Imagery: A (the) primary role or function of a Buddha: to enlighten the path for other Beings to follow, so they too can cross the stream of samsara ro “reach the other shore” = Bodi ≈ Nirvana ≈ Nibbana ≈ Enlighenment ≈ Tathagatas ≈ Buddhas ≈ Dharma Cloud/10th Bhumi Bodhisattvas, & More terms… Dharma ≈ MANY meaning ,here it is symbolized as the lamp shedding light, as well as the Path (or the Raft on which they cross is a common simile used for the Dharma. Sangha are those in the water with you (or on the Raft, those following, those ahead, those on the other shore. Maha-Sangha is the larger Community of those on the Path, the AriyaSangha (Higher Community consists of Buddhas, Arhats, Higher Bhumi Bodhisattvas, those that have begun the stages leading to Bodhi (from Stream-Entry [a different stream analogy] to the higherst stages; Once returners, Non-Returners, then Arahants. (There is much debate between various schools, from 1 being better to different degrees of Nirvana, & some orthodox-type view that only Monks & Nuns that adhere to the ≈ 227 precepts of the Vinaya Pitika are actually Snagha, regardless of degree of spiritual evolution on the Path. (Then, many Buddhist Orders & Schools of Ordained, would not qualify as the Sangha, but using the Canonical references, it cab be easily argued that the Sangha ended with the Buddha’s Paranirvana, and can also be argued that it’s implied that spiritual support, teaching, training (both being taught and teaching), representatives of the Dharma, to effectively & accurately Teach, Share the great benefits of Buddhism, for the Sake of All beings, is the spirit of the Scriptures are drastically more relevant in the spirit & Friendship community, the transmission of wisdom that are key elements implicit in the Dharma, what the true function of Sangha is about. (Image cred: Wikipedia)
Across All of Space and Time there is precisely One Buddha Dharma, One Buddha Dhamma, One School of Buddhism, and outside of Time; All of History, the Eternal Now, Future Aeons, Only One Buddhism Assimilating the Sutta, The
Middle Way, Bodhisattvas, Stream-Winners, Mahayana,
Theravada, Vajrayana, Insight, Emptiness, Bodhi, Buddhas, Arahants, Dzogchen, Sōtō Zen,
Gautama Buddha, & Endless Misconceptions and Misunderstandings about that which is called BUDDHISM! So, yeah, it’s not some 500 word Bullet Point Simpleton Gross Oversimplification. Depth & Weight!
[“All of Space and Time” is meant literally and figuratively, implicit and explicit, All-Inclusive of, but not limited to: Everywhere, Nowhere, All-Time, No-Time, Outside-of-Space-and-Time, and “Answers: D.) ‘None of the above,’ E.) ‘All of the above,’ F.) ‘The value of X = Undefined.’” That said; “F” is
the Least-Incorrect answer )
Awakening to No-Self (Anattā, Anātman, Paññā, Prajñā, Suññatā, Śūnyatā, Paticcasamuppāda, Pratītyasamutpāda After several weeks of assimilating The Buddha’s Inaugural Address First Sharing The Buddhadhamma, or as we say, “Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion” And the shortened Pāli and Sanskrit titles Pāli: The Dhammacakka Sutta, Sanskrit: The DharmaChakra Sutra DharmaCakra (The Dhamma Wheel/Dharma Wheel is one of the Ashtamangala, the Eight Auspicious Signs, or Symbols, and Classic Buddhist Symbols
Thus I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Varanasi in the Game Refuge at Isipatana. There he addressed the group of five monks:
“There are these two extremes that are not to be indulged in by one who has gone forth. Which two? That which is devoted to sensual pleasure with reference to sensual objects: base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unprofitable; and that which is devoted to self-affliction: painful, ignoble, unprofitable. Avoiding both of these extremes, the middle way realized by the Tathagata — producing vision, producing knowledge — leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.
“And what is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that — producing vision, producing knowledge — leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding? Precisely this Noble Eightfold Path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the middle way realized by the Tathagata that — producing vision, producing knowledge — leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding.
“Now this, monks, is the noble truth of stress: Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful, separation from the loved is stressful, not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
“And this, monks, is the noble truth of the origination of stress: the craving that makes for further becoming — accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there — i.e., craving for sensual pleasure, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.
“And this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of stress: the remainderless fading & cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release, & letting go of that very craving.
“And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress: precisely this Noble Eightfold Path —
Perfect Vision, Perfect Emotion, Perfect Speech, Perfect Action, Perfect Livelihood, Perfect Effort, Perfect Mindfulness, Perfect Samādhi
The Mundane Eightfold Path — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
Very Often ‘samyak’ Skrt. ‘samma’ Pali is translated (from the Pali Canon) It’s far too broad of a subject for this context, but there is excellent reasoning and contextual semantics that demonstrate Perfect as a significantly more accurate translation of the meaning and context. Furthermore it has been well described as a differentiation between The Transcendental, or The Noble Eightfold Path (“Perfect”) with the Mundane Eightfold Path is described with the term “Right.” The aspect being modified with Perfect or Right has many, many variations. My experience, education and training is not unique in the sense that it only applied to me, but unique within the ‘World of Buddhism,’ particularly among ‘Western Buddhist‘ for which I am beyond words of expressing profound gratitude. My Teacher is English, and not only profoundly Wise and Advanced Guru, (his fist experiential Insight arose as a kid, (I can’t recall exactly) around 12 – 14 years old, when he found The Diamond Sutra at a bookshoppe [it was England, after all] back in the 1930s).
The Urgyen Sangharakshita, is “his” name, was Ordained in India (or Sri Lanka, the little details aren’t important, 15 years ago I “knew everything” about the specifics details, fortunately those details don’t matter, because he’s so good at Teaching the Buddha‘s Dharma!) was greatly respected and admired (Both Very Rare for 1) a Western-born Monk, 2) a relatively Young Monk) he was asked to give talks all over India and Sri Lanka, which were later published in book form [“A Survey of Buddhism”], and used in Asian Monasteries for Western-born Monks & Nuns (Bhikkhus & Bhikkhunis, in Theravada Schools, Bhikshus & Bhikshunis in Mayayana Schools of Buddhism.) The first of his MANY published books on a multitude of aspects of The Buddha-Dharma. Although ordained in the Theravada Tradition, he spent ~25 years in India, (Sri Lanka and Nepal) mostly int Northern India, where he studied under the tutelage of the ‘Last Great Tibetan Buddhist Teachers (Tulku, Lama, Rimpoche, Rinpoche, that’s another story) as well as a Chinese Ch’an “Master” Yogi of Buddhist Meditation, (Chan in China, Zen in Japan, Thien in Vietnam, Seon in Korea , Dhyana in Sanskrit, Jyana in Pali all mean the same, which refer tot he Eight (8) forms and formless states of Meditative Absorption.)
He returned to England in the late 1960s and began Teaching The Essential Buddhist Dharma, Dhamma (I’m horrible with Tibetan Lnaguage or even the basic terms)/ What is so wonderful is his Profound Wisdom, Extremely Intelligent, being a Westerner, and Practicing within All the Major Schools of Buddhism, (and not like I have, but 25 years, obviously an English speaker, learning Pali, Sanskrit, Hindi and Tibetan, from the very teachers that the Dalai Lama (and virtually all the the modern (some are very old, but they’re “modern”) Great Tibetan Teachers, call “The Last Great Tibetan Lamas that were born, raised, studied, ordained and taught in Tibet. Which is directly relatred to it being the 1950s when China invaded Tibet and many of the greatest Masters fled to Northern India, which is how my Teacher, was able to study/practice/learn from, as well as the Chan (Chinese Zen) and within the Theravada Order. He understands what aspects of Tibetan Buddhism are from Tibetan Culture, and the same with Indian, Chinese, Japanese Buddhism and the cultural aspects is assimilated as Buddhism spread from India, and basically from there, it moved Northeasterly, to Tibet, China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, and then other stuff happened. (This isn’t a book on the History of Buddhism, I forget) 🙂
With a Westerner immersed in the East, two generations ago, when Buddhism (wasn’t called Buddhism very often. That’s another Western Invention, and why I tend to prefer the more accurate (in literal meaning, not just historical, I’m so concerned about sounding like I know what I’m talking about…Or maybe you’ve already realized that yourself! 🙂 (This shit is funny, and the utmost profundity, Live, Love, Laugh…or your Buddhist, or whatever method of living, is NOT working! WAKE UP! Lighten Up!, maybe you’ll Enlighten Up, then!?!? Ahhh, I’m laughing and having fun, which is important, but I don’t really do this typing for fun. Now is the background story I am explaining necessarily interesting, although it truly is Radically PROFOUND)
So , Westerner, excells amongst the greatest Dhamma and Dharma Teachers of the last century, he has deep “attainments,” is UNIQUELY qualified to understand the similarities and differences of the Three Major Schools of Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana (as well as Chan, Zen ,which are Mahayana, but have Significant Taoist (and Confucian) Influences, He is then advised by Dhardo Rimpoche, to take the Dharma back to the West, and is uniquely qualified to understand the Western Mind-frame, culture, etc.
