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1. Yes. It is relatively rare to encounter an Ariya (Noble Person at or above the Sotapanna stage). Just think about the fact that Buddhists are a minority as far as religions are concerned. Furthermore, those who have exposure to Theravada Buddhism are a fraction of that, and most of them follow incorrect versions attributed to Buddhaghosa, etc. See the relevant posts in “Historical Background.”
- I am not aware of any living Arahants at this time. Even the number of Sotapannas could be relatively few.
- I have declared myself free of the apayas (per my understanding). It is permitted by the Buddha; see #11 of “How Does One Know whether the Sōtapanna Stage is Reached?”
2. Regarding your question: “Another question is that, I also read on access to insight website in the sutta about stream-entry that one who is sotapanna or on the way to becoming sotapanna (sotapanna anugami) don’t give gifts outside sangha is that correct?”
- No. That is not correct. It is always good to give, especially to those who are in need. Even Arahants do.
3. Regarding your question: “My another following question is that, why many people such as many from suttacentral website and dharma wheel or some other sites are of a general opinion that puredhamma site is distorting buddhist teachings?”
- I used to participate in the Dhamma Wheel forum, but I have stopped.
- I will never again seek to engage in debates with others. Those who are interested can read my website and ask questions to clarify any unclear points.
4. You wrote: “My understanding is that this earth cannot survive without the presence of arhats or ariyas so ariyas are definitely present.”
- Yes. The Buddha told Ven. Ananda, that his Buddha Sasana will disappear from the world when there are no living Noble Persons (at least Sotapannas).
- See #12 of “Four Conditions for Attaining Sōtapanna Magga/Phala.”
5. In your last post, you asked: “my another following question which could be somewhat personal is, how does one reduce the attachment to one’s own body?”
- Attachment to one’s body and anything in the external world is ultimately due to the mind-made ‘kama sanna.’
- This is a deep subject that I have discussed over the past two years.
- Recent posts are in “Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta – New Series” section. The older posts started with roughly 9/16/23 in “New / Revised Posts.”
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TrpleGemStudent wrote: “So my thinking is that this conventional reality = subjective while nibbana = objective reality.”
- That is correct. May be it is even better to state, “Conventional reality = subjective reality. Nibbana = objective reality.”
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1. Conventional reality is shared among those in the same realm, for example, for humans.
- Animals’ conventional reality is different from that of humans. Even among animals, there are many different ‘realities experienced.’ The same holds for other realms in the apayas.
- The above also holds for the six Deva realms.
- The reason is that numerous types of sanna are present in kama loka.
2. In Rupa Loka Brahma realms, various types of ‘kama sanna‘ are absent.
- In Arupa Loka Brahma realms, essentially one (distorted) sanna is present and thus a mind is ‘closer’ to Nibbana. However, that holds only until the end of their lifetimes. When they are reborn in the kama loka, they revert to being affected by many types of (distorted) sanna.
3. Permanent changes happen only with magga phala.
- Even with magga phala, the (distorted) sanna do not go away, as they are built into the body one is born with.
- At the Sotapanna stage, one permanently loses their ‘ditthi samyojana.’ They can ‘see with wisdom’ how the (distorted) sanna leads to kamma accumulation. But overcoming the three major categories of (distorted) sanna (associated with kama, rupa, and arupa loka) requires more effort.
- At the Anagami stage, one will eliminate the two samyojana related to ‘kama raga‘ or ‘craving for sensual pleasures. Their minds are no longer fooled by various types of kama sanna.
- An Anagami needs to eliminate rupa raga samyojana (craving for jhanic pleasures) and arupa raga samyojana (craving for samapatti pleasures). By this time, one has eliminated the three ‘ditthi samyojana‘ (responsible for rebirths in the apayas) and four ‘tanha samyojana’ (responsible for rebirth in higher realms). Removal of the remaining three ‘māna samyojana‘ (māna, uddhacca, avijjā) leads to the Arahant stage.
4. All those with magga phala realize that they must live with the ‘conventional reality.’ But their minds are increasingly ‘less fooled’ by it.
- I will try to write a bit more about Jaro’s post later. But I thought the above may help clarify some issues.
- Please feel free to comment and ask questions.
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Good observations!
- I am a bit busy these days, as I am traveling. I will try to respond later today or tomorrow.
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I just saw your posts. I am a bit busy these days, as I am traveling.
- I will try to respond today or tomorrow.
Thank you, hojan!
