Reply To: right effort

#20819
Lal
Keymaster

Right VISION (Samma Ditthi) is achieved first that it is NOT FRUITFUL to take, “this is not mine, not who i am, not myself’ AND all formations and states are impermanent, cannot be kept to ones satisfaction, are unsatisfactory, and without essence or self”.

I have explained this many times before. But here is another way to say that.

One who has SEEN the truth of that is a Sotapanna. That is called getting rid of wrong views about this world or “ditthi vipallāsa”.

But that person still have two more stages to overcome: Saññā vipallāsa (wrong perceptions) and Citta vipāllasa (wrong way of thinking based on such perceptions which continue as “habits”). That is why a Sotapanna may still enjoy sense pleasures.

It is sort of like someone being able to convince for oneself that smoking is bad for one’s health. But that person may still continue smoking (with less and less frequency) until he gets rid of that habit one day.

See: “Is It Necessary for a Buddhist to Eliminate Sensual Desires?“.

A Sotapanna not only has NOT gotten rid of the sense of “me” (which happens at the Arahant stage), but still likes to enjoy sense pleasures (which goes away at the Anāgami stage).