Reply To: Discussion on “Cultivating Jhāna and Magga Phala – What Is the Difference?”

#48822
Jittananto
Participant
  • A pannavimutti arahant can cultivate all Jhanās and arupavacara samapatti if they choose to, and then attain Nirodha Samapatti. Venerable Sariputta is a great example of this. He became an arahant after listening to a single discourse of Lord Buddha. At one point, he wanted to cultivate Jhanas and Iddhis. He developed them rapidly and analyzed each one as he progressed. Eventually, he reached Nirodha Samapatti. It is in the Anupada Sutta.

And he emerged from that attainment with mindfulness.

So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahati.

Then he contemplated the phenomena in that attainment that had passed, ceased, and perished:

So tāya samāpattiyā sato vuṭṭhahitvā ye dhammā atītā niruddhā vipariṇatā te dhamme samanupassati

‘So it seems that these phenomena, not having been, come to be; and having come to be, they flit away.’

‘evaṁ kirame dhammā ahutvā sambhonti, hutvā paṭiventī’ti.

And he meditated without attraction or repulsion for those phenomena; independent, untied, liberated, detached, his mind free of limits.

So tesu dhammesu anupāyo anapāyo anissito appaṭibaddho vippamutto visaṁyutto vimariyādīkatena cetasā viharati.

He understood: ‘There is an escape beyond.’

So ‘atthi uttari nissaraṇan’ti pajānāti.

And by repeated practice, he knew for sure that there was.

Tabbahulīkārā atthitvevassa hoti.

Furthermore, going totally beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, he entered and remained in the cessation of perception and feeling. And, having seen with wisdom, his defilements came to an end.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, sāriputto sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṁ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṁ upasampajja viharati. Paññāya cassa disvā āsavā parikkhīṇā honti.

  • The English translation is incorrect. It says, “his defilements have ended.” Venerable Sariputta became an arahant long before he developed Nirodha Samapatti. He attained arahantship by listening to a discourse of Lord Buddha. He is a pannavimutti arahant. Dīghanakhasutta

Now, at that time, Venerable Sāriputta was standing behind the Buddha, fanning him.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto bhagavato piṭṭhito ṭhito hoti bhagavantaṁ bījayamāno.

Then he thought,

Atha kho āyasmato sāriputtassa etadahosi:

“It seems the Buddha speaks of giving up and letting go of all these things through direct knowledge.”

“tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no bhagavā dhammānaṁ abhiññā pahānamāha, tesaṁ tesaṁ kira no sugato dhammānaṁ abhiññā paṭinissaggamāhā”ti.

Reflecting on this, Venerable Sāriputta’s mind was freed from the defilements by not grasping. 

Iti hidaṁ āyasmato sāriputtassa paṭisañcikkhato anupādāya āsavehi cittaṁ vimucci.