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.