Vijjāvimutti seems to point to a pivotal moment on the spiritual path, but I don’t want to read too much into it.
For example, MN 118 and many instances where knowledge and freedom is the outcome of the development of the factors of awakening. Or AN 1.175 where realization of the fruit of knowledge and freedom comes just before realization of the fruit of stream entry.
Can it be compared to Jesus’ statement preserved in the Latin, Vēritās vōs līberābit, and tortured by theologians ever since.
The significance of vijjāvimutti would depend on which type of compound it is.
Tappurisa: freedom caused by knowledge, or knowledge of freedom?
Kammadhāraya: free knowledge, or knowledgeable freedom?
Dvanda: knowledge and freedom, just two ideas side-by-side?
Here in paṭisambhidāmagga, the commenter makes vijjā and vimmuti as virtual synonyms. That would be a rhetorical device; vijjāvimutti must be more a merism and not a pleonasm.
4. Recognition [is] deliverance: renunciation is recognized (vijjati), thus it is recognition; he is delivered from zeal for sensual-desires, thus it is deliverance. It being recognized, he is delivered; being delivered, it is recognized, thus recognition [is] deliverance. Non-ill-will … The Arahant path is recognized, thus it is recognition; he is delivered from all defilements, thus it is deliverance. Being recognized, he is delivered; being delivered, it is recognized, thus recognition [is] deliverance. Vijjāvimuttī ti nekkhammaṁ vijjatīti vijjā, kāmacchandato muccatīti vimutti. Vijjanto muccati, muccanto vijjatīti— vijjāvimutti. Abyāpādo vijjatīti vijjā, byāpādato vimuccatīti vimutti. Vijjanto muccati, muccanto vijjatīti— vijjāvimutti …pe… arahattamaggo vijjatīti vijjā, sabbakilesehi muccatīti vimutti. Vijjanto muccati, muccanto vijjatīti— vijjāvimutti.
I read it as something attributed to faith & dhamma-followers . Having been instructed and rid of pernicious wrong views one could say they have attained a release by knowledge to that extent.
Here in MN 149 vijjā and vimutti are associated with the third noble truth, i.e. nibbāna.
And what are the things that should be realized by direct knowledge?
Katame ca, bhikkhave, dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā?
Knowledge and freedom.
Vijjā ca vimutti ca—
These are the things that should be realized by direct knowledge.
ime dhammā abhiññā sacchikātabbā.
I’ve always taken it as a dvanda, as most translations I’ve seen render it as such. I never put much thought into it before, but having seen this post I realize there never is an explicit definition in the discourses AFAIK.
My default assumption would be to see a relationship between vijjāvimutti and the two additional path factors: sammā ñāna and sammā vimutti (right knowledge and right liberation).
Vijjā of course is defined in the suttas as the opposite of avijjā, i.e. full knowledge of the four noble truths. ‘Vimutti’ I would take to be the state of freedom that comes along with the destruction of avijjā.
if we compare it with cetovimutti, liberation through the practice of samadhi; and pannavimutti, liberation through the practice of panna, then this vijjāvimutti is liberation through the practice of understanding. I would say it’s similar to pannavimutti, possibly coined by certain group of early disciples who focused on vijja practices. “Vēritās vōs līberābit” seems also have such key words as truth and liberation, just the two liberations maybe have different underlying meanings…
Yes vidyāvimukti is normally tṛtīyā-tatpuruṣa (so the vigraha is vidyayā vimuktiḥ, or vijjāya vimutti in pāli - meaning liberation through awareness/knowing) - similar to cetovimukti & prajñāvimukti mentioned by mudita above.
However where vidyā and vimukti are mentioned separately rather than as a compound (vijjā ca vimutti ca), or where the context makes it clear that it is karmadhāraya or dvandva, it may be interpreted as such. If it was intended to be a dvandva, it would need to have have a plural ending in Pali (dual or plural in Sanskrit).
