Dear Nina and friends,

thanks for the excellent answer, Nina. I am back in Singapore for
Chinese New Year celebrations, and is recovering from some throat
inflammation. This is why it takes me a while for this reply.

I have recently come across someone (online) who addresses himself as
a sotapanna. Is this not an act or manifestation of attachment and
pride? What does the Buddha advise people about giving themselves the
title sotapanna before their names? Furthermore, should a sotapanna,
after realising that s/he has achieved the first stage of sainthood,
seek verification or confirmation from the ariyans? This may, of
course, be a daunting task today.

I have a separate question. I have long heard that the continuation
of the Buddhadhamma is possible as long as there are at least four
arhats living in the world. Where can we find this piece of
information in the Tipitaka? Thank you.


with metta,
Yong Peng.

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Nina van Gorkom wrote:

Y.P.: How and when does a person know he has become a sotapanna?

N: He must develop the right cause leading to this stage of
enlightenment. This is a long learning process. He must develop all
stages of insight. He should have friendship with the wise, listen to
the Dhamma and consider it wisely. Then intellectual understanding of
mental phenomena, naama, and material phenomena, ruupa, can grow, and
this is pariyatti. Just as the Buddha explained to Raahula that he
should realize the truth of the five khandhas, ruupakkhandha and the
four naamakkhandhas.

...

When a person develops the right conditions to become a sotaapanna,
he goes through all the stages of vipassanaa, beginning with precise
understanding of the difference between the characteristic of naama
and of ruupa, he penetrates more and more the true nature of
conditioned dhammas, and he gradually sees the disadvantages of them.
When he attains enlightenment he experiences nibbaana, the
unconditioned element (asa"nkhataa dhaatu) for the first time. He has
no doubt about that. At that moment there is lokuttara paññaa.

However, people may delude themselves and believe that they have
reached stages of insight or even attained enlightenment. Even in
between the stages of insight there are the upakilesa of vipassana:
one clings to the calm or assurance due to vipassana and one does not
continue to develop understanding. It is most important to realize
when there is clinging to the goal. If one realizes that whatever
arises is due to conditions it can help one to continue with the
right Path. It does not matter what arises, calm or clinging, they
are only conditioned dhammas. This leads to detachment. When many
akusala cittas arise in a day, there is no need to become
disheartened, they are all conditioned dhammas and can be understood
as such.