True Education: The Path to Enlightenment : หน้า 33/47

TRAINING FOR LIVING AND TRAINING FOR LIFE The True Goal of Education True education is akin to an elementary level of achieving three different levels of wisdom or knowledge. The wisdom from listening and reading is the first stage of attaining knowledge. Analyzing and experience develops into the second level of wisdom, but the ultimate level of knowledge is the wisdom that comes from meditation (not contemplation). This is the knowledge from a mind that has come to a standstill inside the body, purified by Dhamma. Once we are purified and at one with Dhamma, knowledge will be revealed in ourselves, which is the state called enlightenment; it is the state where our minds are permanently free from defilements. Once we manage to break through and completely cleanse our minds from kilesa we can truly go through to the enlightenment stage, or Ultimate Knowledge. For example, a disciple is fisherman, and through the cloudy murky water he can see movement and guesses that there are catfish or some other type of fish there. But he cannot be sure. However, as the fisherman is more experienced could take a more 'educated' guess as to which fish are in the water, yet he too could not be certain. The only way to be sure what is in the water is when the water is clean and crystal clear, and the fisherman can then see for himself it is his kind of fish or that kind of fish. This is the same as a mind that is free from kilesa. When the mind is still clouded by kilesa, our knowledge is lacking as we cannot see and know the truth or reality. When faced with the challenge of overcoming the suffering from living one's life, it is useful to note as an example that humans are born ignorant of self-awareness and knowledge of the world. Instinctively, we eat for pleasure and to relieve the suffering of hunger; and instinctively, we do not have an awareness of refueling the elements that sustain life, and certainly we are not born with knowledge of the nutritional value of what we eat or any possible harmful effects. Without education regarding how to refuel our bodies, we develop bad habits, overeat due to greed, and consume unhealthy or harmful foods that in due course lead to over- or unnecessary spending, plus possible ill health and expensive medical bills as a direct result of our ignorance. Should our financial status render us unable to