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Sariputta was a liar (jhāna, kāya, sukha contradictions in Theravada history)

Sariputta was a liar.

At least that's the conclusion one would have to draw, if we believe what he said in the pali suttas was accurate, and we also believe the Theravada account that Abhidhamma was taught by the Buddha to Sariputta, and that Sariputta taught Abhidhamma to his 500 disciples which was the same teaching as we have today.


Sariputta in the EBT pali sutta

(these 5 things not present in pīti/rapture)
(1. Kāma’s dukkha & domanassa)
(2. Kāma’s sukha & somanassa)
(3. A-kusala dukkha & domanassa)
(4. A-kusala sukha & somanassa)
(5. Kusala dukkha & domanassa)
Mp (Te Cmy) says this pīti is from first and second jhāna
Yasmiṃ, bhante, samaye ariyasāvako pavivekaṃ pītiṃ upasampajja viharati,
At a time when a noble disciple enters and dwells in the rapture of seclusion,
pañcassa ṭhānāni tasmiṃ samaye na honti.
five things aren’t present in him.
1) Yampissa kāmūpasaṃhitaṃ dukkhaṃ domanassaṃ,
1) The pain and sadness connected with sensual pleasures.
tampissa tasmiṃ samaye na hoti.
at this time (they are) not present.
2) Yampissa kāmūpasaṃhitaṃ sukhaṃ somanassaṃ,
2) The pleasure and happiness connected with sensual pleasures.
tampissa tasmiṃ samaye na hoti.
at this time (they are) not present.
3) Yampissa akusalūpasaṃhitaṃ dukkhaṃ domanassaṃ,
3) The pain and sadness connected with the unskillful.
tampissa tasmiṃ samaye na hoti.
at this time (they are) not present.
4) Yampissa akusalūpasaṃhitaṃ sukhaṃ somanassaṃ,
4) The pleasure and happiness connected with the unskillful.
tampissa tasmiṃ samaye na hoti.
at this time (they are) not present.
5) Yampissa kusalūpasaṃhitaṃ dukkhaṃ domanassaṃ,
5) The pain and sadness connected with the skillful.
tampissa tasmiṃ samaye na hoti.
at this time (they are) not present.

(commentary to AN 5.176 confirms that Sariputta is talking about first two jhanas)

Aṅguttara Nikāya, pañcakanipāta-aṭṭhakathā, 4. catutthapaṇṇāsakaṃ, (18) 3. upāsakavaggo, 6. pītisuttavaṇṇanā
♦ 176. chaṭṭhe kinti mayanti kena nāma upāyena mayaṃ. pavivekaṃ pītinti paṭhamadutiyajjhānāni nissāya uppajjanakapītiṃ. kāmūpasaṃhitanti kāmanissitaṃ duvidhe kāme ārabbha uppajjanakaṃ. akusalūpasaṃhitanti “migasūkarādayo vijjhissāmī”ti saraṃ khipitvā tasmiṃ viraddhe “viraddhaṃ mayā”ti evaṃ akusale nissāya uppajjanakaṃ. tādisesu pana ṭhānesu avirajjhantassa “suṭṭhu me viddhaṃ, suṭṭhu me pahaṭan”ti uppajjanakaṃ akusalūpasaṃhitaṃ sukhaṃ somanassaṃ nāma. dānādiupakaraṇānaṃ asampattiyā uppajjamānaṃ pana kusalūpasaṃhitaṃ dukkhaṃ domanassanti veditabbaṃ.


In Pali EBT, sukha and dukkha (when contrasted with so-manassa and do-manassa) are definitely physical

(all of these hyperlinks jump to pali+english sutta text)

SN 36.14 agāra-suttaṃ
excerpt:
evameva kho, bhikkhave,
just like that, monks,
imasmiṃ kāyasmiṃ vividhā vedanā uppajjanti.
(in) this body, various feelings arise.
sukhāpi vedanā uppajjati,
pleasant feeling arises,
dukkhāpi vedanā uppajjati,
painful feeling arises,
a-dukkham-a-sukhāpi vedanā uppajjati.
neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises;

(carnal feelings are tied to 5 cords of sensual pleasure, clearly anatomical body)

sāmisāpi sukhā vedanā uppajjati,
carnal pleasant feeling arises;
sāmisāpi dukkhā vedanā uppajjati,
carnal painful feeling arises;
sāmisāpi a-dukkham-a-sukhā vedanā uppajjati.
carnal neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises;

(anatomical body originated spiritual feelings arise in jhāna, see SN 36.31 for explicit tie to jhāna definition)

nirāmisāpi sukhā vedanā uppajjati,
spiritual pleasant feeling arises;
nirāmisāpi dukkhā vedanā uppajjati,
spiritual painful feeling arises;
nirāmisāpi a-dukkham-a-sukhā vedanā uppajjatī”ti.
spiritual neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling arises.

Sariputta in Abhidhamma

Now read what Sariputta says in book 2 of 7 of Abhidhamma canon, in Vibhanga (analaysis of) chapter 12 on jhana.
look at how sukha is physical in 4th jhana, but then sukha in 3rd jhana is pure mental. 3rd jhana defines kāya (body) as purely mental, but then compare to what sariputta said in AN 5.176, where sukha was physical.

Te Ab Vb 12 Jhāna

(click the links above to jump to the scripture text in pali+english)

Conclusion

Either Sariputta was a liar, or schizophrenic or demented,

OR

Later Theravada tradition was crooked and cooked the books, went back and altered the canonical Abhidhamma to suit their agenda of redefining jhāna into something completely different than the 4 jhāna samadhis of pali EBT.

Which option is more plausible?




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