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I think a sotāpanna can find himself in this kind of situation. He or she may do so because he or she is forced to feed his or her family to survive.
Venerable Amadassana Thero explained this in one of his sermons.
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Sir Lal:The statement, ” Hattakha Brahma is superior to Lord Buddha in the sense that he does not have a dense body and is not subject to illness and physical pain” is not appropriate, even though it is true that Brhamas don’t feel physical pain. No one is superior to the Buddha.
Me: Of course, in the 3 Lokas, no being can be compared to the Supreme Lord Buddha. I wanted to speak about certain aspects, particularly on a physical level. In the Mahāsakuludāyisutta, he explicitly stated that there are disciples who surpass him in physical aspects such as the dhutaṅgas. He explained to Anariyas that he is not revered and honoured by physical prowess but by 5 things. The first is his perfect virtue, which surpasses all beings. The second is his perfect knowledge of the world through direct experience. The third is his infinite wisdom. The fourth is his perfect knowledge of the 4 noble truths and his ability to teach it satisfactorily. The last quality is his ability to teach Sathipattana, the 4 Jhānas, the 4 arupavacara samapatti, the Iddhis powers, the Kasinas, the path to Pannavimutta and Cetovimutta, etc. This is an excellent sutta, and I invite everyone to read it.
- Thanks, Taryal! Mara Devaputta is part of the Kāma loka just like us humans. He adores sensual pleasures and wants to keep beings in these worlds. He can make his body denser with his Iddhis powers. The Brahmas of the Rupa Lokas must make their bodies dense when they visit the Kāma Loka. It is impossible for a human or a deva who does not have jhanas to see them. See Hattakha sutta. The arupas Brahmas cannot be seen by anyone except Lord Buddha and are completely detached from the two lower lokas.
- The main point I want to make is that higher beings who possess iddhi powers can put themselves on the level of lower beings. Hattakha Brahma is superior to Lord Buddha in the sense that he does not have a dense body and is not subject to illness and physical pain. He also does not have a deformed Sanna linked to Kāma loka (taste of sugar, vision of beautiful women and hideous people). He only has the Rūpa and the Arupa Sanna. Mara Devaputta thought he could tempt the Venerable Arahant Vijaya Theri. He is willing to go into lower pleasures to distract others from the Dhamma. His powers only work on those below the Sotāpanna Anugāmi stage who have strong attractions for Kāma Ragā.
Thank you for the information, sir. I haven’t had a good look at this section yet. I didn’t know that the Nikayas had deep meanings in their names. I also thought they just meant volumes and speeches. We learn something new every day!
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Thank you, Sir !! These are important concepts that develop our understanding of the Dhamma. I have to take the time to master them.
Thank you very much for these detailed explanations, Sir. These are concepts that I must take the time to read carefully to master. Thank you very much 🙏🏿.
- Kamma bhava encompasses all 3 Bhavas (Kama, Rupa and Arupa). Kama bhava corresponds to the bhavas of the 11 realms of Kāma loka.
Thank you for this clarification, sir.
- I now understand more clearly what Lord Buddha meant by “it is extremely rare to grasp and hold human bhava”. Even though one can be reborn as a human several times within one bhava, the majority of people develop Kamma bhava, which leads to Uppatti Bhava of the 4 apayas during their Jathī (They commit Anantariyas Papa Kammas and hold destructive mental states). This is why when we are puthujunas, we must be very careful with our states of mind. When one becomes a Sotāpanna, the Kamma Bhava, which leads to the Uppatti Bhava of the 4 apayas, is eliminated.
- When one becomes a Sakadāgāmi, the Kamma Bhava, which leads to the Uppatti Bhava corresponding to the realms below the deva realms, is eliminated.
- When one becomes an anagami, the Kamma bhava which leads to the Uppatti Bhava corresponding to the Kāma loka is eliminated.
- When one becomes an arahant, one will experience Kamma bhava but it will not generate any Uppatti Bhava which leads to the 31 realms. All Kamma Bhava is destroyed during Parinibbāna.
This world is infinitely complex and vast. Even yogis have developed Iddhi powers to see if it is possible to reach the end of this universe. See the story of the yogi Rohitassa. Rohitassa wanted to know the end of the universe by travelling, he only stopped to take care of his body and maintained himself with Iddhi powers. Rohitassa died due to his lifespan and he ended up being reborn in a Deva world. Lord Buddha told him that it is impossible to see the end of this universe while travelling with Iddhi powers. However, it is possible to achieve this end by becoming an arahant.
The end of the world can never
Gamanena na pattabbo,
be reached by traveling.
lokassanto kudācanaṁ;
But without reaching the end of the world,
Na ca appatvā lokantaṁ,
there’s no release from suffering.
dukkhā atthi pamocanaṁ.
So an intelligent person, understanding the world,
Tasmā have lokavidū sumedho,
has completed the spiritual journey, and gone to the end of the world.
