How is Vijjā developed?

[budo]

I've been researching the notion that everything starts with "Right View", but I encountered this:

"Knowledge precedes the attainment of skillful qualities, with conscience and prudence following along. A sage, firm in knowledge, gives rise to right view. Right view gives rise to right thought. Right thought gives rise to right speech. Right speech gives rise to right action. Right action gives rise to right livelihood. Right livelihood gives rise to right effort. Right effort gives rise to right mindfulness. Right mindfulness gives rise to right immersion. Right immersion gives rise to right knowledge. Right knowledge gives rise to right freedom.”

Vijjā, bhikkhave, pubbaṅgamā kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ samāpattiyā, anvadeva hirottappaṃ. Vijjāgatassa, bhikkhave, viddasuno sammādiṭṭhi pahoti, sammādiṭṭhikassa sammāsaṅkappo pahoti, sammāsaṅkappassa sammāvācā pahoti, sammāvācassa sammākammanto pahoti, sammākammantassa sammāājīvo pahoti, sammāājīvassa sammāvāyāmo pahoti, sammāvāyāmassa sammāsati pahoti, sammāsatissa sammāsamādhi pahoti, sammāsamādhissa sammāñāṇaṃ pahoti, sammāñāṇissa sammāvimutti pahotī”ti.

- AN 10.105 and SN 45.1

This is a bit of a conundrum, like a chicken or egg thing. If the path is gradual, and one must start with right view, then one does not have knowledge until one has completed the path, yet this says knowledge is required to start the path. So then how does one attain knowledge?

So how is Vijjā specifically developed to the point of rising Right View?

[cappuccino]

read the scriptures every day

[paul]

In it's dynamic mode, the NEP is cyclic beginning not with right view, but with the foundation of sila and culminating with the insight of the panna group, including right view. In this way right view in its established mode gradually evolves.

“To reach the end of suffering demands that the Eightfold Path be turned into an instrument of discovery, that it be used to generate the insights unveiling the ultimate truth of things. This requires the combined contributions of all eight factors, and thus a new mobilization of right view and right intention. Up to the present point these first two path factors have performed only a preliminary function. Now they have to be taken up again and raised to a higher level. Right view is to become a direct seeing into the real nature of phenomena, previously grasped only conceptually; right intention, to become a true renunciation of defilements born out of deep understanding.”—-"The Noble Eightfold Path”, Bikkhu Bodhi.

Avijja is ignorance.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Budo,

If the path is gradual, and one must start with right view, then one does not have knowledge until one has completed the path, yet this says knowledge is required to start the path.

Right View and Right Knowledge relate to different things.

"Of those, right view is the forerunner. And how is right view the forerunner? In one of right view, right resolve comes into being. In one of right resolve, right speech comes into being. In one of right speech, right action... In one of right action, right livelihood... In one of right livelihood, right effort... In one of right effort, right mindfulness... In one of right mindfulness, right concentration... In one of right concentration, right knowledge... In one of right knowledge, right release comes into being. Thus the learner is endowed with eight factors, and the arahant with ten.

Metta,
Paul.

[budo]

I have found a sutta that may answer this conundrum of:

knowledge -> right view ... right concentration -> right knowledge

And what are the three kinds of corruption and failure of mental action? It’s when someone is covetous. They covet the wealth and belongings of others: ‘Oh, if only their belongings were mine!’

They have ill will and hateful intentions: ‘May these sentient beings be killed, slaughtered, slain, destroyed, or annihilated!’

They have wrong view. Their perspective is distorted: ‘There’s no meaning in giving, sacrifice, or offerings. There’s no fruit or result of good and bad deeds. There’s no afterlife. There’s no obligation to mother and father. No beings are reborn spontaneously. And there’s no ascetic or brahmin who is well attained and practiced, and who describes the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’

And what are the three kinds of successful mental action? It’s when someone is content. They don’t covet the wealth and belongings of others: ‘Oh, if only their belongings were mine!’

They have a kind heart and loving intentions: ‘May these sentient beings live free of enmity and ill will, untroubled and happy!’

They have right view, an undistorted perspective: ‘There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings. There are fruits and results of good and bad deeds. There is an afterlife. There is obligation to mother and father. There are beings reborn spontaneously. And there are ascetics and brahmins who are well attained and practiced, and who describe the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’

-AN 10.217

So it may be that Mental Action is the "Seed" (AN 10.104) that starts the path (Right View)

So to get more specific: is understanding of kamma the seed, the required vijja which activates Right View?

Let's desconstruct:

They have right view, an undistorted perspective: ‘There is meaning in giving, sacrifice, and offerings. There are fruits and results of good and bad deeds. There is an afterlife. There is obligation to mother and father. There are beings reborn spontaneously. And there are ascetics and brahmins who are well attained and practiced, and who describe the afterlife after realizing it with their own insight.’

Faith in Buddha -> Understanding of Kamma -> Respecting Mother and Father -> Giving/Sacrificing -> Metta -> Contentness -> Right Speech -> Right Action

[SarathW]

Hearing Dhamma, lending year, Faith is the starting point.

[Srilankaputra]

If you read the yogasutras by patanjali, it is pretty clear they also proclaim a path of sila, samadhi & panna. But they seek union with brahman. They may very well find such a thing and are satisfied with that and look no further.

A Samma Sambudha arises in the world to proclaim what the real thing to look for is. Hence right view is the first path factor and will culminate in right samadhi, right vision and right release.

IMO.

[justindesilva]

read the scriptures every day

To understand what avijja is Lord Budda preached the avijja sutta SN(45.1) . Recently at a sermon I heard that the principle of getting rid of avijja is to explore what is seen, heard, smelt, or felt and that is the theme of dammacakka pavattana sutta.
Lord budda by seeing an old man, sick person , a dead body and a hermit given up pleasures, sought wisdom to gain budda status.
It is seeing to view the unseeing in order to eradicate ignorance.