AN 4.126 Metta Sutta: does this practice cap out at non-returner rebirth and not arahantship?

 

Re: AN 4.126 Metta Sutta - Comprehensive meditation practice or in some way deficient?

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Post by frank k » Tue Feb 15, 2022 4:54 am

retrofuturist wrote: ↑Fri Feb 11, 2022 5:30 pm...
So with all that said and done, I'm curious about whether the practice of AN 4.126 alone would be sufficient to take one all the way to arahantship (and thus, outside the 31 realms of existence) or whether there is some limitation or deficiency in the above set of instructions that "caps" its potential to the Pure Abodes? I find it interesting that the practice promises "rebirth"... and wonder what is missing for the "end of rebirth"? Is the instruction deficient?



I'm happy to hear any thoughts on this subject - doctrinal, experiential, or otherwise.

Metta,
Paul. 

When you read it in conjunction with the previous sutta, AN 4.125, and compare with AN 9.36 which uses the same meditation instruction on seeing emptiness in 11 ways, then the logical conclusion is:

AN 4.126 is not saying seeing emptiness in 11 ways tops out at non-return realm rebirth (AN 9.36 shows the practice leading to arahantship, nonreturn, nirvana in between death and next rebirth, etc.).
What it's doing is adding to the point from AN 4.125, that the Buddha's disciple doing 4bv brahmavihara in addition to being grounded in right view, would not suffer the same possibility of falling to a lower rebirth after the brahma realm rebirth.

An ordinary non-buddhist does not have the possibility of taking rebirth in the non-returner brahma realms, is the point of AN 4.126, not that 4bv brahmavihara practice (by a Buddhist disciple) would limit the emptiness in 11 ways to a non-returner rebirth.

Sutta links, pali and english

AN 9.36 Jhāna-nissaya [Jhāna]: jhana-dependencies: Samādhi attainments 1-7, one can do vipassana while in jhāna and realize Nirvana. Attainments 8-9, one has to first emerge from attainment. Nice simile of archer.

AN 4.125. friendly-kindness (1st) 

125. Paṭhamamettāsutta	125. friendly-kindness (1st)
“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṃvijjamānā lokasmiṃ.	“monks, these four people are found in the world.
Katame cattāro?	What four?
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo	Firstly, a person

mettā-sahagatena cetasā... A-byāpajjena pharitvā viharati,

(1.🤝🤗) (with) friendly-kindness-endowed mind... without ill will, pervade. abide [like this].

So tadassādeti, taṃ nikāmeti, tena ca vittiṃ āpajjati.	They enjoy this and like it and find it satisfying.
Tattha ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṃ kurumāno brahmakāyikānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjati.	If they abide in that, are committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of Brahmā’s Group.
Brahmakāyikānaṃ, bhikkhave, devānaṃ kappo āyuppamāṇaṃ.	The lifespan of the gods of Brahma’s Group is one eon.
Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṃ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṃ tesaṃ devānaṃ āyuppamāṇaṃ taṃ sabbaṃ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati.	An ordinary person stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they go to hell or the animal realm or the ghost realm.
Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṃ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṃ tesaṃ devānaṃ āyuppamāṇaṃ taṃ sabbaṃ khepetvā tasmiṃyeva bhave parinibbāyati.	But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they’re nirvana'd in that very life.
Ayaṃ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṃ adhippayāso idaṃ nānākaraṇaṃ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṃ gatiyā upapattiyā sati.	This is the difference between an educated noble disciple and an uneducated ordinary person, that is, when there is a place of rebirth.
Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, idhekacco puggalo karuṇāsahagatena cetasā … pe …	Furthermore, a person meditates spreading a heart full of compassion …
muditāsahagatena cetasā … pe …	rejoicing …

upekkhā-sahagatena cetasā... A-byāpajjena pharitvā viharati,

(4.🛆👁️) (with) equanimous-observation-endowed mind... without ill will, pervade. abide [like this].

