Venerable Arahant Maha Kaccana

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    • #48178
      Jittananto
      Participant

      I came across two suttas that could be quite helpful in understanding distorted sanna and our perceptions. The other confirms what Sir Lal has repeated many times about Jhanas. These suttas highlight the particularity of Venerable Maha Kaccana, a remarkable arahant who is considered the best after Lord Buddha in extracting the hidden meaning from short words. He is described as “the foremost of those who analyze in detail the meaning of what was stated by the Lord Buddha in brief” (aggam sankhittena bhasitassa vittharena attham vibhajantanam). I wouldn’t be surprised if someone tells me that Venerable Waharaka Thero is from his lineage.

      • This is the first Sutta. Madhupiṇḍikasutta: Judgments driven by proliferating perceptions beset a person. If they don’t find anything worth approving, welcoming, or getting attached to in the source from which these arise, just this is the end of the underlying tendencies to desire, repulsion, views, doubt, conceit, the desire to be reborn, and ignorance. This is the end of taking up the rod and the sword, the end of quarrels, arguments, disputes, accusations, divisive speech, and lies. This is where these bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.’ This is how I understand the detailed meaning of this passage for recitation.

      By understanding Annica’s nature (the inability to keep things to our satisfaction), one is no longer likely to engage in conflict. I believe that this passage can be linked to Sir Lal’s recent article “Kalahavivāda Sutta – Origin of Fights and Disputes.”

      • The second sutta Kāḷīsutta: Sister, some ascetics and brahmins regard the attainment of the meditation on the universal earth to be the ultimate. Thinking ‘this is the goal’, they are reborn.

      For those interested in the detailed story of this great Arahant, here is a link. Arahant Maha Kaccana

    • #48181
      Lal
      Keymaster

      Yes. The Madhupindika Sutta is a critical sutta related to “distorted saññā.” I will write a post on it at some point.

      • I will take a look at the other sutta. Thank you, Gad.
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    • #48194
      Lal
      Keymaster

      Yes. The second sutta (“Kali Sutta“) states the same as the Mulapariyaya Sutta. See “Mūlapariyāya Sutta – The Root of All Things.”

      • It is good to look at various ways of presenting a concept.
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      • #48196
        Jittananto
        Participant

        The kali sutta is more about the distorted sanna that arises with Rūpa ragā or Arūpa ragā isn’t it?

    • #48197
      Jittananto
      Participant

      By Deformed Sānna, I mean that Anariya yogis are not able to detach themselves from the pleasant feeling of jhanas. They think they are capable of maintaining it to their liking and that it is worth pursuing (nicca). Arahant Maha Kaccana explained that Lord Buddha overcame this misperception and saw the Annica nature of jhanas.

    • #48198
      Lal
      Keymaster

      Yes. You are right, Gad. 

      • “The kali sutta is more about the distorted sanna that arises with Rūpa ragā or Arūpa ragā.”
      • The Mulapariyaya Sutta provides a general description of everything in this world.
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