This Paper aims to examine the gradual educational principles which are represented in the system of the ‘Seven Purifications for Practice[Satta Visuddhi; 七淸淨]’ as described in the book Visuddhimagga [Path of Purification], a guide to Theravàda doctrine written by Buddhist Master Buddhaghosa in the early Fifth century C.E.
For the purposes of this paper, in the second chapter we will examine a life of Buddhaghosa, a historical background of the time that he lived, and a literatural significances of this book to represent why he compiled the book Visuddhimagga.
In the third chapter, before we embark upon the main theme, first of all we will deal with Buddha's principle of education, including Buddha's plan for education, Buddha's method for teaching, and the concept of education in Buddhism which can be defined as gradual change in human behavior by intenting towards enlightenment through both core practices of Samatha and Vipassanā after controling the body(身), speech(口) and mind(意).
The concept of education in Buddhism and its process is similar to curriculumn in education. this is worth to be called curriculum.
And from the viewpoint of education in buddhism, we will confirm that the principle of education in Buddhism is contained at the frame of the three fundamental systems of practice, which are virtue(戒; sīla), meditation(定; samadhi) and wisdom(paññā; 慧) in the early buddhism.
By the way, this method of curriculum has to be done by the gradual-specific rule (anupubbata; 漸敎性) from the understandable and practicable teachings toward the more difficult teachings according to the Buddha's saying in the Majjima Nikāya that “there is nothing to be accomplished at one time.”
However, the noteworthy thing is that this curricula at the time of early buddhism always did not practice in regular order.
The Fourth chapter shows that this tradition was handed down along with the Abhidhamma Buddhism, and Master Buddhaghosa systemized the structure of his Seven Purifications on its basis.
Buddhaghosa edited the system of the Seven Purifications in the Visuddhimagga because he had followed the characteristics of the gradual-specific rule that are represented in the system of the Seven Purifications that traditionally had been handed down in the early Buddhist Rathavinīta Sutta(驛馬車經) and the Dasuttara Sutta(十上經).
In this way, the Visuddhimagga follows from early Buddhism. Most of the early Buddhist suttas focus on four kinds of dhyāna[四種禪] for meditation practice, on the contrary, the Visuddhimagga focus on five kinds of dhyāna[五種禪], and therefore there are few differences between the two, or we can say that the two are practically the same.
The other is that the five components of dhyāna(禪), which are named the vittaka[尋], the vicāra[伺], the pīti[喜], the sukha[樂] and the cittekaggatā[心一境性] that unfold in practice from the first state of dhyāna(初禪) to the fourth state of dhyāna(第四禪), similar to what the Visuddhimagga says.
Here, seeing about meditation(定;samatha) of ‘the purification of the mind[cittavisuddhi; 心淸淨]’in the Visuddhimagga briefy, there are four sorts of meditation. that is, they are the first state of dhyāna(初禪), the second state of dhyāna(二禪), the third state of dhyāna(三禪), and the fourth state of dhyāna(四禪). and there is dhyāna[近接三昧] near to this before the first state of dhyāna(初禪). there is also the main dhyāna[本三昧] which entered into the first state of dhyāna(初禪). this practice is a way that focus on it into one and make stable, not scattering the mind over the outer matter or environment.
What is noteworthy in this respect, the bhikkhu's focusing on the mind into one and make stable represents an appearance of human formation that stabled psychologically by getting out of anguish[the five covers; 五蓋]before Vipassanā practice will develop. therefore the process of meditation can be called human formation through samatha.
In connection with wisdom[慧; paññā], while the Saṁyutta Nikāya says that the bhikkhu truly grasps the Four Noble Truths[四聖諦], the Visuddhimagga focus on ‘wisdom through insight[洞察智]’ in the purification by vision(diṭṭhivisuddhi;見淸淨). he explains as follows: According to the purification by vision, the bhikkhu examines the mind and matter with ‘wisdom through insight[洞察智]’.
And ‘the purification by overcoming doubts(kaṅkhāvitaraṇavisuddhi) is that which overcomes the needless sixteen doubts by grasping cause and condition of the mind and the matter.
And ‘the purification by the view of the Four Noble Truths and the non Four Noble Truths (maggāmaggañāṇadassanavisuddhi;道非道知見淸淨)’ shows that the bhikkhu has to practices the eighteen important vipassanās(mahāvipassana) that makes the Four Noble Truths[四聖諦] clear through observation of the arising and disappearance of the Five Gatherings or Skandhas(五蘊; pañca-kkhandha).
The next step, which represents the gradual characteristics, is that ‘the purification by wisdom and view of practice(paṭipadāñāṇadassanavisuddhi)’ means that the bhikkhu has to practise ‘the Eight Wisdoms(paññā)’ of Vipassanā, which is the wisdom(paññā) that observes the phenomenon of arising and disappearance, the wisdom that observes the crumbling of matter, the wisdom that appears in the form of fear, the wisdom that observes danger, the wisdom that observes disgust, the wisdom that wishes to release(vimutti), the wisdom that observes by deep consideration and the wisdom of calmness amidst saṅkhāra(行; movement or circulation).
When the bhikkhu repeatedly practises that final wisdom in ‘the purification by wisdom and view(ñāṇadassanavisuddhi)’, his firm faith will become deeper, his effort(virya) will gain greater elastic force, his mindfulness(sati) will be established, and then his mind will be well-calmed.
From then-on, the bhikkhu will come to intend toward the conforming wisdom(paññā). By doing like this, the conforming wisdom will become his. Therefore the bhikkhu’s mind does not enter into saṅkhāra(行), it does not stay in it, it does not adhere to it and is not restricted to it; when the darkness totally disappears by the Three Conforming Wisdoms (paññā), which are named ‘readiness(準備)’ to, ‘near approach(近接)’ to and ‘conform(隨順)’ to ‘samādhi(本三昧; appanā samādhi)’.
Here wisdom[慧; paññā], although this practice method is the process of practice, has the educational function as insight that by taking the bhikkhu's mind into pieces by observeing the Five Gatherings or Skandhas(五蘊; pañca-kkhandha) and in realizing their essence that the Three Truths, which are called impermanence(無常; anicca)⋅suffering(苦; dukkha)⋅selflessness(無我; anatman).
Until now I have extensively investigated this system from the Ratha Vinīta Sutta(驛馬車經) that appeared in early Buddhism as the structure of the practice that gradually deepens, which is named virtue(戒; sīla), meditation(定; samadhi), wisdom(paññā; 慧) to the Visuddhimagga in the same way and thereby these specifics have been taught and learned between the acariya(buddhist teacher) and the bhikkhu(buddhist student).
Here we confront with the two problems about the gradual specifics;one is the problem that although the Visuddhimagga consists of the three structure, which is named virtue(戒; sīla), meditation(定; samadhi), wisdom(paññā; 慧), there is the case that practise a roof of ‘wisdom through insight[洞察智]’, which is named virtue(戒; sīla) and meditation(定; samadhi) and then practise a body of that, which is named wisdom(paññā; 慧) from the third ‘purification by vision(diṭṭhivisuddhi;見淸淨)’ to the seventh ‘purification by wisdom and vision(ñāṇadassanavisuddhiniddeso)’ after the bhikkhu previously practise the six systems of practise, which are named the khandha(蘊)⋅the āyatana(處)⋅the dhātu(界)⋅the indriya(根)⋅the sacca(諦)⋅the paṭiccasamuppāda(緣).
The other is the problem that beforehand what the bhikkhu have to practise and which is right between the three cases; the case after the bhikkhu practises samatha and then practises vipassanā, the case after the bhikkhu practises vipassanā and then practises samatha, and the case that the bhikkhu practise samatha and vipassanā simultaneously. Similarily, the ‘雙經’ says that the bhikkhu can become the Arhat at the first state of dhyāna(初禪) as well, or the bhikkhu can become the Arhat at the second state of dhyāna(二禪) as well, or the bhikkhu can become the Arhat at the third state of dhyāna(三禪) as well, or the bhikkhu can become the Arhat at the fourth state of dhyāna(第四禪).
The differences between the both systems of practise exist by that one is the six cariyās(disposition or individuality), which means the levels of persons, and the other is the context at that time.
This represents that the Visuddhimagga is not one after another system of practise. in other words, the Visuddhimagga is the crosswise-connected mixed structure. therefore this can be called the gradual system of practise. this means also the gradual system in education.
