A conversation with Sujin and Nina last year about intellectual understanding :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dhammastu ... age/131507
Than Acharn Sujin, Wang Nam Khiew, 16th, noon 1m)
TA Sujin: Everyone has to develop right understanding.
N: Maybe we are impatient or we don't have enough courage...
TA: ignorance, and clinging, until it's less and less; reality can appear to
pa~n~na as it is, now it appears differently; like the four primaries (rupas):
they do not appear to seeing, but what appears (to seeing) is that which arises
with them (color/vanna), so it's like the transformation of the four primaries
into different things, like magicians; and it takes quite a long time to learn
how the magician can do (his tricks); and this is much more (difficult) than
(learning) the magician (tricks), so it takes longer time to understand the way
the dhammas do (their tricks) .
N: But we're now in the current, pleasant objects, the mountains, the trees, and
we like it, just pleasant feelings.
TA: A reality, pa~n~na can understand it, it's conditioned, it goes away before
we can know what it is; it's like: as soon as it's object, it's gone, so the
other object appears, when pa~n~na understands that; otherwise the self tries,
to cling, and thinking out whatever it is, nama, rupa and so forth, and paccaya;
but actually intellectual understanding just conditions detachment from
clinging, when time comes.
N: Intellectual understanding....
TA: ... is condition for having less attachment
N: Even intellectual understanding
TA: But it's not as effective right understanding as direct
N: No
TA: But it can see the difference between the two
N: It's not so easy to know what is direct understanding
TA: When awareness arises it's different, just a little different, but it has to
be there; it's like seeing and hearing, it seems like they arise together; so,
as that object is still there, right understanding is another moment, like
seeing and hearing, but it appears, so pa~n~na can understand that, no other
object, only that object which is there, seems like appearing, by nimitta.
N: It's more pleasant than yesterday... that museum
TA: Yes, nothing can be compared to the moment of understanding, it's so
precious, to understand; from birth: no understanding, until learning the
Teachings, to understand; the object is exactly the same, from aeons and aeons,
visible object can be seen, and the other objects cannot be seen, so there can
be understanding of everything when there is more and more intellectual
understanding, which will condition direct understanding, (it) keeps on going by
conditions, otherwise (it's) 'I' and 'how I can...' or 'why...'