There are many kinds
and degrees of understanding. There can be understanding which is knowing
the benefit of wholesomeness and the disadvantages of unwholesomeness,
there can be understanding which stems from contemplation on the shortness
of life. These kinds of understanding can arise even when one has not listened
to the Dhamma, When one has studied the Dhamma there can be intellectual
understanding about ultimate realities about kamma and vipaka, about namas
and rupas which can be experienced through six door, and, when understanding
develops further there can be direct understanding of ultimate realities,
of nama and rupa. Direct understanding of realities can develop to the
highest wisdom which eradicates aIl defilements.
Understanding, panna or amoha, is among the six sobhana cetasikas which
do not accompany each sobhana citta. It is one of the three beautiful roots,
sobhana hetus. The two sobhana hetus which are non-attachment, alobha,
and non-aversion, adosa accompany each sobhana citta, but understanding
does not. Whenever we perform deeds of generosity or observe morality understanding
may or may not accompany the kusala citta. But when we apply ourselves
to mental development, bhavana, which comprises studying the teachings
and explaining them to other the development of samatha and the development
of vipassana, understanding has to accompany the kusala citta.
When understanding accompanies the maha-kusala citta (kusala citta of the
sense-sphere) which performs deeds of generosity or observes morality,
it may be of the level of intellectual understanding: understanding of
the benefit of good deeds and the disadvantages of bad deeds, understanding
of kamma and vipaka. However, when we perform deeds of generosity or observe
morality, there can also be the development of direct understanding of
realities.
As regards mental development, one cannot apply oneself with success to
this way of kusala without understanding. Also those who do not know the
Buddha's teachings may reflect wisely on the truth that all things in life
are susceptible to change and that they do not last, and they may develop
calm. There were wise people also before the Buddha's time who understood
the characteristic of true calm which is wholesome. Those who understood
the characteristic of calm and did not mistakenly think that clinging to
quietness was calm, could develop calm with a meditation subject and in
this way attain higher degrees of calm. Those who saw the disadvantages
of sense-impressions developed jhana in order to be free of them. Those
who saw the disadvantages of rupa-jhana, fine-material jhana, which still
has meditation subjects depending on materiality, developed arupa-jhana,
immaterial jhana. The person who had become very skilful in jhana could
develop "supernormal powers", abhinnas, such as magical powers, remembrance
of former lives and the "Divine Eye", knowledge of the passing away and
rebirth of beings. The cittas which develop such powers are accompanied
by understanding, but even this kind of understanding cannot eradicate
defilements.
The understanding which realizes the true nature of realities can eradicate
defilements and its development can only be taught by a Buddha. This kind
of understanding does not arise automatically, it has to be developed.
When one has listened to the Dhamma and reflected on it, there can first
be intellectual understanding of realities. If there is mindfulness of
nama and rupa when they appear in daily life direct understanding of realities
can gradually be developed. Eventually the true nature of realities can
be penetrated and defilements can be eradicated at the attainment of enlightenment
(1 Intellectual understanding is in Pali: pariyatti. The development of
direct understanding or tile "practice" is in Pali: patipatti. The penetration
of the truth is in Pali: pativedha.).
Seeing realities as they are is the goal of the Buddha's teachings. Understanding
should know what is real in the ultimate sense and what is not real. So
long as there is wrong view we cannot see things as they are. People, animals
and houses are not real in the ultimate sense, they are only objects of
thought. Nama and rupa are real in the ultimate sense, they have their
own characteristics which can be directly experienced when they appear
one at a time, through one of the six doors. We can verify the truth of
the Buddha's teachings in being mindful of realities and developing understanding
of them. Then we will be able to find out whether realities are permanent
or impermanent, whether there is a person or self who can control realities
or not.
Each reality has its own specific characteristic by which it can be distinguished
from another reality (distinctive mark or visesa lakkhana. Seeing, hearing,
hardness or sound have each their own characteristic. However, there are
also three general characteristics common to all conditioned realities
(samanna lakkhana) and these are: impermanence, dukkha or unsatisfactoriness,
and anatta, non-self. When understanding has been developed it can eventually
know realities as impermanent, dukkha and anatta. There cannot, in the
beginning, be clear understanding of the true nature of realities. Understanding
develops gradually in different stages.
