"Äìèò?èé Èâàõíåíêî (Dimitry Ivakhnenko)" wrote:

> Peter Masefield wrote:
>
> PM> Such teachings were imparted through an oral progressive
> PM> revelation, culminating in a vision of the goal, nirvana, being
> PM> communicated to the convert, as a result of which the latter was
> PM> not only severed from his past karma, both good and bad, but also
> PM> spiritually reborn onto the supermundane path which, since it
> PM> prevented further accumulation of karma, guaranteed attainment of
> PM> liberation from rebirth.
>
> Does it imply that "oral initiation" suttas, especially those after
> monks were enlightened, are actually deliberately designed
> step-by-step instructions on investigating sankharas, and reading them
> as analytical treatises with unnecessary repetitions means missing the
> whole point of suttas?

I am sorry to say that I do not entirely understand the question. The oral
revelation, known as the anupubbikathaa, is constantly documented throughout the
Nikaayas, though it should be added that many of the early editions of these texts,
and their translations, by the Pali Text Society are so highly abbreviated, that
this point frequently becomes lost on the casual reader.

Typical is the case of Suppabuddha who, as a leper, could never have beccome a monk.
I will let the Udaana passage speak for itself:

And Suppabuddha the leper saw, even from afar, that great body of people who had
congregated together and, upon seeing them, this occurred to him: “Without doubt,
some food, either hard or soft, is being distributed here. Suppose I were now to
approach that great body of people. I reckon that I might obtain some food, either
hand or soft, here”.
Then Suppabuddha the leper approached that great body of people. And Suppabuddha
the leper then saw the Lord seated teaching Dhamma, surrounded by a great assembly
and, upon seeing them, this occurred to him: “No food, either hard nor soft, is
being distributed here. The recluse Gotama is this, teaching Dhamma amidst an
assembly. Suppose I, too, were to hear Dhamma”, whereupon he, there and then,
seated himself to one side, thinking that he, too, would hear Dhamma.
Then the Lord [49] embraced and attended to, with his (own) mind, the mind of that
that all-inclusive assembly, wondering whether there were, in the present case,
anyone capable of perceiving Dhamma. And the Lord saw Suppabuddha the leper seated
amidst that assembly and, upon seeing him, this occurred to him: “This one is, in
the present case, one capable of perceiving Dhamma”. (So) for Suppabuddha the
leper, he talked a progressive talk, that is to say, talk on almsgiving, talk on
morality, talk on heaven; he made manifest the peril, the degradation, the
corruption, of sense-desires, the advantage associated with (their) renunciation.
When the Lord knew Suppabuddha the leper to be of ready heart, of malleable heart,
with a heart devoid of the hindrances, of uplifted heart, of devout heart, then did
he make manifest that which is the Dhamma-teaching of the Buddhas they have
themselves discovered, viz. dukkha, uprising, cessation (and the) path. Moreover,
just as they say a cleaned cloth from which the black specks have departed might
properly accept the dye, even so did there arise to Suppabuddha the leper, still on
that same seat, the dustless, stainless Dhammacakkhu, viz. that whatever is of a
nature to uprise, all that is of a nature to cease.
Then Suppabuddha the leper, as one who had seen Dhamma, reached Dhamma, fathomed
Dhamma, become completely immersed in Dhamma, as one who had crossed over doubt, one
for whom inquisitive talk had disappeared, one who had reached confidence, one not
conditional upon another where the Teacher’s Teaching is concerned, arose from his
seat and approached the Lord; and, having approached, he greeted the Lord and then
seated himself to one side. And, so seated to one side, Suppabuddha the leper said
this to the Lord:
“It is a marvel, Lord, it is a marvel, Lord. Moreover, just as, Lord, one might
set upright that which had been turned upside down, or reveal that which had been
hidden, or identify the path to one who had got lost, or bring an oil-lamp into the
dimness so that those with eyes would see sight-objects, even so has this Dhamma
been made manifest in countless ways by the Lord. This same I, Lord, goes to the
Lord as refuge, to the Dhamma and to the order of monks; may the Lord accept me as a
layfollower such that: ‘Beginning with today, whilst furnished with life’s breath, I
be one gone (thereto) as refuge’ ”.
Then Suppabuddha the leper, as one who had had (Dhamma) indicated to him, who had
been made to take it up, who had been made keen and who had been made to bristle
with excitement with Dhamma-talk by the Lord, having rejoiced at that spoken by the
Lord, and shown his appreciation, arose from his seat, greeted the Lord,
circumambulated him by the right and then departed, whereupon a cow with a year-old
calf collided with Suppabuddha the leper, not long after he had departed, and
deprived him of his life.

When the monks subsequently enquire as to Suppabuddha's fate, the Buddha replies:

“Wise, monks, was Suppabuddha the leper; he practised that Dhamma that accords with
Dhamma. And he was not one to vex me on the basis of Dhamma. Suppabuddha the
leper, monks, through the complete exhaustion of three fetters, is a sotåpanna, one
not liable to the Downfall, one who is assured, one whose final recourse is
enlightenment”.

In other words, Suppabuddha had become, through this single Dhamma-talk, a
sotaapanna, and thus a member of the third jewel, or aiyasa"ngha.

Now, a good many monks were members also of this sa"ngha, as were many laymen and
devas; and one must always remember, when reading the texts, to consider whether the
sutta in question, including those dealing with the sa"nkhaaras, was delivered to
those who had already been enlightened by means of such a progressive talk, or to
people in general.

I hope I may have answered the question. If not, please be a little more specific.

Peter Masefield.