The Great Discourse on the Wheel of Dhamma

knowing reality as it truly is, that is the right view. The yogi becomes convinced then that there is only material body and the knowing mind; apart from them, there is no such thing as the living substance or entity. This is also knowing reality as it truly is, the right view.

As the power of concentration becomes further developed, while noting rising, falling, sitting, touching etc., he comes to realize that he touches, because there is the material body to touch; he sees because of eye and sight object, hears because of ear and sound, bends because of desire to bend. He realizes also that he does not know the reality because he fails to take note of the phenomenon as it occurs; he develops liking because he does not know the true nature; he develops attachment because he likes. He then knows that when*he has developed attachment, he becomes engaged in activities such as doing or talking. These activities of doing and talking produce resultant effects, good resultants when the action has been wholesome, had resultants when the action has been unwholesome. In this way he gains the knowledge of cause and effect to the extent of his previous pdrami attamments. This again is knowing the reality as it is, the mght view.

As his concentration becomes further strengthened, during the course of taking note of rising, falling, sitting, touching, seeing, hearing, thinking, feeling, stiff, feeling hot, feeling painful, he discems clearly the origination of the object as well as its dissolution, the beginning and end of each phenomenon. He becomes convinced through personal experience that every phenomenon is impermanent; it arises into being only to vanish away instantly. He realizes also that incessant arising and ceasing constitute fearful dukkhd@ and what is not subjected to any one's control, any one's will is not self. This knowledge is also the right view of knowing what seality is.

As the power of concentration gets stll more developed, although the yogi is noting the acts of rising, falling, sitting, bending, stretching, lifting, moving forward, dropping, he is no longer aware of the objects in their various shapes and forms such

as the body, stomach, the limbs etc. He notices only the rapid succession of phenomena of dissolution. He perceives the swift passing away of the object of awareness as well as the noting mind and comes to vivid realizatin of the real nature of impermnence, fearful suffering and insubstantiality, non-self. The object of awareness passes away the instant it makes its appearance and there is no atta to fasten one's attachment on to. The knowing mind also dissolves away so fast that there is no atta, nothing to hold on to. Thus with every noting there is developed the knowledge into the true nature of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and insubstantiality. All these constitute the right view.

From the time the knowledge, regarding the distinction between nama and rupa, is developed to the stage of development of the vipassana right view, sammdditthi, there has been bending of the mind toward perceiving the reality as it is. This constitutes nght thought. There is involved too right concentration to keep the mind fixed on the nght object and right mindfulness to be aware of it. All this while, the yogi is engaged in one of the four foundations of mindfulness: contemplation oi the body postures, the feelings, the mind and mental objects. He does the contemplation with an effort which is therefore the nght effort.

Thus whenever a yogi is engaged in meditation, there are involved five paths, three from the samadhi group: sammd vayama, sammd samddhi, sammd sati and two from the pannd group: sammda ditthi and sammd sankappa. These five paths are connectedly involved in each act of heedful noting, knowing. The commentary has named them the kdraka maggas, the working maggas, so to say. In addition, there are also involved the three maggas, of the sila group: samma vaca, sammd kammanta, samma djiva, by way of preserving. the precepts imtact and by way of fulfilling the abstentions.

And this is how such involvements take place: vipassand yogi starts observing the precepts even before he starts meditation and keeps it purified. During the course of meditation, sila remains

unpolluted, its purity is maintained; if any thing, it may be said that sila gets more and more purified then.

Thus with three sila maggas added to the five in the previous groups, a yogi is developing altogether eight maggas at each instance of noting and knowing the phenomenon. Maha Salayatanika sutta of Upari Panndsa Pali text gives the following description of how the eight maggas are developed:

"Bhikkhus, when the eye is seen as it truly is (at the mstant of noting), when visual objects, eye-consciousness, visual contact and feeling that arises due to eye contact, are seen as they truly are, then no liking is developed for the eye, visual objects eye consciousness etc. Seeing the eye, visual objects etc as they truly are and no liking and attachment being developed for them, for the person who sees only revulsion in them, the upadanakkhandhdas (which may have arisen through failure to note) get no opportunity to materialize. Craving for these objects also ceases, gets annihilated.

The view of such person is the right view; his thoughts are right thoughts; his efforts are right efforts; his mindfulness is right mindfulness; his concentration, is right concentration. Even before he starts meditation, the yogi is well established in nght speech, nght action and right livelihood. It is m this way that the yogi becomes established in the Eightfold Noble Path."

