Visuddhimagga
- written by Buddhaghosa
- prescribe treatments to inner and outer tangles faced by man
- root of visuddhi also means Nibbana, which blows out the fires of greed, hatred and delusion
- 3 trainings: morality, concentration, wisdom
Psychopathology broken into 3 categories:
1) influence of noxious trio (greed, hatred, delusion)
2) influences of four elements (water, fire, earth, wind) and three humors (wind, bile, phlegm)
3) past kammic influences
Desire motivates humans to acquire basics needs of food and shelter, but leaves them dissatisfied due to annica (impermanence).
Kammic influence of past lives plays major role in current state of psychological being.
Imbalance of four elements or three humors lead to physical and psychological disturbances.
Along with physical foods, mental foods are also necessary for healthy physical and mental well-being.
Treatment of entire lifespan advocated and broken into 10 sections:
i. Childhood (maņda, 1 -10)
ii. Adolescence (Kiddā, 10 - 20)
iii. Adulthood (Vaṉṉa, 20 - 30)
iv. The period of the establishment of Mundane life (bala, 30, 40)
v. The Period of wisdom (Paññā, 40, 50)
vi. The Period of physical decay ( hāyana, 50, 60)
vii. The Period of distortion of physical body (Pabbāra, 60, 70)
viii. The period of having crooked body (vaṇka, 70, 80)
ix. The Period of Mental distortion (Momuha, 80 - 90)
x. The Period of occurring death (sayana, 90, 100)
6 Character Types, 2 healthy/4 unhealthy:
1) Faithful
2) Intelligent
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3) Desire
4) Deluded
5) Hatred
6) Speculative
Treatment Process:
1) Moral discipline overcomes past negative kamma
2) 7 types of purification for mental health
- purification of virtue, mind, views, conquest of doubts, knowledge and insight into right and wrong paths, knowledge and insight into progress, knowledge and insight into the noble path.