Post # 81 – Developing World Transcending Wisdom in the Path to Nibbana-

A guided meditation Practice - Part 8

This is the last Post containing the descriptions of the Step by Step meditation practice as described in Posts #s 74 to 80

“This insight meditation practice was aimed at mentally experiencing as an inferential knowledge, the intellectual understanding acquired from learning the Dhamma related to developing the world transcending wisdom in the Path to Nibbana. This gives us the inspiration and motivation to practice this meditation to escape from the samsaric journey. You would now be able to use this as a basic platform to proceed further in insight meditation to translate this inferential knowledge to an experiential understanding-bahawanamaya pragnawa- ”.

Step 39

We then contemplate on how these noble beings after practicing serenity meditation to higher Jhana levels and then coming out of these higher Jhanas, endowed with concentrated minds-samma samadhi- with all the five hindrances that inhibit our realization of nibbana suppressed, switches to insight meditation to gain states of mind known as lakkana upanijjana to see the true nature of phenomena. That is the impermanence, unsatisfactory nature, and non-self-nature of Skanda, Dathu and Ayathana - the conditional formations - that represent a being . With the gaining of this wisdom, ignorance which was the root of the hindrances and in turn the root of the ten shackles (dasa sanyojana) gets eliminated.  With this insight meditation and gaining lakkana upanijjana, these noble beings gain progressively, the four path visions and the four fruition visions of the path to Nibbana (sathara marga sith and sathara pala sith) or world transcending jhanas.  With the gaining of the wisdom of path visions and fruition visions, the ten shackles or fetters that tie a ‘being’ down to the samsaric journey are progressively eliminated. With the elimination of the fetters these noble beings escape from the Samsaric journey.

We then note what Dhamma describes as to how these noble beings after ensuring the end of their samsaric journey, engages in a practice to acquire a higher knowledge - viz vidya vimukthi nanna darshana,  to realize Nibbana . That is developing the true wisdom related to the basic truths about  phenomena. They are the universal truths (ariya satta), law about dependent co-arising (pattica sammupada), the four noble truths (chatu ariya satta) including the noble eightfold path (ariya astangika magga), the thirty seven factors conducive for enlightenment (sath-tiss bodhi pakkikiya dhamma), and the seven purifications (satta vissudhi).   

Step 40

We then contemplate on what the Dhamma says that; with the realization of the impermanent nature, unsatisfactory nature and nature of non-self - the universal truths - of the conditioned world, the desire, craving and attachments to such worldly phenomena will fade away. Also the views hitherto held of a ‘self’, the speculative doubts, and the practices of engaging in mystical rites and rituals to appease these phenomena (sakkaya ditthi, vicchikichcha, and seelavrutha paramasa) will be seen to make no sense and thus eliminated.

Continuing in the practices of developing seela (moral restraint) samadhi (focused and concentrated mind capable of seeing reality), and panna (the world transcending wisdom) through the Noble Eightfold Path, we become  aware that we are  developing the virtues of saddha (faith and trust in the Noble Triple Gem), viriya (ardent effort), sathi (right mindfulness), samadhi (right concentration), and panna (right view and wisdom ) to a very high level ensuring the entry into  ariya margaya (the noble path) and avoiding a future re-becoming in the four unhappy realms.

Step 41

We then contemplate on what Dhamma teaches that when such avidya or not knowing is eliminated and a full realization of the teachings in the Dhamma unfolds, we develop the wisdom (vidya vimukkthi nana dharshana), for realizing Nibbana.

We then review what the teaching says about the Arahant (noble one) who eliminates, all hindrances shrouding enlightenment (pancha neewarana), gaining the four path and fruition knowledge, thus eliminating the ten fetters that tie a ‘being’ down to Samsara (dassa sanyogena), and all other defilements including their roots. The Arahant thus achieves kilasa pari-nibbana or so-padisesa nibbana datu. That is attaining Nibbana in this life itself as a living being. 

Thereafter with the ending of the kammic energy that created this life, and the ceasing of the kamma that gave rise to the formation of the five aggregates (panchas skanda), the   Arahant experiences the breaking down of the five aggregates. This we know as the Arahant’s experience of skanda pari-nibbana or anu-padisesa nibbana datu, the ultimate ending of the re-becoming process. This is Nibbana.  

With this step by step meditation practice to verify and consolidate what we know of Dhamma in Suthamaya Nanna about the world transcending wisdom, we gain the inferential understanding about Nibbana. Then with this inferential understanding about Nibbana we realize that we are now on the right track for liberation. It is however important to note that this inferential understanding is limited to the content and coverage included in the intellectual understanding acquired from learning the Dhamma by us. Therefore we have to treat this inferential understanding as a basic foundational platform relating to this wisdom and strive to acquire  a greater coverage on this knowledge base by learning the related Dhamma to a higher level and use it in this meditation exercise. 

Step 42

We also realize that this inferential knowledge can only be gained by a concerted effort of practicing this meditation over and over again. Also that the attainment is obtained through an incremental process.

We then reflect on the fact that with this understanding accomplished through a regular engagement of this step by step practice, we realize that we are now in the neighbourhood of achieving the noble status of a stream winner (Sowan being).

We also know then that we only have to continue further the insight meditation practice to higher levels to gain the ultimate experiential wisdom for realizing Nibbana.

May we get the necessary inspiration to engage and continue in this practice?