If There is Wrong View, Nibbāna Cannot Be Attained

Please understand that if wrong view (diṭṭhi) is present, one cannot reach Nibbāna. Therefore, before starting the work of Vipassanā, one must first strive to separate awareness from wrong view. Why does wrong view persist? It's because one does not understand the process of the aggregates (khandhās). The process of the aggregates is none other than Dependent Origination (Paṭiccasamuppāda). If one does not understand Dependent Origination, one does not understand the process of the aggregates. If one does not understand the process of the aggregates, wrong view will remain persistently attached. Even if one recites "impermanence, suffering, non-self" (anicca, dukkha, anatta) fluently, if wrong view is attached, one cannot realize Nibbāna. Therefore, the Venerable Mogok Sayadaw often taught that priority should be given to removing wrong view, and the practice of Vipassanā meditation should come later. If wrong view is not removed through correct understanding, one's meditative development (bhāvanā) may not progress and will not reach the goal. Venerable Channa Thera practiced the contemplation of impermanence, suffering, and non-self for over forty years but did not attain Nibbāna because wrong view was not removed. It was only when Venerable Ānanda taught him the method to remove wrong view and instructed him to contemplate arising and passing away (udayabbaya) that he attained Nibbāna. In Vipassanā, there are two aspects: the contemplation of impermanence, suffering, and non-self, and the removal of wrong view. Please remember that among these two, priority must be given to the removal of wrong view. Because one does not understand Dependent Origination, one does not see the chain of cause and effect, and thus wrong view attaches. In Dependent Origination, it is taught: "Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti" – the entire mass of suffering arises in this way. If one does not understand that the entire process of the aggregates is the Truth of Suffering (dukkhasaccā), one falls into the belief in a person or a being. In Dependent Origination, ignorance (avijjā) and formations (saṅkhāra) were performed in the past. Upon death, since Nibbāna was not attained, consciousness (viññāṇa), mind and matter (nāmarūpa), the six sense bases (salāyatana), contact (phassa), and feeling (vedanā) arise in this life. This is labeled as the present result. It is the arising of the present aggregate. Why does the present aggregate arise? It arises due to past causes. Although the past causes ceased, they are not cut off, not disconnected. When the present aggregate arises here, it is clearly shown in Dependent Origination that it is a resultant phenomenon arising due to a cause. The two factors of ignorance and formations are the past cause. The five factors here – consciousness, mind and matter, six sense bases, contact, and feeling – are the present result. They are not disconnected; cause and effect are connected. If one assumes this connection is cut off, that is the annihilationist view (uccheda-diṭṭhi), the view of extermination. The belief that after this life there is no next life, that only this life exists, is Annihilationist View. If one does not practice Vipassanā, then craving (taṇhā), clinging (upādāna), and kamma (kamma) arise again based on the present aggregate. Since these phenomena arise from the present aggregate, they are called present causal phenomena. These phenomena are connected to the future life. These phenomena lead to future life, which is birth (jāti), aging and death (jarāmaraṇa). As long as these phenomena exist, one cannot prevent the future life, the future aggregate, from coming. Understanding in this way, one comes to understand that it is not cut off, that cause and effect are connected to the future life. With this understanding, the annihilationist view is purified. It is not cut off; cause and effect are still connected. Causes and effects of the past and present, and the present and future, are connected. Simply by understanding and accepting this, the annihilationist view is purified because one understands the process of the aggregates, the causal relationship of Dependent Origination. In the past life, with the past aggregate, ignorance and formations were performed. After death, in this life, consciousness, mind and matter, six sense bases, contact, and feeling arise. Ignorance and formations do not follow to this life. They occurred and remained there in the past. They do not follow to this life. If one thinks they have followed to this life, that is the eternalist view (sassata-diṭṭhi), the belief that they are permanent and unchanging. These phenomena do not follow to this life. They merely provide a causal connection. If one understands that they do not follow in a substantial way, but are merely connected as cause