The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2649 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
9.98Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
Vim
navatthu
(part of Buddhist P
li canon):
Vimokkha
(P
li),
vimok
a
(Skt., ‘liberation’, ‘deliverance’). A term occurring in early Buddhism in connection with two classificatory lists. First: the Eight Liberations or Stages of Liberation. These form a slight variant on the eight jh
nas as a system of classifying stages of attainment in developing concentration meditation (
sam
dhi
).
Second: the Three Doors to Deliverance (vimokkha-mukha). When a person resolves to attain
nirv
na
, he cannot make nirv
na itself a subject of meditation, for it is ‘inconceivable’, not an object of thought. He therefore makes his way towards nirv
na by making impermanence (
anicca
), suffering (
dukkha
), and noself (anatman), respectively, his subjects of meditation.

Other books

Progressive Dinner Deadly by Craig, Elizabeth Spann
Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary
Alternating Currents by Frederik Pohl
Timberwolf Chase by Sigmund Brouwer
BRANDED BY A CALLAHAN by TINA LEONARD
Sundance by David Fuller
Last Summer by Holly Chamberlin
Perfect Stranger by KB Alan
Summer Rush by Wilcox, Ashley
Everflame by Peters, Dylan