Four ways to improve wisdom

Ven. Chandananda (Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara), CC Liu, Bhante (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Buddha sitting in ancient Sukhothai, Thailand (Ted Richardson, Phuket Lawyer/flickr)

 

Buddhism emphasizes the value of wisdom and teaches how to improve it to maximum benefit.

 

Happiness in life depends on how much wisdom (liberating knowledge, discernment) we have and how much effort we put forth to develop it and bring it to fruition.

The ultimate consummation of wisdom is nirvana. Therefore, Buddhism calls wisdom "wealth" and a "diamond." 

 

Stupas are reminders of the enlightened (R2)

Wisdom, which may also be called "right understanding" or "right view," can be divided in two -- understanding karma and understanding Dependent Origination.

To cultivate wisdom we have to fulfill four requisites:

1. associating with a noble friend(s) who explains the Buddha's message,
2. listening to and studying the historical Buddha's teachings (the Dharma),
3. wisely-reflecting (YM) on the Dharma we hear and study, and
4. practicing calm, concentration, and insight (as meditations).

DHARMA license plate (drba.org)

As a result of these practices, five Spiritual Faculties (bala, part of the 37 Requisites of Enlightenment) increase.
 
As soon as a supremely enlightened being, a teaching-buddha, meets a person, that best kind of teacher/physician becomes aware of the person's spiritual power and ability, as cultivated in the past (mostly in previous lives): confidence (conviction), energy (effort), mindfulness (bare attention), concentration (collectedness), and wisdom (insight).

Karma, it's everywhere we're going to be.

The Buddha then discerns how best to explain worldly reality to the person. In this way one is able to make very rapid progress.

In the absence of personally interacting with such a teacher -- which comes about, as does so much in life, due to our mental, verbal, and bodily karma (doing) -- we systematically study the Dharma. In this way we make gradual progress toward the ultimate goal of enlightenment and nirvana without sliding back.

Final-nirvana (reclining) pose, accompanied by a golden sheen with symbolic feet, Burma

Knowing and Seeing (sutra)

Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly translation "The Ship," Nava Sutta (SN 22.101)

The Buddha reclining into nirvana, Thailand flooding (framework.latimes.com)

  

SAVATTHI, ancient India - The Blessed One said, "O meditators, I tell you, the defilements (āsavas) end for one who knows and sees [who has wisdom and direct intuitive vision]. 

"For one who knows what, for one who sees what, is there the end of the defilements? 'Such is form [feeling, perception, formations, consciousness], such its origination, such its passing away.' It is for one who knows this, who sees this, that the defilements end.

 

"Even if a meditator -- failing to devote effort to development -- were to wish, 'O that my mind/heart might be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging!' still one's mind would not be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging. Why?

"It is due to a lack of development, it should be answered. A lack of development of what? It is due to a lack of developing the:

1. Four Foundations of Mindfulness
2. Four Right Efforts
3. Four Bases of Power
4. Five Controlling Faculties
5. Five Powers
6. Seven Factors for Enlightenment
7. Eight Factors of the Noble Path. [Collectively these 37 factors in seven groups are known as the "Requisites of Enlightenment" or bodhipakkhiya dhamma.]

I laid them; that should be enough.

"Suppose a hen has eight, ten, or 12 eggs. If she fails to cover them correctly, protect them correctly, incubate them correctly then, even if she were to wish, 'O that my chicks might break through the shells with their beaks and claws and hatch safely!' still it would not happen that those chicks would break through their shells and hatch safely. Why? 

"It is because the hen failed to covered them correctly, protect them correctly, incubate them correctly. In the same way, even if a meditator, failing to devote effort to development, were to wish, 'O that my heart/mind might be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging!' still one's mind/heart would not be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging. Why? 

"It is due to a lack of development, it should be answered. A lack of development of what? It is due to a lack of developing the [37 Requisites of Enlightenment].

Ship in a bottle in a storm like a castaway message (wallmay.net)

  

Success without wishing

"In just the same way, even if a meditator -- devoting effort to development -- were NOT to wish, 'O that my heart/mind might be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging!' — still one's mind/heart would be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging. Why?

"It is due to development, it should be answered. A development of what? It is due to development of the [37 Requisites of Enlightenment].

 

"Suppose a hen has eight, ten, or 12 eggs she covers correctly, protects correctly, incubates correctly. Even if she were not to wish, 'O that my chicks might break through their shells with their beaks and claws and hatch safely!' still those chicks will break through their shells and hatch safely. Why?

