---
Dear Dimitry,
The term panna-vimutto includes sukkha-vipassaka who have no jhana,
and it can also include, depending on context, those who have
experienced some jhanas.
If you study the rest of the commentary to the sutta you quote it is
made explicit that the arahants referred to were sukkha-vipassaka and
that this term means those who have no jhana ability:
Section 70, Susima Sutta Va.n.nanaa, Samyuttanikaaya A.t.thakathaa
"Api pana tvam, susimaati idam kasmaa aarabhi? Nijjhaa
nakaanam sukkhavipassakabhikkhuunam paaka.takara.nattham.
Ayañhettha adhippaayo– na kevalam tvameva nijjhaanako
sukkhavipassako, etepi bhikkhuu evaruupaayevaati."

"Why did the Buddha start this line "Api pana tvam, susimaati"? He
did so in order to show the existence of the monks who are Arahants
without jhaanas. This is the paraphrase here – `You are not the only
Arahant without jhaanas. These monks are also the same as you.' "
(Suan Lu zwa translation)
RobertK


In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "Dimitry A. Ivakhnenko (Äìèòðèé Àëåêñååâè÷
Èâàõíåíêî)" <koleso@...> wrote:

> 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