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Sir, I didn’t say that one must constantly engage in conversation with them. In fact, speaking just once with a noble person can be sufficient to become an ariya. This can even happen in informal settings, such as in a restaurant or during an activity. I recall that Venerable Amadassana Thero mentioned that you can have a conversation with an ariya just once over a cup of tea and become a sotāpanna. My statement is directed primarily at those who are discovering the Dhamma for the first time. Once one becomes a sotāpanna, they gain independence and no longer require a master.
“All one needs from an ariya (noble person) is an explanation of the Noble Truths, Paticca Samuppada, Tilakkhana, and so on.”
Sir, I completely agree with that!
Thank you for the clarifications, Sir. In the case of Venerable Arahant Kondanna, he was listening to Lord Buddha. As for Venerable Arahant Cittahattha, he listened to many discourses from both Lord Buddha and other noble individuals. While walking towards the monastery, he recalled these discourses and became a sotāpanna. Yes I agree one can become a sotāpanna at any moment. The key point here is the importance of associating with noble people.
- We are not living in the time of Lord Buddha, and we do not possess the iddhi powers to discern who is an ariya. An ariya can be either a layperson or a bhikkhu. However, to maximize our chances of engaging with noble individuals, it is advisable to seek discussions with bhikkhus or bhikkhunis. True bhikkhus and bhikkhunis devote their efforts to attaining Nibbāna 24 hours a day, without being distracted by worldly obligations, unlike laypeople. It is among these individuals that we may have the opportunity to meet arahants. This is why it is important to engage in conversations with bhikkhus and bhikkhunis.
- Of course, one can reach any stage of magga phala as a layperson, but nowadays, it is much more challenging. It is common to see sotāpannas and sakadāgāmis among laypeople; however, a sotāpanna can still enjoy sensual pleasures, which may raise doubts about the attainment of magga phala. Consider Sarakani, the drunken sotāpanna. It is indeed possible to become a sotāpanna by listening to Sarakani since he is an ariya.
- One must possess the necessary Kusalas to understand the Dhamma. You might find yourself surrounded by arahants but lack the Kusalas needed to comprehend their teachings. Devadatta is an example. Without the Kusalas developed in past lives, it is impossible to attain the sotāpanna stage. This site provides the opportunity to gain the appropriate understanding to achieve that goal. It is important to reflect on whether the four conditions are fulfilled in our lives!
- Sir, you know better than anyone the importance of learning from an ariya. Reading alone is not enough because we can be wrong. If a puthujunas reads alone in his corner, he can never become sotāpanna. I say you know better because your site is based on the explanations of an ariyas. You are aware of what happens when the puthujunas read and interpret the suttas.
- Look at the false meanings of Tilakkhana for example, and Anapanasati. It was Puthujunas who spread these erroneous beliefs(breath meditation, impermanence) which persist until today. Through ariyas like Venerable Waharaka Thero, we can see the danger of word-for-word translation. It was your site that convinced me of the importance of noble association. Before I came across your site, I thought that Nibbāna could be achieved alone at home. It was enough to read a book on Buddhism and meditate on breathing to achieve Nibbāna. See how ignorant I was. I didn’t even understand what it meant to take refuge in the Sangha. Even your site can be subject to misinterpretation if a wise person does not explain it to a person reading it. For example, the concept of Gandhabba can be interpreted as a soul by a person who has strong micchādiṭṭhi. I have sent articles from the site to people and believe me it has reinforced some of their erroneous beliefs. A Mahayanist told me that bhavas remind him of the states of Buddhahood.
- I clearly explained to him that the article on the site has nothing to do with it, but he persisted in his micchādiṭṭhi. This is yet another proof of the danger of reading without asking an ariya for explanations.
