Hello Dimitri,

Sorry but I cannot help you in the interpretation of the Pali words. But in
relation to your question �whether jhanas are necessary for the attainment
of Arahantship� there are arguments that would justify one interpretation or
the other.

The Pali Canon has plenty of examples of someone listening to a discourse
and achieving some level of sainthood. The example that comes to mind is
Konda��a in the first discourse of the Buda - The Dhammacakkapavattana
Sutta. One would argue that there was no jhana involved in those cases.

On the other hand there are plenty of suttas where the Buddha or one of his
disciples describes the course of training in his Dhamma and Jhanas are
always included. Just to mention an example, you will find this in the
Culahatthipadopama Sutta � MN 27. And we should also not forget that one of
the elements of the Noble Eigthfold Path is Right Concentration (Samma
Samadhi) which comprises the Jhanas. If jhanas were not necessary why
include them in the Noble Eigthfold Path?

My conclusion is that there were/are probably some very gifted individuals,
with huge accumulated paramis that could/can achieve a level of sainthood
without jhanas. But the best advice and insurance for all would be to
include samma samadhi as part of their path.

Metta
Michael

>From: "Dimitry A. Ivakhnenko (������� ���������� ���������)"
><koleso@...>
>Reply-To: Pali@yahoogroups.com
>To: Pali@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [Pali] Necessity of jhanas: panna-vimutto and sukkhavipassako
>Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 15:15:45 +0300
>
>Dear Pali friends,
>
>There is a somewhat controversial question on whether jhanas are
>necessary for the attainment of Arahantship.
>
>One of the issues is the interpretation of "pa~n~naavimutto" or "one
>released through wisdom". Please tell your opinion on the passage
>below.
>
>In Kitagiri Sutta (MN 70) it is said:
>
>"Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo pa~n~naavimutto? Idha, bhikkhave,
>ekacco puggalo ye te santaa vimokkhaa atikkamma ruupe aaruppaa te na
>kaayena phusitvaa viharati, pa~n~naaya cassa disvaa aasavaa
>parikkhii.naa honti. Aya.m vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo
>pa~n~naavimutto.
>
>Monks, who is a person released through wisdom? Here, monks, a certain
>person, having surpassed peaceful corporeal releases, does not
>experience incorporeal peaceful releases with the body, curbing
>influxes by seeing them with wisdom. This one, monks, is called "released
>through wisdom".
>
>Full translation can be found at:
>http://metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/2Majjhima-Nikaya/Majjhima2/070-kitagiri-e1.htm
>
>Ven. Santikaro Bhikkhu on ( buddhadasa@yahoogroups.com )kindly noted that:
>%%% In note 703 to his translation, Bhikkhu Bodhi -- following Commentary
>-- says that this passage refers to those who attain Arahant liberation
>through either dry-insight (nojhanaexperience) or only one or more of
>therupa-jhana. To my limited knowledge, "dry-insight" is a Commentary term,
>not Sutta. Tho my Pali is limited, too, I notice "sukkhavipassako"
>(dry-insight meditator) in the Commentary passage below.
>
>The Commentary says:
>
>Pa~n~naavimuttoti pa~n~naaya vimutto. So sukkhavipassako, catuuhi
>jhaanehi vu.t.thaaya arahatta.m pattaa cattaaro caati imesa.m vasena
>pa~ncavidhova hoti. Paa.li panettha a.t.thavimokkhapa.tikkhepavaseneva
>aagataa. Yathaaha- "na heva kho a.t.tha vimokkhe kaayena phusitvaa
>viharati, pa~n~naaya cassa disvaa aasavaa parikkhii.naa honti. Aya.m
>vuccati puggalo pa~n~naavimutto"ti.
>
>Despite Bhikkhu Bodhi's note, I don't see in the commentary any "or"
>between 'sukkhavipassako" and the experience of four jhanas.
>Both sutta and commentary point out that the one released through
>discernment (pa~n~naa) attains only first four jhanas, and not the formless
>(arupa) ones. Thus this passage indicates that jhana has a role to
>play to one released through discernment, and sukkhavipassako attains
>form jhanas.
>
>I would like to ask your qualified opinion on the meaning of this
>passage, and the meaning of 'pa~n~naa-vimutto' in suttas and
>'sukkhavipassako' in commentaries.
>
>Metta,
> Dimitry
>
>

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