Introduction 3.2.4: Sammādiṭṭhisuttaṃ - Assuring the Path
Introduction to 3.2.4
Sammādiṭṭhisuttaṃ
(Assuring the Path)
May the lessons on sammādiṭṭhi inspire more and more people to sincerely aspire to realize right view! Sammādiṭṭhi should be accomplished like all the other links of the path though a twofold process: as a logical, intellectual and conceptual approach to understand the teachings of the Buddha and their deeper meaning.
Although it was said (see lesson 3.2.2), that sammādiṭṭhi is the forerunner and precursor of the other links, a first-time meditator of today’s world, who arrives at the doors of a Vipassana-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 by one and all. As the course proceeds, through the dedicated practice one undergoes and through experience the links of samādhi: – sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati and sammāsamādhi –get fostered, understood and increased. After a few further days of a course one arrives at openness for inside knowledge to perceive the validity of paññā: – sammāsaṅkappo and sammādiṭṭhi.
As the Buddha explained (see lesson 3.2.3), the 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:
saccanulomika1-sammādiṭṭhi. Through further development from comprehension of the experiences on the base of introspection by Vipassana one reaches an unshakable perception of these truths by penetrating them more and more: saccapaṭivedha2-sammādiṭṭhi: – Thus Right View is twofold. It is mundane and supramundane – Sā cāyaṃ sammādiṭṭhi duvidhā hoti lokiyā lokuttarāti. – Thus the knowledge of one’s own kamma and the knowledge which is in conformity with the truth is mundane right view, in short, all that knowledge accompanied with the impurities3 – Tattha kammassakatāñāṇaṃ4 saccānulomikañāṇañca lokiyā sammādiṭṭhi, saṅkhepato vā sabbāpi sāsavā5 paññā – The knowledge resulting from the Noble Path and its fruits is called supramundane right view – Ariyamaggaphalasampayuttā6 paññā lokuttarā sammādiṭṭhi. (Sammādiṭṭhisuttavaṇṇanā)
[2] saccapaṭivedha: sacca + paṭivedha: truth + inside knowledge
[3] sabbāpi sāsavā paññā: all that knowledge 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 understanding of kamma and believes in kamma as one’s own but still holds the view of self because has not yet really attained the realization of anatta.
[4] kammassakatāñāṇaṃ: kamma + s + sakatā+ ñāṇaṃ: kamma + one’s own + knowledge
[5] sāsavā: sa +āsavā: with taints, flowing impurities
[6] ariyamaggaphalasampayuttā: ariyamagga + phala + sampayuttā: noble path + fruit + connected with, resulting from
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