Sixteen stages of insight.

 THE 16 STAGES OF INSIGHT

Solasa-ñāna: Insight, Knowledge

The 16 stages of insight which arise from the practice of vipassanā (insight meditation):

1. Nāmarūpa-pariccheda-ñana: knowledge of the delimitation of nāma-rupa, namely, mind and mental factors (mentality) and matter (materiality); knowing that all phenomena are mentality and materiality, and being able to distinguish between the two. The first part is to practice to be able to understand the difference between what is mind and what is matter. We have to develop the understanding that our feelings about a thing are not the thing. That when

2. Paccaya-pariggaha-ñāna: knowledge of discerning the conditions of mentality-materiality; knowing that all mentality-materiality are subject to conditions according to Dependent Origination, the laws of kamma etc.

3. Sammasana-ñāna: knowledge of comprehending mentality-materiality as impermanent, unsatisfactory and not-self.

4. Udayabbayañāna: knowledge of contemplation on rise and fall; seeing that all the five khandhas (five aggregates, mentality-materiality) arise and decline; seeing clearly that all things, once born, must inevitably die.

5. Bhangañāna: knowledge of contemplation on dissolution; seeing that all conditioned things must end and cease; seeing the dissolution and breaking down of all conditioned things.

6. Bhayañāna: knowledge of the appearance as terror; seeing that all conditioned things are frightful; upon seeing dissolution in all conditioned things, then seeing that conditioned things, at any stage, are all terrifying, because they must dissolve and pass away--they are not safe or secure.

7. Adīnavañāna: knowledge of contemplation on disadvantages; upon seeing the dissolution of conditioned things and seeing that they are terrifying, not at all able to give security, then knowing that conditioned things are imperfect and defective, and intermingled with suffering.

8. Nibbidāñāna: knowledge of contemplation on dispassion; upon seeing that conditioned things are deficient, then growing weary and dispassionate, no longer delighting in conditioned things.

9. Muñcitukamyatāñāna: knowledge of the desire for deliverance; upon becoming dispassionate with conditioned things, then wanting to be rid of, free of such conditioned things.

10. Patisankhāñāna: knowledge of reflective contemplation; upon wanting to be free of conditioned things, then returning to contemplating the suffering, impermanent and not-self nature of conditioned things, looking for a way to be free of conditioned things.

11. Sankhārupekkhañāna: knowledge of equanimity regarding all formations (all conditioned things); upon investigating conditioned things further, then seeing their nature according to the truth that they are sustained according to conditions, and this is normal. Hence there is no more elation nor depression regarding conditioned things, but Nibbāna is realized as the true peace. Nibbāna is known and attachment to conditioned things is no more.

12. Anulomañāna: conformity-knowledge, adaptation-knowledge; once there is equanimity regarding conditioned things, Nibbāna is realized and there arises knowledge of comprehending the Four Noble Truths

13. Gotrabhū-ñāna: knowledge at the moment of the "Change-of-lineage"; knowledge which arises at the instant when a worldling becomes a Noble One.

14. Magga-ñāna: knowledge of the Path; knowledge of the Path to attainment of the various levels of Noble Ones.

15. Phala-ñāna: knowledge of Fruition

16. Paccavekkhana-ñāna: knowledge of reviewing; knowledge of reviewing the Path, Fruition, defilements which have been abandoned, defilements which still remain, and Nibbāna -except for Arahants who have no remaining defilements to contemplate or review.

[Text from explanations of Patisambhidamagga 1 and Visuddhimagga 587-678]