Monk Jag wrote:Dear Ven. Pesala, An arahant is not free from pain, but only free from emotional/psychological pain. There is no grasping or aversion to pain, but that does not negate the painful feeling experienced (even the Buddha had pains towards his death after eating his final meal).
Well,
that's what I said.
Monk Jag wrote:It's interesting to note how the Buddha declared that there would be no other monk who could handle the pain of eating that last meal apart from the Tathagata (Mahaparinibbana Sutta).
That's not what it says. It says that no other monk would be able to digest it. An Arahant can bear any amount of pain, even that which causes his death.
Monk Jag wrote:A commentary after all is only as good as the commentator's wisdom will allow.
I don't see any great wisdom in your comments. You make up your own interpretations in a very free-wheeling manner. Even your name is made up. Why not use Bhikkhu Jaganātha? The comments of Buddhaghosa are much closer to the original texts, and therefore more reliable, although it is not clear whether or not he is an Arahant if the colophon in the Visuddhimagga is taken at face-value.
Edited in the light of Robert's comments below:
Buddhaghosa wrote:What store of merit has been gained by me
Desiring establishment in this Good Dhamma
In doing this, accepting the suggestion
Of the venerable Saòghapála,
One born into the line of famous elders
Dwelling within the Great Monastery,
A true Vibhajjavádin, who is wise,
And lives in pure simplicity, devoted
To discipline’s observance, and to practice,
Whose mind the virtuous qualities of patience,
Mildness, loving kindness, and so on, grace—
By the power of that store of merit
May every being prosper happily.
And now just as the Path of Purification,
With eight and fifty recitation sections
In the text, has herewith been completed
Without impediment, so may all those
Who in the world depend on what is good
Glad-hearted soon succeed without delay.
Regarding Ānanda's death, I quoted FaHsein, not the Pāḷi Commentaries. The account of Dabba's demise is told in the
Udāna Pāḷi Text (not the Commentary)
“Parinibbānakālo me dāni Sugatā” ti.
“Now is the time for my Complete Emancipation, Fortunate One.”
“Yassa dāni tvaṁ Dabba kālaṁ maññasī” ti.
“Now is the time for whatever you are thinking, Dabba.”
Atha kho āyasmā Dabbo Mallaputto uṭṭhāyāsanā,
Then venerable Dabba Mallaputta, after rising from his seat,
Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā,
worshipping and circumambulating the Gracious One,
vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā, ākāse antaḷikkhe pallaṅkena nisīditvā,
after going up into the sky, and sitting in cross-legged posture in the air, in the firmament,
tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā, vuṭṭhahitvā, Parinibbāyi.
entering the fire-element, and emerging, attained Complete Emancipation.
This is not suicide. Dabba sees the impending termination of his natural life-span, and makes a determination regarding what happens at that moment.
If you wish to ignore the Commentaries and Abhidhamma, that's your prerogative, but it would be hard to understand some texts without them.
“Having slain mother and father and two warrior kings,
and having destroyed a country together with its chancellor,
a Saint goes ungrieving .”Dhp.v.294
“Having slain mother and father and two brahmin kings,
and having destroyed the perilous path,
a Saint goes ungrieving.” Dhp.v.295