Gad asked: “So sir, that means a person can become sotāpanna in this sāsana and become arahant in the time of Lord Buddha Metteya?? I believed that one cannot become sotāpanna until a Lord Buddha appears. The only ariyas who can see several Lord Buddha are the anagami brahmas.”
- A Sotapanna will not lose that status ever, until advancing to a higher stage.
- Buddha Kassapa and Buddha Gotama appeared in this maha kappa (eon), so there is not that much of a “gap” in time.
- On the other hand, an Anagami in a “suddhavasa” (Brahma realms reserved for Anagamis) have very long lifetimes extending to several eons. They could have seen Buddhas from previous maha kappas (eons) also.
- Yes. a person attaining the Sotapanna stage now could possibly attain Aranahthood in the upcoming Sasana of Buddha Maitreya (IF the seven bhava last that long; as we know a Sotapanna will attain Arahanthood within seven bhava.)