Direct understanding of realities is, as we have seen, different from thinking
about them. Direct understanding can only be developed by being mindful
of the nama or rupa appearing at the present moment. When there is mindfulness
of one reality at the time understanding can investigate its characteristic
and in that way it can gradually develop. When, for example, hardness appears
there can be mindfulness of its characteristic and there is at that moment
no thinking of a thing which is hard or of the place on our body where
hardness impinges. If we think of the place of its impingement, such as
a hand or a leg, there is an idea of "my body' to which we tend to cling.
By being aware of one reality at a time we will lean that in the ultimate
sense the body as a "whole" does not exist, that there are only different
elements which arise and then fall away.
For the development of direct understanding of realities it is not enough
to know only the specific characteristics of realities, the characteristics
by which they are distinguished from one another. Understanding has to
be developed stage by stage, so that it will be able to penetrate the three
general characteristics of conditioned realities: the characteristics of
impermanence, dukkha and non-self.
When we are absorbed in concepts and there is no mindfulness, we live as
in a dream and we do not know what is really there: only ever-changing
namas and rupas. We read in the Middle Length Saying (II, no. 54,
Discourse to Potaliya) that the Buddha painted out in different similes
the dangers and disadvantages of sense pleasures. One of these similes
is the following:
And, householder,
it is as if a man might see in a dream delightful parks, delightful woods,
delightful stretches of level ground and delightful lakes; but on waking
up could see nothing. Even so, householder, an ariyan disciple reflects
thus: "Pleasures of the senses have been likened by the Lord to a dream,
of much pain, of much tribulation, wherein is more peril." And having seen
this thus as it really is by means of perfect wisdom... the material things
of the world are stopped entirely.
We cannot really see parks,
woods and lakes, because what is experienced through the eyes is only the
rupa which is visible object. we can think of the concepts of parks, woods
and lakes, and the thinking is conditioned by remembrance of past experiences.
When we do not develop understanding of the reality which appears through
one of the six doors and only pay attention to "wholes" such as gardens
or houses, we believe that we can possess them. When there is mindfulness
of one object at a time, such as visible object or hardness, we will understand
that in the ultimate sense we cannot own anything. We cannot possess visible
object, it can only be seen. we cannot take it with us; it arises just
for a moment and then it falls away. We cannot possess hardness, it can
be experienced through touch and then it falls away immediately. The development
of insight will lead to detachment, it will lead to the eradication of
the idea of a self who can exert control over things or events.
When we learn that seeing only sees visible object we may have doubts about
the characteristic of seeing. It seems that there is all the time paying
attention to the shape and form of things or noticing the dimensions of
things. This is thinking, not seeing, the experience of what appears through
eyes. If there were no thinking one could not observe shape and form or
dimensions of things. But such moments of thinking ate conditioned by seeing,
by the experience of what appears through the eyes. There are also moments
of just seeing, moments that we are not pairing attention to details or
focusing on a "think". It is the same when we read a book. It seems that
there are only moments of paying attention to the shape of the letters
and their meaning, but there must also in between be moments of experiencing
visible object, otherwise we could not read. Before we studied the Dhamma
we never considered what seeing is, but if we lean to be mindful of one
reality at a time understanding will know realities as they are. There
is time and again thinning of concepts and then the reality of thinning
can be object of mindfulness so that it will be known as non-self. Gradually
we can lean to be mindful of seeing, visible object, hearing, sound and
all the other realities which appear through six door in our daily life.
Understanding is one of the wholesome faculties (indriyas), called the
"spiritual faculties", which has to be developed together with the other
"spiritual faculties" of confidence, energy, mindfulness and concentration.
