The Perfection of Wisdom - What does panna penetrate? II

“To the wise at a single session

the ten thousand world-spheres appear as of one light.”
Panna which is illumination is understanding which penetrates the characteristics of realities which were never before penetrated. Formerly someone may have heard about these characteristics and understood them in theory, but he may not yet have directly realized them. Panna can grow and it can become illumination. As we read, even when we sit in one place, the ten thousand world-spheres can appear as of one light. This means that panna understands thoroughly and penetrates the characteristic of nama dhamma when nama dhamma appears. Nama dhamma arises in the planes of the five khandhas, in the heavenly planes, in the rupa-brahma planes, in the arupa-brahma planes, or in whatever world of the countless worldsystems, but it has one characteristic: nama dhamma is the reality which experiences, the element, dhatu, which experiences an object. When panna penetrates the characteristics of realities, ten thousand worldsystems appear as of one light, which means that panna clearly understands the characteristics of realities, no matter where they arise.
We read further on:

“A man introduces an oil-lamp into a dark house;

the lamp so introduced disperses the darkness,

produces light, sheds lustre, makes objects visible,

so, understanding as it arises dispels the darkness of ignorance,

produces the light of wisdom,

sheds the lustre of knowledge,

makes plain the four noble Truths.

Thus understanding has illuminating as its characteristic.”

  While we are listening to the Dhamma at this moment, we are developing the perfection of panna together with the perfections of energy and patience, so that in the future panna that is illumination, that clearly understands realities, will arise.
We read further on:

“And as a clever surgeon knows which food is suitable, and which is not,

evenso is understanding...”

  Here we see that panna should be developed in daily life so that it thoroughly knows and penetrates the characteristics of realities.