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Sir Lal, I wanted to point out that the text I shared earlier is not my own. It is from the website Tipitaka.net and contains a poorly translated version of the concepts of Annica and Anatta. I agree with you that the translation is not accurate. If you would like to review the text, you can click on the link I provided.
- Unfortunately, it is beyond our control to address the distortion of Tilakkhana in Theravada texts. We can only do our best to seek out accurate translations and interpretations.
Dhammapada Verse 344 Vibbhantabhikkhu Vatthu
The Story of an Ex-Bhikkhu
While residing at the Veluvana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (344) of this book, concerning a bhikkhu who was a pupil of the Venerable Mahakassapa.
As a pupil of the Venerable Mahakassapa, this bhikkhu had achieved the four mental absorptions (jhanas). But one day, as he went for alms food at his uncle’s house, he saw a woman and felt a great desire to have her. Then he left the Order of the Bhikkhus. As a layman, he was a failure as he did not work hard. So, his uncle drove him out of the house, and subsequently, he became mixed up with some thieves. All of them were caught by the authorities and were taken to the cemetery to be executed. The Venerable Mahakassapa saw his pupil as he was being led out and said to him, “My pupil, keep your mind steadfastly on a subject of meditation.” As instructed, he concentrated and let himself be established in deep mental absorption. At the cemetery, while the executioners were making preparations to kill him, the ex-bhikkhu was very much composed and showed no signs of fear or anxiety. The executioners and the onlookers were awe-struck and very much impressed by the man’s courage and composure and they reported about him to the king and also to the Buddha. The king gave orders to release the man. The Buddha on hearing about the matter sent his radiance and appeared to the thief as if in person.
Then the Buddha spoke to him in verse as follows:
Verse 344: Having left the forest of desire (i.e., the life of a householder), he takes to the forest of the practice (i.e., the life of a bhikkhu); but when he is free from the forest of desire he rushes back to that very forest. Come, look at that man who having become free rushes back into that very bondage.
At the end of the discourse, the thief who was steadfastly keeping his mind on the arising and perishing of the aggregates discerned the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and non-self nature of all conditioned things and soon attained Sotapatti Fruition. Later, he went to the Buddha at the Jetavana monastery, where he was again admitted to the Order by the Buddha, and he instantly attained Arahatship.
This story highlights that our efforts, no matter how small, are never in vain. We might think that we are not capable of understanding the Dhamma and give up easily. However, it’s essential to persevere in our efforts towards the Dhamma. Our mental state can change rapidly from one state to another, even within a single lifetime. This thief had the potential to become an Ariya by becoming a Bhikkhu, and he had the gati of a Brahma (he developed the 4 Jhanas). However, he became a thief as he had not even reached the sotāpanna stage (Because of distorted Sanna and Kāma ragā). This is another example of the fragility of Anariya Jhanas. He acquired the gati of a being of the Apayas, and during his execution, he would have died with a high Dosa. But thanks to the intervention of the Venerable Arahant Mahakassapa, he regained mastery of his jhanas even though he was about to die. If he had been executed, he would have been reborn in a Brahma world. But with the help of Lord Buddha, he became a sotāpanna, which eliminated the possibility of him becoming a thief again. He finally became an arahant and eliminated all possibilities of future rebirth. He also acquired the Ariyas Jhanas, which were unbreakable until his parinibbãna.
Thank you for the response, Sir. I wanted to make sure I understood correctly. King Suddhodana enjoyed arahant phala for a few days and died right after.
When this was said, the wanderer Vacchagotta said to the Buddha: “Master Gotama, has there been any householder who, without giving up the householder fetter, with the breaking up of the body, has made an end of suffering?”
“No, Vaccha, no householder, without giving up the householder fetter, with the breaking up of the body, has made an end of suffering.”
Is Lord Buddha saying that it is impossible to be a lay arahant, in this sutta? Unless I didn’t understand the meaning of this sutta. We all know that King Arahant Suddhodana and Arahant Santati attained parinibbānna as laymen.
THE FOOL WHO THINKS HE IS WISE IS A FOOL INDEED
The 423 verses are divided into 26 chapters or vaggas, each with a particular heading. The fifth chapter is named “Bala vagga” meaning the chapter of “Fools”, which contains 16 verses said by the Buddha. The background story of the 63rd verse, which is the 4th verse of the Bala vagga is about two pick-pockets who went to the Jetavana monastery. While one listened to the Buddha’s teaching and became a Stream Enterer (Sotapanna), the other was preoccupied with stealing money from a disciple.
The background story of verses 63
At one time the Buddha was staying at the Jetavana monastery in Sāvatti which was donated to the Buddha by the chief benefactor Anāthapindika.
