- Ven. Channa was very sick and was in great pain.
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When he told Ven. Sariputta that he was going to commit suicide, Ven. Sariputta tried to prevent it, because he suspected that Ven. Channa was not an Arahant.
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He actually questioned Ven. Channa to figure out whether he was an Arahant. Even though Ven. Channa told him directly that he was an Arahant, Ven. Sariputta apparently did not believe it.
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When Ven. Channa committed suicide, Ven. Sariputta went and asked the Buddha what his next birth and gati were. Buddha asked Ven. Sariputta, “did not Ven. Channa tell you that he was an Arahant?”.
– Ven. Sariputta says he suspected Ven. Channa was not an Arahant because he had close ties to his family.
– The Buddha said Ven. Channa was indeed an Arahant and was not reborn anywhere in the 31 realms.
There was no point in living with such pain. Arahants live only for the benefit of others.
