FOREWORD TO THE FIRST EDITION 

The Venerable Mahasi Sayadawgyi had complied a discourse on Satta-Visuddha (Seven stages of purification) in Myanmar and its was regretful that the original Myanmar book is not traceable by us. Later in 1950 Sayadawgyi translated this discourse into Myanmar. Pali Language and it was published in 1954 and again in 1956, it was printed by Thudhammawaddi Press through the donation of one well-wisher named U On Maung. We have in stock only the 1956 edition and the 1954 edition is also not traceable. Venerable Nyanaponika Thera (1901-1994), who was a German ordained as Monk in Sri Lanka in 1957 came to Myanmar in 1952 was on invitation by the Government for consultation in preparation of the Sixth Buddhist Synod. He stayed in Myanmar for a period of training in Meditation under Mahasi Sayadawgyi. Ven. Nyanaponika Thera came to Myanmar in 1954 to attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sixth Buddhist Synod.

At the request of Venerable Nynaponika Thera, Mahasi Sayadawgyi allowed him to translate the above Pali version (in Myanmar Script) into English. The translated work with notes had been gone through by Mahasi Sayadawgyi with the linguistic help of U Pe Thin who for many years had served as an interpreter for foreign Yogis at the Mahasi Meditation Centre, and who himself had translated a number of discourses of Sayadawgyi into English.

The English translated work was first published in 1965, under the title “The Progress of Insight” (Visuddhiñana-Katha) by (BPS)- Buddhist Publication Society of Kandy, Sri Lanka, which Venerable Nyanaponika Thera helped to found in 1958. This discourses had been reprinted by Buddhist Publication Society for several times- in 1978, 1985, 1994, 2006 and 2014. It was also included in the compilation under the title of “ A Collection of Mahasi Sayadaw’s Discourses in Meditation” published in November, 2005 and November 2011 by (SBVMS) Selangor Buddhist Vipassana Meditation Society of West Malaysia.

In 1994, the present Executive Committee of the Buddha Sasana Nuggaha Organization, had decided to reprint the discourses of Mahasi Sayadawgyi in English, as many of the titles have been nearly out of stock. We also checked the list of English titles in hand and those which were mentioned in various books including the one mentioned in the previous paragraph and also with those in websites. In doing so, we found that this title “The Progress of Insight” had never been published by the Buddha Sasana Nuggaha Organization and it had never been in our library.

We therefore requested both BPS and SBVMS to give us permission to reprint this title and asked for a soft copy of the book. Both societies kindly give us permission to reprint and soft copy as well. We take this opportunity to render our heartfelt thanks to BPS and SBVMS for their kindness.

In our reprint of the book, we checked with both soft copies of the book and reprint in its entirety. We also add a short biography of the Venerable Mahasi Sayadawgyi updated in March 2015 corrected as to the names of his parents and his last photograph taken one day before he passed away on 14th August 1982.

As to the treatise itself since Venerable Nyanaponika Thera had written a very informative introduction which was included in this edition, we have nothing to add, except our good wishes to all readers and meditators to be able to practise Vipassana Insight Meditation and to reach all the stages of purification as expounded in this Treatise.

President

Dr. Tint Soe Lin

Buddha Sasana Nuggaha Organization,

Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha, Yangon.

August- 2015

The Progress Of Insight (Visuddhiñana-Kathã)

This copy is First Edition published in August 2015 in which the grammar, punctuations and spellings of English words were corrected during January 2019 for the next Edition.

(1) English words corrected by “ Microsoft Words” in computer by Ma Soe Soe on 20.1.2019 and checked by U Khin Maung Oo on 20.1.2019 .

(2) Pali words re-checked by U Tejemda on 13.5.2019 and 11.8.2019.

Note; the words in red are not to be uploaded in the website.