Lokantagū vusitabrahmacariyo;
A calm one, knowing the end of the world,
Lokassa antaṁ samitāvi ñatvā,
does not long for this world or the next.”
Nāsīsatī lokamimaṁ parañcā”ti.
- Knowing that the universe is infinitely large. There will always be many worlds that are beyond our reach. Only a Lord Buddha is capable of knowing about each of these worlds.
Here are two suttas that demonstrate the wisdom and powers of the two main arahant nuns of Lord Buddha.
Even if 100,000 rascals like you
“Sataṁ sahassānipi dhuttakānaṁ,
were to come here,
Idhāgatā tādisakā bhaveyyuṁ;
I’d stir not a hair nor panic.
Lomaṁ na iñjāmi na santasāmi,
I’m not scared of you, Māra, even alone.
Na māra bhāyāmi tamekikāpi.
I’ll vanish,
Esā antaradhāyāmi,
or I’ll enter your belly;
kucchiṁ vā pavisāmi te;
I could stand between your eyebrows
Pakhumantarikāyampi,
and you still wouldn’t see me.
tiṭṭhantiṁ maṁ na dakkhasi.
I’m the master of my own mind,
Cittasmiṁ vasībhūtāmhi,
I’ve developed the bases of psychic power well.
iddhipādā subhāvitā;
I’m free from all bonds,
Sabbabandhanamuttāmhi,
and I’m not afraid of you, sir!”
na taṁ bhāyāmi āvuso”ti.
There are several stories of Venerable Theri being disrupted by Mara Devaputta in several ways. See Bhikkhunīvagga. He even said that women couldn’t reach the arahant stage because they were stupid and not wise. Venerable Arahant Soma Theri has refuted these false allegations. In some cases, Mara even tried to have sexual intercourse with a Bhikkhuni Arahant.
- Mara tries to have sex with Venerable Arahant Vijaya Theri.She explains that there are beings who are reborn in the Rūpa Loka and the Arupa Loka. Even though they experience peaceful happiness, she has eliminated Rūpa and Arupā ragā. I believe she means that there are beings who are outside the power of Mara Devaputta (that is to say, free from sensual pleasures). She has surpassed these beings since she no longer desires anything from the 3 lokas. By saying this, she emphasizes to Mara that it is impossible to tempt someone who no longer desires anything from the 3 lokas (an arahant). Vijayāsutta
“You’re so young and beautiful,
“Daharā tvaṁ rūpavatī,
and I’m a youth in my prime.
ahañca daharo susu;
Come, my lady, let us enjoy
Pañcaṅgikena turiyena,
the music of a five-piece band.”
ehayyebhiramāmase”ti.
Sights, sounds, tastes, smells,
“Rūpā saddā rasā gandhā,
and touches so delightful.
phoṭṭhabbā ca manoramā;
I hand them right back to you, Māra,
Niyyātayāmi tuyheva,
for I have no use for them.
māra nāhaṁ tenatthikā.
This body is foul,
Iminā pūtikāyena,
decaying and frail.
bhindanena pabhaṅgunā;
I’m horrified and repelled by it,
Aṭṭīyāmi harāyāmi,
and I’ve eradicated sensual craving.
kāmataṇhā samūhatā.
There are beings in the realm of luminous form,
Ye ca rūpūpagā sattā,
and others stuck in the formless.
ye ca arūpaṭṭhāyino;
and also those peaceful attainments:
Yā ca santā samāpatti,
I’ve destroyed the darkness regarding all of them.”
sabbattha vihato tamo”ti.
2. Mara informs Venerable Arahant Soma Theri that a woman cannot attain enlightenment. She asserts that this belief is clearly mistaken. She explains that a wise person even if she grasps a woman’s bhava can see the Dhamma. Somāsutta
That state’s very challenging;
“Yaṁ taṁ isīhi pattabbaṁ,
it’s for the sages to attain.
ṭhānaṁ durabhisambhavaṁ;
It’s not possible for a woman,
Na taṁ dvaṅgulapaññāya,
with her two-fingered wisdom.”
sakkā pappotumitthiyā”ti.
Then the nun Somā thought,
Atha kho somāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:
“Who’s speaking this verse, a human or a non-human?”
“ko nu khvāyaṁ manusso vā amanusso vā gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti?
Then she thought,
Atha kho somāya bhikkhuniyā etadahosi:
“This is Māra the Wicked, wanting to make me feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, wanting to make me fall away from immersion!”
“māro kho ayaṁ pāpimā mama bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁsaṁ uppādetukāmo samādhimhā cāvetukāmo gāthaṁ bhāsatī”ti.
Then Somā, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, replied to him in verse:
Atha kho somā bhikkhunī “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāhi paccabhāsi:
“What difference does womanhood make
“Itthibhāvo kiṁ kayirā,
when the mind is serene,
cittamhi susamāhite;
and knowledge is present
Ñāṇamhi vattamānamhi,
as you rightly discern the Dhamma.
sammā dhammaṁ vipassato.