- The suttas were preserved and written down by arahants. How is it that verses written by arahants can be misinterpreted?? These are people who think that reading is enough but they forget that the Dhamma is not a common subject of knowledge. These are knowledge of the law of nature. Why will the Sasana disappear when the last Jati sotāpanna dies? The scriptures will be there, the Vinaya will be there but, no one will reach a stage of magga phala. This happens because no ariyas will be there to explain their meaning.
Reading is only an introduction to the Dhamma. Venerable Waharaka Thero said that reading gives us Anumolak Santiya (to be oriented towards imperturbable peace). However, this is not enough to become an ariya. See this video where he explains why. I suggest listening around 10:10.
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At Sāvatthī.
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind.
“idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:
‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha. But it’s for someone with good friends, companions, and associates, not for someone with bad friends, companions, and associates.’”
‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo, so ca kho kalyāṇamittassa kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa, no pāpamittassa no pāpasahāyassa no pāpasampavaṅkassā’”ti.
“That’s so true, great king! That’s so true!” said the Buddha. And he repeated the king’s statement, adding:
“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja.
Svākkhāto, mahārāja, mayā dhammo. So ca kho kalyāṇamittassa kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa, no pāpamittassa no pāpasahāyassa no pāpasampavaṅkassāti.
“Great king, this one time I was staying in the land of the Sakyans where they have a town named Townsville.
Ekamidāhaṁ, mahārāja, samayaṁ sakkesu viharāmi nagarakaṁ nāma sakyānaṁ nigamo.
Then the mendicant Ānanda came to me, bowed, sat down to one side, and said:
Atha kho, mahārāja, ānando bhikkhu yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho, mahārāja, ānando bhikkhu maṁ etadavoca:
‘Sir, good friends, companions, and associates are half the spiritual life.’
‘upaḍḍhamidaṁ, bhante, brahmacariyassa—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā’ti.
When he had spoken, I said to him:
Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, mahārāja, ānandaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ:
‘Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda!
‘mā hevaṁ, ānanda, mā hevaṁ, ānanda.
Good friends, companions, and associates are the whole of the spiritual life.
Sakalameva hidaṁ, ānanda, brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā.
A mendicant with good friends, companions, and associates can expect to develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path.
Kalyāṇamittassetaṁ, ānanda, bhikkhuno pāṭikaṅkhaṁ kalyāṇasahāyassa kalyāṇasampavaṅkassa ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāvessati ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkarissati.
And how does a mendicant with good friends develop and cultivate the noble eightfold path?
Kathañca, ānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti?
It’s when a mendicant develops right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go.
Idhānanda, bhikkhu sammādiṭṭhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ, sammāsaṅkappaṁ bhāveti … sammāvācaṁ bhāveti … sammākammantaṁ bhāveti … sammāājīvaṁ bhāveti … sammāvāyāmaṁ bhāveti … sammāsatiṁ bhāveti … sammāsamādhiṁ bhāveti vivekanissitaṁ virāganissitaṁ nirodhanissitaṁ vossaggapariṇāmiṁ.
That’s how a mendicant with good friends develops and cultivates the noble eightfold path.
Evaṁ kho, ānanda, bhikkhu kalyāṇamitto kalyāṇasahāyo kalyāṇasampavaṅko ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bhāveti, ariyaṁ aṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ bahulīkaroti.
And here’s another way to understand how good friends are the whole of the spiritual life.
Tadamināpetaṁ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sakalamevidaṁ brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatāti.
For, by relying on me as a good friend, sentient beings who are liable to rebirth, old age, and death, to sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress are freed from all these things.
Mamañhi, ānanda, kalyāṇamittaṁ āgamma jātidhammā sattā jātiyā parimuccanti, jarādhammā sattā jarāya parimuccanti, byādhidhammā sattā byādhito parimuccanti, maraṇadhammā sattā maraṇena parimuccanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā sattā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsehi parimuccanti.
This is another way to understand how good friends are the whole of the spiritual life.’
