What exactly is Buddhist
Wisdom?
In Buddhist teaching in the
suttas, we see the word wisdom ( panna) is repeatedly mentioned in the
texts. But in this context, what do you think Wisdom actually means? Is it
different from other kinds of wisdom?
Why would Bhante (Vimalaramsi) say that Wisdom means Dependent Origination
in the texts?
How did he come to this kind of conclusion?
Proposition to consider:
If you were learning to sail a boat, you would first need to develop
Sailing wisdom which includes knowledge about the boat before you went
across the Ocean.
So, very likely, you would go to a sailing instructor to be taught all
about the boat, the sea, and the wind. This would include how to use all
equipment and rig the sails.
You would learn how to see the puffs of wind moving on the water and how
to catch the wind.
You would learn about the Tiller, the Rudder, the Keel of the boat, the
boom, the mast and the halyard.
And you would learn how to plot a destination appeared to be in a
direction against the wind
(this is called a tacking course).
This information would become your "Nautical Wisdom" ( Sailing wisdom) for
your practice of sailing.
Similar proposition to consider here:
In Buddhism if we plan on reaching the destination of full awakening, the
texts tell us we must find a teacher who fits the 'teaching profile' that
the Buddha left for us. That profile is in the Samyutta Nikaya in the
nidannavagga called "the Teacher".
That teacher needs to fully
understand and be able to teach others Dependent Origination in part and
in full ( meaning 5 links, 7, 9, 11, and 12) using very simple workable
definitions that they can remember.
As the student we then need to reclaim our pure childlike curiosity, so we
can carefully and persistently keep on investigating and observing how
everything works concerning mind and this life experience of cognition
through our sense doors.
We will eventually find there
are certain pieces of knowledge that help our investigative meditation run
more smoothly.
Q: What kinds of knowledge?
Mostly I mean finding very simple clear usable definitions for contact,
suffering, feelings, craving, clinging, habitual tendencies, and things
like that which happen in every interaction in our lives!
Q: When I talk about simple definitions, why is this simplicity needed?
Take a look at an example for a moment.
For instance, what is the cause of the suffering? It is not helpful enough
to say that CRAVING is the cause of suffering. We have to define it
clearly in a very workable way for you to use it and see wisely how it
works.
How can I be taught to let go of craving if I do not know what CRAVING is?
This can't be done.
First I must know what CRAVING is. Right? Else how can I let go of it?
Many large descriptive words about it are not fully the answer either. And
we cannot be vague, or not clear either.
If you say CRAVING is GRASPING, is this enough? Usually students find that
this is not enough. This is because Grasping is an adjective describing
one component but not a total answer. This leaves us with another
question, so what is grasping?
That just doesn't work well enough.
One has to know how craving appears. One has to be able to describe this
clearly and even what the underlying cause of that indication is!
This is how the Buddha's investigation goes. The Buddha asked four
questions:
What is this?
What is the simplest cause of this?
What is the cessation of this?
How can we achieve cessation of this?
If we do this, we understand what "this" is completely. We understand what
caused it to exist. We look at the situation without this involved and
consider how to reach the cessation of this!
if we keep going with this kind of investigation in Buddhism, we will
begin to uncover a trend that always leads us back to one solution
involving the Impersonal Process of Dependent Origination.
This is why the Buddha and some of the earliest elders described Dependent
Origination as being the spine of the Buddhist teaching or Buddhist
Wisdom. This CAN be confirmed in the texts, BUT you MUST know what you are
looking for to find it!
The most interesting part of this is that within this Buddhist Wisdom,
when completely understood, observed clearly, and used properly, one comes
to fully understand the 4 Noble Truths, and the Three Characteristics of
Existence within that same understanding.
This is magnificent.... This is uncovering the lamp!
And we will talk more about
this within our training as we continue on soon.
I have to spend some time cleaning up the center for meditators who will
come in soon.....
Anyone wishing to come in for
4-7 days to help with this should please contact me privately at
sisterkhema@dhammasukha.org
Hope this gets you thinking
about Buddhist Wisdom coming from this angle........ If you take this
tack, you can reach your destination even though it may feel like the wind
is blowing against you.... haha.
:-)
Metta and smiles to all.
Rev. Sister Khema