The 26th Step: Listening Regularly to Dhamma Teaching
Listening regularly to Dhamma teaching means to seek out opportunities to hear Buddhist teachings on an appropriate basis. This requires finding time to listen to Dhamma teachings as often as possible to uplift one's mind and increase one's intellect to be in the right view [Sammaditthi].
The right view is the intellect that has correct understanding about the reality of the world and life. What is right and wrong, good and evil, meritorious and unmeritorious, proper and improper. The right view is the origin of the other virtues.
A person who is full of knowledge and potential but has wrong view will not be able to survive. However, a person who has appropriate knowledge and right view will be blessed with prosperity.
Right view can be classified into two sources:
1) Listening to the Dhamma from a good friend (kalyanamitta). This friend should be capable of giving good advice such as knowledge of what is right and wrong, good and evil, meritorious and unmeritorious, proper and improper.
2) Developing the ability to be a good teacher to oneself (yonisomanasikāra). This means one has good consideration and view.
Therefore, whoever wants to possess the right view must learn to listen regularly to Dhamma teaching.