"It is because the hen has covered them, protected them, incubated them correctly.

"In the same way, even though a meditator -- devoting effort to development -- were not to wish, 'O that my heart/mind might be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging!' still one's mind/heart would be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging. Why?

"It is due to development, it should be answered. A development of what? The  [37 Requisites of Enlightenment].

  

Wearing away

The Buddha, Sukhothai, Thailand (ashabot/flickr)

"Just as when a carpenter or apprentice sees finger marks on worn into the handle of a tool but does not know exactly, 'Today my tool handle wore down this much, or yesterday wore down that much, or the day before yesterday wore down that much.' Nevertheless, the carpenter or apprentice knows it is worn down when it is worn down.

"In the same way, when a meditator dwells devoted to effort in development, one does not know, 'Today the defilements wore down this much, or yesterday wore down that much, or the day before yesterday wore down that much.' Nevertheless, one knows they are worn down when they are worn down.

 

Rotten ship crumbles and sinks (DM)

"Just as when an seafaring ship, rigged with sails and masts, after months on the water, is left on shore for the winter, its sails -- weathered by sun and wind, moistened by clouds during the rainy season -- easily rots and crumbles away. 

"In just the same way, when a meditator dwells devoted to development, one's defilements [bonds] easily rot and crumble way."

• Knowing and Seeing by Pa Auk Sayadaw The Three Trainings of virtuous conduct, concentration (absorption), and wisdom are the three stages of Buddhist practice. Through the practice of these Three Trainings an ordinary person can attain supreme nirvana and become a noble one. The Path of Purification, compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa, is an exposition of the Three Trainings based on the Pali sutras and commentaries, which explains the Seven Stages of Purification and the 16 insight-knowledges.
• See "Discourse on All Defilements" (MN 2) Which defilements should be removed through vision? 17. "Monastics! What are the defilements that should be removed through vision? In the world the uninstructed worldlings not in the habit of seeing the noble [enlightened] ones, who is not proficient in the Dharma of the noble ones, and who is not trained and disciplined in the Dharma [and Vinaya] of the noble ones, who is not in the habit of seeing the virtuous [enlightened], who is not proficient in the Dharma of the virtuous, and who is not trained and disciplined in the Dharma of the virtuous, does not know the factors..."

Explaining "Right View" (sutra)

Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly; John Bullitt (Access to Insight), "Right View"

The Buddha overlooking Thailand (theskamantues'dayglory/flickr.com). NOTE: There is preliminary right view as distinguished from final knowledge or liberating right view.

 

Right view is the first of the eight factors in the Noble Eightfold Path, and belongs to the wisdom division of the path.

Definition

"And what is right view? Knowledge with regard to disappointment, knowledge with regard to the origin of disappointment, knowledge with regard to the cessation of disappointment, knowledge with regard to the path of practice leading to the cessation of disappointment -- this is called right view" (DN 22).

Right view's relation to the path

"And how is right view the forerunner? One discerns wrong view as wrong view, and right view as right view. This is one's right view. What is wrong view? 'There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed. There is no fruit or result of good or bad actions. There is no this world, no next world, no [special significance to things done to] mother, no father, no spontaneously reborn beings; no Brahmins or wandering ascetics who, faring and practicing rightly, proclaim this world and the next after having directly known and realized it for themselves.' This is wrong view...
 
"One abandons wrong view to enter into right view: This is one's right effort. One is mindful to abandon wrong view to enter and remain in right view: This is one's right mindfulness. Therefore, these three qualities -- right view, right effort, right mindfulness -- run and circle around right view" (MN 117).

Buddhist novices practicing in Lamayuru monastery, Ladakh, India (Dietmar Temps/flickr)

 
Consequences of wrong view

"In a person of wrong view, wrong intention comes into being. In a person of wrong intention, wrong speech. In a person of wrong speech, wrong action. In a person of wrong action, wrong livelihood. In a person of wrong livelihood, wrong effort. In a person of wrong effort, wrong mindfulness. In a person of wrong mindfulness, wrong concentration. In a person of wrong concentration, wrong wisdom. In a person of wrong wisdom, wrong liberation. This is how from wrongness comes failure, not success" (AN 10.103).

Results of right view

Borobudur, Java, Indonesia (TrevThompson/flickr)

"When a person has right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, right wisdom, and right liberation, whatever bodily deeds one undertakes in line with that view, whatever verbal deeds... whatever mental deeds one undertakes in line with that view, whatever intentions, whatever vows, whatever determinations, whatever formations all lead to what is welcome, agreeable, charming, profitable, and pleasing. Why is that? It is because the view is auspicious.

