Today is Unduwap Poya

Wisdom: more precious than gold

Wisdom (Panna) is an attribute of paramount importance in Buddhist teachings. It is explained in different ways in Buddhism. The Buddha was extremely intelligent, even in his previous existences as a Bodhisatva. The significance of wisdom is highlighted in various sections of His teachings.

To the ordinary person, a gem is a very precious object. Yet being worldly objects, gems, just as much as gold, silver or pearls, can only give you happiness to a limited extent. They can bring suffering to the person who owns them. He may lose them or someone may steal them. Then there is unhappiness and sorrow and the person suffers. Wisdom is different. A wise man is able to manage his mind when affected by changes of worldly conditions and objects. The Buddha says wisdom is the gem for the people. (Panna naranam rathanam). 

The Buddha describes the wise man as someone who knows how to live in this world without becoming corrupt, spoilt, without being a trouble-maker. He knows what should be done for the happiness and benefit of others and himself. He knows to avoid that which is troublesome to others and himself. Anyone can practise Buddhism according to his or her capacity to understand and can experience good results both in this life and the next. Yet, a wise man can derive mundane and super-mundane benefits even in this life by using his wisdom to practise the Dhamma.

Let us see how knowledge has been described in the Dhamma. There are three levels of knowledge mentioned in the Abhidhamma, the analytical teachings of the Buddha. The first is 'Sanna,' which means to understand something on the surface. To quote an example: When a child finds a piece of gold, he only knows that it is a piece of gold. He looks at it and keeps it with him without realizing its value. To him, it is just a perception, just a recognition. 

The second is Vinnana - to understand something better. Here the knowledge is deeper than the perception. when an adult finds a piece of gold, he knows its value more than the child. He looks at it and keeps it in a safe place. He knows that it can be used to make an ornament. His knowledge is higher but not the highest with regard to the piece of gold. The third is Panna, which denotes the highest possible knowledge. To go back to the example of the piece of gold, the goldsmith knows best about it. He comprehends what kind of gold it is, what its inherent value is, what kind of ornaments can be made with it, at what price it can be sold at. That is Panna in relation to the piece of gold.

Panna or wisdom can be categorized into three groups. 'Suthamaya Panna' is the knowledge that one gains through hearing or listening. Listening was the main method of communication in ancient times. Those who learned a lot by listening were known as 'Bahussutha'. The Buddha taught the Dhamma by preaching. Occasionally, the Buddha used visual aids by creating different forms using miraculous powers. Today, in addition to the traditional education system, we can improve ourselves and share our knowledge through modern methods of communication like computers, the Internet, e-mail, television and so on. We need to keep in mind that these should be used in the right way. 

For our spiritual upliftment, we should have a good knowledge of the Dhamma, no matter what method we use to obtain it. Again, association with good friends, studying under disciplined and educated teachers, participating in Dhamma discussions are helpful in increasing one's knowledge.

'Chintamaya Panna' is knowledge that arises from thinking. Every one of us has a seed of knowledge. It varies from individual to individual according to 'kammic' force - accumulated in his or her previous existences. If one develops positive and constructive ways of thinking based on that initial seed of knowledge, one could develop one's mind to an extraordinary level in accordance with one's vision, religious or otherwise. Most of the scientific and technological discoveries are the outcome of knowledge derived from thinking.

Bhavanamaya Panna is penetrative knowledge that one can improve by practising serenity meditation (samata) and insight meditation (vipassana). When one concentrates on a single object of meditation, say breathing in and out (anapana sathi) or loving kindness (maitri), one possesses five qualities in one's mind: initial application of the meditative object (vitakka), sustained application (vicara), joy (piti), happiness (sukha) and single-minded focus (ekaggata). One is also able to keep one's mind away from defiling thoughts such as sense desires (kamacchanda), hatred (patigha), mental and physical inactiveness (tina-middha), restlessness and worry (uddacca-kukkucca), and skepticism and doubt (vicikicca). This stage of mind is known as the First Absorption (patama jhana). One can develop it to the eighth absorption when the mind becomes subtler and subtler. The qualities of absorptions last in one's mind as long as one can retain them. Furthermore, if meditators so wish, they can gain five kinds of higher knowledge: the divine eye (dibbacakka), the divine ear (dibbasota), ability to see past existences (pubbenivasanussati), ability to read the thoughts of others (paracittavijanana), and miraculous powers (iddividha). 

While it takes a long time to acquire these, they are also not permanent or everlasting. They are liable to change. Neither do they mean the end of suffering. Those whose sole aim is to see the end of suffering do not turn their minds to higher levels of absorption or higher knowledge. Instead, they turn their minds to investigating the reality of the so called 'I' through 'insight' (vipassana). As one practises insight meditation, one begins to see things (including 'I') as they really are and not as they appear to be. This 'being', 'individual' or 'I' is nothing but a combination of five aggregates: form (rupa), sensation (vedana), perception (sanna), mental formation (sankara) and consciousness (vinnana). Each one of these does not remain the same for two consecutive moments. They arise and pass away. Insight meditation helps us to understand the concept of impermanence (anicca). 

The Buddha says that whatever is the nature of impermanence, that is the nature of suffering (dukka). When you either lose a part of your body or if some parts of the body are deformed, then you undergo suffering. That is 'dukka'. Whatever is the nature of impermanence and suffering, there is no everlasting self (atta) in it according to the Buddha. The realization of impermanence, suffering and selflessness is real wisdom (panna) in Buddhism. 

(The writer is the resident monk at Lankaramaya, Schofield, NSW, Australia)