Excellent analysis, LDF.
- Of course, as Lang emphasized, “pleasure” in LDF’s analysis is “mind-made pleasure” or “somanassa vedana.” Furthermore, “mind-made suffering” or “domanassa vedana” arise if one is unable to get “somanassa vedana” fast enough!
Lang’s question: “If we get a chance to take care of an arahant, to help make his/her physical life as comfortable as possible, then it is of tremendous merits for us, correct?”
- Of course. Taking care of an Arahant will have merits far exceeding the merits of caring for anyone except a Buddha. As a general rule, the higher a human recipient’s (Noble) status, the higher the merit.
- The same works the other way too. Harming a Buddha or an Arahant will bring the highest vipaka, etc. It is not possible to take the life of a Buddha. Killing an Arahant is an anantariya papa kamma. Even though killing an average human will have less kammic consequences, killing a parent is an anantariya papa kamma too. That emphasizes the importance of taking care of one’s parents.
