At times, given the plethora of spurious information published on the Internet, and even by so-called scholars, such as Gombrich, I am skeptical until I have thoroughly researched and understand the contextual meaning of a Pali word or a sutta. I am not so interested in the etymological, ontological or philosophical aspects as I am in the context within the Pali texts. This is where your efforts and writings help immensely. I purchased the Pali Text Society’s entire Pali Canon in both Pali and English. Not a small investment. Needless to say, these have become my daily and nightly reading. In terms of what I know and understand, I certainly feel as a child at times, but one that is determined to examine the…no pun intended…right view. The proof, as the British say, is in the pudding. The only aspect of whether I can know the validity or truth of something is encapsulated in direct experience garnered through practice.
“And what is right view that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path? It’s the wisdom—the faculty of wisdom, the power of wisdom, the awakening factor of investigation of principles, and right view as a factor of the path—in one intent on the noble, intent on the undefiled, who possesses the noble path and develops the noble path.”
“This is called right view that is noble, undefiled, transcendent, a factor of the path.”
“They make an effort to give up wrong view and embrace right view: that’s their right effort.”
“Mindfully they give up wrong view and take up right view: that’s their right mindfulness.”
“So these three things keep running and circling around right view, namely: right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.”
“In this context, right view comes first.”
“In this context, right view comes first. Right view is the anterior condition for all the path factors. (Tatra, bhikkhave, sammādiṭṭhi pubbaṅgamā hoti.)”