On the ground of discussion until now, the gradual principles of education in the Visuddhimagga have modern pedagogic significance on the two sides.
One is that the bhikkhu undergoes educational experiences in the process of the practice of the Seven Purifications. This experience has been read as the process of directivity in consciousness. because for bhikkhu that his five organs[五門] as subjectivity of consciousness act toward the five objects. the five organs accompany with consciousness respectively. this characteristic is unique in that not ever seen in Western history of Philosophy. this is called the process of consciousness of the five sense organs(Pañca-Dvāra-Vīthi;五門過程). and when his five organs[五門] contact the five objects, simultaneously, these organs contact the sixth organ[意門;mano]. by doing this, the sixth organ receives data that the five organs experienced, and then thereby continuously go toward purifying steps of practice that is nibbāna through the process which are named ‘readiness(準備)’ to, ‘near approach(近接)’ to and ‘conform(隨順)’ to.
Especially, it is noteworthy that ‘wisdom through insight[洞察智]’ in the process of the practice of the Seven Purifications, for the bhikkhu, result in mutatiom of consciousness. it is very important that because mutatiom of consciousness enable to enlighten throughfully the three truths of impermanence(無常; anicca)⋅suffering(苦; dukkha)⋅selflessness(無我; anatman) and because this fact represents the educational epistemology which is related with teaching 'what' and 'how'.
This process of directivity through mutatiom of consciousness by ‘wisdom through insight[洞察智]’ enables the bhikkhu to experience pure state in the action of consciousness subject toward nibbānaa, pure state of enlightenment, which serves an educational purpose in Buddhism.
Educational phenomenology considers educational experience as important in the content that a child interprets. In this case, the content comes to be vivid reality that child will get to.
Therefore, The bhikkhu directly interprets and understands the process of the practice of the Seven Purifications through the process of practise of samatha and vipassanā; by doing this, he goes toward enlightenment which means pure essence, and finally attains it.
On the one hand, the term curriculum is derived from ‘currere’, which means ‘to run’ or ‘running’⋅‘Currere’ emphasizes placing essential meaning on the experiences that the individual has in the course of the curriculum, not on teaching the students the subject matter unilaterally from outside of them.
This is called ‘reconceptualism of curriculum’, which is in itself to gain knowledge of the quality of a curriculum, by examining the essence of the educational experience as a unique method for inquiry, rather than the traditional curriculum that focuses on quantity, the establishment of educational purposes, the planning of curricula and their practice, and the evaluation of educational outcomes.
Examining this ‘reconceptualism of curriculum’ more in detail, this has four kinds of steps, which are called regressive, progressive, analytical and synthetical.
The regressive step means to posit one's “lived” or existential experience as the “data source” To generate “data,” we use free-associations, and we recall the past. This step is similar to how the bhikkhu regresses his past way of living, controlling his six organs with virture(戒; sīla) according to the step of the Purification of Virture(Sīla Visuddhi).
The progressive step means to look toward what is not yet present, and thereby this step directs that the student meditatively imagines possible futures. This step is similar to how the bhikkhu enters into the first level of meditation as he begins practice.
The analytical step means to examines both past and present; this directs to distance. from past and future so as to be free of the present. This step is similar to the bhikkhu examining both matter(rūpa) and the mind(nama) to realize the Three Truths, which are called impermanence(無常; anicca)⋅suffering(苦; dukkha)⋅selflessness(無我; anatman).
The synthetical step means to experience. the lived present, such as when in practice. we are conscious of our breathing, and ask “who is that?” This step is similar to how the bhikkhu realizes that which is the correct way to enlightenment and which is not the way to enlightenment. however, there are the differences apparently among the two. the former is self-centered., on the contrary, the letter is selflessness.
As the above examines, these four kinds of the process of the educational experience are similar to the process that the bhikkhu experiences among the system of the practice of the Seven Purifications in the Visuddhimagga.
As we discussed until now, the first conclusion that is drawn here is that, from the Buddhist point of view, the Seven Steps of Purification system in the Visuddhimagga demonstrates gradual educational principles for human formation after practicing both Samatha and Vipassanā and by throwing away all the evil dhammā that must throw until nibbāna at the seventh ‘purification by wisdom and vision', not one after another system because of the above two cases although these steps of purification have the gradual characteristics of not arising at one time as the Buddha said in the Majjima Nikāya.
