Skip to main content

KN Iti 107: Is Jhāna necessary for stream entry and arahantship?

 


Saddahānā arahataṁ, place justifiable-trust in the perfected ones, ariyapaññāya jhāyino. Jhāna meditators of noble wisdom. - The sutta literally says "jhāna-meditator" here, not "meditative". The context obviously is full enlightenment, not any "meditative" activity will get there, 4 jhānas req'd
And why is there even controversy whether jhāna is needed for stream entry and beyond? People can start by translating and interpreting suttas correctly. That helps.


My translation (based on Sujato, I fix his jhāna error)

107 - KN Iti 107 Bahu-kāra: Very Helpful

107 Bahukārasutta
Very Helpful
Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.
“Bahukārā, bhikkhave, brāhmaṇa-gahapatikā tumhākaṁ ye vo paccupaṭṭhitā
“monks, brahmins and houselholders are very helpful to you, as they provide you with
cīvara­piṇḍapāta­senāsana­gilāna­paccaya­bhesajja­parikkhāre­hi­.
robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.
Tumhepi, bhikkhave, bahukārā brāhmaṇa­gaha­pa­tikā­naṁ yaṁ nesaṁ
And you are very helpful to brahmins and householders,
dhammaṁ desetha ādikalyāṇaṁ majjhekalyāṇaṁ pariyosānakalyāṇaṁ sātthaṁ sabyañjanaṁ,
as you teach them the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased.
kevalaparipuṇṇaṁ parisuddhaṁ brahmacariyaṁ pakāsetha.
And you reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure.
Evamidaṁ, bhikkhave, aññamaññaṁ nissāya brahmacariyaṁ vussati
That is how this spiritual path is lived in mutual dependence in order to
oghassa nittharaṇatthāya sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāyā”ti.
cross over the flood and make a complete end of suffering.”
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
That is what the Buddha said. On this it is said:

(verse)

“Sāgārā anagārā ca,
“The home-dweller and the homeless,
ubho aññoññanissitā;
depending on each other,
Ārādhayanti saddhammaṁ,
find success in the true Dharma,
yogakkhemaṁ anuttaraṁ.
the supreme sanctuary.
Sāgāresu ca cīvaraṁ,
The homeless receive requisites
paccayaṁ sayanāsanaṁ;
from the home-dwellers:
Anagārā paṭicchanti,
robes and lodgings
parissayavinodanaṁ.
to shelter from harsh conditions.
Sugataṁ pana nissāya,
Relying on the Holy One,
gahaṭṭhā gharamesino;
home-loving layfolk
Saddahānā arahataṁ,
place justifiable-trust in the perfected ones,
ariyapaññāya jhāyino.
Jhāna meditators of noble wisdom.
Idha dhammaṁ caritvāna,
Having practiced the Dharma here,
maggaṁ sugatigāminaṁ;
the path that goes to a good place,
Nandino devalokasmiṁ,
they delight in the heavenly realm,
modanti kāmakāmino”ti.
enjoying all the pleasures they desire.”
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.
This too was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.
Aṭṭhamaṁ.
(end of sutta)
    


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Lucid24.org: What's new?

Link to lucid24.org home page :    4👑☸   Remember, you may have to click the refresh button on your web browser navigation bar at to get updated website. 2024 9-17 Lots of new stuff in the last 2 and a half years.  Too many to list. Main one justifying new blog entry, is redesign of home page. Before, it was designed to please me, super dense with everything in one master control panel. I've redesigned it to be friendly to newbies and everyone really. Clear structure, more use of space.  At someone's request, I added a lucid24.org google site search at top of home page. 2022 4-14 Major update to lucid24.org, easy navigation of suttas, quicklink: the ramifications 4-2 new feature lucid24.org sutta quick link 3-28 A new translation of SN 38.16, and first jhāna is a lot easier than you think 🔗📝notes related to Jhāna force and J.A.S.I. effect AN 9.36, MN 64, MN 111: How does Ajahn Brahm and Sujato's "Jhāna" work here? 3-13 Added to EBPedia J.A.S.I. ('Jazzy...

AN 9.36, MN 64, MN 111: How does Ajahn Brahm and Sujato's "Jhāna" work here?

What these 3 suttas have in common, AN 9.36, MN 64, MN 111, is the very interesting feature of explicitly describing doing vipassana, while one is in the jhāna and the first 3 formless attainments. LBT (late buddhist text) apologists, as well as Sujato, Brahm, claim that the suttas describe a jhāna where one enters a disembodied, frozen state, where vipassana is impossible until one emerges from that 'jhāna'.  Since Sujato translated all the suttas, let's take a look at what he translated, and how it supports his interpretation of 'jhāna'.  AN 9.36: Jhānasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net) ‘The first absorption is a basis for ending the defilements.’ ‘Paṭhamampāhaṁ,   bhikkhave,   jhānaṁ   nissāya   āsavānaṁ   khayaṁ   vadāmī’ti,   iti   kho   panetaṁ   vuttaṁ. That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Kiñcetaṁ   paṭicca   vuttaṁ? Take a mendicant who, q uite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskill...

Pāḷi and Sanskrit definition of Viveka

  'Viveka', Sanskrit dictionary Primary meaning is ‘discrimination’. Other meanings:  (1) true knowledge,  (2) discretion,  (3) right judgement,  (4) the faculty of distinguishing and classifying things according to their real properties’. Wikipedia (sanskrit dictionary entry 'viveka') Viveka (Sanskrit: विवेक, romanized: viveka) is a Sanskrit and Pali term translated into English as discernment or discrimination.[1] According to Rao and Paranjpe, viveka can be explained more fully as: Sense of discrimination; wisdom; discrimination between the real and the unreal, between the self and the non-self, between the permanent and the impermanent; discriminative inquiry; right intuitive discrimination; ever present discrimination between the transient and the permanent.[2]: 348  The Vivekachudamani is an eighth-century Sanskrit poem in dialogue form that addresses the development of viveka. Within the Vedanta tradition, there is also a concept of vichara which is one t...