Questions regarding Morality, Concentration and Wisdom

realization SG

I was hoping to discuss the threefold trainings of Morality, Concentration and Wisdom. And in the process, I can clarify the answers for myself.

1a. Is there need to strike a balance among developing Morality, Concentration and Wisdom?

1b. Can we train in one only and wait for the rest to fall into place? For example, by concentrating only on Morality, will the other two - Concentration and Wisdom - come naturally?

2. Among the three trainings, which has highest priority?

3. Within the Buddhist context, what exactly is Wisdom? And how to gain it?

wisdomeye SG

Just my opinion,

1. All three must be present. Morality ensures that one's mind is not too much in hope and fear or too much in grasping, therefore the conditions are easier for concentration to arise. Then certain amt of concentration must be there for wisdom to arise.

2.I think it depends on which stage of the practice you are at. For that, you can assess your own conditions yourself and decide. For eg. if you are at the point where there are many vices in your life and you are barely able to get rid of them, emphasizing on wisdom or concentration may just be wishful thinking... so one's morality is a kind of girdle that facilitates the inner trainings of concentration/wisdom.

3. Wisdom is seeing the true nature of reality, how all phenomenon are just clarity and emptiness indivisible. Because of that, one is no longer imprisoned by one's own delusion and is able to escape from the endless cycle of birth and death.

The methods and right views, i think, are one of the most frequent topic of this forum. You can read around and formulate more specific questions based on any parts that clash with your understanding.

hope it helps.

Almond Cookies SG

How well should we keep the five precepts to attain human rebirth again to continue on our road to enlightenment?

An Eternal Now SG

wisdomeye's reply is good

Just to add: all religions, and non-religious people generally practice morality to various degrees. Morality is not really the province of religion... in the sense that religion has no monopoly over morality, which is being imparted even by education and society generally.

Therefore... countless people practice morality, but we don't see people becoming enlightened just by practicing morality. Morality however is an important support for samadhi and wisdom. That is why you must practice these three to attain enlightenment.

An Eternal Now SG

One who has great morality easily attains rebirth in heaven.

But by itself morality cannot lead you to liberation.

An Eternal Now SG

How well should we keep the five precepts to attain human rebirth again to continue on our road to enlightenment?

Nobody can tell you exactly 'how well'. That's why you must do your best.

Good and bad karma plays out in many lifetimes. Some people did bad things, but the karma only ripens a few lifetimes later. They may even be reborn in heaven only to fall into the hell realm.

But one thing for sure... if you realize anatta and attain stream entry then your path to enlightenment is confirmed. You will not regress into samsara and will attain liberation in at most 7 lifetimes. Similar case if you attain 1st Bhumi Bodhisattva stage. Your path to Buddhahood is certain. So practice hard as it is truly possible in this life.

Almond Cookies SG

One who has great morality easily attains rebirth in heaven.

But by itself morality cannot lead you to liberation.

Lousy moral go to hell or bad realms.

Hell or bad realms can't even practise buddhism.

Someone who does not abide by percepts surely got no wisdom.

realization SG

Just my opinion,

hope it helps.

Thanks for your speedy and detailed reply. They were the answers I needed :)

I also found the following articles of use.

- Fundamentals of Buddhism: Morality
- What is Threefold Training
- Fragments of a Teaching

wisdomeye's reply is good

No, we don't become enlightened by practicing morality alone. Hence, the threefold training of Morality, Concentration and Wisdom really form a tripod which support awakening.

I'd just like to add that awakening also requires us to know what it is we want to be awakened to - as taught by the Buddha. Hence also, the importance of learning and familiarising with his teachings.

Thanks all for your answers!

geis SG

Lousy moral go to hell or bad realms.

Hell or bad realms can't even practise buddhism.

Someone who does not abide by percepts surely got no wisdom.

Morality is the first and last training - Daniel Ingram

realization SG

Morality is the first and last training - Daniel Ingram

Geis is so right.

Morality is a lifelong training.

With Morality, the learning never stops ... even after Concentration and Wisdom has been perfected.

An Eternal Now SG

actually arhats have perfect sila in the sense that they can no longer commit transgressions

in the suttas it is clearly stated that arhats have severed all attachments, cravings, anger, and other passionate emotions, fear, and so on. and they can no longer commit transgressions or break those precepts like killing, stealing and so on.

basically attaining arhatship will make you a harmless person.

therefore the only sure way you can stop transgressions is to attain arhantship and end all sense of self and cravings. when you do that, your sila is automatically perfect and u are rendered incapable of performing intentionally harmful actions

but what daniel said in his book implies that arhats still can break precepts and still can have passionate emotions and cravings.

however it should be noted that daniel is clearly not an arhat he claims. he is just a sotapanna by buddha's definition.

An Eternal Now SG

it should be noted that daniel also admits that his definition of third (and consequently fourth) path is equivalent to sotapanna by buddha's standards in the fetter model

the model he personally based his experience on was the technical model, which however has its origins in the visudhimagga which is a latter commentary by ven buddhagosa and therefore is not the same as the buddha's definition

according to moderator tarin from daniels forum, i have achieved arhantship by mtcb standards in october last year when i realized anatta. however i and thusness considers this as far from the end of the path.

that said it is true that arhats still can work morality if you include the virtues, the six paramitas. only a buddha has perfected virtues (paramis)

one final note. since a few people practicing actualism in his forum has experienced the end of passionate emotions and the resultant harmlessness, he is now aiming to attain this and is well on the way. he no longer sees the limited emotion model as unrealistic or unachievable.