The other conclusion is its modern pedagogic significance, which can be explained from two sides. One is that the bhikkhu continues to go toward Nibbāna, experiencing the process of cognition through the five senses organs and thereby synthesizing the datum generated at these five organs through the mind(意), that is, the sixth organ, and then continuing to experience investigation, registration, prompt action through both core practices of Samatha and Vipassanā. at this process, the bhikkhu interprets the situations for learning in the process of the Seven Steps of Purification by interpreting the subject matter for meditation. this is called the directivity of consciousness.
The other is that ‘the Buddhist currere’ means the system by which the bhikkhu goes toward Nibbāna; this method is forcused on looking back the bhikkhu by the precepts and concentrating the mind on one thing without its scattering and then observation of the three special phenomena(三特相), that is impermanence(無常), suffering(苦), selflessness(無我). the bhikkhu experiences change at each step from an unenlightened person into a saint through the Seven Steps of Purification in comparison with the four steps of currere, which are regressive, progressive, analytic and synthetic; this is the process of human formation in ‘the Buddhist currere’ in that enables the bhikkhu to change from an unenlightened person into a saint. that from the Sotāpanna until the Arahant.
In the conclusion, the Visuddhimagga demonstrates the gradual educational system that functions as human formation in that enables the bhikkhu to change from an unenlightened person into a saint, as the above said, through both core practices of Samatha and Vipassanā at each step from ‘the purification of the mind’ until ‘the purification by wisdom and view of practice’.

논자는 차제적이고 비차제적인 특성을 띠는 淸淨道論의 칠청정의 수행체계를 단계별로 살펴봄으로써 비구가 마음을 닦아 완성된 모습으로 어떻게 변화해 가는가 밝히고자 한다.
그런데 이와 같이 인간형성의 기능을 갖고 있는 청정도론의 수행체계는 현대 학교교육을 통해 이루어지는 인간형성과 비교할 때 서로 같은 점도 있고 다른 점도 있다고 하겠다.
같은 점은 수행을 통해서든, 학교교육을 통해서든, 이전과 비교할 때 이후에 다른 인간으로 성장, 변화했다는 점에 있다. 즉, 인간의 됨됨이가 전보다 성장하는 모습으로 변화가 이루어진 측면에서 같다고 하겠다.
다른 점은 삼매(定)나 지혜(慧)의 수행으로 마음을 닦아 인간형성을 하게 되는 경우는 脫世俗的인 특성을 띠는 반면에, 학교교육에서는 지식을 배움으로 인간형성을 하게 되므로 世俗的인 특성을 띠고 있다는 데에 있다. 이에 대해 구체적으로 살펴보면, 학교교육은 그 목적이 근본적으로 지식의 획득으로 사회가 필요로 하는 바람직한 인간이 되도록 하는 데 있지만, 반면에 사마타와 위빠사나 수행을 통해서는 학교교육에서 말하는 지식이 아니라 마음을 닦음으로써 감각적 욕망을 끊고 初禪에 들어가 二禪, 三禪을 거쳐 四禪에 이르러 本三昧를 견고하게 유지하고, 더욱이 四念處 수행에 의한 통찰지로 5온, 4대, 18계의 물질과 정신이 무상, 고, 무아임을 깨달아 삼세의 여섯 가지 의심을 끊고, 위빠사나의 지혜로 갈애를 완전히 제거함으로써 Nibbāna에 이르는 데 그 목적이 있다는 점에서 서로 완전히 다른 것이다.
청정도론의 칠청정의 수행체계는 이와 같이 종교인 불교의 수행체계이기 때문에 학교교육과 근본적으로 다른 측면이 있지만, 최상의 인격이라고 할 수 있는 닙빠나에 이르기까지 사마타와 위빠사나의 수행방법에 의해 마음을 닦음으로써 비구의 내면의 의식의 흐름과 인간의 됨됨이가 어떤 모습으로 바뀌어 가는지 구체적으로 기술하고 있다는 점에서 주목할 필요가 있다. 서양철학의 어느 思潮나 교육사상을 보더라도 마음을 닦음으로써 인간으로서 도달할 수 있는 최상의 경지인 닙빠나에 이르는 과정을 심도있게 다룬 경우는 찾아볼 수 없기 때문이다.
