The Buddha on Wisdom and Consciousness

A kalyānamitta (a good companion, a spiritual friend) recently asked me how many people manage to experience insight into reality as it really is (yathā bhūta ñāṇa dassana). Inherent doubt seems to float like a black cloud over this indirect question. I read the question mainly as: can this path be realized? Is this a realistic task? Or is it just a hypothetical dream?

A pertinent question requires a clear response.

Here is my personal answer. An answer born of experience. Carried by practice and experience. An answer that does not come from ‘hearsay’ (anītiha). A response straight from my heart.

My answer as to whether this path (magga) can be realized is resolute and unequivocal: ‘yes’. And also the result (the ‘fruit’ – phala) is manifest: liberation from dukkha and inner peace. Not in a distant future. But in this life. In this moment. More: only in this moment.

Such insight presupposes the ‘seeing’ of all ‘things’ (phenomena) in relation to their three characteristics (tilakkhaṇa), namely as impermanent (anicca), as unsatisfactory (dukkha) and as selfless (anattā). As well as the equanimous acceptance (upekkhā) of it.

How? By following the path of morality, through concentration towards wisdom: sīla → samādhi → paññā. It is sufficient that the dhammanuvatti (the follower who lives according to the Dhamma) develops wisdom (paññā) through continuous practice. And from wisdom comes insight and liberation (vimutti) from dukkha.

Liberation is a personal task. And consequently a personal achievement. No Buddha can set you free. The Buddha is ‘just’ a tool. Admittedly a skilled and powerful tool, but still ‘only’ a tool. An upāya. The Buddha can only point the direction in which you should look. And provide you with the technique to achieve this insight. Ultimately, however, it comes down to you whether or not you come to insight. If you yourself do not create the conditions for liberation, nothing will come of it.

The Buddha has given us different techniques in the suttas. But of one of these techniques, the Buddha says that it is “a direct, an unparalleled way” (ekayana magga), where all other techniques congruent. This technique is satipaṭṭhāna ( → sati + upaṭṭhāna: sati = attention;  upaṭṭhāna = settling). This technique is described extensively in the Pali Canon, namely in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta.

The four key words of the chorus of this sutta are: ātāpī, satimā, sampajañña, vineyya loke abhijjhadomanassa. These are the milestones through which the dhammanuvatti can orientate him/herself.

Insight and liberation depend on the degree of practice and development of his/her personal zeal (ātāpī); on his/her penetrating attention (satimā); on his/her clear awareness and deep understanding of the transience of things (sampajañña); without clinging to anything in the world (vineyya loke abhijjha-domanassa).

By cultivating this technique, the practitioner achieves direct experiential insight (paccanubhoti) and frees himself/herself from dukkha. Insight (wisdom) leads the practitioner to realize the Four Noble Truths within himself in his three rotations and twelve aspects. [1] Broadly speaking, this means that every aspect of the Four Noble Truths is intellectually known and accepted (pariyatti); that this theory is then put into practice in depth (paṭipatti) and finally that the dhammanuvatti fully realizes its result in him/herself (paṭivedha).

The Buddha says it this way in the Maha-Vedala Sutta, Majjhima-Nikaya 43:

[1] The three rotations are: theory (pariyatti), practice (paṭipatti) and realisation/result (paṭivedha).  The twelve aspects are derived from this triple rotation. In this way, twelve states (or combinations) arise. F.e.: For the First Truth, this means: – Theory (pariyatti): ‘This is suffering’ – Practice (paṭipatti): ‘Suffering must be understood’ – Result (paṭivedha): ‘Suffering is understood’.

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