Lal wrote:
“One could determine for ONESELF (But only a Buddha can determine the status of another person).”
There are at least 2 cases in the Tipitaka where two Ariyas did not know or doubted their Ariya status. They were mentioned on this forum. If someone knows the exact references, please feel free to share.
In one case in the Tipitaka, if I remember correctly, a man kept thinking he did not attain magga phala because he still had angry thoughts, even after getting confirmation by the Buddha. But he was indeed a Sotapanna. (Those angry thoughts were from his patiga, a cetasika that a Sotapanna still has, it is the weaker version of dosa/hatred.)
There was another instance in the Tipitaka where an Arahant did not even know that he/she was an Arahant.
And according to this site, there are jati Sotapannas(those who became Sotapanna in one of their past lives) who when reborn as humans do not know that they are Sotapannas.
This begs the following questions:
1) So if even an Arahant did not know, how can anyone with lesser stages of Nibbana determine this for themselves?
2) Why is it that some Ariyas know with certainty, while others have no idea, and others doubt? What causes one to be certain and causes others to doubt/not know/forget?
Lal wrote:
“The buddha has stated that it is fine, and also fine to declare it too (see Maha Parinibbna Sutta, for example). But of course, one may make such declaration with or without merit.”
I will have to find the relevant part in the sutta to verify.
I would think it is fine too, but only AFTER one received confirmation by the Buddha. Otherwise how can one be sure? We are not omniscient like him.
It seems a lot of people these days think they are enlightened. Whether it is in the Hindu, New age, or even Buddhist community.
3) What if they simply have wrong views/miccha ditthi and mistaking the new changes in their behavior/personality/character/gati for stages of Nibbana? Mistaking their newly attained peaceful mind state and their jhanic symptoms for stages of Nibbana like those wrong views in the Brahmajāla Sutta? A yogi or anyone attaining the 8th jhana could easily mistake that for Nibbana.
My point is, without the Buddha’s confirmation, I think it better to just keep following the Path and not assume one has attained magga phala. This could risk complacency. And this could risk the increase of asmi mana(pride/ego/arrogance). I have seen this to be just the case with a certain famous yogi who implies he is fully enlightened, yet I can sense/feel the energy of his pride even from watching his videos.