..續本文上一頁aspects of formulated Dhamma and customs before doing away with defilement

　　 Some people are born in lower-class families, others in upper-class families. Some have a great deal of social sophistication, others don”t. Still they are able to free their minds from defilement by means of the practice, for in practice it isn”t necessary to know a great deal of formulated Dhamma. Even a person who knows only a fair amount can still put an end to defilement. So when such a person sees that he can be of help to others, he must educate himself. His study is for the sake of gaining a sense of the differences in societies, in communities, and in types of inpiduals; to gain a sense of time and place; to know the varieties of beliefs and customs that people adhere to. When he becomes thoroughly and properly acquainted with all customs and conventions, he can then deal effectively with other people for their benefit. This is why he must study and take an interest in such things. Education of this sort is thus called studying to be a treasurer, and is an aspect of the Department of Education.

　　These, then, are the three forms of studying memorized Dhamma.

　　B. Cintamaya-pañña: Discernment acquired through reflection.

　　When we have studied — in whichever way — we mustn”t stop there. We should take all the Dhamma we have learned and chew it over with our own discernment. To chew things over in this way — thinking and evaluating — may give rise to a flavor different from that of our previous education. We think things through on our own, instead of simply believing what other people say or what is written in books. We believe our own sense of reason, discovered within ourselves and termed "paccattam" — inpidual and personal. This sort of education grows out of the earlier sort, in the same way that a person who has learned how to read the letters of the alphabet can then go on to use that knowledge to read textbooks and gain knowledge more valuable than the alphabet on its own.

　　To make a comparison with food, this second form of education has more flavor than the first. The first sort of education is like taking food, arranging it according to type — main-course dishes in one group, desserts in another — and then finding delight simply in seeing it arranged. The second form of education — thinking, evaluating, reasoning things through — is like taking the food and tasting it. The person who does this gets much more use out of the food than the person who simply sits and looks at it: He can nourish his body and know whether or not the food tastes good, whether it”s sour or sweet, very sweet or just a little sweet — all on his own. This is what it means to pursue this second form of education properly. To study in this way gives rise to the flavor of the Dhamma, which can then be used to nourish the heart. When the heart is fed on what is truly nourishing, it gains strength in the area of the Dhamma, termed —

　　1. Saddha-bala: conviction in the worth of inner virtue. Our conviction in the right actions we perform and in the results they will bring us becomes a dominant force in the heart.

　　2. Viriya-bala: The quality of perseverance becomes dominant. We become resolute and courageous in practicing what is good.

　　3. Sati-bala: Our powers of mindfulness become all-encompassing in the great frame of reference.

　　4. Samadhi-bala: The mind develops the steadiness and strength termed "heightened consciousness" (adhi-citta), beyond the power of the Hindrances.

　　5. Pañña-bala: Right Understanding, which comes from the sense of reason fostered in the heart through circumspection. Understanding is strength that can make the mind energetic, competent, and powerful.

　　Discernment acquired through reflection can give rise to the flavor of…

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