Buddha Abhidhamma - Ultimate Science - BuddhaNet

394
Sevenfold Visuddhi (Seven Stages of Purity)
‘Visuddhi’ means ‘purification’ or ‘purity’. There are seven stages
in purifying the mind by insight-meditation.
1 Sãla-visuddhi – purity of morality,
2 Citta-visuddhi – purity of mind,
3 Diññhi-visuddhi – purity of view,
4 Kaïkhà-vitarana-visuddhi – purity by transcending
doubt,
5 Maggàmagga-¤àõadassana-visuddhi – purity of vision in
discerning the Path and not-Path,
6 Patipadà-¤àõadassana-visuddhi – purity of vision of the
Path-progress,
7 ¥àõadassana-visuddhi – purity of vision of the knowledge
of the four Paths.
In Majjhima Nikàya (Sutta 24) the simile of the stage -coach
is mentioned comparing the sevenfold Visuddhi with seven stagecoaches.
One mounts the first coach and travels to the second
coach. Then one mounts the second coach and travels to the third
coach, and so on.
In exactly the same way one purifies one’s morality to get
to the starting point of the purification of the mind. Then one
purifies the mind in order to get to the starting point of the purification
of view. Then one purifies one’s view to arrive at the
starting point of the purification by transcending doubt. One
proceeds in this way until the four Paths and their Fruits are
attained.
There in Majjhima Nikàya it is said that the real and ultimate
goal does not consist in the purity of morality, or of mind, or of
view, etc., but in total deliverance from and extinction of
defilements.