Pariyatti, Paṭipatti, Paṭivedha

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    • #18868
      upekkha100
      Participant

      Three words that I find useful are the following:
      1) pariyatti: Theoretical understanding of Dhamma obtained through reading, study, and learning. 

      2) paṭipatti: The practice of Dhamma, as opposed to mere theoretical knowledge

      3) paṭivedha: Direct, first-hand realization of the Dhamma. 

      Have those words been used by the Buddha, are they found anywhere in the Tipitaka?

    • #18871
      Lal
      Keymaster

      You are right. Those words are not found commonly in the suttas, at least to my knowledge.

      May be the reason is that when one truly understands Dhamma (basically the unfruitful nature of this world) or pariyatti, one will automatically gets into practice (patipatti), and one will inevitably realize the fruits (pativedha).

      Most of the time is spent in learning the background material, getting rid of the 10 types of mica ditthi, and then truly understanding Tilakkhana: the unfruitful, suffering-filled, nature that tends to make one become helpless in the rebirth process.

      When one gets to that stage, all three are fulfilled to some extent. It is just a matter of time (relatively speaking), when they are fully completed.

      However, there is another way of looking at this: In order to understand Tilakkhana (and to get to pariyatti), one must first follow the mundane eightfold path and get rid of the 10 types of mica ditthi. That goes hand-in-hand with living a moral life. So, at that level, pariyatti and patipatti can be said to go together first.

      Then when one starts on the Noble Path by almost simultaneously getting to fulfilling all three to some extent.

      Just my initial thoughts. I had never thought about it much before you asked the question.

    • #18875
      upekkha100
      Participant

      One of the reasons those three words got my attention was because they are basically the procedure that is advised many times throughout the essays on PureDhamma. How it’s not about mere book knowledge of the material or merely reading about Tilakkhana, but actually staying away from dasa akusala and doing necessary bhavana 24/7 not just during formal sessions, so that one can get to niramisa sukha to be able to truly grasp/absorb Tilakkhana in the mind.

      The way I see it, is that a puthujjana needs pariyatti and paṭipatti to get to paṭivedha(magga phala, the Sotapanna stage).

    • #18878
      Lal
      Keymaster

      “The way I see it, is that a puthujjana needs pariyatti and paṭipatti to get to paṭivedha(magga phala, the Sotapanna stage).”

      That is right. I mentioned this in the second part of my reply. Both learning AND discipline (with a significant effort) are needed to progress in the mundane eightfold path (i.e., for a puthujjana).

      But once one gets to the Sotapanna stage, discipline comes (to an extent) AUTOMATICALLY with the grasping of the Tilakkhana (but he/she still has not craving for sense pleasures). One does not need to think about the bad consequences of such highly immoral actions (births in the apayas). One simply would not be able to do such immoral actions. One does not have think: “If I do this I might be born in the apayas”.

      It is sort of like the following. A child sees a red hot iron rod as a beautiful thing and may think about touching it. The child has to keep reminding him/herself that Mom has said not to touch it, because it can burn.
      – But an adult knows that it can burn, and would not even think about touching it.

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