Right View

The Buddhist fundamental doctrine of the Noble Eight Fold Path (Ariya Ațțhaṅgika Magga) commences with the introduction of Right View (Sammā Dițțhi). Right View is synonymous with Right Vision or Right Understanding. Right Vision or Right Understanding consummates the intuitive discernment of the relationship between the conventional truth (Pa.: sammuti sacca; Sans.: Saṃvṛti Satya) and Ultimate Truth (Paramattha sacca; Paramārtha Satya) or the two-fold Reality of relative-absolute principle.

Conventional reality is multiplicity; ultimate Reality is Unity or the Absolute. One must have the right view of the knowledge of conventional truth before one can intuitively discern the Ultimate Truth. Knowledge of the former is intellectual or conceptual. Knowledge of the latter is intuitive. Conventional Truth is the cornerstone to understanding the Ultimate Truth. The former is exoteric and  manifest and the latter is esoteric and hidden.

Ordinary worldlings are described by ‘Sākyamuni Buddha to be ignorant and perverse because they perceive all myriad objects or phenomena substantially or dualistically. Consequently, they prehend the world of divergent multiplicity. All myriad diverge things or phenomena are prehended as individual, independent, autonomous entities. The emergence of ‘Sākyamuni Buddha in India in the 6th century B.C.E was to awaken all sentient beings including both the devas and human beings  that the Right View of the building blocks  of the cosmos is the dependently co-arisen Unity of multiplicity. The multiplicity is the contigent conditions. The Unity is the conditioned phenomenon.

Dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality is the ontology of dynamic process or perennial becoming (Santāna dhamma). All things or phenomena of the multiplicity, empirically prehended by ordinary worldlings, are merely conventional or relative truth. Conventional or relative truth is apparently true conventionally or relatively. Ultimately, it is illusory and unreal like the dreams, magics , mirages , children of barren women, the hairs of tortoises and so forth. All myriads things or phenomena are unified in a cosmic unity of process becoming. Process becoming is the only ultimate Reality of the universe. Process becoming is the only Right View. Process Becoming is the flow of unity of contigent phenomena.

That all myriad things or phenomena are insubstantial and are empty of permanent and immutable own natures – self-natures and other natures is expounded as the doctrine of Insubstantiality (Anattā) or Emptiness (‘Sūnyatā) by ‘Sākyamuni Buddha. That all myriad things or phenomena are temporary and changeable is expounded as doctrine of Impermanence  (Anicca) by the Exalted Supreme Master.  That the sole Reality is process becoming is expounded by the Exalted One as Dependent Co-arising (Pa.: Pațiccasamuppāda; San.: Pratītyasamutpāda). Whoever intuitively discerns process becoming in terms of Anicca, Anattā or ‘Sūnyatā and Pațiccasamuppāda in terms of the five aggregates of form, feelings , perceptions , dispositions and consciousness (the five integrated components of human personality) is liberated from suffering (dukkha).

Right View can be encapsulated as right discernment of the Three Universal Characteristics (Tilakkhaṇas) namely, Anicca, Dukkha and Anattā. The esoteric message of Tilakkhanas is very profound. They are apparently simple expressions from intellectual or conceptual perspective. If they are discerned intuitively and  ultimately, the Truth discernment leads to self-enlightenment or gnosis which is the consummate Right View of the world and the Buddha. To be more definite, Right View is the Truth discernment of Process Reality of dynamic process becoming. The Right View of the bipolar relationship between the World and the Buddha is ultimately the dynamic Process Becoming. Process Becoming is insubstantial view of ontology. The Insubtantiality (Pa.: Anattā; Sans.: Nairātmya) of the empirical world should be discerned thus : No one can step on the same spot of the stream of river twice. Whatever moment of becoming has passed is forever gone. It is neither arising nor ceasing. It is durationless.

In addition, the  Middle View is promulgated by ‘Sākyamuni Buddha in terms  of Dependent Co-arising in the Kaccāyanagotta-Sutta (S2.17). The Exalted One (Bhagavan) expounds that Dependent Co-arising is neither absolute existence (Atthitā)  nor absolute Non-existence (n’atthitā). Ordinary worldlings always perceive the external object or phenomenon as either absolute existence or absolute non-existence. When a perceived object or phenomenon has appeared or arisen, it is perceived to be an absolute existence. When the object or phenomenon has vanished and ceased, it is perceived as absolute non-existence. This is how ordinary people perceive the phenomenal world. However, such worldview of ontology is erroneous.

