HETTI PRASANNA -LTTCC

  Introduction In early Buddhist teaching, reality is not explained through fixed categories such as beings, objects, or living and non-living entities. Instead, the Buddha presents reality as a dynamic set of interdependent processes. This shift from ‘things’ to ‘ processes is one of the most powerful transformations in understanding. To help practitioners see this clearly, the Buddha used different analytical frameworks depending on the type of confusion being addressed. Among these, Nāma–Rūpa, Khandha, and Dhātu stand out as three complementary lenses. These are not different realities, but diverse ways of examining the same experience. When properly understood, they remove confusion about self, substance, and perception, and lead toward direct realization.   Nāma–Rūpa: Understanding Experience as Process Nāma–Rūpa explains how experience arises. Nāma refers to mental processes such as feeling (vedanā), perception (saññ...

  Introduction Reality is one of the most commonly used words—and one of the least understood. We assume that what we see, feel, and think is reality. But when we examine experience carefully, we begin to see that what we call reality depends on how we observe it. In Buddhist thought, reality is understood in layers. Confusion arises when these layers are mixed. Clarity arises when they are seen distinctly. This article presents a simple yet powerful model of three levels of truth: Sammuti (Operational Reality), Paramattha (Analytical Reality), and Ariyasacca (Transformational Reality). What Do We Mean by Reality? Consider a simple situation: someone says, “I am stressed.” At face value, this seems clear. But if we look closely, questions arise. Who is this ‘I’? What exactly is stress? Is it a fixed thing or a changing process? This shows that reality is not just what happens—it is how we interpret what happens. To understand it deeply, we need to see it at different leve...