Abhidhamma in Daily Life (by Ashin Janakabhivamsa)

by Ashin Janakabhivamsa | 66,666 words

English translation of "Abhidhamma in Daily Life" by Professor Ko Lay. Revised by Sayadaw U Silananda, International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University, Yangon, 1999...

Wrong view or wrong understanding is called ditthi. It may also mean wrong belief. Ditthi sees or understands wrongly what is absent to be present, what is present to be absent, what is right to be wrong and what is wrong to be right; it also dogmatically takes one’s wrong view to be right and other’s right views to be wrong.

Believing in the almighty creator of the world and beings when there is none; believing that there is an atta (soul) in the body of beings when there is not; these wrong beliefs are ditthi which believes what is absent to be present. Falsely believing that neither good nor bad deeds will bring forth results later on, when they do so in reality; falsely believing that there are no results of kamma when beings do enjoy or suffer the results of kamma in many ways; falsely believing that there is no Nibbana, even though there is Nibbana, the cessation of mind, matter and suffering; falsely believing that there are no next existences even though there is an endless cycle of rebirths before the attainment of Nibbana. Such wrong beliefs are ditthi, which believes what is present to be absent.

The following beliefs are ditthi, which sees what is false to be true:

Killing beings for sacrificial offering is a meritorious deed. Bathing when it is very cold, heating one’s body amidst four fires at noon when it is very hot and behaving like cows and dogs are good practices for purification of defilements. Washing away unwholesome deeds in the River Ganges at a suitable time is also good practice.

Believing that charity, morality and mental development (dana, sila, and bhavana) do not lead to the realisation of Nibbana is ditthi which takes what is true to be false.

In this way, wrong view, ditthi, is of many kinds. The mind which is soiled with ditthi is called ditthicitta, and one who adheres to wrong view is called a micchaditthi, a heretic. (With regard to the remaining mental factors, please note how minds and persons are named in accord with the accompanying cetasikas.)

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: