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Dhamma Issues, Ch 2, Fruition-attainment, no 1

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  • nina van gorkom
    Foundation Bulletin, translated from Thai. Dhamma Issues, Ch 2, Fruition-attainment, no 1 Fruition Attainment, Phala-samåpatti Issue of analysis: Can the
    Message 1 of 2 , Dec 24, 2002
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      Foundation Bulletin, translated from Thai.

      Dhamma Issues, Ch 2, Fruition-attainment, no 1

      Fruition Attainment, Phala-samåpatti

      Issue of analysis: Can the ariyan who has not attained jhåna enter fruition
      attainment, phala-samåpatti? (1

      The conclusion regarding the issue of analysis: The ariyan who has not
      attained jhåna is not able to enter fruition attainment.

      The sources which support the conclusion of this issue:
      1. Gradual Sayings, Book of the Sixes, Ch 1, § 9, Mahånåma.
      2. Middle Length Sayings I, 44, Lesser Discourse of the Miscellany
      (Cúlavedallasutta)
      3. Paramatthadípaní, Commentary to the Udåna, Khuddaka Nikåya. Commentary to
      Ch 1, Enlightenment.
      4. Saddhammappakåsiní, Commentary to the Patisambhidåmagga, Path of
      Discrimination, Khuddaka Nikåya.
      5. Visuddhimagga, Ch XXIII, Description of the Benefits in Developing
      Understanding, and Ch XI, Description of Concentration, Conclusion, XI, 120:
      The Benefits of Developing Concentration.
      6. Paramattha Mañjúsa, Commentary to the Visuddhimagga (Mahå-tíka),
      explanation about the benefit of concentration.
      7. Såratthadípaní, subcommentary to the Vinaya, about Vijjå, Knowledge.

      The sources which explain the reasons for this conclusion:
      1. We read in the Gradual Sayings, Book of the Sixes, Ch 1, § 9, Mahånåma,
      about six kinds of ³everminding² (anussati). The Sutta states that Mahånåma,
      the Sakya asked the Buddha:

      ³Lord, the Ariyan disciple who has won the fruit (ågato phalo), grasped the
      message (viññåta-såsano), what life lives he in abundance ?²(2
      ³Mahånåma, the Ariyan disciple who has won the fruit, grasped the message,
      lives this life in abundance:
      The Ariyan disciple, Mahånåma, is ever minding the Tathågata: ŒHe is the
      Exalted One, arahant, fully enlightened, perfected in knowledge and way of
      life, one well-gone, a knower of the worlds, none higher, a tamer of tamable
      men, a teacher, the awake among devas and men, the Exalted One!¹ Mahånåma,
      what time the Ariyan disiple minds the Tathågata, his heart is never
      overwhelmed by passion, never overwhelmed by hatred, never overwhelmed by
      infatuation; then, verily, is the way of his heart made straight because of
      the Tathågata. And with his heart¹s ways straightened, Mahånåma, the Ariyan
      disciple becomes zealous of the goal, zealous of Dhamma, wins the joy that
      is linked to Dhamma (3 ; and of his joy zest (píti) is born; when his mind
      is rapt in zest, his whole being becomes calm; calm in being, he experiences
      ease; and of him that dwells at ease the heart is composed.
      Mahånåma, of this Ariyan disciple it is said: Among uneven folk he lives
      evenly; among troubled folk he lives untroubled; with the ear for Dhamma
      won, he makes become the ever minding of the Buddha...²(4

      Thus we see that the abiding (vihåra dhammas) of the ariyan disciple without
      jhåna-attainment are the six Recollections, not fruition attainment.

      Footnotes

      1. When paññå has been developed to the degree that enlightenment can be
      attained, lokuttara cittas, supramundane cittas experiencing nibbåna arise.
      The magga-citta (path-consciousness), which is lokuttara kusala citta,
      directly experiences nibbåna. When the magga-citta has fallen away, it is
      immediately succeeded by its result, the phala-citta
      (fruition-consciousness), which is lokuttara vipåkacitta, also experiencing
      nibbåna. There are four stages of enlightenment and at each stage
      defilements are eradicated by the magga-citta until they are all eradicated
      at the fourth stage, the stage of the arahat. The magga-citta of a
      particular stage of enlightenment arises only once in the cycle of birth and
      death. However, the phala-citta can arise again later on during that life,
      if enlightenment has been attained with lokuttara jhånacittas
      (Visuddhimagga, Ch III-XII). Someone who has developed jhåna and acquired
      ³mastery² in jhåna (Visuddhimagga IV, 131) and also develops insight can
      attain enlightenment with lokuttara jhånacitta, lokuttara citta accompanied
      by jhåna-factors of one of the stages of jhåna. The phala-citta which is
      accompanied by jhåna-factors can arise many times again during that life,
      experiencing nibbåna. This attainment is called fruition-attainment,
      phala-samåpatti.
      Fruition attainment, phala-samåpatti, has been explained in the
      ³Visuddhimagga², Ch XXIII, Description of the Benefits in Developing
      Understanding (explaining who can enter fruition attainment and who cannot).
      The text (Vis. XXIII, 6,7) stating: ³All ariyans can enter
      fruition-attainment² can be misunderstood when we do not know the context.
      People may erroneously think that all ariyans can attain
      fruition-attainment. This is the subject of this Dhamma issue.
      2. He lives in abundance, in Pali: bahulam viharåti. He abides with six
      vihåra dhammas, six recollections: recollection of the Buddha, the Dhamma,
      the Sangha, síla, the devas and liberality.
      3. Attha--vedaÿ, dhamma-vedaÿ. According to the Commentary, veda, which can
      mean knowledge, is here píti-påmojjaÿ (rapture and delight) arising with
      respect to aììha-kathå (explanation of the meaning) and påîi, which means
      text. Attha is here translated as goal, but it can also mean: the meaning.
      4. The same is said with regard to the other five recollections. With these
      six Recollections as meditation subjects, the ariyan can attain access
      concentration but not attainment concentration (appanå-samådhi) or jhåna.
      His unshakable confidence in the Triple Gem conditions calm and happiness.
      It is said that he lives in happiness, but, as we shall see, this is an
      abiding different from the ³peaceful abiding², arana vihåra, which is
      fruition-attainment.
    • htootintnaing
      ... wrote: Foundation Bulletin, translated from Thai. Dhamma Issues, Ch 2, Fruition-attainment, no 1 Fruition Attainment, Phala-samåpatti Issue of analysis:
      Message 2 of 2 , Sep 30, 2004
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        --- In dhammastudygroup@yahoogroups.com, nina van gorkom <nilo@e...>
        wrote:

        Foundation Bulletin, translated from Thai.
        Dhamma Issues, Ch 2, Fruition-attainment, no 1
        Fruition Attainment, Phala-samåpatti

        Issue of analysis: Can the ariyan who has not attained jhåna enter
        fruition attainment, phala-samåpatti? (1

        The conclusion regarding the issue of analysis: The ariyan who has not
        attained jhåna is not able to enter fruition attainment.

        The sources which support the conclusion of this issue:
        1. Gradual Sayings, Book of the Sixes, Ch 1, § 9, Mahånåma.
        2. Middle Length Sayings I, 44, Lesser Discourse of

        ...snip...snip..snip

        > abiding different from the ³peaceful abiding², arana
        vihåra, which
        is
        > fruition-attainment.
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------
        Dear Sarah and Nina,

        Thanks Sarah for your kind suggestion and Nina for her kind effort in
        writing up this message. The old message was snipped nearly all as
        all have read in their past.

        Regarding samapatti, I am still thinking non-jhanalabhi sotapam,
        sakadagam, and anagam can stay in phala samapatti.

        I hope Nina will repeat them here.

        With Metta,

        Htoo Naing
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