"Just as when a sugar cane seed, a rice grain, or a grape seed is placed in moist soil, whatever nutriment it takes from the soil and water, all conduces to its sweetness, tastiness, and unalloyed delectability.
 
Why is that? It is because the seed is auspicious. In the same way, when a person has right view... right liberation, whatever bodily deeds one undertakes in line with that view, whatever verbal deeds... whatever mental deeds one undertakes in line with that view, whatever intentions, whatever vows, whatever determinations, whatever formations -- all of them lead to what is welcome, agreeable, charming, profitable, and pleasing. Why is that? It is because the view is auspicious" (AN 10.104).
 
A thicket of wrong views

Bamboo thicket (Maxwell Holden/flickr)

"There is the case where an uninstructed, ignorant worldling... does not discern what ideas are fit for attention and what ideas are unfit for attention. This being so, one does not attend to ideas fit for attention, and instead one attends to ideas unfit for attention... This is how one gives attention unprofitably:

• 'Was I in the past? Was I not in the past?
• What was I in the past? How was I in the past?
• Having been what, what was I in the past?
• Shall I be in the future? Shall I not be in the future?
• What shall I be in the future? How shall I be in the future?
• Having been what, what shall I be in the future?'

Or one is perplexed about the present: 'Am I? Am I not? What am I? How am I? Where has this being come from? Where is it bound?'

 

"As one attends unprofitably in this way, one of six kinds of view arises: 

• the view I have a self arises in one as true and established, or the view I have no self... or the view It is precisely by means of self that I perceive self... or
• the view It is precisely by means of self that I perceive not-self... or the view It is precisely by means of not-self that I perceive self arises as true and established, or
• the view: This very self of mine -- the knower who is sensitive here and there to the ripening of good and bad actions -- is the self of mine who is constant, everlasting, eternal, not subject to change, and will endure as long as eternity.'

Meditation (health.indianetzone.com)

"This is called a thicket of views, a wilderness of views, a contortion of views, a writhing of views, a fetter of views. Bound by a fetter of views, the uninstructed, ignorant worldling is not freed from birth, aging, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair. One is not freed, I tell you, from suffering and disappointment.

 

"The well-instructed disciple of the noble ones... discerns what ideas are fit for attention, and what ideas are unfit for attention. This being the case, one does not attend to ideas unfit for attention, and instead gives attention to ideas fit for attention... One attends profitably, This is disappointment... This is the origin of disappointment... This is the cessation of disappointment... This is the way leading to the cessation of disappointment. As one attends appropriately in this way, three fetters [obstacles to enlightenment and liberation from suffering] are abandoned: identity-view, doubt, and clinging to rites and rituals [as if they had the power to lead to enlightenment]" (MN 2).

 

Knowing and seeing for oneself

Novice meditating (alibaba.com)

[Kaccayana:] "'Right view, right view,' it is said, venerable sir. To what extent is there right view?"
 
[The Buddha:] "By and large, Kaccayana, this world is supported by (a false dichotomy) a polarity -- that of existence and non-existence (being and nonbeing, the twin wrong views of eternalism and annihalationism).

"But when one sees the origin of the world as it actually is with right view, 'non-existence' with reference to the world does not occur to one. When one sees the cessation of the world as it actually is with right view, 'existence' with reference to the world does not occur to one.
 

Meditation (SeekingHeartwood/flickr)

"By and large, Kaccayana, this world is in bondage to attachments, clingings, and biases. But one such as this does not get involved with or cling to these attachments, clingings, fixations of mind, biases, or obsessions, nor is one resolved on 'my self.' One has no doubt or uncertainty that, when there is arising (origination, becoming, being), only unsatisfactoriness is arising. And when there is passing away, only unsatisfactoriness is passing away. In this, one's knowledge is independent of others. It is to this extent, Kaccayana, that there is right view" (SN 12.15).

Abandoning the unskillful

                                  ...Cultivating the skillful

Meditation superhero (msnbc.msn.com)

"Do not go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scriptures, by logical speculations, by inferences, by analogies, by agreement through pondering, by probability, or by the thought, 'This monastic is our teacher.'

"[Instead,] when you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted and carried out, they lead to harm and to suffering' -- then abandon them...
 
"When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted and carried out, lead to welfare and to happiness' -- then enter and remain in them" (AN 3.65).

• Sutra on Views (AN 10.93)
• The Four Noble Truths
• The Fourth Noble Truth
• "Views" in General Index