Studies in the Origins of Buddhism c19.s1.8

c19.s1.8

¹²⁷ The Jhānas are described as "Cittasampadā" in DN. pt. I. p. 200ff (Nāg. ed.), as "Cittaparisuddhiyaṅga" in AN. II. 195. cf. AN. III. 93. Their function was to free the mind from its "impurities (Upakkilesas) which are variously described and listed. Sometimes they are the "Nivaraṇas"—"cittaṃ imehi pañca upakkilesehi vimuttaṃ....mudu ca kamanīyaṃ ca pabhasaraṃ ca na ca pabbaṅgu sammā samādhiyati āsavānaṃ khayāya...." (AN. III. pp. 16-17) The simile of the purification of gold is used in this connection (AN. I. 253, 257) Cf. AN. III. 186, "cetaso vivaraṃ cetaso pasādaṃ" Ib. 323 "iti vivaṭena cetasā apariyonaddhena sappabhāsaṃ cittaṃ bhāveti. "SN. V. 92 is similar to AN. I. III. 15-6. On the psychological conditions of the origin of the Nivaraṇas see AN. I. 3-4—Sometimes a long list of the Upakkilesas is given as in MN. I. 36. Frequently the basic impurities that have to be destroyed are called the Āsavas. The term occurs in early Jinist literature (in the sense of "flowing in" rather than of "what flows in" which is the Buddhist meaning). This suggests the age of the term, as does also the fact that it is used in early texts in connection with Cetovimuti. At first three, the Āsavas were later increased to four (see Pali Dictionary, PTS). Sometimes the origin of Avijjā was sought in them (see Vm. p. 368;