Sunday, December 1, 2013

Sutra: Five Helpers to Right View

Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly based on translation by Ven. Nyanaponika and Bhikkhu Bodhi (Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, AN V, 25) UPDATED
The Buddha explained: Right view, O meditators, if it is helped by five things, has liberation of mind/heart as its fruit and is rewarded by the fruit of liberation of mind/heart. It has liberation by wisdom as its fruit and is rewarded by the fruit of liberation by wisdom. What are those five things? Here, meditators, right view is helped by:
  1. wide learning (suta-mayā-paññā)
  2. discussion (of what is learned)
EXPLANATION
Knowing-and-seeing (Sharon Cummings)
“Liberation of mind” (ceto-vimutti) means the concentration present at the attainment of the noble paths and fruitions -- that is, at the time of the first three stages of enlightenment.

“Liberation by wisdom” (paññā-vimutti) is the liberating-insight (release) pertaining to the fourth fruition, namely, arhatship.

An arhat may be said to be an accomplished disciple or savaka-buddha ("enlightened hearer"), one who has gained full enlightenment (as distinguished from pacceka-buddhas and sammasambodhi-buddhas).

This fivefold help to right view is compared to the growing of a mango tree in the ancient Commentary (the Anguttara Atthakatha) to this text:
  • Right view is like the mango seed.
  • The other supporting factors are like measures taken to ensure the growth of the tree.
  • And the two liberations are like the fruits.

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