Sense-Control Leads To Liberating Wisdom and Insight

Monks, imagine a tree with thriving branches and leaves: its buds, bark, sapwood and heart come to maturity;

Even so, Monks, when sense-control exists, virtue (moral conduct) naturally thrives in him, thriving in sense-control; when there is virtue, concentration naturally thrives in him;

when concentration - true wisdom and insight;

when true wisdom and insight - abandoning and freedom from strong feelings;

when abandoning and freedom from strong feelings, liberating wisdom and insight naturally thrive in him.

(Reference: AN 6.50)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how when a Practitioner has the mental discipline to control the senses, virtue (moral conduct) will thrive which leads to concentration, wisdom, insight, freedom from strong feelings, and liberation of mind.

Just like a tree thrives when it has branches and leaves that thrive, a Practitioner who is able to control the senses will also thrive towards the development of mind to attain Enlightenment.

Through understanding The Buddha’s Teaching on Dependent Origination, you can come to understand that ignorance (unknowing of true reality) is the most significant hindrance to a beings Enlightenment. It is due to one’s unknowing of true reality of these Natural Laws of Existence that beings continue to roam and wander through The Cycle of Rebirth continuing to experience discontentedness.

By learning, reflecting, and practicing these Teachings to include, gaining control of the senses, a Practitioner is able to cultivate wisdom.

Wisdom is the antidote or remedy to ignorance (unknowing of true reality). By eliminating ignorance (unknowing of true reality) through the development of wisdom, a Practitioner is then able to make an end to discontentedness and the entire Cycle of Rebirth.

With sense-control ultimately leading to wisdom, a Practitioner would highly benefit from deeply understanding and controlling The Six Sense Bases.

Detailed explanation of Dependent Origination is available in this same book series found in Chapter 14 of the book “The First Stage of Enlightenment (Stream-Enterer)” (Volume 5).