The Buddha describes the three kinds of purity.

AN 3.121 Purity (2nd)

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

Katamañca, bhikkhave, kāyasoceyyaṁ? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, abrahmacariyā paṭivirato hoti. Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kāyasoceyyaṁ.

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

Katamañca, bhikkhave, manosoceyyaṁ?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu santaṁ ajjhattaṁ kāmacchandaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ kāmacchando’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ ajjhattaṁ kāmacchandaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ kāmacchando’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa kāmacchandassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa kāmacchandassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa kāmacchandassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti;

santaṁ ajjhattaṁ byāpādaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ byāpādo’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ ajjhattaṁ byāpādaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ byāpādo’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa byāpādassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa byāpādassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa byāpādassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti;

santaṁ ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhan’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhan’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa thinamiddhassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa thinamiddhassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa thinamiddhassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti;

santaṁ ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccan’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccan’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa uddhaccakukkuccassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa uddhaccakukkuccassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa uddhaccakukkuccassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti;

santaṁ ajjhattaṁ vicikicchaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ vicikicchā’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ ajjhattaṁ vicikicchaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ vicikicchā’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannāya vicikicchāya uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannāya vicikicchāya pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnāya vicikicchāya āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, manosoceyyaṁ.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi soceyyānīti.

Kāyasuciṁ vacīsuciṁ,
cetosuciṁ anāsavaṁ;
Suciṁ soceyyasampannaṁ,
āhu ninhātapāpakan”ti.

Navamaṁ.

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, bhikkhu pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, abrahmacariyā paṭivirato hoti.

It’s when a mendicant doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, or have sex.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, kāyasoceyyaṁ.

This is called ‘purity of body’.

Katamañca, bhikkhave, vacīsoceyyaṁ?

And what is purity of speech?

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

It’s when a mendicant 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, bhikkhu santaṁ ajjhattaṁ kāmacchandaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ kāmacchando’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ ajjhattaṁ kāmacchandaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ kāmacchando’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa kāmacchandassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa kāmacchandassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa kāmacchandassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti;

It’s when a mendicant who has sensual desire in them understands ‘I have sensual desire in me.’ When they don’t have sensual desire in them, they understand ‘I don’t have sensual desire in me.’ They understand how sensual desire arises; how, when it’s already arisen, it’s given up; and how, once it’s given up, it doesn’t arise again in the future.

santaṁ ajjhattaṁ byāpādaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ byāpādo’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ ajjhattaṁ byāpādaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ byāpādo’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa byāpādassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa byāpādassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa byāpādassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti;

When they have ill will in them they understand ‘I have ill will in me’; and when they don’t have ill will in them they understand ‘I don’t have ill will in me’. They understand how ill will arises; how, when it’s already arisen, it’s given up; and how, once it’s given up, it doesn’t arise again in the future.

santaṁ ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhan’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ thinamiddhan’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa thinamiddhassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa thinamiddhassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa thinamiddhassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti;

When they have dullness and drowsiness in them they understand ‘I have dullness and drowsiness in me’; and when they don’t have dullness and drowsiness in them they understand ‘I don’t have dullness and drowsiness in me’. They understand how dullness and drowsiness arise; how, when they’ve already arisen, they’re given up; and how, once they’re given up, they don’t arise again in the future.

santaṁ ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccan’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ uddhaccakukkuccan’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannassa uddhaccakukkuccassa uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannassa uddhaccakukkuccassa pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnassa uddhaccakukkuccassa āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti;

When they have restlessness and remorse in them they understand ‘I have restlessness and remorse in me’; and when they don’t have restlessness and remorse in them they understand ‘I don’t have restlessness and remorse in me’. They understand how restlessness and remorse arise; how, when they’ve already arisen, they’re given up; and how, once they’re given up, they don’t arise again in the future.

santaṁ ajjhattaṁ vicikicchaṁ: ‘atthi me ajjhattaṁ vicikicchā’ti pajānāti; asantaṁ ajjhattaṁ vicikicchaṁ: ‘natthi me ajjhattaṁ vicikicchā’ti pajānāti; yathā ca anuppannāya vicikicchāya uppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca uppannāya vicikicchāya pahānaṁ hoti, tañca pajānāti; yathā ca pahīnāya vicikicchāya āyatiṁ anuppādo hoti, tañca pajānāti.

When they have doubt in them they understand ‘I have doubt in me’; and when they don’t have doubt in them they understand ‘I don’t have doubt in me’. They understand how doubt arises; how, when it’s already arisen, it’s given up; and how, once it’s given up, it doesn’t arise again in the future.

Idaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, manosoceyyaṁ.

This is called ‘purity of mind’.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, tīṇi soceyyānīti.

These are the three kinds of purity.

Kāyasuciṁ vacīsuciṁ,

Purity of body, purity of speech,

cetosuciṁ anāsavaṁ;

and undefiled purity of heart.

Suciṁ soceyyasampannaṁ,

A pure one, blessed with purity,

āhu ninhātapāpakan”ti.

has washed off all bad things, they say.”

Navamaṁ.

Topics & Qualities:

Desire

Desire

A wholesome motivation, interest, or objective that acts as the starting point for effort and application of will.

Also known as: aspiration, interest, wish, having an objective, intention, impulse
Pāli: chanda
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Doubt

Doubt

Paralyzing indecision about the path or practice. Doubt obstructs confidence and clarity.

Also known as: confusion, indecisiveness, uncertainty, wavering, perplexity
Pāli: vicikiccha, kaṅkhā, vimati
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Drowsiness

Drowsiness

A heaviness or stiffness of the mind that leads to sleepiness. It shrouds clarity like a fog, making the mind unwieldy and prone to drifting away from its object.

Also known as: sleepiness, torpor, feeling lethargic, lit. stiffness (of mind/body due to tiredness)
Pāli: middha
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Dullness

Dullness

Mental stagnation and lack of driving power. It is an inertia where the mind feels thick and incapable of active engagement or investigation.

Also known as: lack of mental clarity or alertness, inertia, mental sluggishness, inattentiveness or lack of sharpness
Pāli: thina
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Ill will

Ill will

A mental quality of actively opposing or rejecting others in thought, manifesting as deliberate thoughts or intentions that oppose kindness and compassion; it fuels conflict and obstructs goodwill.

Also known as: actively opposing or rejecting others in thought, thought of malevolence towards another, hostile reflections towards another
Pāli: byāpāda
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Sensual desire

Sensual desire

A mental quality of desiring sensory gratification. It pulls the mind’s attention toward sights, sounds, smells, tastes, or touches in a search for satisfaction.

Also known as: craving for sensuality, passion for sensual pleasures, lust, pull toward enticing sense objects
Pāli: kāmacchanda
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Last updated on July 27, 2026