Unwholesome kamma can only occur under the influence of ignorance and craving. When a certain level of ignorance and craving disappears, so does the potential for certain unwholesome results, namely rebirth in states of misery. There is no limit to the evil people may do when still mercilessly assaulted by the kilesas of wrong view of the self and of doubt about the path and kamma. The atrocities they commit will lead to lower realms without a doubt. Lacking these kilesas, a stream entrant will no longer commit terrible deeds that may lead to such rebirth. Furthermore, his or her past kamma, which might have led to such unfortunate rebirths, is cut off at the moment of attaining the noble path consciousness. A stream entrant no longer need fear this intense suffering.
The Inalienable Property of Noble Ones
Another benefit of stream entry is realization of the sevenfold property of noble ones. Noble ones are persons who are purified, noble of character, who have attained one of the four levels of enlightenment. Their properties are faith, morality, hiri, ottappa, learning, charity, and wisdom.
Faith is a durable and unshakable confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. It is unshakable because of direct experience and realization. A noble one can never be bribed or corrupted in any way to abandon the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. No matter what suave and cunning means, or frightening threats, a person might employ to this end, a noble one can never be convinced to abandon his or her knowledge.
Morality is purity of conduct with respect to the five precepts. It is said that a stream entrant is incapable of deliberately breaking them, incapable of any wrong thoughts or actions leading to rebirth in states of woe. He or she will be free from the threefold immoral behavior manifested through the body, will be largely free from wrong speech, will be free from wrong livelihood, and finally will be free from wrong effort in practicing a wrong spiritual path.
The third and fourth properties, hiri and ottappa, we explained earlier. A stream entrant has these two aspects of conscience very strongly developed, and so will be incapable of performing bad deeds.
The fifth property, learning, refers to the theory of meditation as well as a practical understanding of how to meditate. A stream entrant is indeed learned in the mechanics of walking this Noble Eightfold Path toward nibbāna.
Cāga, usually translated as charity, actually means relinquishment. A stream entrant generously relinquishes all kilesas that produce results in lower realms. Moreover, he or she will be liberal in dāna; his or her generosity will be continuous and very real.
The last property is wisdom. This refers to vipassanā insight and wisdom. A stream entrant’s practice will be free from wrong mindfulness and wrong concentration. He or she will also be free from very explosive kilesas, which erupt within and manifest physically, vocally, or mentally, and from fear of evil rebirth.
Personal peace is of utmost importance. It can be achieved in freedom from fear. If many people are capable of realizing such peace—if many people actually have that peace within—you can imagine how conducive it would be to world peace. World peace can only start from within.
True Child of the Buddha
Another benefit of stream entry is that one becomes a true child of the Buddha. Many are devoted. They may have great faith and make daily offerings to the Triple Gem of Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, but due to changes in circumstances it is always possible for a person to give up faith. He or she may be reborn without it. You may be very holy and goodhearted in this life, but next time you could turn out a rascal. There is no insurance for you until you attain the first stage of enlightenment and become a true daughter or son of the Lord Buddha.
The Pāli term used in the Visuddhi Magga is orasa putta, which means a real, full-fledged child. Putta is often translated as son, but actually it is a general term for progeny, including daughters.
There are hundreds more benefits that can be obtained, the Visuddhi Magga says. In fact, the benefits of stream entry are beyond number. A stream entrant is totally committed to the Dhamma, intensely interested in listening to the true Dhamma, and can understand Dhamma that is profound and not easily grasped by others. When a stream entrant hears a discourse that is well delivered, he or she will be filled with joy and rapture.
And because a sotāpanna has stepped into the stream, his or her heart will always be with the Dhamma. In executing his or her duties in the world, the stream entrant will be like Mother Cow, who eats grass and still watches over her tender calf. The heart of the sotāpanna is inclined to Dhamma, but he or she will not shirk worldly responsibilities. Stream entrants gain concentration very easily if they put appropriate effort in meditation, wishing to walk farther on the path.
A Vehicle for Everyone, a Vehicle That Never Breaks Down
The Buddha concluded by saying explicitly that meditative achievement is not differentiated on a basis of sex. Either a woman or a man, he said, could trust this chariot to carry him or her to nibbāna. The chariot was, and is, available to all.
In the modern age we have a myriad vehicles available. Ever newer inventions appear in the field of transportation. Human beings can travel over land and sea or in the sky. An ordinary person can go around the world without much trouble. Men have walked on the moon. Spacecrafts have gone to other planets and even beyond.
No matter how far vehicles go through space, however, it is unlikely they will be of any help bringing you to nibbāna. If indeed there is a vehicle that stops in nibbāna, I would like to have it. However, I have not yet heard advertisements or assurances of any such extraordinary vehicle that could carry a person to the safe haven of nibbāna.
No matter how advanced scientific technology may be, there is no guarantee that even the most sophisticated vehicle is accident free. Fatal accidents occur on land, on sea, in the air, and in space. Many people have died in this way. I do not suggest that this renders the vehicles useless. It is just that there is no guaranteed safety in them. The only vehicle with one hundred percent insurance coverage is the Noble Eightfold Path.
Modern cars have a high standard of performance and safety. If you are rich you can afford an extremely comfortable, fast, luxurious automobile and can have it conveniently at your disposal. If you are not rich you can get a loan, or rent a limousine or a sports car for a short time, or you can ride on public transportation. Even if you are poor you can always stand by the road and hitch a ride.
However, there is no guarantee that performance will be faultless even if the car is your own. You have to fill up your car with gas, maintain it in various ways, repair it when it breaks down—there are many chores involved. All the vehicles will be towed to the junkyard someday, and the more you use them, the closer they get to that final resting place.
It would be preferable to produce a nibbāna vehicle with the same sophistication and high standards, for this is a vehicle that never wears out. How good it would be if such a vehicle were easily accessible to common people! If anyone could own a vehicle to nibbāna, imagine what a peaceful world it would be. This vehicle leads to something priceless. Nibbāna cannot be bought, no matter how wealthy you may be, nor can it be rented. You have to work for it so that it belongs to you. It will only be useful if it becomes your own property.
In this world most vehicles are ready-made. They come from the factory. But this vehicle leading to nibbāna has to be self-made. It is a do-it-yourself kit. You must have faith at the start that nibbāna is in your reach, and faith in the path that will lead you to your destination. You must also have motivation, a sincere and committed desire to strive for that goal. But motivation alone will not get you far unless you act upon it. You must work, put in the effort to be mindful, persevering, and enduring moment after moment so that concentration builds and wisdom begins to blossom and mature.
Would it not be wonderful if the Noble Eightfold Path were ready-made on an assembly line? Unfortunately, it is not, and that is why you poor souls have to do your own manufacturing. You arm yourself with faith and the strong desire
to realize your goal. You intend to practice through thick and thin, undergoing difficulties, fatigue, and tiredness and the strain of struggling to assemble your vehicle. You come to put forth energy to keep its wheels rolling. You try to keep the body work of mindfulness intact. You fix firmly your backrest of hiri and ottappa so that you can rely upon it. You train your driver to go straight. Finally, after passing through various stages of insight, you gain possession of the sotāpatti magga vehicle, stream entrant path consciousness. When this vehicle becomes your own possession, you will have very easy and convenient access to nibbāna.
Once this stream entrant vehicle is completed, it will never depreciate in value or run down. It is quite unlike vehicles presently available on this planet. You never need to oil or lubricate it, repair it, or replace it. The more you use it, the stronger and more sophisticated it gets. It is totally accident free. When you travel on this vehicle, you have one-hundred-percent guaranteed safety.
As long as we live on this earth, we will be subjected to ups and downs and vicissitudes of life. At times things go smoothly and well; at other times, disappointment and discouragement, suffering and sorrow are the rule. However, one who has gained possession of this stream entrant path vehicle glides smoothly through rough times, and does not fall over too sharply in good times. The gates to misery are closed, and he or she always has free access to the safe haven of nibbāna.
It is impossible to sing all the praises of this great vehicle, but be assured that if you really complete it and own it, you will have access to the fulfillment of life.
Please do not entertain any thoughts of surrender, but rather put forth all the energy and effort you have. Strive to assemble this vehicle and have it safely in your possession.
The Gates of Misery Are Closed
The essential form of this chariot, this Dhamma vehicle, was first revealed to the world by the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago, in the discourse called The Sutta on the Turning of the Wheel of the Law, the first discourse after his enlightenment.
Before the Buddha appeared, the world lived in total darkness, in ignorance of the Noble Eightfold Path. Recluses and renunciates, sages and philosophers, all held their own views and opinions, speculations and pet theories about the truth.
Then as now, some people believed nibbāna was the happiness of sensate pleasure, and so they immersed themselves in pleasure. Others looked with disdain at this behavior and reacted against it, mortifying themselves. They deprived their bodies of sense comfort and delight, seeing this as a noble endeavor. In general, beings lived in delusion. They had no access to the truth, and so their beliefs and actions were arbitrary. Each person had a view or opinion and, based thereon, did a thousand and one different things.
The Buddha accepted neither sense indulgence nor asceticism. His way is between the two, inclining to neither extreme. When he revealed the Noble Eightfold Path to beings, true faith grounded in the truth of existence could arise. Faith could be placed on that which was true, instead of on just an idea.
Faith has a great influence on one’s consciousness. That is why it is a controlling faculty. With faith there can be effort. Faith arouses motivation in practice and becomes the basis for all other dhammas, like concentration and wisdom. When the Buddha first revealed the Noble Eightfold Path, he set the controlling faculties into motion. This view of dhammas was set rolling in the hearts of beings, and thereby true freedom and happiness came within reach.
