Reply To: How do I practice dhamma for stream-entry in this life itself?

#52808
Lal
Keymaster

I have revised the post “Four Conditions for Attaining Sōtapanna Magga/Phala” to clarify the point.

5. There is an ongoing debate about whether the Sotapanna magga phala moment is possible only when listening to Dhamma. In the following video (starting around 8 minutes), Waharaka Thero says that is the requirement. He says one could read and get to the Sotapanna Anugāmi stage, but the phala moment occurs only while listening to a discourse by an Ariya.

  • However, attaining the Sotapanna phala moment can happen anytime, anywhere while contemplating. Of course, one must have learned the necessary Dhamma concepts from a Noble Person (an Ariya.)
  • We can look at two accounts from the Tipitaka to verify the above statement (apparently, Waharaka Thero was unaware of them.) Ven. Koṇḍañña attained the Sotapanna phala moment while contemplating the Dhamma he learnt from the first discourse delivered by the Buddha: “Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne āyasmato koṇḍaññassa virajaṁ vītamalaṁ dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi.” It is mistranslated as “And while this discourse was being spoken, the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in Venerable Koṇḍañña.” See “Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11).” The correct translation is, “While contemplating (analyzing) the Dhamma he learned from the Buddha, the stainless, immaculate vision of the Dhamma arose in Venerable Koṇḍañña (i.e., he attained the Sotapanna phala moment.)
  • Another example is Ven. Cittahattha’s account, “The Five Dullabha (Rare Things).” See the description under “Venerable Cittahattha’s Account” and other comments. Another reference to Ven. Cittahattha’s account: “Dhammapada Verses 38 and 39: Cittahatthatthera Vatthu.” As stated in those accounts, Ven. Cittahattha attained the Sotapanna phala moment while walking to the monastery to become a bhikkhu for the seventh time; while walking, he contemplated the Dhamma he had learned.
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