So tadassādeti, taṃ nikāmeti, tena ca vittiṃ āpajjati.	They enjoy this and like it and find it satisfying.
Tattha ṭhito tadadhimutto tabbahulavihārī aparihīno kālaṃ kurumāno ābhassarānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjati.	If they abide in that, are committed to it, and meditate on it often without losing it, when they die they’re reborn in the company of the gods of streaming radiance. The lifespan of the gods of streaming radiance is two eons.
Ābhassarānaṃ, bhikkhave, devānaṃ dve kappā āyuppamāṇaṃ … pe … subhakiṇhānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjati.	… they’re reborn in the company of the gods replete with glory. The lifespan of the gods replete with glory is four eons.
Subhakiṇhānaṃ, bhikkhave, devānaṃ cattāro kappā āyuppamāṇaṃ … pe … vehapphalānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjati.	… they’re reborn in the company of the gods of abundant fruit.
Vehapphalānaṃ, bhikkhave, devānaṃ pañca kappasatāni āyuppamāṇaṃ.	The lifespan of the gods of abundant fruit is five hundred eons.
Tattha puthujjano yāvatāyukaṃ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṃ tesaṃ devānaṃ āyuppamāṇaṃ taṃ sabbaṃ khepetvā nirayampi gacchati tiracchānayonimpi gacchati pettivisayampi gacchati.	An ordinary person stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they go to hell or the animal realm or the ghost realm.
Bhagavato pana sāvako tattha yāvatāyukaṃ ṭhatvā yāvatakaṃ tesaṃ devānaṃ āyuppamāṇaṃ taṃ sabbaṃ khepetvā tasmiṃyeva bhave parinibbāyati.	But a disciple of the Buddha stays there until the lifespan of those gods is spent, then they’re nirvana'd in that very life.
Ayaṃ kho, bhikkhave, viseso ayaṃ adhippayāso idaṃ nānākaraṇaṃ sutavato ariyasāvakassa assutavatā puthujjanena, yadidaṃ gatiyā upapattiyā sati.	This is the difference between an educated noble disciple and an uneducated ordinary person, that is, when there is a place of rebirth.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṃvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.	These are the four people found in the world.”

AN 4.126. friendly-kindness (2nd) 

AN 4.126 - 🔗🔊

126. Dutiyamettāsutta	126. friendly-kindness (2nd)
“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṃvijjamānā lokasmiṃ.	“monks, these four people are found in the world.
Katame cattāro?	What four?
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo	Firstly, a person

mettā-sahagatena cetasā... A-byāpajjena pharitvā viharati,

(1.🤝🤗) (with) friendly-kindness-endowed mind... without ill will, pervade. abide [like this].

So yadeva tattha hoti rūpagataṃ vedanāgataṃ saññāgataṃ saṅkhāragataṃ viññāṇagataṃ te dhamme aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassati.	They contemplate the phenomena there—included in form, feeling, perception, co-doings, and consciousness—as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as an abscess, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as falling apart, as empty, as not-self.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā suddhāvāsānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjati.	When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the pure abodes.
Ayaṃ, bhikkhave, upapatti asādhāraṇā puthujjanehi.	This rebirth is not shared with ordinary people.
Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, idhekacco puggalo karuṇā … pe …	Furthermore, a person meditates spreading a heart full of compassion …
muditā … pe …	rejoicing …

upekkhā-sahagatena cetasā... A-byāpajjena pharitvā viharati,

(4.🛆👁️) (with) equanimous-observation-endowed mind... without ill will, pervade. abide [like this].

So yadeva tattha hoti rūpagataṃ vedanāgataṃ saññāgataṃ saṅkhāragataṃ viññāṇagataṃ te dhamme aniccato dukkhato rogato gaṇḍato sallato aghato ābādhato parato palokato suññato anattato samanupassati.	They contemplate the phenomena there—included in form, feeling, perception, co-doings, and consciousness—as impermanent, as suffering, as diseased, as an abscess, as a dart, as misery, as an affliction, as alien, as falling apart, as empty, as not-self.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṃ maraṇā suddhāvāsānaṃ devānaṃ sahabyataṃ upapajjati.	When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the pure abodes.
Ayaṃ, bhikkhave, upapatti asādhāraṇā puthujjanehi.	This rebirth is not shared with ordinary people.
Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṃvijjamānā lokasminti.	These are the four people found in the world.”