Introduction
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa
Introduction to 3.2.5 Sammādiṭṭhisuttaṃ - Assuring the Path
Sā cāyaṃ sammādiṭṭhi duvidhā hoti lokiyā lokuttarāti.1
Thus right view is twofold. It is mundane and supramundane.
Although it was said that sammādiṭṭhi is the forerunner and precursor of the other constituents of the Noble Eightfold Path,2 a first-time meditator of today’s world, who arrives at the doors of a Vipassanā meditation retreat cannot be expected to have even a slight appreciation of any of these.
That is why at times explanations will start with the exposition of the links of sīla (sammāvācā, sammākammanto, and sammā-ājīvo) which are easily acceptable, logical and approachable, at least on a theoretical level, for all.
As the meditation course proceeds, through dedicated practice one usually undergoes and experiences the importance of the need for concentration. Therefore, the links of samādhi (sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati and sammāsamādhi) are fostered, understood and increased. After a few days more, one arrives at a new openness for inside knowledge to perceive the validity of paññā (sammāsaṅkappo and sammādiṭṭhi).
Thus the Sammādiṭṭhisutta, taken from the Catukkanipātapāḷi, Aṅguttaranikāyo, connects sammādiṭṭhi with the three constituents of sammāsaṅkappo to affirm that this base of paññā assures further progress.
Sammādiṭṭhi should be accomplished, like all the other links of the path, through a twofold process:
-
as a logical, intellectual and conceptual approach to understand the teachings of the Buddha and their deeper meaning
and
-
with strenuous and sincere efforts through the practice of Vipassanā in order to realise what has been intellectually comprehended.
The Buddha explained3 that all Four Noble Truths have to be realized in their four ways, on account of the discrimination of the knowledge of truth, the knowledge of the obligation of what ought to be done and the knowledge of what has been realized. Likewise the understanding of right view will start with what is called conceptual right view in conformity with right view (saccanulomika4-sammādiṭṭhi). Through further development based on insight through Vipassanā and further introspection, one reaches an unshakable perception of these truths by penetrating them more and more (saccapaṭivedha5-sammādiṭṭhi).
Tattha kammassakatāñāṇaṃ6 saccānulomikañāṇañca lokiyā sammādiṭṭhi, saṅkhepato vā sabbāpi sāsavā7 paññā.
Here the knowledge of one’s own kamma and the knowledge which is in conformity with the truth is called mundane right view. It is in short all knowledge that is still accompanied by impurities.8
Established insight knowledge that results from a realized Noble Path and its fruits is called supramundane right view:
-
Sammādiṭṭhisuttavaṇṇanā, Mūlapariyāyavaggo, Mūlapaṇṇāsa-aṭṭhakathā, Majjhimanikāyo.1
-
3.2.2 Vibhaṅgasuttaṃ, Part Two - What Is Right View?2
-
3.2.3 Dhammacakkappavattanasuttaṃ, Part Two - The Four Noble Truths Have to Be Fully Realized.3
-
saccanulomika: sacca + anulomika – truth + in direct order, along with.4
-
saccapaṭivedha: sacca + paṭivedha – truth + inside knowledge.5
-
kammassakatāñāṇaṃ: kamma + s + sakatā + ñāṇaṃ – kamma + one’s own + knowledge.6
-
sāsavā: sa + āsavā – with taints, flowing impurities.7
-
sabbāpi sāsavā paññā: all that ‘knowledge still accompanied with the taints’ is explained in the further exposition of the Sammādiṭṭhisuttavaṇṇanā. Here the example is given of someone, who has arrived at the theoretical understanding of kamma and believes in kamma as one’s own but along with that still holds the view of ‘self’. He does so because he has not yet really attained the realization of anattā after which also the kammasakatā sammādiṭṭhi gets fully realized.8
-
ariyamaggaphalasampayuttā: ariyamagga + phala + sampayuttā – noble path + fruit + connected with, resulting from.9
-
For more explanation on mundane and supramundane right view see 3.2.7 Mahācattārīsakasuttaṃ - Discerning Wrong View and Developing Right View.10