The Perfection of Renunciation - One should not only develop panna


Each of the perfections should be developed together with panna, otherwise kusala is not of the degree of a perfection. If one does not see the danger of akusala and if one does not realize the benefit of the perfections, they cannot be developed. In that case panna is too weak to see the benefit of their development.
If one’s goal is the realization of the four noble Truths, one should not only develop panna but also the perfections. Each of the perfections is an important and helpful condition for the realization of the four noble Truths. Some people may wonder why it is necessary to develop day after day the perfections together with satipatthana. Someone who has understanding about the development of the eightfold Path knows that sati should be aware of the characteristics of realities that are appearing, and that panna gradually considers, notices and understands the characteristics of the dhammas that are non-self, as nama, the reality which experiences, or rupa, the reality which does not experience. Satipatthana cannot arise all the time, but still, the fact that one has listened to the Dhamma and accumulated understanding of the development of satipatthana, all these factors are conditions for the arising also of other levels of sati. There can be sati of the level of the excellent qualities that are the perfections. Each perfection implies a level of refined sati.
We should develop satipatthana together with all the perfections, and this for an endlessly long time. We shall know that satipatthana can gradually grow, together with the perfections which we have developed and accumulated.
In order to realize the four noble Truths, all the perfections should be developed, not only generosity and morality, but also renunciation, the giving up of clinging to the sense objects. We also need to have the perfections of energy and patience,  we should have endurance and we should not be disturbed by the sense objects, be they desirable or undesirable.

Topic 279