Chapter 27. Vijja & Carana (Superknowledge & Conducts)

The 15 Carana means the 15 material & immaterial conducts which enable more or less of Vijja or superknowledge. In Buddhism, there are mainly 3 Vijja which can be broken down further into 8 Vijja as follows:

The Three Vijja =

(A) Recollection of past lifetimes

(B) Insight over reincarnation (Divine eye)

The Eight Vijja =

(A) Insight knowledge from vipassana

(B) Mental power

(D) Divine ear

(E) Intuition over others’ minds

(F) Recollection of past lifetimes

(G) Divine eye

(H) Eradication of defilements

(I) The first approach is wisdom liberation which is to achieve the 8^th Vijja and eradicate the defilements with wisdom. To do this, we rely more or less on the 1^st to 11^th material and immaterial conducts without any jhana or meditative absorption. However, as the jhanas or meditative absorptions are neglected, one will not achieve the 1^st to 7^th Vijja or the supernatural and the superknowledge, but the 8^th Vijja which is the eradication of defilement is still possible.

Equation I.

8^th Vijja / Panna Vimutti = (1) Morality + (2) Sensual Contentment + (3) Contented Eating + (4) Wakefulness + (5) Faith + (6) Shame of Sin + (7) Fear of Sin + (8) Educated + (9) Perseverance + (10) Mindfulness + (11) Wisdom

(II) The second approach is meditation liberation which is to achieve the 8^th Vijja and eradicate the defilements with meditation power. To do this, we rely more or less on the 1^st to 11^th material and immaterial conducts as well as any of the 1^st to the 4^th jhana or meditative absorption. With jhanas or meditative absorptions, one can achieve more or less of the 1^st to 7^th Vijja or the supernatural and the superknowledge, as well as the 8^th Vijja which is the eradication of defilement.

Equation II.

More or less of 1^st to 8^th Vijja / Ceto Vimutti = (1) Morality + (2) Sensual Contentment + (3) Contented Eating + (4) Wakefulness + (5) Faith + (6) Shame of Sin + (7) Fear of Sin + (8) Educated + (9) Perseverance + (10) Mindfulness + (11) Wisdom + (12) First Jhana + (13) Second Jhana + (14) Third Jhana + (15) Fourth Jhana

In addition, we can ‘decode’ the Seven Bojjamka and the Noble Eightfold Path in order to comply them to the Fifteen Carana or material & immaterial conducts as shown on the table. We can categorise them as follows:

The Fifteen Carana / The Seven Bojjamka / The Noble Eightfold Path

(1) Morality / Passatthi / Sila

(2) Sensual Contentment / Passatthi / Sila

(3) Contented Eating / Passatthi / Sila

(4) Wakefulness / Samadhi / Samadhi

(5) Faith / Samadhi / Samadhi

(6) Shame of Sin / Dhammavijaya / Sila - Panna

(7) Fear of Sin / Dhammavijjaya / Sila - Panna

(8) Educated / Dhammavijaya / Panna

(9) Perseverance / Viriya / Samadhi

(10) Mindfulness / Sati / Samadhi

(11) Wisdom / Dhammavijaya / Panna

(12) First Jhana / Samadhi – Peti - Upekkha / Samadhi

(13) Second Jhana / Samadhi – Peti - Upekkha / Samadhi

(14) Third Jhana / Samadhi – Peti - Upekkha / Samadhi

(15) Fourth Jhana / Samadhi – Peti - Upekkha / Samadhi