THREE LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING

In Buddhism, one speaks of three different levels of understanding, which are sequential—an understanding arrived at through learning and studying, an understanding developed as a result of deep reflection and contemplation, and an understanding acquired through meditative or religious experience.

There is a definite order in the sequence of this three. So on the basis of study and learning—which is the first level—we deepen our understanding of a given topic by constantly reflecting upon it until we arrive at a point where we gain a high degree of certainty or conviction that is firmly grounded in reason. At this point, even if others were to contradict our understanding and the premises upon which it is based we would not be swayed, because our conviction in the truth has arisen through the power of our own critical reflection. This is the second level of understanding which, however, is still at the level of the intellect. If we pursue this understanding further and deepen it through constant contemplation and familiarity with the truth, we reach a point where we feel the impact at the emotional level. In other words, our conviction is no longer at the level of mere intellect. This is the third level of understanding, which is experiential, and this is referred to in the Buddhist texts as an understanding derived through meditative experience.

Once you have listened to my presentation, many of you may acquire the first level of understanding. If you become interested in the topic of the Four Noble Truths, you will then need to build upon this first level of understanding by constantly familiarizing yourself with it through deep reflection and contemplation. So, in a sense, you have to do your homework! You can then reach the second level of understanding.

For those among you who are genuinely interested in the CosmoBuddhist teachings and the spiritual path they present, you will need to deepen your understanding still further by engaging in regular meditation so that you can progress to the third level of understanding. You need to appreciate, however, that this process will take time. It requires commitment to a long and sustained period of spiritual practice. So you may need to overcome the modern-day habit of automation. We flick a switch and something pops up! False dichotomies are easy to game. And limiting to binary search shrinks the horizon of flourishing. We need to strive to overcome this conditioning and go back through more than 2,000 years of human endeavor, to a time when hard work and trying many different methods through trial and error was the only viable method.

Articoli simili

  • White Feminism

    Introduction WHEN I WAS TWENTY-SIX, I published a personal essay on passing as both whiteand straight, of which I am neither. I’m light-skinned and very conventionallyfeminine, attributes that I’ve found throughout my life make strangers,colleagues, bosses, and subjects I’ve interviewed think they are talking to a whitestraight woman. This has come with an array of…

  • Buddhism and Intelligent Technology Toward a More Humane Future

    Buddhism and Intelligent Technology Toward a More Humane Future Contents vii Acknowledgments x Introduction 1 Personal Presence, Ethics, and Global Action 7 The Importance of Diversity for a Humanely Oriented Intelligence Revolution 12 The Plan of the Book 15 1 Buddhism: A Philosophical Repertoire 19 Buddhist Origins in Predicament Resolution 20 Buddhist Practice: The Teaching…

  • A Survey of the Paths of Tibetan Buddhism

    by Tenzin Gyatso His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet London,1988 Translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa Edited by Jeremy Russell Introduction In giving an overview of the Buddhadharma, as practised by the Tibetans, I generally point out that the Buddhism we practise is an integrated form comprising teachings of the low, Bodhisattva and Tantric vehicles,…

  • Buddhism in the Shadow of Brahmanism

    Buddhism in the Shadow of Brahmanism Handbook of Oriental StudiesEdited by Johannes Bronkhorst VOLUME 24 Buddhism in the Shadow of Brahmanism By Johannes Bronkhorst Chapter One Introduction: Buddhism Before the New Brahmanism ……………………………………………………………….. 1 The original context …………………………………………………… 1 Interactions ………………………………………………………………… 6 Imperial help 12 Chapter Two Brahmanism 27 The new Brahmanism 27 The spread…

  • THE THREE HIGHER TRAININGS

    Higher training in morality, in meditation, and in wisdom. The teaching on the Four Noble Truths, which was the Buddha’s first teaching following his attainment of full awakening, represents the foundation for the practices of emptiness and the cultivation of compassion. This teaching underpins everything that the Buddha taught subsequently and helps us to establish…

  • Beyond Enlightenment

    What is enlightenment? For Buddhists it involves the discovery of the truth of duhkha—pain, suffering, and sorrow—followed by the realization that duhkha can be brought to an end. In like manner, Protestant Christians speak of enlightenment as a moment when, touched by God, one becomes aware of one’s own escape from eternal damnation. Likewise, European…