Visākha and Dhammadinnā (7)

(Visākha, the donor, continued to ask with keen interest about the two wisdom factors of the path. Venerable Dhammadinnā, in turn, was explaining and answering by recounting her own practical experience, which was not only extremely interesting and noteworthy for Visākha, but Visakha also understood that these were answers that even a Non-returner like himself could no longer fully comprehend with his wisdom. However, the endless questions continued to fall like incessant rain droplets.) Sammā saṅkappa (Right Thought/Intention) and Sammā diṭṭhi (Right View) are the two wisdom factors of the path. Sammā saṅkappa has to outline the perspective, to enable seeing from this side and that side. If one only sees one side, one cannot know how the other side is. Therefore, to be able to see both that side and this side, Sammā saṅkappa must turn (the attention). It turns towards the side of arising, and it also turns towards the side of passing away. Only when Sammā saṅkappa outlines the perspective of arising and passing away can wisdom (paññā) focus and look. Wisdom does not have the ability to outline. Only when Sammā saṅkappa provides the outline can one look and see. If Sammā saṅkappa presents the aspect of arising, wisdom can only see the arising. If it presents the aspect of passing away, it can only see the passing away. If one only sees the arising and not yet the passing away, or only sees the passing away and not yet the arising, it must be said that Sammā saṅkappa is still weak. Sammā – correctness; saṅkappa – turning and intending, outlining the view. It is just like a person with weak eyesight who, with the aid of glasses, can see everything normally. With the naked eye alone, one cannot see clearly; only with the aid of glasses can one see. The glasses are like Sammā saṅkappa. The eye is like Sammā diṭṭhi. Therefore, these two, Sammā saṅkappa and Sammā diṭṭhi, cannot be separated from each other. If one is missing, one will only see blurrily. The better Sammā saṅkappa is at forming the image, the more Sammā diṭṭhi will see everything there is to see. Therefore, to see arising and passing away clearly, the two wisdom factors of the path need to be strong. The concentration factors (samādhi maggaṅga) support and strengthen the wisdom factors. That is why in practicing Vipassanā, one contemplates with five path factors. The virtue factors (sīla maggaṅga) can be included, but on the mundane level, only one of them can be present at a time. All three cannot enter simultaneously. Because their functions are different from each other, when one is present, the other virtue factors cannot enter. Thus, when Sammā vācā (Right Speech) is present, Sammā kammanta (Right Action) and Sammā ājīva (Right Livelihood) cannot enter. Therefore, the mundane path factors are five, at most six. Only when the true supramundane Path (lokuttarā magga) arises can all eight factors be fully present simultaneously. Noble persons (ariyā puggala), having already abstained from all wrongdoings, naturally have the three virtue factors operating concurrently. However, ordinary people (puthujjana) are not yet like that; they cannot be so assured. As long as wrong view (diṭṭhi) is not eradicated, their virtue remains fragile. Concentration is also still weak. Wisdom is also still weak. Therefore, wrong view can also destroy virtue, and it can destroy concentration and wisdom. It can obstruct the Path and Fruit (magga phala). It can close the door to Nibbāna and open the door to the lower realms (apāya). Therefore, wrong view is called the seed for hell. As long as wrong view exists, even if one is in the human or deva realm, one cannot be at ease. When the results mature, one will be dragged back to the lower realms. Therefore, it is crucial to eradicate wrong view. To eradicate wrong view, whenever ultimate reality (paramattha) appears, whenever the aggregates (khandha) appear, one must contemplate, "Not myself, not mine, not my possession." 'Myself' refers to craving (taṇhā). 'Mine' refers to conceit (māna). (People usually say, "Don't touch what's mine." Hence, it is called māna). 'My possession' refers to wrong view (diṭṭhi). It is the nature of appropriation. Wrong view arises precisely because of perceiving "myself, mine, my possession." If one can see with wisdom in every arisen phenomenon, "Not myself, not mine, not my possession; it is merely a phenomenon that arises and passes away" (netaṃ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā), then wrong view has no opportunity to arise. Not only wrong view, but craving and conceit also fall away. Wrong view clings to the aggregates. It pierces into the aggregates. The view of self (atta diṭṭhi) pierces into each of the five aggregates: form (rūpa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), mental formations (saṅkhāra), and consciousness (viññāṇa). When feeling arises, it pierces with 'I'; when perception arises, it pierces with 'I'; thus, wrong view habitually goes and pierces. Because it habitually pierces, to prevent it from having a chance to pierce, to leave it no place to pierce, one must look to see that it arises and passes away instantly. When one steadily sees arising and passing away, wrong view cannot enter, cannot pierce. If one sees the arising and passing away of feeling, the wrong view that pierces into feeling has no chance to enter. Feeling ceases with one and arises with another. Because one cannot see this continuity constantly, wrong view enters and pierces, thinking, "I have been in pain for so long." Because the continuity (santati) appears unbroken, because one cannot break this continuity, wrong view enters. Only if one can see as quickly as possible that it arises and ceases momentarily will wrong view fall away. If one cannot see like this, it does not fall away. Wrong view clings because it perceives the aggregates as lasting and permanent. When one thinks, "My feeling won't go away, it's been so long, I've had this headache for so long," at that moment of perceiving duration, wrong view has already clung. It enters due to the perception of longevity. If one knows that the aggregate is impermanent, not stable—arising now and ceasing now—it cannot cling, rely on, or depend on it. If one can successfully see, on every occurrence of the nature of phenomena (dhamma) or the aggregates, that they are momentary arising, momentary staying, momentary ceasing, and if one can see this as quickly as possible, wrong view falls away. Therefore, one must be able to look to see arising and passing away densely. Wrong view falls away when arising and passing away are seen densely. If arising and passing away are not dense, wrong view finds gaps to hide. As soon as there is a slight perception of duration, wrong view has already found a hiding place. It hides inside feeling, it hides inside form; it habitually hides in one of the five aggregates. As long as arising and passing away are not yet dense, it will invariably remain hidden. If one contemplates with the mind (mano) the nature of arising and passing away until the wisdom perceives that there is nothing else but arising and passing away, leaving no spot even the size of a needle tip to insert wrong view, then wrong view has no place to hide and rest. When arising and passing away become dense in this way, micchā diṭṭhi (wrong view) weakens and Sammā diṭṭhi (Right View) gradually becomes stronger. The stronger Sammā diṭṭhi becomes, the denser the perception of arising and passing away becomes. It is because micchā diṭṭhi obscures, preventing Sammā diṭṭhi from having a chance to enter, that the density of arising and passing away is not seen. This is why the perception of arising and passing away remains sparse. If micchā diṭṭhi weakens, the perception of arising and passing away will quickly become dense. The two are in a conflict. If micchā diṭṭhi is strong, arising and passing away are sparse, or one cannot see them at all. If Sammā diṭṭhi becomes strong, arising and passing away become dense. When arising and passing away are dense, the defilement of wrong view (diṭṭhi kilesa) cannot find gaps to hide. (To be continued.)