Is there any arahant known nowadays?

:slightly_smiling_face: sort of like the Dhamma version of the Turing test or the Chinese room test

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SarathW1, I practised mainly Mahayana, and I didn’t read clear detailed explanations of these four steps, so my knowledge about them is suppositive.

With that in mind, probably yes, there were all four steps. As I described in this post:

Sotapanna step happened at the age of 5.

After that, I gradually immersed into the world of human delusions, because I wanted to understand, why people live like that.

Also I disliked the pressure of being coerced by adults to do stupid things, day by day; so when going to sleep I dreamed to miraculously become an adult person on waking up.

Thus, perhaps I “fell asleep”, and after high school graduation, my life was in disarray. I had a feeling that there was some truth in my life, some meaning and purpose, but I didn’t remember them.

I felt I didn’t know what I really wanted. So I started to practise Zen – contemplation “to see my original nature”. It was like carrying a question with me, every moment asking the universe.

Then one day I got a realization: “My task has no solution”. Now, looking back, I think it was a task “to be happy in the scope of usual human roles”.

You know: get education, get a good job, create a family etc. It was like a computer program in my head: to become a successful adult, do this and that

But troubles were endless. You finish one task only to discover that now you have to do two more.

There was no end, no happiness. So one day the realization came, and so I had dropped everything.

There was no more difference, life or death. All tasks and troubles were abandoned.

Then from usual material world my perception shifted to something else. I realized the unity of everything. I saw all the universe, previous lives of myself and others, realms of existence and potentialities.

Maybe that was the second step, Sakadagamin.

After realizing the unity of all beings, there were no strong ill-will or sensuous desire.

For example, when I was going to have first sex with a girl who loved me, I felt that something was missing in the situation, and refrained from sex.

There was no proper “spiritual” contact between us, because my mind was still clouded with ignorance.

I was few years after 20.

The experience was overwhelming – including a state of immense joy, until I decided to go to do something useful for others.

I considered that “awakening”; all burdens dropped, all problems disappeared. But after few months I realized that I still had laziness, and I still didn’t know how to solve some problems.

So I started to study Buddhism (and other spiritual things) in a systematic way.

And then, at the age of almost 40, I realized:

All my thoughts, feelings and actions do not happen per themselves – they are conditioned.

Those conditions are conditioned too, so there’s no place where we could draw a line between “me” and “conditions”.

All things do not have selves; endless and countless causes intertwine, and even they are illusory.

Maybe that was a step to Anagami.

Some people said that my behavior notably changed since that time. Indeed, I started to feel more calm and free – especially comparing to some hard time and difficulties with the practice I had in my 30’es.

I felt that digressing ended, and I was back on the path.

And finally, few years before 50, I realized:

There is no need to force myself.

Mental processes are explored, regulation goes naturally.

Free movement of everything returned.

No more need to dive into human problems, all is solved already.

Maybe it was a step to Arahantship.

So totally it was a bit more than 40 years from Sotapanna to Arahant.

a person who advertises over the internet that they are enlightened is the last one to take advice from. take them seriously at your own peril.

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What exactly does it mean? Is your lifestyle, livelihood, now close to the one of a contemplative? How do you source the four basic requisites (food, medicines, clothing and shelter)?

Lust arises because of distorted and deluded perception (Vipallasa sutta). A mind will be inflamed by sexual craving only if wrong view is present - that there is no danger in sensuality and lust.

I doubt that there is any karuna(compassion) in the sexual act.

There is definitely a point to your warning, and I would say that it is not restricted to online advertisement of attainments!

Nevertheless, let’s acknowledge that when it comes to the fruits of the Buddhist path, the Buddha was very clear our task is to verify them for ourselves.

Hence, we should take this as a beautiful opportunity to at least manifest our endeavors into the path factors of right thoughts, speech and action and let a friendly conversation to roll out.

As long as we don’t end claiming and imposing our versions of the story on each other there is no harm and giving people a space to talk and reflect of what they believe the fruits of the path have been so far.

Nevertheless, it is worth advising that it has been made public before that Discuss & Discover is not intended to serve as a forum for discussions about Buddhist practice.