This is a brief account in the Buddha's words of how the Eightfold Noble Path is developed when the yogi discems what should be known at the moment of seeing; the true nature of the five dhammas involved, namely, the eye, visual objects etc. For detailed description, reference may be made to -the original Maha Salayatanika sutta of the Upari Pannasa Pali text.

The commentary states that the Eightfold Noble Path becomes established at the moment of achieving the ariya magga. This may be taken as a superior form of interpretation. We would like, however, to take the view that the text meant here vipassana magga instead of the ariya magga which is the goal to be achieved by accomplishment of the vipassané magga. This interpretation of

ours will be found to be in accord with the fact that knowledge as to the true nature of the eye, visual object, eye- consciousness, visual contact and feéfing, comes by only through vipassand meditation. Ariya magga on the otherhand does not take the eye, visual object etc as its object; it accomplishes only the function of knowing.

In a similar manner, by taking note of the phenomena of hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, thinking, the five dhammas which become prominent at the respective moment of occurrence, could be known and the Eightfold Path developed accordingly.

What has been explained so far relates to involvement of the sila magga by way of maintaining it unpolluted, at the moment of vipassana meditation.

ABSTENTIONS DURING VIPASSANA MEDITATION

There is no opportunity to commit wrong speech such as lying with regard to the ndma rupa objects whose reality is being seen at the moment of noting them. Just consider for a moment. Where is the necessity to speak a lie for an object which one does not like nor dislike, having seen its true nature of impermanence and cessation after dissolution ?. Similarly no occasion arises to slander, to talk frivolously, in short, to commit wrong speech in connection with that object. Likewise there is no question of committing wrong acts such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct nor engaging in wrong livelihood. Thus every time reality is seen while noting, sammd vdcd which is abstinence from miccha vacd, sammd kammanta which is abstinence from micchd kammanta, sammd Gjiva which is abstinence from micchd Gjiva, are accomplished with reference to the object under review. It is in this way of abstinences that the sila magga, namely, the samma_ vaca, samma kammanta and sammd Gjiva are involved in the development of the path of mght view.

Thus on each occasion of noting of rising, falling, sitting, touching, thinking, feeling of sitfiness, feeling hot, feeling painful, hearing, seeing etc, the right view 1s being developed together with the Eightfold Path. Of the four trutghs the truth of suffering is that

which should be rightly and well understood. And the truth of Suffering is the five aggregates of grasping which become prominent at the six doors of senses at each instant of seeing, hearing, touching, knowing etc. Thus the truth of suffering would be nghtly and well understood by taking note of each phenomenon at the six doors. Everytime the truth of suffering is developed by thus taking note of seeing, hearing, etc. the Eightfold Path which is the dhammma to be developed, becomes developed.

Thus contemplation on the truth of suffering by taking note of seeing, hearing etc., develops the Eightfold Path, In order to develop the Eightfold Path, the truth of suffering must be contemplated on by taking note of seeing, hearing etc. The truth of suffering which comes evident by taking note of seeing, hearing, etc, during the course of vipassand meditation, pubbabhdga magga is drammana, the object which must be rightly and well understood. Magga saccd, the truth of the path which must be developed to understand the truth of suffering is drammanika, which must be well developed.

It must be carefully understood that only by contemplating on dukkha sacca the Eightfold Path is developed. And only when vipassand magga is accomplished Nibbana is realized.

We have to reiterate that dukkha saccd is Grammana, the object and the knowing path is the Grammanika. Such reiteration is necessary because assertions are being made contrary to the teachings of the Buddha and detrimental to the prosperity of sGsana that "contemplation on objects of suffering such as rupa, nama, sankhdra, will result in perceiving only suffering, Nibbdna should be contemplated on for achievement of peace, happiness"

KNOWLEDGE OF THE FOUR TRUTHS THROUGH VIPASSANA

NANA

By taking note of all phenomena that occur at the six doors and knowing them to be merely of the nature of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and insubstantiality is understanding the truth of

suffering. Thus with every instance of taking note, pahdnaptiveda, the task of gaining penetrative insight as to understanding of the truth of suffering, is accomplished.

Having seen the true nature of impermanence, etc of each phenomenon by taking note of them no opportunity arises for liking or craving for these rupa ndma objects. This is momentary eradication. of craving, the truth of the origin of suffering. Thus with every instance of taking note, pahdnapativeda, the task of gaining insight as to eradication (of the cause of suffering) is accomplished. Here insight is gained not by observing the object; it is just knowing the fact of eradication, abandoning.

