The Anagami Who Does Not Return to the Sensual Realm

"Yesterday, I mentioned that to see Nibbāna, one must have vipassanā (insight meditation) leading the way. Whether one becomes a Sotāpanna (Stream-enterer), Sakadāgāmi (Once-returner), Anāgāmi (Non-returner), or attains Arahantship, one sees Nibbāna. The act of seeing Nibbāna is the same for all. However, the manner of seeing, the clarity and distinctness of the vision, differs in degree. Stage by stage, the perception of Nibbāna becomes progressively clearer and sharper. Understand this: the thinner the defilements (kilesa), the clearer the vision of Nibbāna. Arahants, being completely free from defilements, see Nibbāna with the utmost clarity and sharpness. This Nibbāna seen in this way is timeless (akālika), hence it is called kāla-vimutti (release from time). Does this mean Nibbāna doesn't exist? No, it exists. In whom does it exist? It exists in the person who confronts [reality] with mind (ñāṇa) directed towards the aggregates (khandha). It exists in the person who practices vipassanā. As they practice repeatedly, the mind abandons the aggregates and runs towards Nibbāna, which is free from aggregates. Previously, the mind only turned towards the aggregates. With repeated practice, the mind abandons the aggregates and runs towards Nibbāna, where there are no aggregates. Do not forget this point: if you desire this Nibbāna, you must prioritize vipassanā. When vipassanā leads the way, the supramundane path (lokuttara magga) follows behind. For the person who has vipassanā leading the way, the path knowledge (magga ñāṇa) comes afterwards. Therefore, if you exert persistent and diligent effort, confronting [reality] with mind directed towards the aggregates, the fire that is Nibbāna will blaze forth spontaneously. Let me give an example. There was a man named Milakkhutissa who had been a hunter all his life. He came upon a forest monastery where an Arahant was dwelling. Thirsty, he tried to scoop water from a water pot, but found no water. Actually, the pot was full. Due to his unwholesome kamma, the water disappeared for him. Not finding water, he criticized the monks living there: 'These monks are very lazy; they don't even fill the water pot!' The Arahant looked and saw the pot was full. The monk saw water; the hunter saw none. This was the result of his past unwholesome kamma ripening first. After all, unwholesome deeds had predominated in his life throughout. Even then, he further criticized them: 'They can't even manage a small water pot; they just eat and sleep!' Here, the Arahant looked, saw the pot was full, scooped water with the very ladle the hunter had used, filled it from the very pot, and gave it to him. Only then did the hunter get to drink his fill. At that moment, he felt profound spiritual urgency (saṃvega): 'Oh! I, a true human, have actually become a ghost (peta)! If my kammic suffering (vaṭṭa dukkha) is this severe, then after death, this person has nowhere to go but the Avīci hell. Even in the present, water disappears for me!' He petitioned the Arahant: 'Venerable Sir, are there any Dhamma teachings left that could save me?' The Arahant replied, 'If you have vipassanā leading the way, you can attain the Path.' Hearing that there was still a teaching to save him, he did not return home. He renounced all his bows and arrows, donned the yellow robe, and became a novice monk. He said, 'I fully understand my situation. The Venerable says there is a teaching to save me. I will strive.' As he strove, only unwholesome thoughts arose in his mind. Restlessness (kukkucca) plagued him. He then told the Elder: 'Venerable Sir, let me remain with my faults. While meditating, instead of seeing the Dhamma, only the memories of all the killing and harming I did keep arising. Therefore, I will disrobe.' The Elder told him not to disrobe yet. He ordered him to cut enough wet fig wood to fill three cartloads and pile it up. He then ordered him to light a fire. The fire wouldn't catch. Unable to light it, the novice went to report this to the Arahant. The Arahant followed him and, using psychic power, split the earth and showed him the Avīci hell. He told the novice, who wanted to disrobe, to look. He saw beings suffering in hell, packed as densely as mustard seeds. There, the Arahant, using psychic power, took a firefly-sized flame from the hellfire and dropped it into the woodpile. The entire pile instantly turned to ashes. Seeing that a mere spark of hellfire could reduce three cartloads of wet fig wood to ashes in an instant, and having seen Avīci hell itself and witnessed the intense power of the hellfire, he became utterly terrified. He said, 'In that case, Venerable Sir, I won't disrobe. If you can save me, please save me!' Only then did the Elder instruct him in vipassanā work with vipassanā leading the way, focusing on the arising and passing away (udayabbaya) of phenomena to strike at the Path. Fear arose in his mind from seeing Avīci hell; he was terrified from seeing the hellfire. Thinking, 'If my feet get cold, I won't nod off,' he soaked cloths in water and wrapped his feet. Thinking, 'If my head gets cold, I won't nod off either,' he soaked a cloth and placed it on his head. Thus, all drowsiness vanished, and he relentlessly applied himself solely to vipassanā confronting the Path. He meditated for one night. By dawn, he had become established as an Anāgāmi. Because vipassanā led the way and the threefold Path knowledge arose, establishing him as an Anāgāmi, he no longer had to go to the Avīci hell that was his certain destination. Even the arising of just one Path knowledge is enough to prevent rebirth there. Vipassanā had saved him! He, who was definitely destined for Avīci hell, became a person who would not return to the woeful planes (duggati) or even to the sensual blissful planes (kāma-sugati) – he had become an Anāgāmi. Therefore, just keep practicing vipassanā. Wishing and praying, 'May the sun that is the Path arise!' won't make it happen. You only attain it by working with wisdom (ñāṇa). Just keep doing the work of confronting the aggregates with the mind. When you do this repeatedly and it matures, the sun that is the Path will spontaneously blaze forth." Venerable Dr. Ashin Pāramī