Because of this, my life is PERFECT, and I do whatever I can to help others who want answers, and solutions and life with immense joy and meaning, without the stress, drama and suffering. I benefited from ALL THAT, plus he has started and been teaching and running a Buddhist Order for ~30 years when I found him, and I’m sure he evolved and grew as a teacher of Buddhism in the West, over that ~30 years. I know one thing, and only one thing, that he was the Best Teacher for me, and Looked Hard for a real Guru, for seven years. (It has been about 17 years I have been his student, and I KNOW “I’ve” experienced the Profound Beginning Stages of Enlightenment (And most Monks in Asia still think that this advancement is “possible” but probably not in this life, (or the next, but it’s progress.) Most Buddhist have that Mystical, magical Concept of these “Higher Stages” and to be %100 Honest, the Only reason I ever Shared about my relation with the Significance (Like in the Military or Education systems, there are certain, clearly acknowledged “benchmarks” along the Path to Awakening) I only share because 1) This False View, of the Magical, Mythical Advancement is a Major HINDERANCE to Progress on The Path. And because, I learned in “12-Step Recovery” when it comes time to announce an anniversary of sobrietry, that I did not want to to it, and my sponsor reminded that ‘We Don’t Do It For Ourselves; We Do It To SHOW the Newcomer That THIS REALLY WORKS!” (Now, quite thinking about your goddamn self and stand up, and do what we do!) ( I get misty-eyed just recalling this event, the yearly anniversaries that follow…and most of all, the decision to “come-out of the Spiritual Closet”) 💚😊🙏
And THAT’S what It’s ALL About! (Not the Hokey-Pokey…well, Maybe?)
I don’t know what it would be life if I had had someone I could talk with, who had advanced significantly and could give me some pointers (Because that is another story, and not about my Dharma Teacher, but an “Awakened Being” that was able to catalyze my own awakening, after just a few hours of talking. (That and innumerable lifetimes to set forth these conditions, and the 1,000s of hours of Meditation and intensive Dharma Study, and everything else that were the conditions from which causes the Fruition. So I’m guaranteeing a particular result, but I can guarantee the results will be PROFOUND!
(I cannot say if my teacher experiences Enlightenment, Nirvana, Nibbana, since “only Buddhas can know if another is a Buddha” (NOTE: Buddhas, Enlightenment, Nirvana, Bodhi, are Not actually “people” or things or an attainment, or an “experience” in the traditional sense. I have written and spoken on this plenty, from my own experience of Insight. Simply put it is absolutely impossible to engage in this world of the illusion of separateness, when the ‘experience,’ starting with “Insight into the True-Nature of Reality” is the Reality that this is an Illusion; there is No Duality, No Words, Views, Right, Perfect, Wrong, Buddha, Suffering, Pleasure, etc. It is ineffable (Cannot be expressed or communicated in any way, literally, inconceivable). “it” must be Directly Experiential. The more one tries to comprehend this with Mind and Thought, the Further away one will be!
That said; The is the Rupakaya, “Realm of form” which means, in this example, that we have words, language, subject, verbs, objects, and so the question might well be: “If you don’t exist, why are there so many words, and so many “my” and “I” and “him” and “you”? Here’s three perspectives: 1) When true Insight (vipassana) arises, and the the “first 3 fetters are broken” (there are “10 Fetters to becoming” one who Awakens, Bodhi, Nirvana, Nibbana, Enlightenment, Arhat, Arahant, all different terms for One “experience.” The first fetter is the view, belief, perception, False, or Wrong-View of a separate Self (Separate from any and every ‘thing’).
