- This is the sutta which describes the event where Venerable Maha Mogallana used Iddhi to see if the monks around had reached the arahant stage.
- Sir Lal has repeated this many times. Jhānas and Iddhis are worthless in themselves because they only stretch the samsaric journey. However, if we use this for the Dhamma they take on a value. They can become Iddhis ariyas like seeing the level of defilement in someone else. I say ariya because an Anariya yogi cannot know whether a person is free from the 10 samyojanas or not.
At one time the Buddha was staying on the slopes of Isigili at the Black Rock, together with a large Saṅgha of five hundred mendicants, all of whom were perfected ones.
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati isigilipasse kāḷasilāyaṁ mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ pañcamattehi bhikkhusatehi sabbeheva arahantehi.
Thereupon, with his mind, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna checked to see whose mind was liberated and free of attachments.
Tesaṁ sudaṁ āyasmā mahāmoggallāno cetasā cittaṁ samannesati vippamuttaṁ nirupadhiṁ.
Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa thought,
Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi:
“The Buddha is staying on the slopes of Isigili … with five hundred perfected ones.
“ayaṁ kho bhagavā rājagahe viharati isigilipasse kāḷasilāyaṁ mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ pañcamattehi bhikkhusatehi sabbeheva arahantehi.
Mahāmoggallāna is checking to see whose mind is liberated and free of attachments.
Tesaṁ sudaṁ āyasmā mahāmoggallāno cetasā cittaṁ samannesati vippamuttaṁ nirupadhiṁ.