[LayDhammaFollower]

“What is the only Akusala Removed by a Sōtapanna?”

In #3 you write,

Then the Buddha told the bhikkhus that the number of defilements that a Sōtapanna has removed could be compared to the soil in the whole Earth. The amount that he/she has left to remove can be compared to the bit of dust on his fingernail.

However in sutta itself, English translation says that,

In the same way, for a noble disciple accomplished in view, a person with comprehension, the suffering that’s over and done with is more, what’s left is tiny. Compared to the mass of suffering in the past that’s over and done with, it’s not nearly a hundredth, a thousandth, or a hundred thousandth part, since there are at most seven more lives.

So, translation says that it is the vast amount of suffering that is removed.

Now, obviously without removal of two levels of Micchā diṭṭhi, it would be impossible to remove any suffering.

BUT, the cited sutta doesn’t say directly that it is vast amount of defilements that are removed but suffering. So even though indirect inference can be made easily.

Buddha doesn’t directly say in that sutta that it is defilements which are removed.

However, maybe English translation might be mistaken. I am not sure, you can verify lal.

[Lal]

You are correct. I had written about “removed defilements” instead of “removed suffering.” Even though they are related, not the same. Thanks for pointing it out.
– This post has not been revised recently. I just revised it and made other changes too.

Let me know if anything else in that post require revision.

[LayDhammaFollower]

Lal, I must acknowledge that before the checking the sutta reference, I too believed logically that it must be true (that vast majority of defilements are removed.)

Your analogy was not exactly 100% misleading or wrong. In addition, I heard similar statement made by waharaka thero in this following sermon. (Which is same as your sand grains analogy. He too said defilements are removed instead of suffering, at least that is what I read in video English transcript.)

Link: Link to English transcript desana by w. Thero

(Statement starts at – 6m:55s)

[LayDhammaFollower]

I just read the updated post. It is great revision lal. Thank you for doing all this work. Much gratitude and merits😀🙏🏻

[LayDhammaFollower]

Lal, After the first path fruit, various cetasika and citta are removed, this must make lot of defilements and kamma Bijā ineffective right?

Because, majority of kamma Bijā are the ones leading to apāyā, but, those are rendered ineffective with removal of this apāyā leading citta/cetasika at sottapana stage, right?

So, through reasoning a conclusion can be derived.

[Lal]

That is right!

All kamma bijā accumulated through numerous lives will still be there. They cannot bring vipaka because the purified mind of a Sotapanna (purified to that level) will not grasp them.
– That does not require willpower. It happens automatically.

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