How can a beginner have right understanding of realities?
Question: It is difficult to have right understanding of realities when one is a
beginner.
Answer: There must be intellectual understanding of the mental phenomena
and physical phenomena which are the objects of understanding. One has to
know that it should be developed naturally in one’s daily life. Many people
just want to sit and concentrate on breathing, but they have to consider for
themselves whether this is the way to know the realities of one’s daily life. Is
this the way to know seeing, hearing and all the other realities, and to know
the clinging which arises on account of the experience of the sense objects?
Defilements cannot be eradicated if one does not realize them as they arise in
one’s daily life. Right understanding of realities can be accumulated little by
little if one develops it naturally, without trying to make particular realities
arise, without trying to control realities. They arise already because of their
own conditions. Also, understanding can only arise when there are right
conditions; one cannot control it.
Question: Understanding is accumulated very gradually but is there not
some result in the beginning, so that one is encouraged to continue to
develop understanding? When one is a beginner one wants to see at least
some result of one’s practice.
Answer: The result cannot be noticed immediately, it cannot be measured.
But, as understanding develops there will be more confidence. There will be
more understanding of why you feel bad or why you feel happy. You will
face unpleasant situations with more understanding and you will be more
tolerant towards other people; you will have more understanding about their
ways of behaviour. You will come to appreciate the value of right
understanding more and more.