Iminā kho etaṁ, ānanda, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā sakalamevidaṁ brahmacariyaṁ—yadidaṁ kalyāṇamittatā kalyāṇasahāyatā kalyāṇasampavaṅkatā’ti.
- Christian’s suggestion of having a master who monitors our progress is valid and essential. It is only valid for people below the sotāpanna stage. It is at the sotāpanna stage that one does not need a master since a sotāpanna is independent in the Dhamma. No matter his negligence and actions, a sotāpanna will become an arahant in a maximum of 7 bhava (state of existence), of course, he or she will never commit apayagami acts. The slightest negligence of a puthujunas can lead him into a very painful niraya like Avīci even if the person practices Dhamma. See the story of Queen Mallika. We must not make the mistake of missing the sotāpanna course because of our ego. It is safer to go and discuss with members of the Sangha to have the best chance. Of course, the person must have enough Kusalas Kamma to understand the Dhamma too. King Ajatasattu is another example of a missed opportunity. He had the Kusalas to become a sotāpanna but, committed anantariya Kamma under the influence of Devadatta. He’s in a niraiya right now. A puthujunas needs to hear the Dhamma from a noble person to attain the sotāpanna stage. We must understand what taking refuge in the Sangha is. Taking refuge in the Sangha means listening to the Dhamma of a noble person, that is to say, a person who has reached at least the sotāpanna stage. Lord Buddha has reached Parinibbāna, it is impossible to see him face to face again. The Dhamma is around us but our ignorance prevents us from seeing it. It takes a noble person to show us the beginning of the path to Nibbāna. It is only a Bodhisatta and a Paccekabodhisatta who are capable of attaining the Dhamma by themselves without the help of people. As beings who do not aspire to Buddhahood, we must associate with noble people to reach the first stage of Nibbāna. Since we did not know who was an ariya or not, the best way was to talk with bhikkhus or bhikkhunis. Of course, an ariya can be a layman or a laywoman. However, it is among the community of monks and nuns that one will be most likely to come across ariyas.
- Sangham saranam gacchami. I go to the Sangha for refuge.
- The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, sincere, systematic, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individuals. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with joined palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’“suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho ujuppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho ñāyappaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho sāmīcippaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā”ti.
Hello Dosakkhayo, go see the Rohitassa sutta to get a good understanding.
Rohitassa was an anariya yogi who died while searching for the end of the universe, long before the Bodhisatta was born. He travelled widely, using his abhinna powers, for a hundred years. Eventually, his body could no longer withstand the pressure, and he died. After his death, he was reborn as Brahma. He then approached Lord Buddha to seek the answer to whether the end of the universe exists.
Just as Sir Lal pointed out, this is one of the unthinkable topics. Yogis of the past tried to reach the end of the universe with Abhinnas powers and all died before reaching their goals. It is impossible to reach the end of the universe. Lord Buddha said that it is by attaining Nibbāna that one reaches the end of the universe.
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 hope for this world or the next.”
Nāsīsatī lokamimaṁ parañcā”ti.
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Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿 You have accumulated a lot of Kusalas Kamma! May these Kusalas help you to achieve Nibbāna as quickly as possible!
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To complete your comment, Christian. It is simply impossible to become sotāpanna alone. A puthujunas must associate with a person who is at least sotāpanna, to become one. Your suggestion of a master who follows our progress is perfect!
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Hi Saurabagh! My advice for you is to surround yourself with noble people and carefully listen to sermons on the Dhamma. After listening, meditate on the teachings and apply them in your daily life. It’s said that reaching the sotāpanna stage is impossible without the guidance of someone who has reached at least the first magga phala stage. Sotapanna has different meanings—it can refer to entering the flow of liberation or listening wisely. “Sota” refers to the ability to listen and “Panna” refers to wisdom. Becoming sotāpanna is achieved through attentive listening, not by sight(for example reading).