With the cessation of craving, "updddna, kamma, sankhdra, vinndna and ndma rupa" otherwise called "kilesa vatta, kamma vatta and vipdka vatta” which will follow in its trail, get no opportunity to arise. Temporarily they are inhibited. This is momentary Nibbana otherwise called nirodha, achieved, by means of vipassana. Thus vipassand ndna is developed by the momentary cessation, nirodha, similar to realization by the Ariya magga. But the achievement comes about not by direet observation of the object; it is just an accomplishment’ of temporary cessation at each instance of taking note. This is called sacchikiriya pativeda, gaming penetrative insight as to cessation by realizing it, knowimg about it through vipassana.

With every act of observing, the Eightfold Path headed by vipassand right view is developed inside oneself. This is bhavandpativeda, gaining insight as. to development. This knowledge, however, does not come about by direct observation; as it is experienced personally, reflectrve consideration will reveal that development has taken place within oneself.

Thus, as explained above, at each mstant of noting and knowing, dukkha saccG is rightly and well understood; this is true parinnana pdtiveda. Samudaya sacca is momentarily inhibited: this is pahdna pédtiveda, accomplishment of insight through abandonment. Momentary nirodha is realized through cessation; this is sacchikiriya

pativeda. And vipassand path is developed, this is bhavana pativeda, insight through development. Thus the four truths are comprehended at every instance of noting: the truth of suffering by observing the object; samudaya, nirodha and magga are accomplished by abandoning, realization and developing. ‘ The vipassand magga, in this way, comprehends the four truths, as it should be comprehended and when it becomes fully accomplished and mature the ariya magga appears and Nibbana is realized. At that moment of path appearance, the ariya magga headed by the right view is fully established. The ariya magga makes its appearance only once. By this single appearance it accomplishes the tasks of eradicating the kilesas, the defilements, which should be eliminated, the samudaya saccG; of understanding rightly and comprehensively the truth of suffering, dukkha sacca; and also that of developing the magga saccd. In this way it is said that the mght view of ariya magga comprehends the four truths all at once.

HOW THE FOUR TRUTHS ARE COMPREHENDED THROUGH ARIYA MAGGA ALL AT THE SAME TIME

This is how it comes about: when niroda saccd otherwise called Nibbanic peace is comprehended through actual realization. the task of comprehending the truth of suffering is accomplished by recognising that the mundane rupa, ndma and sankhdra which arise and perish incessantly are indeed painful, ‘suffering. Having recognised them as mere embodiment of suffering, there can be no liking, craving or attachment for them.

Abandonment of tanhd takes place in four stages: by virtue of attaining the first path, tanhd that would lead to states of misery and tanhd that would cause rebirth for more than seven times in sugati, the sensuous happy plane, cannot arise. By virtue of the second path, grosser forms of sensuous craving and tanhd that will cause rebirth for more than twice in kdma sugati are removed. The third path eradicates the subtler forms of craving. By virtue of the

fourth path, rupa raga and arupa raga otherwise called craving for existences cannot arise. It must be noted that the craving for existence that still persists in the persons of andgdmi status 1s not accompanied by sassata ditthi, the wrong view of etemalism.

Such non-arising of craving amounts to accomplishment of comprehension by way of abandoning. With regard to the ariya maggas, as they are experienced in the person of oneself, comprehension is accomplished by way of development. Therefore the commentary says: Conceming the three truths of dukkha, samudaya and magga, comprehension is accomplished by way of full and night understanding parinnd; by way of abandoning, pahdna: and by way of developing, bhdvand."

As explained above, ariyamagga nana, through knowing nirodha sacca by realizing it, accomplishes the task of comprehending the three remaining truths. Likewise, vipassand ndna, by contemplating on and knowing dukkha saccG, accomplishes the task of comprehending the three remaining saccd3 as well,

We have summarised these in the following mnemonics:

1. When magga sees one of the four truths.

2. It accomplishes comprehending all four.

(Penetrative insight for all four established.)

When vipassand magga, which is developed to contemplate on and know the truth of suffering, becomes fully strengthened, eightfold ariya magga becomes established and rushes into Nibbanic dhdtu, where all suffermgs connected with physical and mental sankhdra objects as well as all sufferings in connection with the sankhGra of the knowing mind, cease.

1. With cessation of craving comes the cessation of suffering.

2. True path ralizes this cessation.

Cessation of craving is accompanied by cessation of all sufferings of the aggregates. Therefore, at the moment of establishment of the Ariya magga, the objectg of contemplation is not just the cessation of craving but the cessation of all sufferings of the aggregates. What is taught in the teaching ‘about cessation of