The person who lives contemplating

Panna is developed by gradually understanding the characteristics of the realities which are appearing. We read in Tipitaka, in the Maha-satipathana sutta and also in other suttas, about the person who "lives contemplating" the characteristics of realities which are appearing. That is, he is habitually inclined to be aware of the realities which are appearing. Not all realities appear, but all mental phenomena and physical phenomena of our life, also those which do not appear, arise and fall away. Panna can directly understand only the realities which are appearing.

Dhammmas are the realities of our daily life, and gradually one can have more understanding of them by listening to the teachings and studying them. It is important to remember that realities appear here and now, that one should not look for them somewhere else but here, or at another moment but right now. When there is awareness and understanding of the dhammas which are appearing now, panna can come to know them as they are, as realities which arise and fall away and which are non-self. When someone merely repeats the words, "dhammas arise and fall away", there is only theoretical understanding of realities, but no direct understanding of their arising and falling away, no direct understanding of the truth.