Gotama Buddha  arose in this terrestrial world to awaken  us that such pair of extreme views of absolute existence and absolute non-existence is wrong view. Such wrong view has defiled the human mind with greed , hatred and delusion. Absolute existence is one extreme view ; absolute non-existence is another extreme view. The right view is the middle view of neither absolute existence nor absolute non-existence . Absolute existence is related to the view of eternalism . Absolute non-existence is related to the view of annihilationism or nihilism . Both eternalism and annihilationism are a pair of extreme views. They are wrong view of ontology. The right view is the middle view of neither eternalism nor annihilationism. The middle view is designated generally as the process view of Reality. Process Reality is the dynamic process becoming (Santāna dhamma) . The Process View is the Buddhist Right View. In fact, ontologically put, it is the universal Right View  of all major world’s religions.

It is comparatively useful to examine how Mahāyāna Sūtras expound the concept of Buddhist Right View. Its exposition of Right View is both philosophically unveiling and pragmatic for Buddhist practices. In the Diamond Sūtra (Vajrachchedika-sūtra), ‘Sākyamuni Buddha recommends a perfect way to deal with the conventional truth as well as the ultimate Truth. The perfect way pertains to the perfect Right View of Middle Path (Madhyama pratipat). The objective is to penetrate into interpenetrativeness or non-interference  between   the phenomena and the principle. We thus apprehend that secularity does not clash with spirituality. The Middle Path is exercised in terms of the three-fold Reality of one penetrative mind in three insightful contemplations.   In the Diamond Sūtra, the first insightful contemplation is Dharma (1); the second one is Not Dharma (2) ; the third  one is Still Dharma  (or Dharma, Dharma) (3).

Firstly, ‘Dharma’ (1) is perceived as a conventional truth for the sake of human intercommunication and interaction purposes. Dharma 1 is a reified concept and is designated as a concrete entity. It is recognized as an illusory and unreal phenomenon. It is actually a mental fabrication or false  imagination of the unreal. It is merely the shadow of the ultimate Truth. It is the product of dualistic perception of the empirical world. It is mere appearance and is only apparently real. Dharma 1 is the conventional reality or truth which is unreal ultimately.

Secondly, ‘Not’ Dharma 2’ mirrors the ultimately Reality. It is recognized as not a concrete entity as no discrete entity exists autonomously. ‘Not Dharma 2 is be discerned as the negation of Dharma 1. The negation of Dharma 1 is called the deconstruction of Dharma 1. The deconstruction of Dharma 1 produces ‘Not Dharma 2’ . ‘Not Dharma 2’ means Dharma 1 is actually empty of form. It is formless or empty of inherent existence. The purpose of deconstruction of Dharma is to unveil the ultimate Reality or Truth of Emptiness. Every Dharma is actually signless, markless or characteristicless that is it is empty of form. Deconstruction serves a soteriological function of annihilation of self or ego. Self or ego reifies  an object and develops grasping upon the five aggregates. Deconstruction obliterates grasping and thus annihilates one’s self- centric ego. The deconstructed Dharma manifests the ultimate Reality or Truth of the perceived phenomenon (dharma).

Thirdly, ‘Still Dharma 3’ is the reconstruction of the deconstructed Dharma into the original ‘Dharma 1’. The third contemplation is the exercises of the middle view. The middle view is the reaffirmation of the dharma  after its negation. The middle view is the simultaneous acknowledgement of negation and affirmation of the Dharma. This is parallel to the simultaneous acknowledgement of both the ultimate Truth and the conventional Truth of the perceived phenomenon. The simultaneous acknowledgement of both truths admit the bipolar Reality of the interpenetration between phenomenon and principle. This mirrors that secularity and spirituality are simultaneously admitted. The Reality of the dynamic process becoming incorporates the co-existence of both the conventional reality and the ultimate Reality.

Metaphorically, the conventional reality is the water and the ultimate Reality is the cup. The cup holds the water. Without the water, the cup is absolete. Therefore, the cup and water are symbiotic and non-dual. Likewise, all phenomena and the Principle are symbiotic and non-dual. They are dependently co-arisen. Therefore, it evidences  that Right View is the Middle View of acknowledgement of the bipolar Reality of phenomena and principle, that is the Appearance and Reality. The Appearance is secular ; the Reality is spiritual. Secularity and Spirituality condition the Process Reality. Right View is Process or perennial Thought or Wisdom.