Dear Nina,

Thanks for the reply. I think the points in the first part of your post
have already been addressed in my reply to Jim.

>Now here we have the word Buddhas' sons to consider. In this connection I
>also have heard the word Mahaa-purisa.
>Moreover, the anapanasati is basis for the development of distinctive
>qualities (in Thia: khunvised): is this the four analytical knowledges?
> That is only for superior persons, mahaa-purisas, and they do not exist
>in this world, not now in this time.

I will assume for now that the Thai phrase you are referring to is a
translation of visesaadhigama, 'attained to (or arrived at) distinction'.
In that case I doubt whether it would be limited to the four analytical
knowledges, though these would no doubt be included in the term. The
commonest glosses of this are 'samaadhi and vipassanaa', 'the nine
supramundane dhammas', and 'states beyond the human'
(uttarimanussadhammaa). In the Vinaya commentaries' and sub-commentaries'
treatment of the fourth paraajika rule (concerning false claims by
bhikkhus) 'states beyond the human' is explained as the eight ariyan paths
and fruits, the four jhaanas, four formless spheres and then all of the
various jhaana-born special faculties (three vijjaa, six abhi~n~naa etc.).

In short, the term 'distinction' seems to be a catch-all for all of the
states produced in the advanced stages of samatha and vipassanaa.

Best wishes,

Robert