Liberation(s): The Notion of Release (vimokkha) in the Paṭisambhidāmagga

Abstract

© 2014, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. The Vimokkhakathā, a section of the Paṭisambhidāmagga, expounds the longest list of vimokkhas (releases, deliverances) found in Pali; it also finely elaborates on the notion of vimokkha through a crucial shift in Theravāda exegesis. In order to explore the meaning and nuances of vimokkha in the Paṭisambhidāmagga, this article focuses on its classifications and definitions, discussing their relation to the standard lists found in the Nikāyas. This examination highlights a multifaceted soteriology that supplies meditative practice with a consistent wholesome attitude; I will also demonstrate how various microstructure-levels affect the macrostructure of the Paṭisambhidāmagga, which in turn draws upon the wider structure of the Tipiṭaka. In addition, the commentary to the enunciation of the releases (Vimokkhuddesavaṇṇanā), translated in Appendix, clarifies the structure of the vimokkhas, and their relationship with the whole Paṭisambhidāmagga.