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Here is a sutta which speaks of the qualities of a bhikkhu who has reached the sotāpanna stage.
And what, mendicants, is the nature of a person accomplished in view?
Kathaṁrūpāya ca, bhikkhave, dhammatāya diṭṭhisampanno puggalo samannāgato?
This is the nature of a person accomplished in view.
Dhammatā esā, bhikkhave, diṭṭhisampannassa puggalassa:
Though they may fall into a kind of offense for which resolution is possible, they quickly disclose, clarify, and reveal it to the Teacher or a sensible spiritual companion.
kiñcāpi tathārūpiṁ āpattiṁ āpajjati, yathārūpāya āpattiyā vuṭṭhānaṁ paññāyati, atha kho naṁ khippameva satthari vā viññūsu vā sabrahmacārīsu deseti vivarati uttānīkaroti;
And having revealed it they restrain themselves in the future.
desetvā vivaritvā uttānīkatvā āyatiṁ saṁvaraṁ āpajjati.
Suppose there was a little baby boy. If he puts his hand or foot on a burning coal, he quickly pulls it back.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, daharo kumāro mando uttānaseyyako hatthena vā pādena vā aṅgāraṁ akkamitvā khippameva paṭisaṁharati;
Further on, the sutta lists the 7 qualities of a sotāpanna bhikkhu.
When a noble disciple has these seven factors, they have properly investigated their nature through the realization of the fruit of stream-entry.
Evaṁ sattaṅgasamannāgatassa kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvakassa dhammatā susamanniṭṭhā hoti sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya.
A noble disciple with these seven factors has the fruit of stream-entry.”
Evaṁ sattaṅgasamannāgato kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sotāpattiphalasamannāgato hotī”ti.
- I also decided to post the comment below from Sutta Central because it is relevant.
Vinaya offences fall into a number of classes, all of which must be confessed by a guilty monastic to their fellow monastics. Some are resolved upon confession, others by undergoing a procedure of relinquishment or temporary suspension. However, the most serious offences—sexual intercourse, murder, stealing, and lying about spiritual attainments—entail immediate and permanent expulsion. Offences are further distinguished by intention, as some offences may be transgressed without ill intent or even unknowingly (for example, eating at the wrong time). A stream-enterer cannot commit an expulsion offence ( The 4 Pārajika), but they may commit one of the other offences without ill intent.
- When a sotāpanna commits a Vinaya fault, he does not conceal it and promptly discloses it to his master or another bhikkhu. This is a quality specific to all sotāpanna (lays or bhikkhus). They never hide their faults. See the Ratanasutta
Even if they do a bad deed
Kiñcāpi so kamma karoti pāpakaṁ,
by body, speech, or mind,
Kāyena vācā uda cetasā vā;Theyy are unable to conceal it;
Abhabba so tassa paṭicchadāya,
They say this inability applies to one who has seen the truth.
Abhabbatā diṭṭhapadassa vuttā;
This sublime gem is in the Saṅgha:
Idampi saṅghe ratanaṁ paṇītaṁ,
By this truth, may you be well!
Etena saccena suvatthi hotu.
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EATING ALMS FOOD RECEIVED THROUGH DECEPTION IS WORSE THAN EATING A RED HOT IRON BALL
308th verse of the Dhammapada.
“Seyyo ayogulo bhutto,
tatto aggisikhūpamo,
yañ ce bhuñjeyya dussīlo,
ratthapindam asaññato.”
“It is better for one to eat, a red hot iron ball than to eat alms-food offered by people if one is immoral and unvirtuous.”
- This story is the reason for the establishment of the pārājika 4 by Lord Buddha.
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Sorry, everyone, I forgot that the English version of the site (Dhammadana.org) does not give the history and reason for each of the 227 rules. It is the French version which gives the reason and the history. Please translate.
For example, here is the context of the 4th rules
One day a great famine came upon the kingdom of Vajjī. The bhikkhus who were performing the vassa retreat near the Vaggumhadā River had great difficulty in obtaining food during their daily rounds. They then agreed to find a way to obtain food more easily. Some claimed to the people about other bhikkhus: “So-and-so has attained such-and-such jhāna, So-and-so is a sotāpana, So-and-so is an arahant, etc.” The people, in the grip of excessive veneration, then deprived themselves of food and drink to offer some to the bhikkhus. As soon as Buddha became aware of the facts, by severely reprimanding these bhikkhus, he instituted that a bhikkhu who would boast or have others boast about unobtained realizations would commit a pārājika. He specified, however, that a bhikkhu with pure sīla who has good training in the practice of vipassanā or samatha and who falsely claims a realization that he sincerely believes he has obtained, does not commit a pārājika. Thus, Buddha established pārājika 4.
