From Worldly to Real Wisdom

Ajahn Chah (ajahnchah.org) via Ven. Sujato, Ellie Askew, Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

What are the essentials of mindfulness?

The world with its never-ending ways goes on and on. If we try to understand it all, it leads us only to chaos and confusion.

However, if we contemplate [mindfully, systematically, dispassionately observe] the world clearly, then true wisdom will arise.

 

The Buddha [when he was the Scythian Prince Siddhartha Gautama] was one well-versed in the ways of the world. He had a great ability to influence and lead because of his abundance of worldly knowledge.

Knowledge becomes wisdom.

Through the transformation of his worldly mundane wisdom, he penetrated and attained to supramundane wisdom, making him a truly superior [enlightened] being.

So if we work with this teaching, turning it inwards for contemplation, we will attain to an understanding on an entirely new level.

When we see an object [any object], there is no object. When we hear a sound, there is no sound. In smelling, we can say that there is no smell. All of the senses are manifest, but they are void of anything stable. They are just sensations that arise then pass away.