Nine Great Knowledges
It is interesting to note that the Visuddhimagga also refersto “Nine Great Knowledges” (nava mahā vidassanā ñāṇa). Such knowledges are not mentioned anywhere in the suttas, nor even in the Ratavinita Sutta, on which this particular system of vipassanā bhāvanā is based. This implies that this method in the Visuddhimagga could be a later addition historically.
It is also interesting to note that there is a passage in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, which is frequently repeated within the Sutta itself, with regard to the Fourfold Focus of Attention (satipaṭṭhāna). It is as follows:
(A) One sees the body as body subjectively, one sees the body as body objectively, one sees the body as body both subjectively and objectively. (Iti ajjhattam vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati, bahiddhā vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati, ajjhatta bahiddhā vā kāye kāyānupassī viharati) – (3)
(B) One abides seeing how the body comes into being. One abides seeing how the body ceases to be. One abides seeing how the body comes into being and ceases to be. (Samudaya dhammānupassī vā kāyasmim viharati, vaya dhammānupassī vā kāyasmim viharati, samudaya vaya dhammānupassī vā kāyasmim viharati) – (3)
(C) One regards the body is, when one pays attention to it, yet only as a matter of knowing or paying attention. (Atthi kāyo’ti vā panassa sati paccupaṭṭhitā hoti yāvadeva ñāṇāmattā ya patissati mattāya) – (1)
(D) One abides independent. (anissito ca viharati) – (1)
(E) One does not personalize anything in the world. (na ca kiñci loke upādiyati) – (1).
Similar statements are repeated regarding the feelings (vedanā), mood (citta), and concepts (dhammā). This adds up to nine levels of insight.
These seem to be nine stages of insight maturity that one has to go through as one progresses in the process of Awakening. This could probably be the real “Nine Great Knowledges” (nava mahā vidassanā ñaṇa), which are referred to in the Visuddhi Magga but not mentioned in any Sutta other than the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. The nine great knowledge’s mentioned in the Visuddhi Magga, however, are not found anywhere in the Suttas or Vinaya.