- Yes. Many old posts need revision. My plan is to finish the series on Satipatthana and then start revising old posts.
- Generally, posts from the past two years should be OK. Even some of those could be fine-tuned.
- Buddha’s teachings are deeper than anyone can imagine.
I am looking forward to seeing comments from those who try Hojan’s ‘Pure Dhamma GPT.’
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Thank you, Jittananto.
- I watched the above videos on the defections in the sensory capabilities of some people.
- Our physical bodies are tailored to provide specific saññā associated with vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch using numerous built-in sensors and the nervous system.
- The ‘abnormalities’ reported/discussed in those videos are cases of kamma vipaka. Those people cannot fully function like others.
P.S. I have made a few revisions to yesterday’s post: Colors Are Mind-Made (Due to Kāma Saññā)
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October 18, 2025: The following post explains the difference between ‘mundane truth’ and ‘ultimate truth.’
Colors Are Mind-Made (Due to Kāma Saññā)
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Hello Diogoreberto,
I see your comment in #55296 above, just below my original reply that you are aware of ancient yogis attaining the fourth jhana.
- So, it cannot be the Samma Samadhi, correct?
- It is not clear whether you have any other questions about it. Is the issue settled now?
Quite insightful comments. Please keep up with your efforts.
- Yes. The next post will focus on the Sotapanna stage, and I will attempt to make connections to the concepts we have discussed so far in the new series, “Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta – New Series.”
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I am going to write a post on this issue. Please ask any other questions that can be addressed there.
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1. The confusion arises from not recognizing the existence of two realities: mundane reality and ultimate reality.
- In mundane reality (i.e., within the framework of the world of 31 realms and all the living beings in it), all investigations will prove that the sensations of ‘pleasure’ and ‘pain’ are real.
- In ultimate reality (where everything in this world of 31 realms arises via Paticca Samuppada), all those sensations of ‘pleasure’ and ‘pain’ are ‘mind-made.’
2. Even a living Arahant (in daily life) will experience the sensations of ‘pleasure’ and ‘pain.’ They also experience the mundane reality. But they have fully comprehended that those are all mind-made and will last only until the death of their physical bodies.
- The mistake many people make is to try to overcome these sensations of ‘pleasure’ and ‘pain’ by force. They cannot be overcome in the sense that they are ‘built-in’ to our physical bodies.
- The ‘ultimate reality’ must be understood with wisdom; it is called ‘dhamma cakkhu.’ That is in the first sutta, “Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11):”‘Idaṁ dukkhaṁ ariyasaccan’ti me, bhikkhave, pubbe ananussutesu dhammesu cakkhuṁ udapādi, ñāṇaṁ udapādi, paññā udapādi, vijjā udapādi, āloko udapādi.” The translation there is better as: “This is the noble truth of suffering.’ Such was the dhamma vision, knowledge, wisdom, and realization of truth (vijjā udapādi) that arose in me regarding teachings not learned before from another, leading to my separation from the world (āloko udapādi).”
3. If it is not possible to understand what I am trying to explain, it is better not to try to ‘force it in.’
- In the “Alagaddūpama Sutta (MN 22),” the Buddha stated that ‘sensual pleasures’ provide little gratification and much suffering and distress. That “little gratification’ is the “feeling of pleasure’ one feels with sensual pleasures at that moment; that is the ‘mundane reality.’
- But they can bring suffering and distress in the long run. At markers 6.4 through 6.12, he gave many analogies to ‘sensual pleasures’, including a ‘pit of glowing coals.’ That is in the ‘ultimate reality.’
- At marker 6.14, the Buddha tells Ariṭṭha that Ariṭṭha has misunderstood his teachings. Please read the sutta from the beginning to understand the context. Ariṭṭha had many misconceptions about Buddha’s teachings.
- At marker 10.10, the Buddha explained to Ariṭṭha that grasping his teachings the wrong way can be deadly. It is like trying to catch a cobra (snake) by its tail. The cobra will twist back and bite. It must be caught by close to its head.
- If they don’t make sense and lead to stress, it may be better to avoid reading these posts. Sometimes it is not easy to express concepts with words. I always worry about that.
