- There is also another sutta that describes a situation where Venerable Sariputta helps a Brahmin to be reborn in a Brahma world on his deathbed. Lord Buddha told him that he should not have since this person could attain magga phala.
- If it had been a person like Venerable Maha Mogallana he would have known through his Iddhis that the person had the potential to attain magga phala. However, Venerable Sariputta gave the best possibility apart from magga phala. The only downside is that it stretches the samsaric journey. Likely, this Brahma will eventually attain Nibbāna at some point.
Then Sāriputta went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said,
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami, upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi, ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“Sir, the brahmin Dhanañjāni is sick, suffering, gravely ill.
“dhanañjāni, bhante, brāhmaṇo ābādhiko dukkhito bāḷhagilāno,
He bows with his head to your feet.”
so bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī”ti.
“But Sāriputta, after establishing Dhanañjāni in the inferior Brahmā realm, why did you get up from your seat and leave while there was still more left to do?”
“Kiṁ pana tvaṁ, sāriputta, dhanañjāniṁ brāhmaṇaṁ sati uttarikaraṇīye hīne brahmaloke patiṭṭhāpetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkanto”ti?
- In this context, when Lord Buddha says, “There was still more left to do,” he refers to magga phala.