May your faith in the practice be sincere and profound. May this be the basis for your attainment of ultimate liberation.
APPENDICES
THE SEVEN FACTORS OF ENLIGHTENMENT
In the chart below, each of the seven factors that lead to enlightenment, and that become properties of an enlightened person, is analyzed according to three aspects—its most salient characteristic, its function as it affects the general mental state, and its manifestation, or visible result within the mental field. This complete description comes from the Buddhist texts known as the Abhidhamma. Following the characteristic, function, and manifestation, practical ways for meditators to arouse each enlightenment factor during meditation are listed by source, either according to the Buddha or according to subsequent amplifications by commentators.
1. MINDFULNESS—SATI
Characteristic: non-superficiality
Function: non-disappearance, keeping the object in view
Manifestation: confrontation
Ways of arousing:
According to the Buddha: mindfulness
According to the Commentaries:
1. Mindfulness and clear comprehension, or broad-based mindfulness
2. Dissociating from unmindful persons
3. Associating with mindful persons
4. Inclining the mind toward the development of mindfulness
2. INVESTIGATION — DHAMMA VICAYA
Characteristic: intuitive knowledge of the nature of dhammas, also of nibbāna
Function: dispelling darkness
Manifestation: non-confusion
Ways of arousing:
According to the Buddha: direct perception
According to the Commentaries:
1. Asking questions about Dhamma and meditation practice
2. Cleanliness of internal and external bases (the body and the immediate environment)
3. Balancing the controlling faculties
4. Avoiding unwise persons
5. Associating with wise persons
6. Reflection on profound Dhamma
7. Commitment to cultivating investigation
3. COURAGEOUS EFFORT — VI RIYA
Characteristic: enduring patience in the face of suffering and difficulty
Function: supporting the mental state
Manifestation: a bold and courageous mind
Ways of arousing:
According to the Buddha: wise attention
According to the Commentaries:
1. Reflecting on the fearsomeness of apāya, or the states of misery one can fall into in the absence of effort
2. Reflecting on the benefits of effort
3. Reflecting on and trying to match the nobility of previous practitioners
4. Respecting and appreciating for alms food or other supports one has received
5. Reflecting on the sevenfold heritage of a noble person (see Numerical Lists, page 275)
6. Reflecting on the greatness of the Buddha
7. Reflecting on the greatness of the Dhamma, which links the lineage of buddhas, monks, and nuns to oneself
8. Reflecting on the greatness of those who practice brahmacariya, or the Sangha
9. Avoiding the company of lazy persons
10. Associating with energetic persons
11 Inclining the mind toward developing energy
4. RAPTURE —PĪTI
Characteristic: happiness, delight, and satisfaction
Function: lightness and energy of body and mind
Manifestation: physical sensations of lightness
Ways of arousing:
According to the Buddha: wise attention to being effortful in bringing about wholesome feelings of rapture connected with the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha
According to the Commentaries:
1. Buddhānussati, recollecting the virtues of the Buddha
2. Recollecting the virtues of the Dhamma
3. Recollecting the virtues of the Sangha
4. Recollecting one’s own moral purity
5. Recollecting one’s own generosity
6. Recollecting the virtues of devas and brahmās
7. Reflecting on the peace of cessation of the kilesas, either in nibbāna, in the jhānas, or in deep meditations one has experienced
8. Avoiding the company of rough, angry, and coarse persons
9. Cultivating friends who are warm, loving, and refined
10. Reflecting on the suttas
11. Inclining the mind toward developing rapture
5. TRANQUILIT
Y—PASSADDHI
Characteristic: calmness of body and mind; end of agitation
Function: extracting or suppressing mental heat due to restlessness, dissipation, or remorse
Manifestation: non-agitation of body and mind
Ways of arousing:
According to the Buddha: wise attention directed toward developing wholesome mental states, especially meditative states, which allow tranquility
According to the Commentaries:
1. Sensible and nutritious food
2. Suitable weather
3. Comfortable, but not luxurious, posture
4. Maintaining a balanced effort in practice
5. Avoiding bad-tempered, rough, or cruel people
6. Associating with calm and gentle people
7. Inclining the mind toward the development of tranquility
6. CONCENTRATION — SAMĀDHI
Characteristic: nondispersal
Function: collecting the mind
Manifestation: peace and stillness
Ways of arousing:
According to the Buddha: continuous wise attention aimed at the development of concentration
According to the Commentaries:
1. Purity of internal and external bases (cleanliness of body and immediate environment)
2. Balancing the controlling faculties
3. Skill in the concentration object (applicable to jhāna practice)
4. Uplifting the mind when it is depressed
5. Calming the mind when it is excited
6. Bringing happiness to the mind when it is withered by pain
7. Continuous, balanced awareness
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