How do you know you didn't already reach stream entry a few lifetimes ago

Buddha says, you only have 7 more lifetimes after hitting Stream Entry. Wouldn’t it make sense that current Buddhist monks reached that stage a few lifetimes ago? How would you know if you already reached Stream Entry last lifetime?

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And what would it look like if a child was already born without the lower three fetters? :thinking:

What would it look like if a once-returner was reborn without the lower three fetters and with the next two fetters substantially weakened?

Possibly these few things would be automatic to the stream winner reborn.

Automatic 5 precepts observance. The kid never even want to kill mosquito before being educated not to kill.

Never have faith in other religions, but strongly drawn towards Buddhism.

Impossible to regard things as permanent, happy or self.

Very fast understanding of the dhamma, the parts relating to the stream winning, not necessarily can know the sigalovada sutta or maṅgala sutta.

Impossible to believe in physicalism.

Certainly not all current Buddhist monastics are born like the above. I think it’s quite rare to find anyone like that.

https://suttacentral.net/an1.268-277/en/sujato?lang=en&layout=plain&reference=none&notes=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin

Suttas say that as far as killing goes, sotapanna is unable to kill his mother and father.

What kind of Buddhism? Buddhism of these who teach us that viññana anidasana isn’t synonymous with nibbana and as long as the body is alive, there is no such thing as cessation of being or Buddhism of these who take opposite side. Because these two options seems to me mutually exclusive. One must be definitely involved in the wrong view.

Also modern Buddhism, for example in Sri Lanka enjoys loudspeakers. In fact temples are one of the main source of noise in Sri Lanka. I have some considerable doubts that born sotapanna would be naturally attracted to them.:smirk:

Suttas describe things somehow differently: sotapanna is unable to see any thing as a self. The way you put it, may suggest that asankhata dhatu is impermanent.

Sotapanna need not to know any Suttas whatsoever and I am not sure what do you mean by very quick understanding of Dhamma. As far as Four Noble Truths goes, he understands them already, regarding progress towards arahathood, it may be quick or slow, it depends on many factors.

You would not know precise classification: “I am sotapanna” since the very term sotapanna comes from outside, and to arrive at such conclusion knowledge of Suttas is required and than comparison with your own experience.

But you will have a direct knowledge that the very concept “I am” is impermanent and dependently arisen on present condition, namely ignorance.

Edit:

The main difference between sotapanna who arrived at right view in this live, and born sotapanna is that in the first case there is definite change in one’s own experience, before sotapti, and after it. But even in this case some uncertainty may arise. Take for example the author of Collision with the Infinite.

https://www.amazon.com/Collision-Infinite-Life-Beyond-Personal/dp/1884997279

After her death it was discovered that she had a brain tumour, which could possibly be the cause of the transformation which happened to her, so it cannot be excluded that it was after all not genuine shift.
But at least and for sure there was a shift. But in the case of born sotapanna no such shift would be remember (it happened in the previous live) so his state for him would be quite normal. Perhaps due to conversations and observing others he may come to conclusion that he is somehow different but without knowledge of Suttas it is very unlikely that he could properly recognise the nature of this difference.

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