One thing is certain: we need the ten paramis and merits to become Ariyas, Jaro. All Ariyas were puthujjanas in this endless Samsara. The great disciples of Lord Buddha and the Lord himself overcame, with strength and difficulty, the nava kamma that confronted them. The Great Venerable Maha Mogallana killed his parents (anantariya papa kamma) in a past life.A puthujjana with merits and powerful paramis can endure for a very long time, even several lifetimes, but a long time does not mean being free forever.
Sooner or later, even the greatest Bodhisattas are overwhelmed by the Nava Kamma and end up committing akusalas actions. The yogi Harita (who was our Bodhisatta) had developed jhanas and abhinnas but ultimately ended up sleeping with the king’s wife, who supported him. However, he recovered and decided to return to live in the mountains to regain his jhanas. His action was immoral, but it didn’t prevent him from continuing his journey to Buddhahood. This is why the Khanti Paramis (Patience) and the Viriya Paramis (effort) are so important (all the Paramis are important). See Pāramitā – How a Puthujjana Becomes a Buddha They allow us not to abandon our journey to Nibbana, and even if we fall, we get back up to continue. A one-month-old baby will never become a physics professor. However, one day this child will grow up, become an adult, and learn physics to become one. We must always observe the law of cause and effect. Being Ariya is an effect, and the causes for achieving it are difficult. Being a puthujjana is an effect, and causes maintain this state.
Hētum Paṭicca Sambhūtam Hētu Bhamgā Nirujjati. It means: “When causes come together, an effect manifests. When the causes cease, the effect disappears.”
The Venerable Sariputta and Maha Mogallana became sotāpanna by briefly contemplating the law of cause and effect. This is the verse they contemplate:
Ye dhamma hetuppa bhava
tesam hetum tathagato aha
tesanca yo nirodho
evam vadi maha samano.
It means: The Tathagata has declared the cause and also the cessation of all effects which arise from a cause. This is the doctrine held by the Great Samana.
What keeps a being in the lineage of the puthujjanas? It is the first three saṁyojanas (Silabbata paramasa, Vicikicca and Sakkaya ditthi). These are the causes that must be eliminated. One cannot do anything against the effect. All these yogis only address the effect of Nava kamma by entering the jhānas, but they do not eliminate Kāma ragā, which is the cause. If one wants to achieve the Ariya effect, one must combine the causes, which are the understanding of natural laws (Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta) and the daily practice of the Dhamma.
