Sir Lal: No. That was not done with cutupapāda ñāna. That person did not have cutupapāda ñāna. He could not recall HIS past lives.
- So what can we say about the divine eye? You don’t have to be an Ariya to have it. The divine eye allows one to see several Bhavas and to see the actions which led to the birth of this bhava. They see beings reborn in the apayas or in higher planes. Yogis and Brahmins develop false views regarding this. This is proof that one does not need to be an ariya to possess this ability. If we can see the lives of others we can see our own lives. It’s harder to see other people’s minds than our own. If we follow this logic, they likely see their previous bhava. In this sutta, Lord Buddha explains how yogis and Brahmanas develop micchādiṭṭhi based on this ability.
But some other ascetic or brahmin—by dint of keen, resolute, committed, and diligent effort, and right application of mind—experiences an immersion of the heart of such a kind that it gives rise to clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman. With that clairvoyance, they see that person
Idha panānanda, ekacco samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā ātappamanvāya padhānamanvāya anuyogamanvāya appamādamanvāya sammāmanasikāramanvāya tathārūpaṁ cetosamādhiṁ phusati yathāsamāhite citte dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena amuṁ puggalaṁ passati—
here who killed living creatures … and had wrong view. And they see that that person is reborn in a heavenly realm.
idha pāṇātipātiṁ adinnādāyiṁ …pe… micchādiṭṭhiṁ, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā passati sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannaṁ.
They say:
So evamāha:
‘It seems that there is no such thing as bad deeds and the result of bad conduct.
‘natthi kira, bho, pāpakāni kammāni, natthi duccaritassa vipāko