Wisdom leads to liberation
Going back to the eight laws of nature for health and happiness, we can now understand these three parameters: morality, concentration, wisdom. The eight laws can be put under the three circles of:
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Morality (sila): 1. Proper speech. 2. Proper action. 3. Proper livelihood.
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Concentration (samadhi): 1. Balanced effort 2. Proper awareness. 3. Proper concentration.
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Wisdom (pragya): 1. Balanced view. 2. Balanced thought
Here you will notice that the arrangement of the order is different. This is because, while some basic wisdom is required to start on the path, the final flowering of the higher wisdom follows after the development of morality and concentration. It does not mean that one has to first develop morality, then concentration and then wisdom, in that order. In fact as mentioned earlier, all these are interdependent laws. As one progresses, each component will get refined to the next subtle level simultaneously. The process at the experiential level will progress from the grosser level to the subtlest level. A wise man has said, ‘A journey of a thousand miles always starts with a first step.’ I would like to add to that, ‘...and the journey must have the right map and direction.’ Otherwise you will be walking aimlessly in any direction.
Finally a law which all meditators must deeply contemplate, understand, and try to experience: Energy is neither created nor destroyed, it changes form from one to the other. Everything is energy at different frequencies. This also means that mind changes to body and body changes to mind. So training the body reflects on the mind and training the mind reflects on the body. Sensations change from gross to subtle and vice versa. Herein lays a thin line of understanding: the sensations are not arising (out of something) or destroyed, they are also energy and changing form. So finally nothing is created nor destroyed.
Then why are we exerting so much effort? What is then eradicated if nothing is created nor destroyed? It is the conditioning, the habit pattern of the ‘citta’ (consciousness) that is unconditioned by sati sampajanna (awareness and experiential understanding of impermanence). Mental concepts or labels and the attachment to them need to be eradicated. The more we simplify and grow in Dharma, the fewer rules we will need. So one should not create obstacles by making compartments such as: ‘this is mind-training’, ‘this is exercise’, ‘this is mind, this is body’.