This website is designed for those who have already attained the sotāpanna stage and wish to continue progressing. For those who have not yet reached this stage, it is important to listen to teachings and associate with people who have at least attained sotāpanna. A sotāpanna is self-reliant and can progress independently. Regardless of their actions, they will reach the stage of arahant within 7 lifetimes. However, it’s important to note that they will not engage in extreme bad behaviour. See Ratanasutta. Additionally, a sotāpanna who associates with someone who has a higher level is likely to progress more quickly than if they were to progress alone. The Maha Sangha is available to support us, but ultimately, it’s up to each individual to choose their own path. However, it is impossible to become sotāpanna alone!
The best place to find noble individuals is within the Maha Sangha (monastic community). Becoming sotāpanna is not solely achieved through self-study and practice. If that were the case, one would only need to take refuge in the Buddha and the Dhamma, rendering the Sangha unnecessary. See Taking refuge in the Sangha involves listening to the sermons given by noble individuals and following their guidance. If any of the “jewels” (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha) is missing, Nibbāna remains unattainable, which is why we take refuge in the Triple Gem. There are monks from the Jethavaranama Monastery in Sri Lanka who share sermons on their YouTube channels and hold private meetings with lay people. This monastery was founded by a disciple of Venerable Waharaka Thero. If you’re interested, I can refer you to them and they will do a personal online meeting!
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Arahant Sopāka: Enlightened at seven years of age
Early back ground of Arahant Sopāka
During the time of the Buddha, there was a seven-year-old boy named Sopāka. When his natural father died, his mother remarried another man. His stepfather was not a very good man who scolded and beat Sopāka regularly despite his mother’s pleas not to do so. After some time, another baby boy was born to his mother. Since the birth of his younger brother, step father’s attitude towards Sopāka became worse. One day the stepfather decided to get rid of Sopāka for good and while his mother was away from the house, the stepfather took Sopāka to a cemetery ground and tied him to a freshly brought dead body. Sopāka cried pleading with his stepfather not to leave him tied up, but the stepfather turned a deaf ear and went home.
During the night, Sopāka heard the cries of jackals, tigers, leopards and other animals who were coming to the cemetery to feed on the dead bodies. Hearing the cries of those animals, Sopāka became terrified. Shivering in the cold and terrified, Sopāka cried for help but as the cemetery ground was away from the city, no one could hear his cries.
Becoming a Stream Enterer (Sotāpanna)
As the Buddha was surveying the world through the Buddha’s super normal divine vision to see who could be spiritually helped on that day, Sopāka came into the Buddha’s vision. The Buddha saw that young Sopāka who was tied to a dead body in the cemetery was terrified and crying and that he also possessed matured spiritual faculties to gain enlightenment on that day. The Buddha appeared before Sopāka displaying a light of halo rays and said to Sopāka:
“Son, don’t cry. Don’t be afraid. I will help you escape”.
When Sopāka heard the Buddha’s ensuring voice and contemplated the Buddha’s kindness, he attained the first supra mundane stage of Stream Entry (Sotāpanna). The ropes that tied Sopāka to the dead body were broken through the Buddha’s will. The Buddha then consoled and comforted Sopāka and holding his hand, took him to the Jetavana monastery where the Buddha arranged for him to be cleaned and bathed.
Enlightenment and ordination as a novice monk
In the meantime, Sopāka’s mother who had gone out returned to the house and not been able to see her son, enquired from her husband as to where Sopāka was. When he said he did not where Sopāka was, she went out looking for Sopāka but could not find him anywhere. The mother could not sleep the whole night worrying about her son and in her desperation, early next morning she went to the Jetavana Monastery to seek the Buddha’s advice as she had heard that the Buddhas knew all, past, future and present. When she arrived at the monastery, the Buddha through supernormal power, made Sopāka invisible to his mother.
When Sopāka’s mother said to the Buddha: “Venerable Sir, I cannot find my son anywhere”, the Buddha gave the following brief sermon to her.
“Sons are no shelter nor father, nor any kinsfolk.
