Here is the sutta: Sampasādanīya Sutta (DN 28): In the sutta, after citing various Noble characteristics of the Buddha and Arahants, Ven. Sariputta basically reviews various aspects of the Dhamma, and the particular section that Siebe refers to is the “1.5. Dassanasamāpatti
desanā” or attaining the first stage of Samma Ditthi (dassana or vision). Therefore, Walshe is wrong is saying that this refers to Arahants.
Here is the Pali version of the section quoted by Siebe and given above by SengKiat: “Puna caparaṃ, bhante, idhekacco samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā ātappamanvāya … pe … tathārūpaṃ cetosamādhiṃ phusati, yathāsamāhite citte imameva kāyaṃ uddhaṃ pādatalā adho kesamatthakā tacapariyantaṃ pūraṃ nānappakārassa asucino paccavekkhati: ‘atthi imasmiṃ kāye kesā lomā … pe … lasikā muttan’ti. Atikkamma ca purisassa chavi¬maṃ¬salo¬hi¬taṃ aṭṭhiṃ paccavekkhati. Purisassa ca viññāṇasotaṃ pajānāti, ubhayato abbocchinnaṃ idha loke appa¬tiṭṭhi¬tañca paraloke appa¬tiṭṭhi¬tañca. Ayaṃ catutthā ¬dassa¬na¬samā¬patti. Eta¬dā-nuttari¬yaṃ, bhante, ¬dassa¬na¬samā¬pattīsu“.
Basically, this section talks about how a person can see that 32 parts of the body are just composed of satara maha bhuta, and thus have no life in them by themselves, and are subjected to decay and death. One can comprehend this easily with the role of the gandhabba. It is the gandhabba that gives “life” to body parts; when it leaves, the body is lifeless.
In the third verse, it says, the third vision is attained when one realizes that the vinnana is what keeps the life either in this world or in the netherworld (paralowa as gandhabba). It does not mention gandhabba, but that is the idea.
In the fourth verse, the fourth vision is to realize that when vinnana ceases to exist, there is no footing either in this world or in paralowa.
Anyway, it is not possible to translate a verse without realizing the scope of the sutta. Above is just the key idea. This clearly shows that one cannot translate a sutta word-by-word.
By the way, section 1.3 of the sutta is “1.3 Gabbhavakkanti Desana” or about gandhabba descending to a womb. Gabba is a womb and vakkanti (or okkanti) is entering.