[InnerKnowledgeSeekerMember]

Hi @kimw, you said, “Following the instructions in TMI and Culadasa’s teaching, you can progress to stream entry and beyond.” You therefore seem able to identify a stream-enterer. What do you use to determine if someone has attained stream entry?

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by  InnerKnowledgeSeeker.

[InnerKnowledgeSeekerMember]

Greetings Oded,

I have not heard of Gotama Buddha speaking of the five insights for awakening that you listed. For instance, Buddha rejected the notion of interconnectedness. See SN 12:48 The Cosmologist – Lokāyatika Sutta.

What is an arahant? Buddha has said that an arahant with taints destroyed has “lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached his own goal, destroyed the fetters of being, and is completely liberated through final knowledge” (Majjhima Nikāya 1). For a list of the 10 fetters, see AN 10.13 Sanyojana Sutta: Fetters.

As I understand about money: A person who uses money is stealing in the Noble sense of taking what is not given. The government has stolen by imposing taxes and subsequently printed money from tax receipts. This is taking what is not given. Therefore, working to earn money is stealing. Upon deeper analysis, one can see that working to earn money is motivated by greed, which leads to lying and the chain of dependent origination. Therefore, using money appears to be stealing. That said, there may also be an arahant without taints destroyed, who is still attached to sensuality — this I am still researching.

No deeper question other than finding and identifying a living arahant. To me, identifying a current arahant can be useful to see a living example and to seek guidance and inspiration for accurately reaching Nibbana.

Interested to hear folks’ thoughts, and thanks to all for contributing to this discussion :).

• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by  InnerKnowledgeSeeker.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by  InnerKnowledgeSeeker.

[InnerKnowledgeSeekerMember]

I appreciate the optimism of folks on this thread, which can help with the enlightenment factor of effort. However, I am looking for rational, realistic responses. A currently living arahant would be proof that arahantship can be attained at this time. So, the next question would be, is any arahant currently living, and if so, how to identify his attainment of arahantship?

Chris Gagne, who are the two people you met who you think are arahants?

Oded, do you think all 518 people interviewed at https://batgap.com/ are arahants? One of them is Thomas Hubl, with whom I studied, and he does not appear to be an arahant since he is not teaching about the nature of suffering and liberation.
Do you think non-dualists like Rupert Spira and Adyashanti are arahants — for instance, have they stopped using money, owning possessions, and taking what is not given (i.e. following the no stealing precept)?

Pierre, have you met any people you would consider arahants (if so, what are their names)?

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