To have the right VIEW

[Guest guest]

I found these pointers wise; a repost form an Ecstatic Buddhist page"

 

Right View being the understanding that one needs to replace the "I

am [not}..." way of thinking with "with the arising of this that

arises" i.e. Dependent Origination. Killing, lying speech and

misconduct in sexual practice are only mentioned in the path, but

they may be developed futher, therefore we get Adhisiila, but only

Siila is necessary for Awakening.

 

The bare minimum concentration is all the four ruupa jhaana, and

again further refinement is possible, beneficial and wholesome, i.e.

the four aruupa jhaana, adhicitta.

 

Having the four ruuupa jhaana one can then develop wisdom. What the

commentaries call the dry worker, was one without what they thought

was the four ruupa jhaana experience, but I suggest, the four ruupa

jhaana experience was mixed up with the arrupa jhaana experience by

the time the commentaries were written, [reflecting the early

division between the study monks and the jhaayins]. The study monks

therefore came up with another system to describe the type of

concentration needed, but which actually was the ruupa jhaana type.

The PRACTICE was basically the same, but the view/understanding had

changed.

 

I think we still see traces of the lost relevance of the four ruupa

jhaana and wisdom today. They, like any part of the path, are to be

experienced IN THIS VERY LIFE, I believe.

 

There are ruupa jhaana that are wrong [unwholesome] and those that

are right. The determining factor is Right or Wrong View. That is

why Right View is said to be the FIRST FRUIT of the path.

 

I match the four Right ruupa jhaana to everyday experience in this

way:

1st - planning a wholesome activity

2nd - executing the plan

3rd - enjoying the fruits of one's labour

4th - resting, taking a imobile posture and focusing on simple life

processes such as breathing

 

Wisdom is about seeing things [the five clinging aggregates] as they

really are. Seeing impermanence [aging], stress [sickness] and not-

soul [death] in them as they happen. When we struggle with life, we

are clining.

 

The five clinging aggregates:

ruupa - form, image, shape [specifically self=-image, "I am

[not]..."]

vedanaaa - feeling, [physiological: pleasant, painful, neutral]

sanyaa - ideas, concepts, beliefs, values

sankhaara - emotions, intentions, motivations

vinyaa.na - discernment

 

The Buddha says when we cling we cling to one of these.

 

When we are clinging to one of these we need to see them as they

really are: impermanence [aging], stress [sickness] and not-soul

[death]. This enables us to stop clinging. As we retrain ourselves

we replace the old wholesome tendencies with new wholesome ones.

Then being Awake is our normal way of being.

 

 

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By being clear about confusion, you become clear of confusion.

 

**Nisargadatta

http://santmat-meditation.net/iam