I recently read this ebook by Aggacitta Bhikkhu and found this great piece of advice inside:
The Benefits of Doubting One’s Attainment
One may in fact be awakened.
One keeps on practising.
One does not mislead others.
One remains humble and patient.
One accepts the authority of the scriptures and keeps on checking to see whether the defilements have really been uprooted or not.
If one has not gotten a real attainment yet, one may get it with continued practice.
One may attain higher stages of awakening.
One is a true disciple of the Buddha because the Teacher said, again and again, that one must not rest content (with the lower stages of awakening) until one reaches the highest goal, i.e. arahantship.
The Disadvantages of Overestimating One’s Practice
One may not really be awakened.
One stops practice to do missionary work.
One misleads others into walking the wrong path.
One becomes proud, haughty and overconfident.
One is liable to reject the authority of the scriptures because one’s defilements have not really been eradicated.
One may suffer from terminal self-deception and thus miss the chance of really becoming awakened.
One cannot attain higher stages of awakening.
One does not obey the words of the Teacher who said: “Do not rest content with lesser attainments, but strive on till you reach the highest goal.”
Note: I put the advantages first as my own emphasis and made some slight editorial alterations without changing the meaning to my mind.
I also found this which I think is excellent:
Whether or not others are really awakened is not OUR problem but theirs. OUR problem is whether we are really awakened or not. Accordingly, we have to look inwards—not outwards—by checking to see whether or not the relevant defilements which are supposed to have been uprooted still arise, and by persevering in meditation until the highest goal is reached.
Going to try and follow this advice. I’m wondering if any of this excellent advice can be found in sutta? Does anyone have sutta citations for any of these points?
Far greater are
the benefits in doubting
one’s lower attainments
than in giving oneself
the benefit of the doubt.
If one has doubt just aknowledge that there is doubt & uncertainty about this matter.
If overwhelmed by doubt one should talk to experienced people if lucky to have the opportunity. Hopefully they will dispell doubt or at least help out it aside.
I think most confusion is for people who have strong religious zeal & understanding but not much in terms of progression beyond pertubable perception attainments.
In short people think they understand more or less and wonder if they are now faith-follower, dhamma-folower or maybe sotapanna or even sakidagami or anagami on a good day.
It’s most unfortunate if it leads to complacency and excessive conceit.
Yes, but having no doubt about one’s attainment is not equal to having an attainment Anyway, I find this to be very valuable and good advice and just wanted to pass it along in case others might find it similarly valuable and/or have sutta citations. Thanks!
In my case, I have zero doubt that I have zero attainments so I am not even following the excellent advice very well.
“But Master Ānanda, when a mendicant is perfected, would the knowledge and vision that their defilements are ended be constantly and continually present to them, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking?”
“Well then, Sandaka, I shall give you a simile. For by means of a simile some sensible people understand the meaning of what is said. Suppose there was a person whose hands and feet had been amputated. Would they be aware that their hands and feet had been amputated constantly and continually, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking? Or would they be aware of it only when they checked it?”
“They wouldn’t be aware of it constantly, only when they checked it.”
“In the same way, when a mendicant is perfected, the knowledge and vision that their defilements are ended is not constantly and continually present to them, while walking, standing, sleeping, and waking. Rather, they are aware of it only when they checked it.”
Four stages of awakening are described in Suttas, and only Suttas give us standard based on which we can analyse our direct experience and name it as such. So let’s say that certain transformation in experience appeared, which Suttas describe us: “whatever is the subject to arising is all subject to cessation”.
But unless you expect a mental verbal message from the Buddha’s office: congratulations, you now know that “whatever is the subject to arising is all subject to cessation”; it is rather non-verbal experience. Change as such is undoubted but it is quite possible to doubt the meaning of such transformative experience.
Perhaps you can state your objection as: it is impossible that ariya have any doubts on doctrine of anatta, or what is dhukkha, and what is the cessation of dhukkha.
Unfortunately lack of any doubt about Dhamma, can be as well the sign of ignorance.
Anyway, I find this to be very valuable and good advice and just wanted to pass it along in case others might find it similarly valuable and/or have sutta citations. Thanks!