Concept and Reality

PARAMATTHA DHAMMA & PANNATI

Thanh Huynh (updated from the article previously published on Vipassana Hawaii Website, 2005)

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We normally identify with the conceptual aspect of life. This conventional reality (pannatti) of names and forms: "I am a student", "my knee hurts", "I am angry" etc… is useful for functioning in the world. In mindfulness/vipassana practice, however, one is to pay attention to the true nature or ultimate reality (paramattha) of all phenomena: Instead of noticing “the pebbles under my feet” one feels the roughness (first foundation of mindfulness) or simply “touching” (fourth foundation). Instead of the form and shape of the body, one is aware of one's posture of standing or sitting; Instead of "my knee hurts", one feels the pressure, tension or heat at the knee (first foundation) or physical unpleasantness (second foundation) or aversion to it (third foundation). Instead of "I am angry", one experiences this emotion or mental state simply as anger (third/fourth foundation), or mental unpleasantness (second foundation). One does not identify with these experiences as being me or mine but objectively observe them in order to understand their true nature. Early in the practice, the mind predominantly experiences the conceptual aspect of life (pannatti). With more practice and insights, it experiences more and more paramattha dhamma (and no pannati at the stage of insight bangha-nana/passing-away). Delusion causes the mind to only see concepts (“pebbles” or “I am angry”) and prevents it from being aware of the reality of touching/roughness or the impersonal mental state/factor of anger/dosa which simply represents the function of the mind due to causes and conditions in that particular moment. With mindfulness, one begins to discover that all phenomena have a beginning, a middle (the course) and an end. Only by mindfully observing paramattha dhamma, one develops insight into the mind-body relationship, the cause and effect etc... One eventually develops a direct experience of the ultimate reality of change (anicca), unsatifactoriness (dukkha) and non-self (anata) which are common to all phenomena, along with various levels of insight. One also directly understands the nature of five aggregates (khanda) with various mental factors and their inter-relationship, the process by which the mind functions, the four Noble Truths (dukkha and how it comes to be, how it ends) . When conditions are fulfilled, one can experience Nibbana through vipassana practice.

Paramattha dhamma:

Paramattha Dhamma includes Rupa, Citta, Cetasika and Nibbana. The first three are conditioned and can be experienced by all. The last one being unconditioned can only be experienced by enlightened beings (noble ones/ariya).

Rupa (body/physicality): mindfulness can be established within the first foundation by experiencing a physical sensation's texture (hard or soft, rough or smooth, light or heavy), its temperature (warm or cool), its dynamics (motion, vibration, or tension/pressure) and its cohesiveness or fluidity. These four categories are traditionally known as the earth, fire, air (wind), and water elements (pathavi-dhatu, tejo-dhatu, vayo-dhatu and apodhatu,).

Citta (consciousness) together with Cetasika (mental concomitants/factors) constitute Nama (mind/mentality).

Citta is like a clear glass containing (and colored by) yellow orange juice or brown prune juice (Cetasika).

A different way of understanding/experiencing mind/body is the group of five aggregates (heaps of clinging/upadana khanda ) which includes form/physicality (rupa), feeling tone/quality (vedana), perception/cognition (sanna), mental formation/volition (sankhara) and consciousness (vinnana), the last four being Nama (mind/mentality in the table below).

Cetasikas (total= 52) are factors that color the mind and constitutes its quality in a particular moment. Fifty of the cetasikas are within sankhara (the remaining 2 being vedana and sanna: these 3 are part of the 5 khandas). Cetasikas include 7 universal ones which are always present and several of the other 45. The 4 in the delusion group are always present in an unwholesome mind moment and the 19 wholesome universal ones are always present to some degree in a wholesome mind moment. Hence, in a moment when Mindfulness (a wholesome universal factor) is fully present, there is no room for unwholesome mental factors to be. These factors may coexist to various degrees. Some may be obvious (anger, restlessness...); some are subtle (adaptability, proficiency...) and can only be observed when mindfulness and equanimity are strong. Mindfulness can be established here (third and fourth foundations) by simply recognizing these mental qualities without identifying with them as me or mine, and seeing how they function. Contemplating wholesome factors strengthen them and being mindful of unwholesome ones (defilements/kilesas) weaken them.

The theoretical knowledge of this process is not required but is helpful in vipassana practice. This knowledge sometimes could become an obstacle for those who anticipate practice results and imagine experiences which are not what they are. It would be skillful to recognize this caveat and to practice under qualified teachers' guidance.

PARAMATTHA DHAMMA summarized in a schematic table:

(Ultimate Reality)

CETASIKA =52 (Mental Factors/concomitants)