“It is simply the level of understanding of them (Tilakkhana), that one is categorised as a sotapanna or sakadagami etc.”
Then, for it to make sense, ekabiji and kolankolo Sotapannas have a better understanding (of Tilakkhana) – and, by extension, have lower levels of greed and hate – than a Sakadagami (!) . And that cannot be the case.
DESIGNATION OF HUMAN TYPES (PUGGALA-PANNATTI) -Bimala Charan Law, M.A., B.L.-Pali Text Society (p. 23-24):
- What sort of person is he who undergoes re-birth (not more than) seven times ? – he running on and transmigrating seven times amongst devas and men makes an end of suffering.
- What sort of person is he who transmigrates from family to (good) family ? – he running on and transmigrating through two or three (good) families makes an end of suffering.
- What sort of person is ‘ single-seeded ’ ? – he having returned to the state of human existence makes an end of suffering.
- What sort of person is a ‘ once-returner ’ ? – having weakened passions, hatred and delusion, becomes a once-returner; coming back once only to this world, he makes an end of suffering.
In verses 47-48 the ways in which stream-attainers and once-returners work are given as : the first, by ‘putting away the three fetters’,the second by ‘ the destruction of attachment to sensual pleasures and malevolence’ (obviously in addition to the three fetters).
How can a lower phala with more defilements to eliminate lead quicker to Nibbana than a higher phala with fewer ones? The fruit as such (Nibbana) is of course one and the same, but here we have a case where ekabiji and kolankolo Sotapannas attain It in very much the shorter term than do Sakadagamis. In short, where is the incentive to strive for the Sakadagami stage at all when one can attain Nibbana at or from a lower phala? Unless it be that a Sakadagami has the ‘reward’ of a deva realm.
Nevertheless, it MUST be worthwhile to work for higher phala. Of this there can be no doubt. Hence my question.
Metta to all beings