Herath, H. M. M.Rev. Aggañāṇī2026-09-292026-09-292023-09-20Proceedings of the Peradeniya University International Research Sessions (iPURSE) – 2023, University of Peradeniya, P 2811391-4111https://ir.lib.pdn.ac.lk/handle/20.500.14444/8113Thought (vitakka) is commonly and frequently used among everyone of different religions. Nevertheless, there is a lack of knowing that thought is related to wisdom or knowledge. Accordingly, this study aims to analyze the relationship of vitakka to wisdom or knowledge. In agreement with the discourses and Abhidhammic analysis, vitakka representing sammāsaṅkappa contains the analysis of the path constituents and the truth by means of analysis. Particularly, it will investigate why vitakka and knowledge are similar in the Commentary and why vitakka is an essential requirement of wisdom. The combination of different research types - textual method, descriptive research and qualitative research - is adopted in the current study. In the classification of tranquility and insight, right view and right thinking which comprise the wisdom aggregate are insight and they can be called elements of the insight path. Sammāsaṅkappa has the characteristic of focusing rightly. Right thinking has three functions: abandoning wrong thinking, causing the cessation of the object, and focusing particularly on co-nascent states. In accordance with the Saddhammapakāsinī, since vitakka resembles knowledge or insight (ñāṇa), it is difficult to differentiate vitakka from knowledge in the context of the path. Furthermore, there is no function of insight knowledge which is devoid of vitakka.Insight with the help of vitakka can perform its own function. According to the Visuddhimagga, in the above first two constituents of the path, wisdom (paññā) cannot define an object by itself as impermanent, painful and non-self, but it can do so when applied thought repeatedly strikes at the object. This research shows that vitakka and ñāṇa are grouped together because they have similar functionality. It was substantiated that to possess both wisdom and insight knowledge and to develop insight meditation, the function of vitakka is important to the connection with vitakka and wisdom as well as insight knowledge.en-USInsight knowledgeSammāsaṅkappaVitakkaWisdom aggregateArticle