Through the development of these faculties the four noble Truths can be
realized. Understanding is a controlling faculty, an indriya, in the sense
Of predominance since it overcomes ignorance (Atthasalini I, Book
I, Part IV, Chapter 1, 122) (1 See also Dhammasangani (Book I, chapter
I, 6) which describes understanding among others as "searching the Dhamma",
that is: the four noble truths, as a "guide", as a "sword" which cuts off
defilements, as a "light", as "glory" or "splendour"), It exercises government
over the associated dhammas (the citta and cetasikas it accompanies) by
the characteristic of vision, that is, the realization of the three characteristics
of impermanence, dukkha and anatta. The Atthasalini states further
on (in the same section) that understanding has as characteristic illuminating
and understanding. It states (123) that just as a clever surgeon knows
which food is suitable and which is not, understanding knows states as
"moral or immoral, serviceable or unserviceable, low or exalted, black
or Pure..." Understanding which has been developed knows the four noble
Truths.
The Atthasalini
then gives another definition of understanding:
Understanding
has the penetration of intrinsic nature, unfaltering penetration as its
characteristic, like the penetration of an arrow shot by a skilled archer;
illumination of the object as its function, as it were a lamp; non perplexity
as its proximate cause, as it were a good guide in the forest.
The Visuddhimagga
(Chapter XIV, 143) gives a similar definition.
Understanding is also a " power" (bala), because it does not vacillate
through ignorance (Atthasalini, I, Book I, Part IV, Chapter II,
148). As we have seen, when the wholesome faculties have been developed
they become powers which are unshakeable. They cannot be shaken by their
opposites.
Right understanding of realities, samma-ditthi, is a factor of the Eightfold
Path which has to be developed together with the other factors of the eightfold
Path so that it can penetrate the four noble Truths. The object of right
understanding which is not lokuttara, supramundane, but "lokiya", mundane,
is the nama or rupa appearing at the present moment. The object of right
understanding which is lokuttara is nibbana. Right understanding which
accompanies the lokuttara magga-citta eradicates defilements; defilements
are eradicated at different stages of enlightenment and all of them are
eradicated at the attainment of arahatship.
Understanding is classified in several ways and thus its different aspects
can be seen. It has been classified as one of the seven factors of enlightenment
(sambojjhangas) and as such it is called investigation of dhamma , dhamma
vicaya. The factors of enlightenment are mindfulness, investigation of
dhamma, energy, enthusiasm, calm, concentration and equanimity. These factors
have to be developed together for the purpose of attaining enlightenment.
There has to be "investigation" of the reality, the dhamma, appearing at
the present moment, over and over again before enlightenment can be attained
and defilements eradicated.
Understanding which is supramundane, lokuttara, can be classified by way
of three faculties:
1) "I-shall-come-to-know-the-unknown"
faculty (an-annatannassami 't' indriya), arising at the moment of the magga-citta
of the sotapanna (1 Dhammasangani , 362-364. Vis. XIV, 3.).
2) The faculty of
final knowledge (annindriya), which arises at the moment of the phala-citta,
fruition-consciousness, of the sotapanna, and also accompanies the magga-citta
and the phala-citta of the sakadagami and of the anagami and the magga-citta
of the arahat (2 Dhammasangani , 505.).
3) The final knower
faculty (annatavindriya), arising at the moment of the phala-citta of the
arahat.
The sotapanna still
has to develop right understanding of nama and rupa because his understanding
has not reached the degree that all defilements can be eradicated. The
task of developing understanding is finished only when the "final knower
faculty" has arisen (3 Dhammasangani, 553.).
When we learn about the different classifications of understanding we can
be reminded that understanding has to be developed in order to reach higher
stages. It should be developed in whatever situation in our daily life
we may be. We are inclined to think that awareness of the present moment
is too difficult, but that one day in the future we may reach the goal.
If we think that the present situation is not favourable for the development
of right understanding, it will not develop. We should remember that each
moment is in fact a new situation which is conditioned and which is beyond
control, and that it is therefore useless to prefer another situation to
the present one. We should not worry about the situation we are in but
we should be mindful of whatever reality appears. There is for example
time and again heat or cold. Usually we think of a concept of "I am hot"
or "I am cold", but heat and cold are only rupa-elements and they can be
objects of mindfulness when they appear. There is no self who experiences
heat or cold, it is time which arises because of conditions. Through the
development of understanding one will be less inclined to cling to a concept
of "I feel" or "I experience". It is only a type of nama which experiences
something, a nama which has arisen and then falls away immediately. There
can be a beginning of understanding when there is mindfulness of what has
already arisen at this moment because of its appropriate conditions.