Lal:
I make a connection here to Danamahapphala Sutta AN 7.52 (AN 7.49) where the attainment of the state of Anagami is also the final and highest ‘reward’ of Dana (albeit after a stay in the Brahmakayikanam devanam realm), just as it is with the Pathamanakarana.
It is Sariputta who is asking the questions, but note that it is ‘lay followers’ who are in attendance – and they were led there specifically
by Sariputta to listen to the desana. After the first six motives of Dana with their particular rewards in the 6 realms immediately above the human one are enumerated by the Self-Perfected One, He states the seventh motive to be : ‘with the thought: this is an ornament for the mind, a support for the mind’ – cittalankaracittaparikkharam- leading after death first to the realm of the retinue of Brahma and to Anagami
after that. No mention of Ariya Jnanas here – the sequence of attainment is the same as in the case of the Pathamanakarana; here, however,with
the neceessity of entering the first Jhana.
A word about the intended meaning of the motive, as that may be very relevant. Most readers on other websitestake take ‘an ornament, a support for the mind’ as an attainment, therefore something to strive for, something even better to have than the motive just inferior to it,, that of ‘joy and satisfaction arise’,which leads only to the highest
of the kamaloka realms. However, my understanding is that this ‘ornament, this support for the mind’ only strenghtens the sense of
‘I and mine’ – because, whose mind is thus being adorned and supported? It is the same mind that has been the cause of all this wandering-on. The core message, as I see, is to do away with all motives.
Thus, when the motive to gain’ adornment, support for the mind’ arises, it should be pushed aside..But is it in fact pushed aside?
Because if it in fact were pushed aside, one would then be an Arahant. Embracing the thought ‘this is an ornament,a support for the mind’, one still has mana – one is actually strenghtening it. So it leads to the Anagami stage, not the Arahant stage.
Correct me if I am wrong anywhere.
y not