The Two Types of Right View: Seeing Reality (Sammādiṭṭhi)

The Buddha taught there are two types of Sammādiṭṭhi (Right View). Sammā means 'right' or 'correct', and Diṭṭhi means 'view' or 'seeing'. Therefore, we should understand that the Buddha taught about Two Types of Seeing Reality. These two types are: one is seeing arising and passing away (impermanent conditioned phenomena - Saṅkhāra), and the other is seeing Nibbāna. The knowledge that sees arising and passing away does not see Nibbāna, and the knowledge that sees Nibbāna does not see arising and passing away. When you focus your attention (ñāṇa) on the body, whether you call it the aggregate of feeling (Vedanākkhandha) or the aggregate of consciousness (Viññāṇakkhandha) - the mind - what you actually see is arising and passing away, the impermanent (anicca). As you observe repeatedly, when you contemplate feeling, you don't find 'feeling' as such; you see the impermanent (anicca), unsatisfactory (dukkha), and non-self (anatta) nature of what has arisen and passed away. When you contemplate the mind, you don't find 'mind' as such; you only see arising and passing away. Seeing only arising and passing away like this is seeing the unsatisfactoriness of conditioned phenomena (Saṅkhāradukkha). Seeing Saṅkhāradukkha is indeed seeing reality. If you see this arising here and passing away here at this spot, understand it as knowledge-vision (ñāṇadassana), seeing via the mind-door (manodvāra). For example: "It itches here," then "It vanishes right here." This is seeing Saṅkhāradukkha. It is correct seeing. Saṅkhāra means something that has arisen due to conditioning, caused by other factors. An itch can arise because of a small insect crawling, or sweat, or a rash. Therefore, understand that this itching sensation is a saṅkhāra. It is a feeling aggregate (Vedanākkhandha) within the body, hence it is the Noble Truth of Suffering (Dukkhasacca). Because the itch is Dukkhasacca, we call it Saṅkhāradukkha (the suffering of conditioned phenomena). It arose due to conditioning, so the itch is saṅkhāra. By aggregate, it is the feeling aggregate. When viewed with the eye of wisdom (ñāṇa), whatever aggregate appears is Dukkhasacca. Therefore, it is Saṅkhāradukkha: Saṅkhāra because it arose due to conditioning; Dukkha because the arisen aggregate is Dukkhasacca. Combined, it is Saṅkhāradukkha. Every arisen phenomenon (dhamma) is saṅkhāra because it arises due to conditioning. The arisen phenomenon itself is an aggregate (khandha) – whether it's a mind-state (citta), a feeling (vedanā), it's still an aggregate. The aggregate is Dukkhasacca. Combining the two gives Saṅkhāradukkha. Understand that seeing this Saṅkhāradukkha is the precursor vision leading to the supramundane path (lokuttaramagga). Once this is seen, understand that one is about to sever the bad kamma accumulated throughout countless saṃsāric lives, repay the debts of ignorance (avijjā), and will no longer have to repay kammic debts to the lower worlds (apāya) with a body. The knowledge that knows Saṅkhāradukkha is the forerunner; it is called the Forerunner Path (Pubbabhāgamagga). For instance, the arising of a desire to eat happens because of a food object as condition; it's conditioned (saṅkhāra). The food object conditioned it. The desire to eat is saṅkhāra. It is an aggregate (khandha), hence, by truth (sacca), it is Dukkhasacca. Combining the two gives Saṅkhāradukkhasacca (the Truth of the Suffering of Conditioned Phenomena). Whether called Saṅkhāradukkha or Saṅkhāradukkhasacca, it is the same. Therefore, understand that whatever arises within the body-mind is nothing but Saṅkhāradukkha. "Now it itches" – the arising of Saṅkhāradukkha. "Now desire to eat arises" – the arising of Saṅkhāradukkha. When Saṅkhāradukkha arises and you apply the following knowledge (ñāṇa) to it, it becomes Sammādiṭṭhi (Right View). This Sammādiṭṭhi is the precursor vision for the arising of the supramundane path. Understand it as the precursor vision of a person destined to become a Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna). It is the vision occurring just before the Stream-entry Path (Sotāpattimagga). It occurs just before the Stream-entry Path, though it is not yet the Path itself. This Sammādiṭṭhi is still Sammādiṭṭhi – the Precursor Sammādiṭṭhi. If one dies possessing this vision, one will not go to the lower worlds (apāya). Instead, one will go to a happy realm (sugati), and immediately upon rebirth, the true Path-vision (magga) will arise. Practice: When observing the body and an itch arises, note mentally: "Saṅkhāradukkha has arisen." When a pain arises, note: "Saṅkhāradukkha has arisen." When desire to eat arises, desire to sleep arises, note: "Saṅkhāradukkha." Saṅkhāradukkha is the preceding vision-knowledge; Saṅkhāradukkha is the seeing knowledge. This seeing knowledge is both the Knowledge Conformable to Truth (Saccānulomikañāṇa) and the Forerunner Knowledge. This vision is the vision that severs the cycle of saṃsāra through Dependent Origination (Paṭiccasamuppāda). This vision can rightly be called Vipassanā Sammādiṭṭhi (Insight Right View), the Precursor Sammādiṭṭhi, or the Saccānulomikañāṇa. The Buddha recognizes only those who possess this vision. The Buddha, surveying beings with his divine eye (dibbacakkhu) and knowledge of others' inclinations (cetopariyañāṇa), looks to see, "Has this person ever had such a vision?" For example, the monk Cūḷapanthaka couldn't memorize a short verse of 32 letters for an entire rainy season. His brother told him, "You're so dull-witted, staying in the Sangha is useless, you should disrobe." Cūḷapanthaka became dejected and wept. He loved the Dhamma but was distressed by his dullness. The Buddha, checking if he had ever had even a glimpse of Saṅkhāradukkha, saw that in a past life as a king touring his realm on an elephant, he wiped his face with a small white cloth, which became stained with sweat and grime. He thought once: "Ah, this white cloth is not always white; even this whiteness is subject to decay." Throughout saṃsāra, that was the one time he had seen it. "The white cloth became black, impermanent!" – he had that one glimpse of Saṅkhāradukkha. Knowing this, the Buddha told him not to disrobe. He magically created a white cloth, had Cūḷapanthaka rub and crumple it, and it soon became dirty. Right then, he saw its decay and destruction. "Just like this," he realized, "whatever phenomena arise in the body are likewise decaying and perishing!" He directly perceived Saṅkhāradukkha. At that moment, he attained Stream-entry (Sotāpanna), progressed to Once-returner (Sakadāgāmī), Non-returner (Anāgāmī), and became an Arahant (Arahatta). Therefore, when the Buddha 'recognizes' someone, it is such a person. For a person who has never even once seen Saṅkhāradukkha, they do not appear in the Buddha's wisdom. Dr. Ashin Parami See also: http://myakyunthar.blogspot.com/?m=1