For one overtaken by death, blood bond is no refuge.”
When the mother heard the Buddha’s brief sermon, she became a Stream Enterer (Sotāpanna), while Sopāka having heard the same sermon given to his mother, gained enlightenment as an Arahant. Then the Buddha made Sopāka visible to his mother who was overjoyed to see her son. When the mother was told that Sopāka had gained enlightenment as an Arahant, she consented for him to go forth and ordain as a novice monk.
Higher ordination
Shortly afterwards, the Buddha wanted to consider offering higher ordination (upasampadā) to novice Sopāka and asked him ten questions which are recorded in the Khuddaka pātha of the Khuddaka Nikāya (collection of the Buddha’s minor discourses as the “Boy’s questions (Kumāra panha). The ten questions asked by the Buddha and the answers given by novice Sopāka are as follows:
What is one?
All beings subsist on food.
[The Buddha has described four types of food: Physical food (kabalinkāhāra), sense impression (phassāhāra), volitional thoughts (mano sancetanāhāra) and consciousness (viññānāhāra)]
What is two?
Name and form.
[All mental and physical phenomena (nāma rūpa)]
What is three?
The three types of feeling.
[Pleasant feeling (sukha vedanā), painful feeling (dukkha vedanā), neutral feeling (upekhā vedanā)]
What is four?
The four Noble Truths.
[Truth of suffering (dukkha sacca), the truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya sacca), the truth of the cessation of suffering (nirodha sacca) and the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering (magga sacca).]
What is five?
The five aggregates of clinging.
[Form (rūpa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), mental formation (sankhāra) and consciousness (viññāna).]
What is six?
The six internal sense doors.
[Eye (cakku), ear (sota), nose (ghāna), tongue (jivhā), body (kāya) and mind (mana).]
What is seven?
The seven factors of enlightenment.
[Mindfulness (sati), analysis of qualities (dhamma vicaya), effort (viriya), rapture (pīti), tranquillity (passaddhi), concentration (samādhi) and equanimity (upekhā).]
What is eight?
The Noble Eightfold Path.
[Right view (sammā-ditthi), right intention (sammā-sankappa), right speech (sammā-vācā), right action (sammā-kammanta), right livelihood (sammā-ājīva), right effort (sammā-vāyāma), right mindfulness (sammā-sati) and right concentration (sammā-samādhi)]
What is nine?
The nine abodes of beings.
[Beings with diversity of body and diversity of perception, beings with diversity of body and singularity of perception, beings with singularity of body and diversity of perception, beings with singularity of body and singularity of perception, dimension of the infinitude of space, dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, dimension of nothingness, dimension of non-percipient beings, dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.]
What is ten?
One endowed with ten qualities is called an Arahant.
[Right view (sammā-ditthi), right intention (sammā-sankappa), right speech (sammā-vācā), right action (sammā-kammanta), right livelihood (sammā-ājīva), right effort (sammā-vāyāma), right mindfulness (sammā-sati), right concentration (sammā-samādhi), right knowledge (sammā nāna) and right liberation (sammā vimutti).]
Novice Sopāka gave all the right answers to the ten questions asked by the Buddha, and making that the basis, the Buddha offered him the higher ordination. The following are the verses by Arahant Sopāka recorded in Theragāthā, one of the fifteen books of the Khuddaka Nikāya.
480. The shadow of the Buddha’s hut fell on his walking path. The best of men, the Buddha, was doing walking meditation there. I went up to him. I worshiped him, the best of men, the Buddha.
481. I arranged in my robe, putting it over one shoulder. Placing my hands together, I too started walking behind the Buddha, the one who is freed from defilements, the best of all beings.
482. The Buddha who is extremely skilled in answering questions asked me questions. At that time, I was not scared or terrified at all to answer. I answered all the questions.
