The Notion of Diṭṭhi in Theravāda Buddhism

The Point of View

• Author(s): Paul Fuller,
• Publisher: Psychology Press
• Pages: 257
• ISBN_10: 0415342937
  ISBN_13: 9780415342933
  
• Language: en
• Categories: History / Asia / General , Philosophy / General , Religion / General , Religion / Buddhism / General , Religion / Buddhism / Rituals & Practice , Religion / Buddhism / Theravada , Social Science / Ethnic Studies / General , Social Science / Regional Studies ,

Description:... The notion of "view" or "opinion" (ditthi) as an obstacle to "seeing things as they are" is a central concept in Buddhist thought. This book considers the two ways in which the notion of views are usually understood. Are we to understand right-view as a correction of wrong-views (the opposition understanding) or is the aim of the Buddhist path the overcoming of all views, even right-view (the no-views understanding)? The author argues that neither approach is correct. Instead, he suggests that the early texts do not understand right-view as a correction of wrong-view, but as a detached order of seeing, completely different from the attitude of holding to any view, wrong or right.
Arguing that by the term "right-view" we should understand an order of seeing which transcends all views, this book makes a valuable addition to the study of Buddhist philosophy.