the problem is, Who knows when there is a sufficient degree?. If everybody has defilements to be eradicated (except arhants) there is always a failure regarding the 8 path.
Or another example: the case of Sappadasa. He was so depressed because no fruits in the Path that he was ready to suicide. And at that same moment he was enlightened:
“And there was the razor, placed ready to cut my own vein, when apt attention arose in me, the drawbacks appeared, disenchantment stood at an even keel: With that, my heart was released. See the Dhamma’s true rightness! The three knowledges have been attained; the Awakened One’s bidding, done.”
(Thag 6.6)
At that moment, ready for suicide, Where it was Sila?.
maybe the difference can be in the understanding of the word “meditation”. Samma-sati refers to the contemplation of feelings, phenomena, mind states… until sati has enough conditions to arise. Samma-samadhi is the proper concentration needed for samadhi.
It can happens with any body posture and in any situation. This is what we see in these episodes of stream-entry, outside from seated meditation
yes, this a logical post-reasoning and frequently appearing to explain these cases. Sure it can be right. However, if we use that causality from previous lives to explain these events, also we should accept that same potentiality from previous lives to ourselves because also we have been born in contact with Dhamma.
Related with that, I would point to a main difference which can be perceived inside the Suttas. There is a clear difference of Spirit between what the Suttas shows and the later (and our present) hijacked Spirit regarding the wish for nibbana. Inside the Suttas, we can see a lot of common people like you and me, who were not specially pure neither specially intelligent and they attained stream entry. Many people said the reason is they were in company of the Buddha and arhants. Although it is a truth there are no many ariya teachers these days, also we forget what the Buddha taught:
“He who sees Dhamma, Vakkali, sees me; he who sees me sees Dhamma. Truly seeing Dhamma, one sees me; seeing me one sees Dhamma.”
SN 22.87
in this Sutta the Buddha asked Vakkali about their own feelings of regrets, impurities or capacities, being the auto-created obstacles. Also the Buddha taught there is not need of being in company of the Buddha or ariya teachers while there is Dhamma available.
Although the main difference is when that ancient people believed the nibbana was something in their reach. From here they developed the wish for nibbana and the will. And then some teaching was enough for stream-entry. They didn’t need tons of books and Suttas, a perfect purity and etc
I mean, if we grow a children telling to him: “that’s impossible”, “you cannot”, “you are unable”, “you are impure”, “you don’t have the right”, “very difficult for your capacities”. What would be the final result?
Inside MN.95, some outsiders asked to the Buddha about the qualities more helpful for the attainment of the Truth:
But what quality is most helpful for the final attainment of the truth? We ask Master Gotama about the quality most helpful for the final attainment of the truth."
- “Exertion is most helpful for the final attainment of the truth, Bharadvaja. If one didn’t make an exertion, one wouldn’t finally attain the truth. Because one makes an exertion, one finally attains the truth. Therefore, exertion is most helpful for the final attainment of the truth.”
- “But what quality is most helpful for exertion? We ask Master Gotama about the quality most helpful for exertion.”
- “Contemplating is most helpful for exertion, Bharadvaja. If one didn’t contemplate, one wouldn’t make an exertion. Because one contemplates, one makes an exertion. Therefore, contemplating is most helpful for exertion.”
- “But what quality is most helpful for contemplating?..”
- “Being willing… If one weren’t willing, one wouldn’t contemplate…”
- “But what quality is most helpful for being willing?..”
- “Desire… If desire didn’t arise, one wouldn’t be willing…”
- “But what quality is most helpful for desire?..”
- “Coming to an agreement through pondering dhammas… If one didn’t come to an agreement through pondering dhammas, desire wouldn’t arise…”
the first ones inside that co-related importance are: exertion, contemplation, the will, the desire. That wish for the truth, nibbana, it is the Spirit inside the Suttas.
Those ancient people naturally believed it was something in their reach. This Spirit was hijacked and it arrives until the present days. Today it is very frequent hearing teachers even recommending not aspiring to nibbana because it is very difficult, and we are impure, unwise, without enough skills in some practice, etc.
The so-called “sudden” enlightenment was not a “different enlightenment” or some different realization but the more common expression of the stream-entry. It happened in endless circumstances and to all type of people. This issue and the loss of the spontaneity to explain stream-entry to favour a purity approach for the explanation, it can be a main piece in the historical “Dhamma degeneration”, I understand.
- I have used here Thanissaro translations