Sorry to break it to you, but you haven’t attained arahantship nor any of the Noble attainments. Why? what you just said above indicated that your understanding about Sakadagamin is incorrect, let alone understanding about Arahantship. Since you mentioned you don’t have a firm understanding about the Noble Fruits, please do some serious study on them first. Notice all this was said out of good will and probably a little bit of concern. There’s hope for an unenlightened person who’s fully aware of his current status. But it’s a terribly hopeless situation for someone who’s not enlightened but thinks he already is.

a conversation about the claim is counterproductive because it takes the claim seriously. it also puts them on a pedestal: you all asking him advice and asking questions from a subordinate position. all this only reinforces belief in the claim.

education is the best course of action. or just ignore. conversation that takes the claim seriously does more harm than good.

If it’s just a Friendly chats ,
we are not supposed to
post a Hostile reply !

That’s a point ,
Friendly Reminder
instead of Condemning
it is always better choice !

I answered such questions, but it led you to thoughts about a computer bot who could do the same.

Have you noticed useful principles which I explained in those answers?

Did you think about applying those principles?

Someone said on “Buddhism Stack Exchange” that this is a forum of practitioners, intended for helping in practice.

That’s why I came here: for helping each other in practice.

Then I definitely shouldn’t answer your question.

Santa100, my understanding about Sakadagamin etc. is in accordance of what I have read.

If I had read and misunderstood something, that would prove delusion.

But not knowing some theory doesn’t mean delusion. It only means not knowing some theory.

There is a difference between having something done and knowing theories about that.

@zhao

Hi friend , always be alert to take in account of reactions and responses ,
which I suppose you would .
This world is full of challenges ,
different people has different
mind set . Sometimes , the words
is not that soothing . Be prepared .

I know very little about Mahayana.
Aren’t Arahant still possess attachment, aversion and ignorance according to Mahayana?

https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=18320&hilit

Hi Zhao, I think you misunderstood my words.
No ill will from here friend.
I was just trying to remind people to keep their mind open and the space friendly.
Not accusing you of a bot but acknowledging that when it comes to internet interaction things like the Turing test and Chinese room test are possible!
:anjal:

This someone probably has a wrong understanding about this forum:

Thank you, James. :slight_smile:

Of course it’s impossible to see clean world, looking through dirty glass.

It’s usually hard to dispel delusion of a person even in eye-to-eye talk; through internet chat it’s usually unlikely.

So I’m not going to argue here with anyone.

Maybe I said enough on this forum. If anyone wants to help each other with practice, please feel free to contact me, for the benefit of all sentient beings!

:namaste:

Well, “in accordance of what I have read” doesn’t provide any useful info. at all for you did not mention the source of your reading: suttas, sutras, writings of some modern teachers, some Buddhist articles somewhere, etc…? Not sure if you’ve read DN 16’s Four Great Referrals? By the way, no, it’s not just some mere theories about the Noble Fruits. There’re clear-cut definitions about the Fruits in both the Pali Nikayas and Mahayana Agamas. That’s why I recommended you spend some time reading them to find out where you went wrong.

This tradition has a serious issue with attainment. We all want it, but have a very conflicting relationship to any claim. It’s like “I believe that arahantship is possible” but also “I don’t believe anyone is an arahant”. Even Maha Boowa’s claim is ripped apart. At the same time people love to talk about which monk has attained what.

Seriously guys, claim or no claim. Spiritual friendship with the one’s more developed than we are is considered one of the best drivers of our development. Which means we take inspiration from people around us. No need to diminish anyone, claim or no claim.

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I don’t follow your logic.

My question in regards to what is your livelihood vis-a-vis your attainment has to do with the topic of conversation.
Read further above, there is an usual understanding that once people attain to what you say you have attained it is virtually impossible to carry on a usual lay person’s lifestyle.
I saw this conversation as a nice opportunity to confirm whether that was the case in your experience or not.
All I want is to understand whether what EBTs say and postulate in theory were confirmed in your practice.
:anjal:

No, I haven’t met such interpretation.

By the way, which exactly words in that link say so?