이러한 측면이 있기 때문에 청정도론의 칠청정의 수행체계에 현대 교육적 의의가 있다고 보는 것은 무리가 아니라고 할 수 있다. 그것은 청정도론의 수행체계는 현대교육의 성적과 결과위주의 교육방향과 달리 최상의 인격을 지닌 깨달은 인간이 되기 위해 자발적으로 학습을 해 나아가는 학습자 위주의 교육적 비전을 수행과정을 통해 제시하고 있기 때문이다.
구체적으로 살펴보면, 의식의 지향성과 관련하여 『청정도론』은 초기불교의 인식과정과 다른 특색을 지닌다. 초기불교는 여섯 가지 감각기관(六根)이 여섯 가지 대상(六境)을 만나서 여섯 가지 인식작용(六識)이 있게 된다고 설명하는 과정에서 여섯 가지 감각기관이 각각 認識한다고 표현하는 점에서 현상학이나 다른 서양철학 등에서 찾아볼 수 없는 독특한 측면을 엿볼 수 있으며, 또한 이렇게 六根⋅六境⋅六識이 서로 만나서 18계를 형성하지만, 18계 또한 初禪에서 四禪에 이르는 禪定修行에 이어서 四念處를 닦음으로 無常, 苦, 無我임을 비구가 깨닫고 離欲의 수행과정을 거쳐 해탈을 지향한다는 견해를 피력하고 있다.
반면에 청정도론은 초기불교와 다르게 近接三昧와 本三昧에 이르는 과정과 욕계, 색계, 무색계에 배대되는 初禪에서 四禪에 이르는 禪定修行을 五門認識過程과 意門認識過程에 의해 설명하고 있는데 이러한 과정은 인식과정이고, 또한 모든 것을 꿰뚫어 아는 통찰지로 점차적으로 凡夫의 種姓에서 벗어나 聖者의 種姓에 해당하는 일곱 번째 수행단계인 ‘지와 견에 의한 청정’에 들어가게 된다고 설명하고 있는데, 이 과정에서 마찬가지로 오문인식과정과 의문인식작용에 의한 인식과정을 거친다.
범부로부터 성자로 나아가는 수행과정에서 나타나는 의식의 흐름은 범부의 인격으로부터 성자의 인격으로 점차적으로 변화해 가는 모습을 보여주고 있다. 그러므로 일곱 가지 단계의 수행과정에 나타나는 의식흐름에서 인간형성의 교육적 의의를 찾아내는 것이 가능하다고 말할 수 있다.
그밖의 의의로 비구는 통찰지에 의한 의식전변으로 닙빠나를 지향하여 깨달은 인간으로 되어 간다는 측면에서 교육적인 측면에서 볼 때 의미의 주체라는 점이다. 왜냐하면 사마타와 위빠사나의 수행은 언어를 떠나 철저히 몸과 마음으로 자주적으로 수행을 통해 이루어지는 체험에 중점을 두는 과정이기 때문이다.
그 다음 교육적 의의는 교육과정의 어원인 ‘꾸레레’가 인간의 내면의 자아가 경험하는 과정을 설명한 것이라면, 청정도론의 일곱 가지 단계의 수행과정은 불교적 ‘꾸레레’로 자아가 아니라 무아에 중점을 두고 닙빠나를 향해 경험해 가는 과정이라는 점이다.
‘꾸레레’는 회상적, 전진적, 분석적, 종합적 특성을 띠는 네 가지 단계로 자아가 나아가며 겪는 교육적 경험을 논하고 있다. 그러나 청정도론의 일곱 가지 단계의 수행과정은 이와는 전혀 다르다. 전체적으로는 계, 정, 혜의 수행이지만 사마타와 위빠사나로 집약되는 수행과정을 통해 마음을 닦음으로써 무상, 고, 무아를 깨닫고 닙빠나를 체험하는 불교적 ‘꾸레레’인 것이다.
불교적 ‘꾸레레’는 인간형성의 과정으로서의 의미를 지닌다. 그러므로 일곱 가지 청정의 수행단계도 인간형성의 과정이 되는 것이다. 내면적인 마음이든, 외부로 드러나는 행동이든, 무엇이든지간에 이것들을 갈고 닦아 닙빠나에 도달하는 인간으로 되어 가는 것이다.