Taryal: “The ultimate view transcends both these views and that is the view perfected by an Arahant/Buddha.”
- I’m not sure it’s safe to say that. While reading this sutta, Arahant Khema Theri said that it is wrong to say this. Of course, she said this in the context of parinibbānna but it can apply during the lifetime of an arahant. Arahants do not see an I anywhere.
Khemāsutta: Ma’am, does a realized one still exist after death?”
“kiṁ nu kho, ayye, hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“Great king, this has not been declared by the Buddha.”
“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā:
‘hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Well then, does a realized one no longer exist after death?”
“Kiṁ panayye, na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”
“Etampi kho, mahārāja, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:
‘na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Well then, does a realized one both exist and not exist after death?”
“Kiṁ nu kho, ayye, hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti?
“This has not been declared by the Buddha.”
“Abyākataṁ kho etaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā:
‘hoti ca na ca hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti.
“Well then, does a realized one neither exist nor not exist after death?”
“Kiṁ panayye, neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā”ti.
“This too has not been declared by the Buddha.”
“Etampi kho, mahārāja, abyākataṁ bhagavatā:
‘neva hoti na na hoti tathāgato paraṁ maraṇā’”ti
- Until one becomes an arahant there is no point in speculating. No matter how much we try to convince ourselves, we will always have this belief of the I. Of course, at the sotāpanna stage, the micchādiṭṭhi linked to this have been eradicated but the perception of I will remain until the arahant stage.