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he becomes endowed with mindfulness and clear comprehension and
remains contented; (v) how, by dissociating himself from five hindrances,
he achieves the four jhænas the first, the second, the third and the
fourth as higher advantages than those previously mentioned; (vi) how
he becomes equipped with eight kinds of higher knowledge, namely,
Insight Knowledge, the Power of Creation by Mind, the Psychic Powers,
the Divine Power of Hearing, Knowledge of the Minds of others,
Knowledge of Past Existences, Divine Power of Sight, Knowledge of
Extinction of moral intoxicants.
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Thus when the knowledge of liberation arises in him, he knows he
has lived the life of purity. There is no other advantage of being a
sama¼a, personally experienced, more pleasing and higher than this.
(3) Amba¥¥ha Sutta.
Amba¥¥ha, a young disciple of Pokkharasæti, the learned brahmin,
was sent by his master to investigate whether Gotama was a genuine
Buddha endowed with thirty-two personal characteristics of a great man.
His insolent behaviour, taking pride in his birth as a brahmin, led the
Buddha to subdue him by proving that Khattiya is in fact superior to
Bræhma¼a. The Buddha explained further that nobleness in man stemmed
not from birth but from perfection in three categories of morality,
achievements of four jhænas, and accomplishments in eight kinds of
higher knowledge.
(4) So¼adanda Sutta.
This discourse was given to the brahmin So¼adanda who
approached the Buddha while he was residing near Lake Gaggaræ at
Campæ in the country of A³ga. He was asked by the Buddha what
attributes one should possess to be acknowledged as a brahmin.
So¼adanda enumerated high birth, learning in the Vedas, good
personality, morality and knowledge as essential qualities to be a
brahmin. When further questioned by the Buddha, he said that the
minimum qualifications were morality and knowledge without which no
one would be entitled to be called a brahmin. On his request, the Buddha
explained to him the meaning of the terms morality and knowledge,
which he confessed to be ignorant of, namely, the three categories of
morality, achievements of four jhænas and accomplishments in eight
kinds of higher knowledge.
(5) Kþ¥adanta Sutta
On the eve of offering a great sacrificial feast, the brahmin
Kþ¥adanta went to see the Buddha for advice on how best to conduct the
sacrifice. Giving the example of a former King Mahævijita, who also
made a great sacrificial offering, the Buddha declared the principle of
consent by four parties from the provinces, namely, noblemen, ministers,
rich brahmins and householders; the eight qualities to be possessed by the
king who would make the offerings; the four qualities of the brahmin
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royal adviser who would conduct the ceremonies and the three attitudes
of mind towards the sacrifices. With all these conditions fulfilled, the
feast offered by the king was a great success, with no loss of life of
sacrificial animals, no hardship on the people, no one impressed into
service, every one co-operating in the great feast willingly.
The brahmin Kþ¥adanta then asked the Buddha if there was any
sacrifice which could be made with less trouble and exertion, yet
producing more fruitful result. The Buddha told him of the traditional
practice of offering the four requisites to bhikkhus of high morality. Less
troublesome and more profitable again was donating a monastery to the
Order of Bhikkhus. Better still were the following practices in ascending
order of beneficial effects: (i) going to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the
Saµgha for refuge; (ii) observance of the Five Precepts; (iii) going forth
from the home life and leading the holy life, becoming established in
morality, accomplished in the four jhænas, and equipped with eight kinds
of higher knowledge resulting in the realization of extinction of æsavas,
the sacrifice which entails less trouble and exertion but which excels all
other sacrifices.
(6) Mahæli Sutta
Mahæli O¥¥haddha, a Licchavø ruler, once came to see the Buddha
to whom he recounted what Sunakkhatta, a Licchavø prince, had told him.
Sunakkhatta had been a disciple of the Buddha for three years after which
he left the Teaching. He told Mahæli how he had acquired the Divine
Power of Sight by which he had seen myriads of pleasant, desirable forms
belonging to the deva world but that he had not heard sounds belonging to
the deva world. Mahæli wanted to know from the Buddha whether
Sunakkhatta did not hear the sounds of the deva world because they were
non-existent, or whether he did not hear them although they existed.
The Buddha explained that there were sounds in the deva world
but Sunakkhatta did not hear them because he had developed
concentration only for one purpose, to achieve the Divine Power of Sight
but not the Divine Power of Hearing.
The Buddha explained further that his disciples practiced the
noble life under him not to acquire such divine powers but with a view to
the realization of dhammas which far excel and transcend these mundane
kinds of concentrations. Such dhammas are attainments of the Four States
of Noble Fruition states of a stream-winner, a once-returner, a non-
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returner, and the state of mind and knowledge of an Arahat freed of all
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