The Notion of Diṭṭhi in Theravāda Buddhism: The Point of View

The book begins with an Introduction that defines diṭṭhi as “view” or “opinion” and presents the central problem: whether right-view should be understood as a correction of wrong-view, or whether the Buddhist path ultimately means abandoning all views. Chapter 1, “The content of wrong-view,” analyzes wrong-views in the Nikāyas, especially views that deny kamma and moral consequence, such as nihilism, non-doing, and non-causality, as well as views concerning self, identity-view, and speculative metaphysical positions. Chapter 2, “The content of right-view,” studies right-view as the affirmation of kamma, wholesome action, the Four Noble Truths, dependent origination, not-self, and the wisdom associated with stream-entry and higher insight. Chapter 3, “The way wrong-view functions,” explains wrong-view as a mental fetter, a wilderness and entanglement of views, closely related to craving and ignorance. Chapter 4, “The way right-view functions,” discusses levels of right-view, accomplishment in view, purification of view, and the role of right-view on the higher paths. Chapter 5, “The transcendence of views,” examines how Buddhist practice moves beyond attachment to all conceptual positions, including through the Brahmajāla-sutta, the unanswered questions, wholesome and unwholesome states, and the three gateways to liberation. Chapter 6, “Views and non-attachment,” compares the teaching on views in the Aṭṭhakavagga with other parts of the Pāli canon and concludes that right-view is best understood as a different order of seeing, free from grasping and attachment.