483. The Tathāgata Buddha was pleased with the way I answered the questions. Looking at the community of monks, the Buddha said this about me:
484. “The people of Ānga and Magadha offer robes, food, resting places and medicine to this young monk Sopāka. This young Sopāka uses them. It’s a great gain for those people. Those people, having seen this young monk, get up from their seats and pay respect to him. It’s a great gain for those people. Those people have Dhamma discussions with this young monk. It’s a great gain for them.
485. Dear Sopāka, from today onwards you should come to see me. Dear Sopāka, just your answering of my questions is your higher ordination.”
486. I was just seven years old when I received a higher ordination. I too attained the Triple Knowledge. Ah! See the excellence of this Dhamma.
These verses by Arahant Sopāka state in his own words that he answered the questions from the Buddha and received higher ordination at the age of seven years. By stating that he attained the triple knowledge, he has also confirmed that he gained enlightenment as an Arahant at the age of seven years.
Significance of gratitude in Theravada Buddhism
The ability to experience a positive feeling of gratitude can vary from person to person. While it can spontaneously arise in some people more frequently than in others, others may need to put some effort to help it arise and others find it difficult to feel a sense of gratitude for things done to oneself by others. When one looks around, one is likely to find out that those who have a natural tendency to feel and express gratitude are rare while the vast majority of people do not have that natural tendency in themselves. The fact that gratitude is a rare human quality has been said by the Buddha himself in the Dullabha sutta of the Anguttara Nikāya (collection of the Buddha’s numerical discourses) as follows:
“Monks, the appearance of three people is rare in the world. What three? A Realised One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha. A person who teaches the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realised One. A person who is grateful and thankful. The appearance of these three people is rare in the world.”
In the Pingiyānī sutta of the Anguttara Nikāya, addressing a group of five hundred Licchavi householders, the Buddha described a person who is grateful and thankful as one of the five rare treasures in the world. The Buddha said:
“Licchavis, the appearance of five treasures is rare in the world. What five?
1. A Realised One, a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha.
2. A person who explains the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realised One.
3. A person who understands the teaching and training proclaimed by a Realised One.
4. A person who practises in line with the teaching.
5. A person who is grateful and thankful.”
It can be seen that disciples of the Buddha, both lay and monastic, make various offerings to the Buddha as a part of their religious practice. They are aware that they cannot expect to attain their liberation from suffering through these offerings because according to the Buddha’s teaching, one has to work towards one’s liberation and even the Buddha cannot liberate someone else. The main purpose of making such offerings to the Buddha is to pay homage and show gratitude to the great teacher who selflessly struggled to discover the path of liberation from suffering with no assistance from any teacher, and then taught it to the world so that others can also practise the same path and attain their liberation. Buddhist disciples are also encouraged to show gratitude to one’s teachers, monastics, spiritual friends and anyone else who has helped and supported them even in a very small manner. Another common religious practice among the Buddhist disciples is to perform various meritorious actions and transfer the merit earned from them to relatives, friends and others both living and dead. This practice can also be seen as a gesture of showing one’s appreciation and gratitude to them for whatever they may have done to help and support in one way or the other.
Excellent !!!🙏🏿
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Lagrade, I admit that the site uses advanced terms and concepts that are difficult for a beginner to understand. Even I didn’t understand certain concepts. This site is more suitable for those who are advanced. I suggest focusing on the monastery sermons because they are very suitable for beginners. They use terms that are easy for non-Buddhists and new Buddhists to grasp. If you want, I can put you in contact with monks who can give you private sermons adapted to your understanding. To begin on the path to the end of suffering, a person who has reached at least the first level of the path (Sotāpanna) must explain it to us. We cannot reach the first stage by reading, we must hear it with our ears. It is When one becomes Sotāpanna that one becomes independent and no longer needs to hear. An average human must hear with their ears, to reach the first stage. This is a personal recommendation, but I advise you to speak with the monks of the monastery to facilitate your understanding and assimilation of the Dhamma! You can contact me at my email [email protected] if you are interested!
