Dear Thomas,

There are definitely many elements in the story (after reading Ven.
Kumara's links today) that I find unusual and irrational, but I am curious
what elements you find superstitious?

A couple of other famous stories in the suttas I find very hard to believe
are the story of Angulima in MN becoming an arahant after killing so many
people and trying to kill a Samma Sambuddha, and the story in the Udana of
the Buddha using the incentive of guaranteeing his cousin Nanda celestial
nymphs as a way to encourage him to not disrobe. Especially with so many
passages in the canon explicitly detailing right speech and the danger of
the smallest lie, I find it extremely offensive that a Buddha would need or
even entertain the use of a white lie as a way to help his disciples
advance in their practice. In the Angulimala story, I find it really hard
to believe he could even attain stream entry, let alone arahantship.
Elsewhere in the canon it says one can not attain arahantship in the
present life if one commits a heinous crime such as killing ones parents,
causing a schism in the sangha, etc, and trying to kill a Samma Sambuddha
and successfully executing 99 other strangers is somehow is ok?

Metta,
Frank

On Mon, Jan 7, 2013 at 5:03 PM, thomaslaw03 <thomaslaw03@...>wrote:

> **
>
>
> Dear Pali friends,
>
> I am interested in the story of the Twin Miracle (Yamaka Patihara) that
> the Buddha showed in Sravasti (?). The story seems rather unusual,
> superstitious, and irrational. Could anyone give some explanations and
> textual information of the story please?
>
> Thank you.
>
> Thomas Law
>
>
>


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