Surely someone who might think:
Yassa nūna siyā evaṁ,
‘I am woman’, or ‘I am man’,
Itthāhaṁ purisoti vā;
or ‘I am’ anything at all,
Kiñci vā pana aññasmi,
is fit for Māra to address.”
Taṁ māro vattumarahatī”ti.
- Both women and men can achieve the 4 stages of Magga phala if the efforts are undertaken correctly. All of this depends on each person’s Paramis and Kusulas. Bhikkhunis must be honored and respected. When I was in Thailand, there was a bhikkhuni who left an impression on me. She was serene and respected the Vinaya better than the vast majority of bhikkhus I met. Always calm and spent her time meditating. I remember when I was making offerings to this Venerable Theri, my intuition told me that I had accumulated a large quantity of Kusulas. After the alms offering, I felt serene and experienced pīti (joy). It’s been two years, but this action comes to my mind often until today.
- There is a Dhammadharini Monastery in California that requires support from the lay community. It is primarily composed of Bhikkhunis. Let’s support this wonderful monastery in honour of the Venerable Bhikkhunis Arahants of the past!
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A lay devotee told me about a project to build a broadcasting station for the teachings of Venerable Waharaka Thero which is being built in Sri Lanka. The video for this project is from 2021 but it is still in progress. The station will be near the Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura. Anyone can contribute by sending funds. Information is at the end of the video. The video is in Sinhala and lasts 2 minutes. If someone does not understand, it is possible to ask Sir Lal or someone who speaks the language.
Triple Gem student, I also live in Canada and it’s a problem to send abroad. Western Union is a good alternative.
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Hello, Friend Nibbid83🙏🏿. I am a simple devotee and I do not run a monastery. I recommend you to support Jethavaranama Monastery. The Bhikkhunis monastery of California (Dhammadharini) and the construction of the Cetiya of Venerable Arahant Ananda in Sri Lanka. You can contact me by email at [email protected]. I will give you the phone numbers of those responsible for donations. Yes, the Ugandan monastery needs a lot of support. Here Donate. People can even go there to teach at the Village Buddhist school or to volunteer.
Supporting the Sangha brings a lot of Kusulas Kamma and will lead you to Nibbāna. Many disciples of Lord Buddha have done this kind of action during many past lives in the Sasanas of ancient Lord Buddhas. This is why they were able to encounter the Dhamma and attain Nibbāna during the time of Lord Gautama. Of course, it is important to understand the Dhamma. It is only by understanding the Dhamma that one sees the importance of supporting the Sangha. May you attain Nibbāna as quickly as possible 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🌸.
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There is a method that can be verified by yourself, Pathfinder: The Jhanas. It is a technique that requires purifying one’s mind of all sensual thoughts and the truth will be revealed. It is accessible to anyone regardless of their religion. Some people have achieved jhanas without knowing it. I remember Dipa Ma (1911-1989) a great anagarika woman who had developed all the jhanas, arupavacara samapatti and iddhi powers. However, she said she sometimes lost them. With practice, she redeveloped them in a few days. That means they are anariyas jhanas. One of her students said that Dipa Ma developed the ability to travel to the past to listen to sermons that Lord Buddha gave on various occasions. It strengthened his faith in Lord Buddha. Of course, we may doubt this, but let us not forget that the abilities of the jhanas are impossible to know in full, for those who are not Lord Buddhas. This is to say that there are Iddhis that certain practitioners develop that we were unaware of. Jhanas are some excellent means of verification.
Mendicants, these four things are unthinkable. They should not be thought about, and anyone who tries to think about them will go mad or get frustrated.
“Cattārimāni, bhikkhave, acinteyyāni, na cintetabbāni; yāni cintento ummādassa vighātassa bhāgī assa.
What four?
Katamāni cattāri?
The scope of the Buddhas …
Buddhānaṁ, bhikkhave, buddhavisayo acinteyyo, na cintetabbo;
yaṁ cintento ummādassa vighātassa bhāgī assa.
The scope of one in absorption (jhanas or arupavacara samapatti)…
Jhāyissa, bhikkhave, jhānavisayo acinteyyo, na cintetabbo;
yaṁ cintento ummādassa vighātassa bhāgī assa.
The results of deeds …
Kammavipāko, bhikkhave, acinteyyo, na cintetabbo;
yaṁ cintento ummādassa vighātassa bhāgī assa.
Speculation about the world …
Lokacintā, bhikkhave, acinteyyā, na cintetabbā;
yaṁ cintento ummādassa vighātassa bhāgī assa.
These are the four unthinkable things. They should not be thought about, and anyone who tries to think about them will go mad or get frustrated.”
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cattāri acinteyyāni, na cintetabbāni; yāni cintento ummādassa vighātassa bhāgī assā”ti.
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