Sampajañña: The Fullness of Understanding
- by S. N. Goenka

Four people who were blind from birth were led to a tame elephant and asked to describe it. Lacking the faculty of sight, they used their sense of touch to discover what an elephant might be.

The first felt the leg of the elephant, and after exploring carefully with his fingertips, he decided: "An elephant is a pillar!"

The second caught hold of the tail of the elephant and came to a different conclusion: "Not a pillar, an elephant is a broom!"

The third examined the ear of the elephant and gave his judgement: "You are both wrong. An elephant is a fan!"

The fourth felt the tusk of the elephant and finally gave his opinion:
"You are all wrong. An elephant is a stake of wood!"

All four drew conclusions that explained correctly the evidence of their senses. All four were equally wrong because their judgements were based on incomplete evidence, on partial truth.

So long as one sees from only one angle, one has only a partial truth. Without a general understanding, this partial truth is bound to be misleading, bound to create misconceptions. When one observes a phenomenon in different ways from different viewpoints, the full truth is revealed. This is real wisdom: to see things from different angles-in Pāli, Pakārena jānātīti paññā. As one proceeds from a narrow, partial view to an understanding of truth in all aspects, automatically illusions and confusions disappear.

By remaining extroverted we see only one aspect of reality, and
inevitably are misled by partial truths. Through the practice of introspection, however, we begin to see from another perspective. Thus we emerge from illusions and start awakening to the entire truth.

How does the process of introspection actually awaken in us a comprehensive grasp of truth?

To understand this we must recall that every sensory phenomenon-whether a person, a thing, or an event-exists for us only when it comes into contact with our sense organs. Without this contact, the sensory object in fact is nothing for us. If we remain extroverted, we attach importance to external objects and ignore the essential internal base of their existence for us, because we never examine ourselves. Thus deluded by a partial truth, we are led into folly.

But if we remain aware of external reality and also observe ourselves, the entire situation changes. Now external objects help to throw light on our inner experiences, and inner experiences help us to understand the whole truth. And with this all embracing view we come out of the habit of wallowing in sensory experiences and start instead to observe them objectively.

As the meditator begins moving from a partial and fragmentary vision to an understanding of truth in its totality, he sees more clearly how the phenomenon of mind and matter actually works. As soon as a sensory object comes into contact with one of the sense doors, instantaneously the mental faculty of cognition, recognition and evaluation, sensation and reaction all follow. For this process to occur there must first be a contact between a sensory object and the mental-physical structure; otherwise the object has no reality for us. And this law applies not only to the five physical senses, but also to the mind. As much as eyes or ears, the mind exists within the structure of the body. Therefore mental objects, just as much as sights or sounds, have their real existence for us within this physical structure, not outside. If we forget this important fact we can never attain an understanding of the entire truth.

By observing sensations throughout the body dispassionately, the meditator experiences sensory objects, both external and internal, as they actually affect the mental-physical structure within. In this way he advances towards a comprehensive view of reality. He realizes by experience that whether gross or subtle, whether pleasant or unpleasant, every sensation is ephemeral, having the nature of arising and passing away; this is the fundamental fact of impermanence-anicca. Whatever is ephemeral is liable to be a source of misery if we become attached to it; this is the fundamental fact of suffering-dukkha. Over an ephemeral phenomenon we can have no control, no mastery. If we seek to change its nature from transitory to permanent, we are bound to fail. If we seek to make it productive of happiness instead of sorrow, we are bound to fail. This is the fundamental fact of egolessness-anattā.

Thus the wisdom of anicca, dukhha, and anattā arises in the meditator as he continues observing sensations objectively. And the more this wisdom grows, the more the mirage of "I, mine" fades. Now the meditator will give primary importance not to the sensory object, but to its manifestation within the mental-physical structure. By doing so he achieves a fuller understanding of the reality of this mental-physical phenomenon, and so emerges from illusions and from suffering.

This is the real purpose of Vipassana meditation: to awaken an understanding of truth in all its aspects, and to maintain this understanding in every situation. Whether sitting, standing, lying down, or walking, whether eating or drinking, whether bathing or washing, whether speaking or remaining silent, whether listening, seeing, tasting, smelling or touching, the meditator must maintain sampajañña, and understanding of the entire truth.

Even when thinking one must maintain this understanding. Ordinarily we become absorbed in a train of thoughts; we forget ourselves entirely, and it seems to us that the mind has wandered far beyond the confines of the body. In fact this is not the case, but out of our ignorance we have forgotten the physical base of the mind; we have fallen into a delusion created by a partial view of truth. When we return to our senses, we return to an awareness of the underlying sensations that accompany the mental flow. With this awareness, we become steadfast in understanding truth in its totality. This is what is called becoming established in wisdom.

And when one is truly established in wisdom, one can really witness the Four Noble Truths. These are not articles of faith to be accepted merely out of devotion, nor philosophical concepts to be grasped intellectually. They must be experienced directly. Only then do these truths become noble for us.

By direct, personal experience the meditator realizes that misery is found not only in unpleasant experiences but in pleasant or neutral ones as well, because they are all impermanent. With this understanding of truth in its totality, the meditator actually witnesses the First Noble Truth of suffering.

Similarly, by experience the meditator realizes that whenever a pleasant sensation occurs within the mental-physical structure, one reacts with craving. Seeking to prolong and intensify it; and whenever an unpleasant sensation occurs, one reacts with craving to be rid of it. In both cases one becomes miserable. With this direct experience of truth in its entirety, the meditator witnesses the Second Noble Truth: the cause of suffering.

And with an understanding of reality in all its aspects; one witnesses every step of the path of liberation from suffering.

One goes beyond mere beliefs, philosophies, or intellectual convictions to live the life of wisdom. This is bhāvanā-mayā-paññā, wisdom arising from direct experience. This is the right understanding, right view.

With the base of this understanding, whatever thoughts arise will be right thoughts.

And with this proper understanding, whatever one says will be right speech that is pleasing to hear, mild and to the point.

One will avoid physical actions that harm others. By abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and the use of intoxicants one ensures that one’s bodily actions are right actions.

And in livelihood as well one is careful not to harm others by disturbing their peace and harmony, nor will one choose a means of support that encourages people to act wrongly and so to harm themselves. In this way, one practices right livelihood.

And now the mental efforts that one makes will be right. One does not allow new vices to enter the mind and strives to eliminate the old ones. One generates previously lacking virtues and strives to strengthen existing ones.

By understanding truth in its entirety, the mind becomes fully awakened to reality. Thus one develops right awareness.

And by maintaining awareness of the reality within from moment to moment, one achieves right concentration of mind.

In this way, by actually walking along the Eightfold Path, the meditator witnesses directly the Noble Truth of the way out of suffering. Practicing this way the meditator stops generating new saṅkhārās, new reactions that condition and defile the mind. At the same time he allows old conditionings to arise and be eradicated. Little by little he purifies the mind until within this very life he experiences nibbāna-the stage beyond the conditioned world of senses. He witnesses the Noble Truth of the cessation of suffering.

Thus one experiences all four Noble Truths directly, and life becomes really fruitful.

Come, O’ meditators! Let us awaken to an understanding of truth in all its aspects by training ourselves to observe objectively the sensations that arise from moment to moment within the mental-physical structure. Let us live a life of full understanding in order to witness all the Four Noble Truths, and to attain the goal of real happiness, real peace.