and effect, then the eternalist view is purified. The past phenomena ceased in the past; they cannot follow to the present. However, because they ceased having served as a cause, resultant phenomena arise in the present due to that cause. Please understand this. If one examines and comprehends the connections between the three periods of time, understanding that they are connected and not cut off, then annihilationist view is purified. Knowing again that the past causal phenomena do not follow to the present life, and the present causal phenomena do not follow to the future life, but cease where they arose, then the eternalist view, which thinks they are permanent, is purified. If one practices Vipassanā meditation without this understanding, one will be full of wrong views and only experience weariness. One cannot attain the Path, Fruition, and Nibbāna. One gains merit, but does not attain Nibbāna, as the Venerable Mogok Sayadaw said. A person, a being, is not a truly existing reality. It is merely a name, a convention. If one mistakes this for a true reality, either eternalist view or annihilationist view will arise. Please note that eternalist view arises from the concept of a person or a being. For example, when we say "U Hla has died," it means a person named U Hla has died, his life has departed. Perceiving in terms of a person, thinking "he has died, his life has departed," implies the assumption that this little life, unchanging and indestructible, has departed from U Hla's body. This belief is called eternalist view. There is no 'life' that departs. There is only arising and ceasing. 'Life' refers to physical life faculty (rūpa jīvitindriya) and mental life faculty (nāma jīvitindriya). These mind and matter also arise and cease right here. They cannot go out. They are merely impermanent phenomena of arising and passing away. They are not phenomena that can go anywhere. But saying "the life has departed" implies the assumption of a little permanent, indestructible life that has departed – this is eternalist view. Who has died? Who has departed? The concept of a person, "U Hla has died," arises. When the concept of a person arises, the idea of 'life departing' will also arise. Thinking 'life departs' implies the belief that a permanent little life has gone out. Therefore, as long as the concept of a person or a being is not eradicated, eternalist view will keep arising. It is due to the two past phenomena of ignorance and formations that the present aggregate of this life arises. In between these, there is no 'life' involved. If you look at the cycle [of Dependent Origination], you will see this clearly. It is the past consciousness that transitions to this life; it is not a little past 'life' that transitions and enters. If one assumes that such a 'life-entity' transitions and enters, that is eternalist view. If one clearly comprehends that past phenomena occurred and ceased in the past, and are merely connected as cause and effect, then eternalist view is purified. A person, a being, was not present in the past life, is not present in this life, and will not be present in the future life. There are merely collections of dhammas, natural phenomena, which are ceasing. They appear due to cause and effect. Because they arise and cease, they are impermanent. Knowing they are impermanent, eternalist view is purified. Although impermanent, they are not cut off; cause and effect are still connected. Knowing this, annihilationist view is purified. If one understands the causal sequence naturally – that (1) phenomena cause (2) phenomena, (2) causes (3), (3) causes (4) – then annihilationist view is purified. The phenomena from (1) do not follow to (2), the phenomena from (2) do not follow to (3), the phenomena from (3) do not follow to (4); they cease right where they arose. If one can reflect on these principles of 'non-following', then, realizing there is no permanence, eternalist view is purified. Understanding that there is no person or being, only a collection of dhammas, only mind and matter, only cause and effect, then personality view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi) or self-view (atta-diṭṭhi) is purified. If one understands Dependent Origination thoroughly, comprehending its chain, these wrong views will be purified through understanding. When one's understanding and wisdom are clear in this way, then one should undertake the work of Vipassanā – contemplating impermanence, suffering, and non-self to see arising and passing away. From the wisdom of understanding, the wisdom of development will enter. One will progress from the stage of abandoning wrong view with the wisdom of understanding to the stage of abandoning wrong view with the wisdom of development. If one can abandon it with the wisdom of eradication (pahāna-pariññā), then one will be able to realize Nibbāna. Ven. Dr. Ashin Pāramī