If to show off, a bhikkhu knowingly claims that he has eliminated kilesā or that he has obtained realizations (one of the four jhāna or arupavacara samapatti; one of the four psychic powers or one of the four stages of ariyā ) while knowing that it is false; whether asked or without being asked, he loses his status as a bhikkhu for life.
pārājika 4 in pāḷi
« yo pana bhikkhu anabhijānaṃ uttariranussadhammaṃ attupanāyikaṃ alamariyañāṇadassanaṃ samudācareyya “itti jānāmi, itti passāmī” ti, tato aparena samayena samanuggāhīyamāno vā asamanuggāhīyamāno vā āpanno visudd hā pekkho evaṃ vadeyya “ajānamevaṃ āvuso avacaṃ jānāmi apassaṃ passāmi, tucchaṃ musā vilapi” nti aññatra adhimānā, āyapi, pārājiko hoti asaṃvāso.
No problem Dossakhayo 🙏🏿
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You welcome 🙏🏿
I would like to know if you have Reddit. There is a thread called Theravada. I write essays on Dhamma topics in it. This thread lacks explanations about the abhidamma. If you don’t mind you can come and write your essays on the abhidamma. It would be very beneficial for many. Of course, you have to have a Reddit account and the desire to do it.
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Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu 🙏🏿🌸☸️
I’m glad to hear it Dossakhayo. You should try even if it’s temporary. I don’t know your personal situation. But, if you don’t have big responsibilities, a busy job, a married life, or health difficulties you can do it. In addition, I notice that you have great knowledge of abhidamma. By becoming a bhikkhu you will have plenty of time to study the abhidamma in more depth, and to meditate at the same time without being disturbed.
- We are still young why not put our energy into the Dhamma? I tried and saw that it would be better if I remained secular for the moment. I was too careless, impulsive and impatient. This kind of attitude risks leading me to tarnish the honour of the sangha and break many rules. You have to try it, some will be surprised that they are made to become a bhikkhu in the long term. There is also the option of 8 precepts for life. Sir Lal knows better since he lives this life.
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It was in this discussion, sir. Five Dullabha (Rare Things).
Sir, does this mean that a sotāpanna can follow an incorrect version?? Unless it’s before she becomes one.
When I was in Vipassana centers, it was mandatory to follow them. It was quite refreshing for the mind. However, following this for life requires a very good motivation.
VISĀKHUPOSATHA SUTTA: DISCOURSE TO VISĀKHĀ ON OBSERVING THE EIGHT PRECEPTS
It is a sutta about the 8 precepts. The Sutta centrale version: Uposathasutta
There are, Visākhā, these three sabbaths.
“Tayo khome, visākhe, uposathā.
What three?
Katame tayo?
The sabbath of the cowherds, the sabbath of the Jains, and the sabbath of the noble ones.
Gopālakuposatho, nigaṇṭhuposatho, ariyuposatho.
- I don’t know if the English translation expresses well what Lord Buddha meant. It would be better if Sir Lal or someone else checks this.
Thank you for the clarifications, Sir🙏🏿
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Thank you very much for the explanation, sir. Yes, I have tried to explain it many times, some agree, others no. I think this is because they believe that the 5 precepts necessarily lead to hell. I responded with this sutta: Loṇakapallasutta
Take the case of a person who does a trivial bad deed, but it lands them in hell.
Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa appamattakampi pāpakammaṁ kataṁ tamenaṁ nirayaṁ upaneti.
Meanwhile, another person does the same trivial bad deed, but experiences it in the present life, without even a bit left over, let alone a lot.
Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa tādisaṁyeva appamattakaṁ pāpakammaṁ kataṁ diṭṭhadhammavedanīyaṁ hoti, nāṇupi khāyati, kiṁ bahudeva.
What kind of person does the same trivial bad deed, but experiences it in the present life, without even a bit left over, let alone a lot?
Kathaṁrūpassa, bhikkhave, puggalassa tādisaṁyeva appamattakaṁ pāpakammaṁ kataṁ diṭṭhadhammavedanīyaṁ hoti, nāṇupi khāyati, kiṁ bahudeva?
A person who has developed their physical endurance, ethics, mind, and wisdom. They’re not small-minded, but are big-hearted, living without limits.
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo bhāvitakāyo hoti bhāvitasīlo bhāvitacitto bhāvitapañño aparitto mahatto appamāṇavihārī
- Is this sutta relevant? If a sotāpanna does bad deeds, the Vipāka will be experienced in a human body and not in the apayas.The sutta is general, but I believe it can be applied in this case.
I have been in several debates recently about the sīla of a sotāpanna. Many people think that it is impossible to break the 5 precepts for a sotāpanna. They often take this sutta as proof and I admit it’s hard to argue with that. Gihisutta
It’s when a noble disciple doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or use alcoholic drinks that cause negligence.
Idha, sāriputta, ariyasāvako pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti, adinnādānā paṭivirato hoti, kāmesumicchācārā paṭivirato hoti, musāvādā paṭivirato hoti, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato hoti.
These are the five precepts in which their actions are restrained.
Imesu pañcasu sikkhāpadesu saṁvutakammanto hoti.
- Some claim that the Ratanasutta is a later addition and is not truly the words of Lord Buddha. Of course, I don’t agree but why do they claim this?
