The Buddha describes the three kinds of purity.

AN 3.120 Purity (1st)

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, soceyyāni. Katamāni tīṇi? Kāyasoceyyaṁ, vacīsoceyyaṁ, manosoceyyaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, kāyasoceyyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kāyasoceyyaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, vacīsoceyyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, vacīsoceyyaṁ.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, manosoceyyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco anabhijjhālu hoti abyāpannacitto sammādiṭṭhiko. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, manosoceyyaṁ.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi soceyyānī”ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Tīṇimāni, bhikkhave, soceyyāni.

“Mendicants, there are these three kinds of purity.

Katamāni tīṇi?

What three?

Kāyasoceyyaṁ, vacīsoceyyaṁ, manosoceyyaṁ.

Purity of body, speech, and mind.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, kāyasoceyyaṁ?

And what is purity of body?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti.

It’s when someone doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, or commit sexual misconduct.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kāyasoceyyaṁ.

This is called ‘purity of body’.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, vacīsoceyyaṁ?

And what is purity of speech?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, pisuṇāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti, samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti.

It’s when someone doesn’t use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, vacīsoceyyaṁ.

This is called ‘purity of speech’.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, manosoceyyaṁ?

And what is purity of mind?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco anabhijjhālu hoti abyāpannacitto sammādiṭṭhiko.

It’s when someone is content, kind-hearted, and has right view.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, manosoceyyaṁ.

This is called ‘purity of mind’.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi soceyyānī”ti.

These are the three kinds of purity.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

Right view

Right view

View that is in line with the Dhamma — teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth.

Also known as: right understanding, right belief, view that is inline with the Dhamma
Pāli: sammādiṭṭhi
View all discourses →
Sexual misconduct

Sexual misconduct

Transgression of boundaries in intimate relations—acting on desire in ways that betray trust, cause harm, or violate the commitments of oneself or others.

Also known as: crossing boundaries, infidelity, inappropriate sexual behavior, unfaithfulness to one's partner
Pāli: kāmesumicchācāra
View all discourses →
Wrong view

Wrong view

A distorted understanding that sees permanence in the impermanent, satisfaction in the unsatisfactory, or self in the not-self. Wrong view guides action by delusion, obscuring cause and effect, and closes the door to wisdom and release.

Also known as: distorted or inverted perception, untrue view, false belief
Pāli: micchādiṭṭhi
View all discourses →

Last updated on July 27, 2026