Chapter 42
all worldly treasures. By this truth, may all beings be well and happy, both here and in
the hereafter!
(The rendering by the Koezaung Sayadaw includes 108 classes of
ariyas
(not
mentioned in this English Translation.) The way the number 108 is obtained is
explained here. Leaving aside the four
ariyas
who have attained the four
magga
s, there are the four
ariyas
who have attained the four
phalas
. Of these
four, there are three kinds of
sotÈpatti-phala
attainers: (a) the one who has just
one rebirth to undergo, (b) the one who has to undergo from two, three to six
rebirths, (c) the one who has no possibility of rebirth beyond the seventh
existence. Now, the four
sotÈpatti-phala
attainers are of four categories
according to the way of practice by which they have attained it. The three
kinds (a, b, c above) into the four modes of practice makes twelve classes of
sotÈpatti
puggala
, Stream-Enterers at the fruition stage.
There are two distinct phases in meditation for Insight: up to the dispelling of the
hindrances (
nÊvaraÓas
) is the
patipadÈ-khetta
, ‘the period of practice’; from that stage
upwards till the attainment of Path-knowledge is the
abhiÒÒÈ-khetta
, ‘the period of
special apperception’, (having gained Insight). In ‘the period of practice’, a yogi, who
can dispel the hindrances without trouble, is called ‘one who has facile practice’; a
yogi, who can dispel the hindrances with difficulty, is called ‘one who has difficult
practice.’ In ‘the period of special apperception’, a yogi with Insight, who attains
magga
(Path-knowledge) quickly, is called ‘a quick attainer’; a yogi with Insight, who
attains
magga
tardily, is called ‘a slow attainer’. Thus there are these four modes of
practice for each of the three kinds of
sotÈpatti-phala
attainers, making 12 classes of
sotÈpatti-ariyas
. With the Once-returners or
sakadÈgÈmÊ-puggala
, there are three kinds,
such as
kÈma-sakadÈgÈmÊ, r|pa-sakadÈgÈmÊ
and
ar|pa-sakadÈgÈmÊ
. These three kinds
multiplied by the four modes of practice makes twelve classes of Once-returners or
sakadÈgÈmÊ-puggala
.
With the Non-returners or
anÈgÈmÊ-puggala
, there are five kinds, such as:
(i) antarÈ
parinibbÈyÊ anÈgÈmin (ii) upahacca parinibbÈyÊ anÈgÈmin, (iii) sasa~khÈra parinibbÈyÊ
anÈgÈmin (iv) asa~khÈra parinibbÈyÊ anÈgÈmin (v) uddhaÑsota akaniÔÔhagÈn|
anÈgÈmin
. The
anÈgÈmÊ-ariyas
dwell in five Pure Abodes or SuddhÈ- vÈsa Brahma
realm, out of which five classes of
anÈgÈmin
dwell in AvihÈ realm, five in
AtappÈ
realm, five in
SudassÈ
realm, five in
SudassÊ
realm, and four (i.e. these other than
uddhaÑsota-akaniÔÔhagÈmÊ anÈgÈmin
) in AkaniÔÔha realm, thus making twenty-four
classes of
anÈgÈmÊ-puggala
.
The
arahats
are of two kinds:
Sukkhavipassaka
arahat
and
SamathÈyÈnika
arahat
. The
former refers to those
ariyas
who attain
arahatta-phala
without achieving
jhÈna
but
through Insight development alone; the latter to those
ariyas
who use
jhÈna
and
consequent psychic powers as the vehicle of attaining
arahatta-phala
.
Adding up the four
ariyas
, we have:
SotÈpannas 12 kinds of
phala
attainers
SakadÈgÈmin 12 ‚
AnÈgÈmin
24 ‚
Arahat
2 ‚
Magga attainers 4 ‚
54
In gaining
magga-ÒÈÓa
, an
ariya
may, at the moment of the arising of
magga-ÒÈÓa
,
either have his consciousness led by faith (
saddhÈ
) or wisdom (
paÒÒÈ
). Thus there are
two basic categories of
ariyas
, either of whom make up the above 54 classes. That is
why it is said that there are altogether 108 classes of
ariyas
.)
7. Those
arahats-ariyas
, who strive with steadfast minds under Buddha Gotama's
teaching, are released from the defilements. They have their mind well settled on