Clear-knowing/ True knowledge (Vijjā) and liberation/release (Vimutti) are to be realized by direct knowledge. Release (Vimutti) has twofold; awareness-release (tranquility) and discernment-release (Insight). The following sutta passages explain the meaning of Clear-knowing/ True knowledge (Vijjā).
Conduct (Caraṇa)
“Now, when the disciple of the noble ones is consummate in virtue, that is a matter of his conduct. When he guards the doors to his sense faculties… knows moderation in eating… is devoted to wakefulness… is endowed with seven qualities, that is a matter of his conduct. When he obtains at will — without trouble or difficulty — the four jhanas that constitute heightened awareness and a pleasant abiding in the here-&-now, that is a matter of his conduct. (MN 53)
Seven true qualities (saddhamma)
1. A disciple of the noble ones has conviction, is convinced of the Tathagata’s Awakening.
2. He feels shame at [the thought of engaging in] bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct. He feels shame at falling into evil, unskillful actions.
3. He feels concern for [the suffering that results from] bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, mental misconduct. He feels concern at falling into evil, unskillful actions.
4. He has heard much, has retained what he has heard, has stored what he has heard. Whatever teachings are admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end, that — in their meaning & expression — proclaim the holy life that is entirely complete & pure: those he has listened to often, retained, discussed, accumulated, examined with his mind, and well-penetrated in terms of his views.
5. He keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental qualities and taking on skillful mental qualities, is steadfast, solid in his effort, not shirking his duties with regard to skillful mental qualities.
6. He is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago.
7. He is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising and passing away — noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress. (AN 7.63)
Clear-knowing/ True knowledge (Vijjā)
1. Recollection of Past Lives
Now when the disciple of the noble ones has arrived at this purity of equanimity & mindfulness, he recollects his manifold past lives, i.e., one birth, two… five, ten… fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of cosmic expansion, many eons of cosmic contraction & expansion: ‘There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here.’ Thus he recollects his manifold past lives in their modes & details, that is a matter of his clear-knowing. (MN 53)
2. The Passing Away & Re-appearance of Beings
“When the disciple of the noble ones has arrived at this purity of equanimity & mindfulness, he sees — by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human — beings passing away & re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: ‘These beings — who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech & mind, who reviled noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of wrong views — with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. But these beings — who were endowed with good conduct of body, speech, & mind, who did not revile noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views — with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.’ Thus — by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human — he sees beings passing away & re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with their kamma, that is a matter of his clear-knowing. (MN 53)
3. The Ending of Mental Fermentations
“When the disciple of the noble ones has arrived at this purity of equanimity & mindfulness, he enters & remains in the fermentation-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having directly known & realized them for himself right in the here & now, that is a matter of his clear-knowing. (MN 53)
3.1 “With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, the monk directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. He discerns, as it has come to be, that ‘This is stress… This is the origination of stress… This is the cessation of stress… This is the way leading to the cessation of stress… These are mental fermentations… This is the origination of fermentations… This is the cessation of fermentations… This is the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.’ His heart, thus knowing, thus seeing, is released from the fermentation of sensuality, the fermentation of becoming, the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there is the knowledge, ‘Released.’ He discerns that ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.’ (DN 2) (MN36)
3.1.1 “‘Fermentations should be known. The cause by which fermentations come into play… The diversity in fermentations… The result of fermentations… The cessation of fermentations… The path of practice for the cessation of fermentations should be known.’ Thus it has been said. In reference to what was it said?
“There are these three kinds of fermentations: the fermentation of sensuality, the fermentation of becoming, the fermentation of ignorance.
3.1.2 “And what is the cause by which fermentations come into play?
Ignorance is the cause by which fermentations come into play.
3.1.3 “And what is the diversity in fermentations?
There are fermentations that lead to hell, those that lead to the animal womb, those that lead to the realm of the hungry shades, those that lead to the human world, those that lead to the world of the devas. This is called the diversity in fermentations.
3.1.4 “And what is the result of fermentations?
One who is immersed in ignorance produces a corresponding state of existence, on the side of merit or demerit. This is called the result of fermentations.
3.1.5. “And what is the cessation of fermentations?
From the cessation of ignorance is the cessation of fermentations; and just this noble eightfold path — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration — is the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.
“Now when a disciple of the noble ones discerns fermentations in this way, the cause by which fermentations come into play in this way, the diversity of fermentations in this way, the result of fermentations in this way, the cessation of fermentations in this way, & the path of practice leading to the cessation of fermentations in this way, then he discerns this penetrative holy life as the cessation of fermentations. (AN 6.63) (MN 9)