At one time, the Buddha was giving a Dhamma discourse at the Jetavana monastery. A group of lay disciples from Savatti visited the Jetavana monastery to listen to the Buddha’s discourse and two pick-pockets also joined this group and went to the monastery. When the Buddha was delivering the Dhamma discourse, one of the pick-pockets listened to it very attentively and as a result, he understood the Dhamma and attained the supra mundane stage of Stream Enterer (Sotapanna). The other pick-pocket did not listen to what the Buddha was saying as he was preoccupied with the thought of stealing some money from those listening to the Buddha. He managed to steal a small amount of money from one of the lay disciples listening to the Buddha’s discourse. After the discourse, the two pick-pockets went back to the house of the pick-pocket who stole the money to have a meal. His wife, who was cooking the meal, taunted the other pick-pocket, saying to him: “You are so wise, you don’t have any money to even cook a meal in your house.” When he heard this comment from the other pick-pocket’s wife, he thought, “This woman is so foolish that she thinks she is being very clever.” Then he went to the Buddha accompanied by some of his relatives and told the Buddha what happened.
Then, the Buddha recited the following verse, recorded as the 63rd verse of the Dhammapada.
“Yo bālo maññati bālyaṁ,
pandito vāpi tena so,
bālo ca panditamānī,
sa ve bālo ti vuccati.”
“The fool who knows his foolishness can, for that reason, be a wise man;
the fool who thinks that he is wise is a fool indeed.”
- This is an example of someone going from darkness to light. See #48355. He comes with bad intentions and he leaves as Sotāpanna. Unfortunately, in the world, the vast majority of humans are like this man’s wife. They think they are wise by committing akusalas to enjoy sensual pleasures. Think of this type of person who says, “Why didn’t you lie so we could take advantage of this tax cut? Don’t you know how to lie?” “You were stupid not to take the opportunity to sleep with this beautiful woman. Her husband wouldn’t have known anything.” There are plenty of other examples of situations where people think they are being wise. They do not see the danger, just like an insect that is attracted by the sweet taste of a carnivorous plant. Let us become like the first thief who realized the inability to maintain things to our liking (Annica) by becoming Sotāpanna.
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Thank you, Sir Lal 🙏🏿
“Live now think later”. This is their motto, unfortunately, it is very widespread. Enjoy sensual pleasures at all costs and then end up in the Apayas.
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.
Sir Lal, I have often heard the term asaṅkhyeyya more than Maha Kappa. When it is said that the bodhisatta developed the 10 paramis for four asaṅkheyya and 100,000 kappa. So that means for 4 immeasurable durations of time and 100,000 kappa?
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
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You can give more explanations my friend, I may be missing an important point and my explanation may be very incorrect without me knowing it. Otherwise, yes, as you said the ultimate goal is Nibbāna regardless of the points of view, it is important to get rid of the three poisons which are Moha, Lobha, and Dosa. No matter our level of understanding our efforts towards Nibbāna are not in vain. I remember you saying you wanted to become a Lord Buddha. May your noble wish come true as quickly as possible, my friend🙏🏿.
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DAHARA SUTTA: DISCOURSE ON THE YOUNG
“These four, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
“What four?”
“A noble warrior, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
“A snake, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
“A fire, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
“A monk, Great King, should not be looked down upon for being young, should not be belittled for being young.”
Let us not forget that Venerable Maha Mogallana became an arahant in one week and Venerable Sariputta took two weeks.
- However, Venerable Sariputta is the first in wisdom among all the disciples of Lord Gautama. Can we say that Venerable Maha Mogallana has higher spiritual faculties than Venerable Sariputta?? Arahant Santati was sad after the death of his dancer, and was returning from war when he saw Lord Buddha, and a few moments later he realized Nibbāna by listening to a simple verse. Can we say that his spiritual faculties were higher than Venerable Sariputta and Venerable Maha Mogallana?? I believe it is more prudent to stick to Venerable Revatta’s explanation about the 4 types of people rather than speaking in terms of faculties (indriya). I don’t think someone who has a high level of Panna, sati, and samadhi would indulge in alcohol and sensual pleasures easily. Not that your description is completely wrong, friend Sammasambodhi, but that of Venerable Revatta is better suited.
- Venerable Maha Mogallana is the highest in terms of Samadhi among these three arahants. His faculty of Samadhi was superior. He became an arahant by developing all the jhanas. Venerable Sariputta became an arahant by listening to a discourse. His wisdom surpassed all others after Lord Buddha. The layman Arahant Santati became an arahant by listening to a discourse and he developed all the abhinnas. In terms of Silā, they are all equal and an arahant will never break any of the precepts. However, before they reached magga phala they had different degrees. Minister Santati was returning from a war. He probably killed and then indulged in alcohol. He did not have high faculties. Sariputta and Maha Mogallana before meeting Lord Buddha were yogis who had renounced their wealth for the search for Nibbāna. It is safe to say that they did not have the same faculties at all, yet they are the first type of people. Santati had a very low sila compared to Maha Mogallana and Sariputta.
- What is certain is that all three of these arahants are of the first type of person. Venerable Maha Mogallana and Sariputta became sotāpanna by listening to a verse and the layman Santati became arahant with all the abhinnas by listening to a few lines of Lord Buddha. Each of us has different levels of faculties but the 1st and 2nd types of people appear only when a Lord Buddha is in the world, according to the commentaries. Today we are either in the 3 or 4 types with different levels of Silā, Samadhi, and Pānna. This is why it is a little incorrect to speak in terms of faculties.
