The Two Types of Right View: Seeing Reality (Sammāditthi)(Part 3)

Among the two types of Right View, the precursor is the Right View that sees Sankhāradukkha (the suffering inherent in conditioned formations). Only when this ceases does the Right View that sees Asankhatasukha (the bliss of the Unconditioned) arise. Therefore, the precursor Right View is Puresācarikā Vipassanā Sammādiṭṭhi (Preliminary Insight Right View), the Right View that sees arising and passing away. When one persistently follows these phenomena of arising and passing away until they cease to be perceived – meaning one no longer sees the Sankhāradukkha, the formations of suffering – then the Path Right View (Magga Sammādiṭṭhi) arises, seeing the Asankhata Sukha (Unconditioned Bliss). When the Magga Sammādiṭṭhi arises, the kammic burdens (Vipāka Vatta) fall away. This body of arising and passing away, this impermanent body, is Vipāka Vatta (the burden of kammic result). When these burdens (the formations of arising and passing away) are no longer perceived, they fall away. The mind-body phenomena (nāma-rūpa) that arise in this life due to Kamma Vatta (the burden of action) are manifestations of the great Vipāka Vatta. Looking at nāma-rūpa reveals arising and passing away, meaning it coincides perfectly with Vipāka Vatta. When arising and passing away are no longer perceived, one's own burden falls away. Initially, one encounters Vipāka Vatta with Right View. When one no longer encounters it, the Vipāka Vatta falls away. The great burden of suffering (Dukkha Sacca), which is this body of arising and passing away, falls away, and one crosses over to the Asankhata side – one crosses over to Nibbāna, the supramundane Path arises. In other words, the Magga Sammādiṭṭhi arises. When the Magga Sammādiṭṭhi arises, these burdens cease all at once (vaṭṭaṃ samuggahāṭayamānā vūpasamāyamānā). These burdens are no longer seen. The great suffering truth of arising and passing away is also no longer seen. Sankhāradukkha (the suffering of formations) is also no longer seen. Sankhāradukkha and the suffering of arising and passing away are the same thing. When one no longer sees these things, it feels as if a thousand pots of cool water have been poured over one's head within the body – coolness and peace arise (sītudakaghaṭasahassaṃ matthake āsiñcayamānā viya uppajjati). The Atthakathā (Commentary) teachers illustrate with this simile: when the Magga Sammādiṭṭhi arises, only coolness remains in the body, only peace remains. Within the body, there is lightness and ease, as if heavy burdens have fallen away; one becomes cool, peaceful, and tranquil. One also becomes exceedingly joyful. The fires of defilements (kilesas) that have burned throughout the entire saṃsāra – fires like wrong view (diṭṭhi) and doubt (vicikicchā) – have cooled and ceased. Attachment to "my son, my daughter" falls away; attachment to "I, mine" falls away; doubts like "What will happen tomorrow? It will surely be difficult!" fall away; doubts like "What happens when I die? I don't know!" fall away – the fires cease. The heat elements of diṭṭhi and vicikicchā cease. Because these two are absent, the mind becomes confident and assured. Only then does one know for oneself: "I will no longer fall into the lower realms." Magga Sammādiṭṭhi does not arise merely by wishing for it. It only arises through the grace of the precursor Sammādiṭṭhi. Only with the insight capable of discerning Sankhāradukkha can one attain Asankhata Sukha. Thus, the precursor Sammādiṭṭhi sees arising and passing away, Sankhāradukkha. The Sammādiṭṭhi that no longer sees arising and passing away sees Nibbāna. The insight itself is the Path Knowledge (Magga Ñāṇa), but what it sees is Nibbāna. If, while contemplating arising and passing away, one reaches a stage where arising and passing away are no longer seen, where there is coolness and peace within the bhavanga (life-continuum), and a sense of burden lifted from the mind, then one can conclude: "This is the attainment of Stream-Entry (Sotāpatti)." Strive to see more of the precursor. At the culmination of the precursor, the following supramundane Path is ready to come. The precursor Sammādiṭṭhi benefits the following Sammādiṭṭhi via the Proximity Condition (Anantara Paccaya), with nothing else intervening. Contemplate whatever arises in one's body as arising and passing away. Once one sees arising and passing away, one can determine: "The precursor Sammādiṭṭhi is attained." Since the Anantara Paccaya means "with nothing intervening," if one develops the precursor Sammādiṭṭhi extensively in the earlier stages, the following Magga Ñāṇa will come. If vedanā (feeling) is prominent, look at vedanā to see Sankhāradukkha. If citta (mind) is prominent, look at citta to see Sankhāradukkha. If the Sankhāradukkha seen through such observation ceases under the observing insight, under the precursor Sammādiṭṭhi, under the Puresācarikā Vipassanā Sammādiṭṭhi, then one will realize Nibbāna. The Sammādiṭṭhi that realizes Nibbāna is the Magga Sammādiṭṭhi. Therefore, understand clearly: Puresācarikā Vipassanā Sammādiṭṭhi is the Sammādiṭṭhi that sees Sankhāradukkha, that sees arising and passing away. Magga Sammādiṭṭhi is the Sammādiṭṭhi that no longer sees Sankhāradukkha or arising and passing away, but sees Nibbāna; it is the Sammādiṭṭhi where the insight turns away from arising and passing away towards the place where there is no arising and passing away – Nibbāna. Not seeing arising and passing away does not mean they don't exist; arising and passing away exist by their very nature. As long as the body exists, phenomena of arising and passing away are perpetually present. However, when the observing insight turns its attention not towards arising and passing away, but towards Nibbāna in a single moment, it no longer encounters arising and passing away but encounters Nibbāna instead. This is called "the cessation of arising and passing away" (bhavaṅga cessation in this context refers to the cessation of their perception). Only when the insight arises that sees Nibbāna at this cessation of (the perception of) arising and passing away does it become Magga Sammādiṭṭhi. Dr. Ashin Parami