To elaborate on my previous comment:
1. It is worthwhile to contemplate the “Paṭhamalokadhamma Sutta (AN 8.5)” I mentioned above.
- The “eight worldly conditions” of gain/loss, fame/disgrace, blame/praise, and pleasure/pain are about 50/50 in the human realm. We ‘get down’ with loss, disgrace, blame, and pain sometimes, and then something happens to provide the opposites. The Buddha advised us to deal with both in equanimity. Don’t be depressed with the former and don’t be too much elated with the latter. Yet, there is no need to avoid the latter, and of course, try to avoid the former.
- It is good to keep in mind that all those are transitory. In the highest Deva realm, there is hardly a moment of loss, disgrace, blame, or pain. Still, that existence is also temporary.
- The opposite is true of the four lowest realms (apayas). In those realms, loss, disgrace, blame, and pain dominate.
- We must break this perpetual cycle of going through all those realms by striving for Nibbana. The Sotapanna stage is the most critical step, where one can be assured of no more rebirths in the apayas.
2. The second aspect is that even those ‘highest pleasures’ available in the highest Deva realm are an illusion in ‘ultimate reality.’ Those ‘pleasures’ are mind-made too. The same applies to the ‘jhanic pleasures’ in the Brahma realms. It is really a ‘magic show’ created by the mind itself through a complex process; see “Fooled by Distorted Saññā (Sañjānāti) – Origin of Attachment (Taṇhā).”
- When I get the time, I should write a post on the “Paṭhamarūpārāma Sutta (SN 35.136).” One can get the general idea by reading the English translation in the link.
- At marker 2.1: “Rūpā saddā rasā gandhā, phassā dhammā ca kevalā; Iṭṭhā kantā manāpā ca, yāvatatthīti vuccati.” Translation is better as follows: “Sights, sounds, tastes, smells, touches, and ideas/memories, all of them—they’re likable, desirable, and pleasurable as long as you believe that they are real.
- Next verse @3.1: “Sadevakassa lokassa, ete vo sukhasammatā; Yattha cete nirujjhanti, taṁ tesaṁ dukkhasammataṁ.” Translation is better as follows: “For all the world with its gods, this is what they deem happiness. When ‘those mind-made pleasures’ cease, that is what they consider to be suffering.”
- Next verse @3.1: “Sukhaṁ diṭṭhamariyebhi (diṭṭham ariyebhi), sakkāyassa nirodhanaṁ; Paccanīkamidaṁ hoti, sabbalokena passataṁ.” Translation is better as follows: “The noble ones have seen that ‘true happiness’ is the cessation of sakkāya (pañcupādānakkhandha).” That is the insight ‘seen’ by the Noble Ones who comprehend the whole world (sabba loka), which is the pañcupādānakkhandha.” As we have discussed, by “loka,” the Buddha referred to the pañcupādānakkhandha. With the cessation of avijjā (or the ten samyojana), the ‘whole world’ filled with suffering ends!
- True happiness is to stop even a trace of suffering! In this world, a little happiness comes with much suffering. A given ‘lifestream’ spends much more time in the apayas, compared to rare rebirths in the realms at or above the human realm.
- Furthermore, any ‘happiness’ is really a ‘(distorted/viparita) saññā‘ generated via Paṭicca Samuppāda. This takes an effort to understand. We have discussed this for over two years now. That is the ‘essence of the Buddha’s teachings.” Seeing that with wisdom (dhamma cakkhu) is the critical step of “passato” in jānato/passato.” See “‘Jānato Passato’ and Ājāniya – Critical Words to Remember.”
I’m glad to hear that you’ve accepted a job offer. Focusing on that will help calm the mind. These issues are inevitable in life. The Buddha referred to them as “aṭṭha lokadhamma” or “eight worldly conditions:” Gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain. All of them are inevitable as we go through life. See “Paṭhamalokadhamma Sutta (AN 8.5).”
- We just have to deal with them as they come up. Nibbana is the only long-term solution.
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Taryal is probably going through a rough time, Christian. We should be empathetic to his situation. Additionally, he is a young person with limited life experience. I should have also paid more attention to that.
After posting it, I wondered whether my comments were ‘too harsh.’ I don’t even know whether you wanted to be a Sotapanna. Your concern was probably about finding that person with whom you had a ‘genuine interaction.’ You are also worried about your job situation. My comment was very narrowly focused; I am not qualified to offer advice on mundane issues.
- So, don’t even worry about replying to my previous post. I hope your mundane issues will get resolved, especially the job situation. Of course, we must be concerned about those mundane things. It is essential to resolve those issues first. Insight meditation requires a ‘settled mind.’
- However, I hope my comments could be beneficial for at least some others.
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