Lokuttara cittas - What is right understanding?

A.

Seeing nāma and rūpa as they are: impermanent, dukkha and not self. Right

understanding can be developed. When we still have wrong view, we take

realities for self: we take seeing for self, we take visible object for self, we

take feeling for self, we take saññā ('perception' or remembrance) for self, we

take thinking for self, we also take mindfulness and wisdom for self. In being

mindful of the characteristics of nāma and rūpa when they appear, we will

see them as they are; there will be right understanding.

B.

Could you give an example of wrong practice of vipassanā?

A.

There is wrong practice if, for example, one thinks that in the beginning, one

should be aware only of certain kinds of nāma and rūpa, instead of being

aware of whatever kind of nāma or rūpa appears. There is wrong

practice if one thinks that there should not be mindfulness of the

characteristics of lobha, dosa and moha when they appear. Then one selects

the nāma and rūpa one wants to be aware of and the wrong view of self

cannot be eradicated. Another example of wrong practice is thinking that

vipassanā can only be developed when sitting. In that way one sets rules for

the practice, one thinks that one can control awareness. Thus one cannot see

that mindfulness too is anattā (not self).