible ''
10 ½ ) Mental object '' (corresponding to subtle form)
B) Name
1) Mind ''
1 ½ ) Mental object '' (corresponding to contact, feeling, perception etc.)
IV - From the 5 aggregates
A) Form
1) 17 aspects of the body which are concrete rupa
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Great Essentials
1. Earth Element
2. Water Element
3. Fire Element
4. Air Element
Senistive Phenomena
5. Eye Sensitiviy
6. Ear ''
7. Nose ''
8. Tongue ''
9. Body ' '
Objective Phenomena
10. Visible form
11. Sound
12. Smell
13. Taste
Sexual Phenomenon
14. Feminity
15. Masculinity
Heart Phenomenon
16. Heart Base
Life phenomenon
17 Life Faculty
-
10 aspects which are not concrete
-
Limitating Phenomenon
1. Space Element
Communicating phenomena
2. Bodily Intimation
3. Vocal Intimation
Mutable Phenomena
4. Lightness
5. Malleability
6. Wieldiness
Characteristics of form
7. Production
8. Continuity
9. Decay
10. Impermanence
B) Name
1) Feelings accompanying the 81 consciousnesses
2) Associated perceptions
3) Formations
4) Consciousnesses
V- Understanding in brief
A) Form
« Form is made of the four great elements and of physical aspects associated with them »
B) Name
The yogis apprehend the mind base and a part of the mind-object base(contact etc. without subtle matter) as name