SILA, SAMADHI, AND PANNA

Sila (morality) is the basis for samadhi (mental discipline). It is only when samadhi is good that one can develop paññā. Therefore, sila and samadhi are the prerequisites for paññā. Paññā leads to Nibbāna, the ultimate bliss, enlightenment. There are three kinds of Pañña - the wisdom of listening and hearing (Suta-maya Pañña), the wisdom of contemplation and reflection (cintā-maya-paññā), and the wisdom of meditation and application (bhāvanā-maya-paññā).

Practicing the Sila (morality) and samadhi (mental discipline), one develops paññā, the wisdom of insight into anicca, dukkha and anatta. While the three - Sila, Samadhi, and Panna must be developed simultaneously, the intensity with which any one aspect of the three-fold training is to be practiced varies according to a person's own spiritual development.

Everything in this world is impermanent in nature, suffering and anatta. When people say this is nicca (permanent), this boy/man is handsome, this girl/woman is beautiful, the six sense bases (āyatana) is sukha then there is no end to suffering. We are very far from the Dhamma, the realities of nature and wisdom. If we understand suffering as suffering, the five aggregates (pañca-upādānakkhandhā) are dukkha and anatta then it is called wisdom of insight.

The insight of impermanence, an understanding that everything changes and nothing remains the same in any consecutive moment is crucial for the development of wisdom. When there is void (non-self) deliverance, there is wisdom. Anatta is void deliverance, wisdom is void deliverance. When there is wisdom of insight into anicca, dukkha and anatta by practicing the meditation, there arises alobha (non-greed), adosa (non-hatred) and amoha (non-delusion). Now, when one sees everything as dukkha, dukkha, dukkha, there is no craving (Taṇhā), which is desires deliverance. Thus, the cessation of craving (Taṇhā) ceases ignorance (Avijjā), which result in the attainment of Buddhahood or the fully enlightened state.