SIGNIFICANCE OF CONCEIT (MĀNA)
Conceit (māna)
The literal meaning of the Pali word “Māna” is measuring, but generally, it refers to conceit, self-pride or arrogance. It is one’s tendency to arrive at valued judgments about oneself by comparing with others. In the Buddha’s higher teaching (Abhidhamma), conceit has been described as one of the fourteen unwholesome mental factors (akusala cetasika) as they are associated with one or more of the three unwholesome roots of greed (lobha), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha). The fourteen unwholesome mental factors (Kilesa) are:
1. Delusion (moha)
2. shamelessness of wrongdoing (ahirika)
3. fearlessness of wrongdoing (anotappa)
4. restlessness (uddacca)
5. greed (lobha)
6. wrong view (Micchādiṭṭhi)
7. conceit (mana)
8. ill-will (dosa)
9. envy (issa)
10. avarice (macchariya)
11. worry (kukkucca)
12. sloth (thīna)
13. torpor (middha)
14. doubt (vicikiccā)
In the Anusaya sutta of the Anguttara Nikāya (collection of the Buddha’s numerical discourses), the Buddha has described a group of mental defilements called the latent tendencies (anusaya) as they tend to remain dormant in the mind life after life until they are completely eradicated by attaining the state of Nibbāna. The Buddha named conceit as one of the seven latent tendencies:
1. Latent tendency of desire for sense pleasures (kāmarāganusaya)
2. Latent tendency of aversion (patighanusaya)
3. Latent tendency of conceit (mānanusaya)
4. Latent tendency of wrong view (ditthanusaya)
5. Latent tendency of doubt (vicikiccānusaya)
6. Latent tendency of desire for existence (bhava-rāganusaya)
7. Latent tendency of ignorance (avijjānusaya)
Conceit (māna), along with the two mental defilements of craving (tanhā) and wrong view (ditthi), is responsible for the development of a self-identification view in an unenlightened person.
Craving, conceit and wrong views lead us to develop that false identification as follows:
1 .“This is mine” is due to craving (tanhā)
2. “This I am” is due to conceit (māna)
3. “This is me” is due to the wrong view (Micchādiṭṭhi)
Identification with a self has been described as responsible for the development of mental defilements such as egoism, attachment, selfishness, ill-will, hatred etc. These mental defilements can lead one to engage in unwholesome and unskilful behaviour which can result in suffering to oneself as well as others. Unwholesome and immoral actions performed due to the self-identification view will lead one to inevitable rebirth in the four planes of suffering: the plane of immense suffering (niraya), the plane of animals (tiracchāna yoni), the plane of hungry ghosts (peta loka) and the plane of demons and titans (asura loka).
When one reflects on the word conceit in general, one may think that through conceit one is always likely to consider oneself superior or more important than others. However according to Buddhist teaching, the feeling of equality as well as inferiority in comparison to others can also be manifestations of the defilement of conceit.
In the Vattha sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya, the Buddha has described sixteen unwholesome qualities that can defile the mind. The Buddha described conceit (māna) and arrogance (athimāna) as two of those sixteen unwholesome qualities which can lead to a bad destiny.
There are so many factors based on which one is likely to develop conceit comparing oneself with others. One can develop conceit based on: one’s race, one’s country, one’s nationality, one’s religion, one’s birth, one’s family name, one’s good health, one’s youth, one’s age, one’s honour and respect, one’s politeness and respect for others, one’s followers, one’s wealth, one’s beauty, one’s physical build, one’s education, one’s earning ability, one’s effort, one’s mental cleverness, one’s seniority, one’s possessions, one’s blameless character, one’s good manners, one’s success, one’s popularity, one’s ethics, one’s ability to develop concentration (samadhi) during meditation and mental absorptions (Jhana) etc.
Three justified types of conceit (yathāva māna):
1. The conceit of I am superior to others when one is superior to others.
2. The conceit of I am equal to others when one is equal to others.
3. The conceit of I am inferior to others when one is inferior to others.
Six unjustified types of conceit (ayathāva māna):
1. The conceit of I am superior to others when one is equal to others.
2. The conceit of I am superior to others when one is inferior to others.
3. The conceit of I am equal to others when one is superior to others.
3. The conceit of I am equal to others when one is inferior to others.
5. The conceit of I am inferior to others when one is equal to others.
6. The conceit of I am inferior to others when one is superior to others.
- This subject is very interesting but often misunderstood by me and others. In the arahant stage, mana is eliminated. Even an anagami still possesses this taint. However, when an arahant describes their qualities and achievements, it is not considered pride. In the suttas, we see Lord Buddha and other venerable arahants talking about their abilities in various fields. Why would this not be considered pride in this case?
Welcome to the forum, Waisaka! 😁🙏🏿
If you have difficulty writing in English, I recommend an application called Grammarly. When I first started on the forum, I also had difficulty writing in English. Grammarly corrects the majority of your mistakes and can also make suggestions regarding the meaning of your text. I always use this application to write on the forum. I recommend using Google Translate, copying and pasting the text into Grammarly so that it corrects the mistakes and suggests a better text. It’s free and can be installed on phones and computers. The full name is Grammarly AI Writing Assistant. It can be found on the Google Store or other platforms.
May the triple Gem bless you and may you attain the Supreme bliss of Nibbāna. 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿☸️
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