Reply To: What is best one can do as lay dhamma follower to become at least anagami?

#36515
Lal
Keymaster

Very good. So, you don’t have the 10 types of miccha ditthi AND you understand that as long as we attach to worldly things future suffering will not stop.

A Sotapanna has just seen the truth of the above statement. That “Samma Ditthi” is enough for the mind from engaging in apayagami deeds. That DOES NOT require any thinking and happens AUTOMATICALLY (if one is indeed a Sotapanna or even a Sotapanna Anugami).

The next step is to stop the suffering that is associated with the higher realms in kama loka: the human realm and Deva realms.
– That also happens in two steps: A Sakadagami will not be born with a human body and an Anagami would not be born a Deva either.

Of course, you probably know all that. But I think the next step is to get to the Sakadagami stage, and then to the Anagami stage.

Both involve Anapana and Satipatthana Bhavana. of course, those have nothing to do with “breath meditation.”
– Once “ditthi vipallasa” is removed (at the Sotapanna stage), the next step is to remove “sanna vipallasa” by engaging in Bhavana.
– Basically, that involves contemplating the drawbacks (adinava) of sensual pleasures, EVEN IF such pleasure activities do not involve hurting others.
– Another way to say that is to see the “anicca nature” of such activities. Even if they may provide temporary pleasures, they will keep one bound to the kama loka.
– As long as one is in kama loka, the suffering associated with physical bodies (injuries, cancers and other diseases, old age, etc) will be inevitable.

The following posts could be helpful:
Vipallāsa (Diṭṭhi, Saññā, Citta) Affect Saṅkhāra

What is “Kāma”? It is not Just Sex

Mahā Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta