Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

Dear DW forum

Could we kindly post any suttas we are aware of where individuals attained Arahantship upon their first hearing of the Dhamma or while still officially a layman or lay woman.

Two suttas come to mind:

Bāhiya Sutta: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html
Yasa Sutta https://suttacentral.net/thag1.117/en/sujato

Are there any others?

Thank you

Would Kondañña count?

Greetings DooDoot,

Interesting topic! Unfortunately I do not have any extra suttas to add at this time, but I will keep an eye out.

A similar topic I created about stream-winning (I.e. the arising of the Dhamma Eye) yielded some interesting findings, particularly the conclusion that Right View is the common factor, and not meditation, as some would have it.

My prediction is that if there are any more, they will be of a similar ilk to Bahiya... people who were highly proficient in meditation, but who previously did not have "right view without effluents". Once that Right View clicked into place, it could radically transform their meditation and enable a swift transition to arahantship. Similar in this regard to the Buddha's own enlightenment experience, if you think about it.

In short:
- Right View for Stream-Entry
- The entire Noble Eightfold Path for Arahantship

Metta,
Paul.

Commentary to verse 142 of Dhhamapada.
The Story of Santati the Minister
lay
While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (142) of this book, with reference to Santati, the minister of King Pasenadi of Kosala.

On one occasion, Santati the minister returned after suppressing a rebellion on the border. King Pasenadi was so pleased with him that he honoured the minister with the gift of the riches and glory of a ruler together with a dancing girl to entertain him for seven days. For seven days, the king's minister enjoyed himself to his heart's content, getting intoxicated with drink and infatuated with the young dancer. On the seventh day, riding the ornamented royal elephant, he went down to the riverside for a bath. On the way, he met the Buddha going on an alms-round, and being drunk, he just bowed casually, as a sign of respect to the Buddha. The Buddha smiled, and Ananda asked the Buddha why he smiled. So, the Buddha said to Ananda, "Ananda, this minister will come to see me this very day and after I have given him a short discourse will become an arahat. Soon after becoming an arahat he will realize parinibbana."

Santati and his party spent the whole day at the riverside, bathing, eating, drinking and thus thoroughly enjoying themselves. In the evening the minister and his party went to the garden to have more drinks and to be entertained by the dancer. The dancer, on her part, tried her best to entertain the minister. For the whole week she was living on reduced diet to keep herself trim. While dancing, she suffered a severe stroke and collapsed, and at that instant she died with her eyes and mouth wide open. The minister was shocked and deeply distressed. In agony, he tried to think of a refuge and remembered the Buddha. He went to the Buddha, accompanied by his followers, and related to him about the grief and anguish he suffered on account of the sudden death of the dancer. He then said to the Buddha, "Venerable Sir! Please help me get over my sorrow; be my refuge, and let me have the peace of mind." To him the Buddha replied, "Rest assured my son, you have come to one, who could help you, One who could be a constant solace to you and who will be your refuge. The tears you have shed due to the death of this dancer throughout the round of rebirths is more than the waters of all the oceans." The Buddha then instructed the minister in verse. The meaning of the verse is as follows.

"In the past there has been in you clinging (upadana) due to craving; get rid of it. In future, do not let such clinging occur in you. Do not also harbour any clinging in the present; by not having any clinging, craving and passion will be calmed in you and you will realize Nibbana."

After hearing the verse, the minister attained arahatship. Then, realizing that his life span was at an end, he said to the Buddha, "Venerable Sir! Let me now realize parinibbana, for my time has come." The Buddha consenting, Santati rose to a height of seven toddy-palms into the sky and there, while meditating on the element of fire (tejo kasina), he passed away realizing parinibbana. His body went up in flames, his blood and flesh burnt up and the bone relics (dhatu) fell through the sky and dropped on the clean piece of cloth which was spread by the bhikkhus as instructed by the Buddha.

At the congregation, the bhikkhus asked the Buddha, "Venerable Sir! The minister had realized parinibbana dressed in full regalia; is he a samana on a brahmana?" To them, the Buddha replied "Bhikkhus! My son can be called both a samana and a brahmana."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 142: Though he is gaily decked, if he is calm, free from moral defilements, and has his senses controlled, if he is established in Magga Insight, if he is pure and has laid aside enmity (lit., weapons) towards all beings, he indeed is a brahmana, a samana, and a bhikkhu.

Sam Vara wrote: ↑Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:13 pm Would Kondañña count?

Thank you Sam Vara. It appears Kondañña attained stream-entry upon first hearing about the Four Noble Truths (SN 56.11) and, at a later time, attained Arahantship upon hearing about the Three Characteristics (SN 22.59). Regards

Uggasena (The acrobat who attained Arahathship while performing on a pole)

Muncapure munca pacchato
majjhe munca bhavassa paragu
sabbattha vimuttamanaso
na punam jatijaram upehisi.

Give up the past, give up the future, give up the present.
Having reached the end of existences, with a mind freed from all (conditioned things), you will not again undergo birth and decay.

"Uggasena.-Son of a banker of Rājagaha. He fell in love with a very skilful acrobat, married her and followed her about with her troupe. When he discovered that she despised him for his lack of skill as an acrobat, he learnt the art and became a clever tumbler. The Buddha knew that Uggasena was ready for conversion and entering Rājagaha while Uggasena was displaying his skill before a large crowd of people, withdrew their attention from his skilful feats. Seeing Uggasena's disappointment, the Buddha sent Moggallāna to ask him to continue his performance, and while Uggasena was displaying his skill by various tricks, the Buddha preached to him, and Uggasena became an arahant, even as he stood poised on the tip of a pole, and later became a monk. His wife also left the world soon after and attained arahantship.

In the time of Kassapa Buddha they were husband and wife. On their way to the shrine of the Buddha where they worked as labourers, they saw an Elder and gave him part of the food they had with them and expressed the desire that they should, one day, like him, realise the Truth. The Elder, looking into the future, saw that their wish would be fulfilled and smiled. The wife, seeing him smile, said to her husband that the Elder must be an actor, and the husband agreed. Because of this remark they became actors in this life, but through their pious gift they attained arahantship. DhA.iv.59-65; also ibid., 159."

When you looks deeper into all of these cases you find that their attainment has a clear cause. Some kamma of the past means there is a seed waiting for the right conditions to sprout. There is no magic whereby the Buddha weaves his words and someone becomes enlightened. It happens because of some kamma of the past. Giving alms to an elder of the time of a past Buddha is good. Practicing the path as taught by the Buddhas is supreme. The highest.

All the suttas of Parayana Vagga except Pingiya Sutta.

Friends of Yasa (from Vinaya), although it seems they first attained steam entry, but within the same Dhamma talk also arahantship.

Kd.1.10.1–4 BD.4.28 Fifty householder friends of the venerable Yasa, young men of the first families and of those next to the first145 in the district heard: “They say that Yasa, the young man of family … as in Kd.1.9.1–Kd.1.9.4 down to: While they were being exhorted, instructed by the Lord with dhamma talk, their minds were freed from the cankers without grasping. At that time there were sixty-one perfected ones in the world.