Once true Insight, arises, once the Fetters are broken, that will Not change, it can’t be, like a slinky that’s pulled just past the “tipping-point” and the law of the world (gravity, inertia, mass, etc) that slinky is not coming back to that step. It knows, from experience, what happens. So imagine if the slink viewed the edge of the step as a black hole, it now see’s what it really is, it can’t go back to believing the illusion, but it changes everything..the illusion is smashed, it’s confidence is unshakable, and old attachments are gone. Knowing this, the slinky (the analogy breaks down here 🙂 ) There is not self and other, it may, or may not try to show other slinkies the Truth. It can still see the illusion, but it sees through it. 2) The Buddha said something close to: ‘In all the years of teaching the Path of Liberation, the Buddha has not uttered a single word.’ (That is, strictly speaking, the reality of Awakening to Reality, the Realization that Everything is Nothing, and Nothing contains Everything, one Awakens to Reality of one’s True Nature, simultaneously, directly, necessarily Causal & Effective to the death, annihilation of Oneself. No, the goal isn’t Annihilation, it is Awakening (It just happens that Awakening to Your True Nature also has the “side effect” of “killing” “You.” (A) You Never Actually Existed! (B) You loose You, But, In the Process of Losing the Illusion of You, No-Self Gains Everything, The Whole Universe (Which is actually Nothing…Do You Not Understand?? If the You Don’t, Then We’re Making Real Progress. Be an Assassin of Concepts!
(Please be mindful of the precise language; it is misunderstandings of such truths, which propagated a still common misunderstanding of Buddhism as a teaching of Nihilism, which, if you’re reading this, you’re probably well aware that the Dharma is AKA “The Path of the Middle Way.” Which is not simply a middle point between to other points on a 2-dimentional line segment. There are two extremist, opposite Views, which are commonly held “Wrong-Views.” Nihilism on end (a person with these tendencies may be a Hedonist, ignorant of “the reality or law of Karma-Vipaka (Kamma) which is, put overly simplified is like Cause and Effect, nothing occurs in a vacuum, everything that happens is the outcome of previous Conditions…. Opposite extreme Wrong-View of Eternalism, one manifestation of this view is the austerities of an ascetic (as Siddhartha Gautama was before he realizing that ‘punishing, constraining the body in order to free the soul (the concept of a permanent, unchanging soul is also a wrong-view, which Anatman, Anatta (No-Self) applies), liberate the soul from the imperfect human, to find eternal (anything) Heaven or Hell, the eternal heaven justifies the Means of anything from self-deprecating to self-flagellating to Jihadism, and “suicide-bombing”. The Buddha’s Middle Way Pali: majjhimā paṭipadā; Sanskrit: madhyamā-pratipad, is best envisioned in 3-dimensional perspective, not between, but transcending, the two extremes, between and above, as in a 3-D Pyramid.)
Semantic awareness and awareness of vagueness, and variation of the meaning, or the actual experience to which the word is representing, (again, a Sign Post that states “Grande Canyon National –>” is obviously (hopefully) meaningless and significant if it Is in Detroit, pointing at a Wal-Mart (Sounds a absurd, yet Buddhist signposts, such as: “Nirvana –>” is actually more absurd than the Wall-Mart analogy, because in the world of form, just about anyone can say: “Pardon me, but the sign you have is not accurate, the Grande Canyon was a movie, not a Wall-Mart.” (Danny Glover, existential angst, good film, c. 1990s) That is meant to absurd, but also an example of a word that, when it comes to semantics, is a relatively solid understanding. Where in the Realm of “Spiritual Experiences” the variables and potential misunderstandings increase in a true exponential fashion.
No-Self, Emptiness, Shunyata, Sunyata, etc, different words, One Reality. and word are symbols ,signposts pointing at One and the Same Reality, Same Experience. The TRUE Actualization of Bodhi IS SILENT, INFINITE, & ETERNAL. No more, No Less.(period). 3) Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, explained this as directly and concisely, as he did so many times, in so many ways, state it perfectly, simply, eloquently: “Strictly speaking, there are no Enlightened People, Only Enlightened Activity.” A person, a human being cannot be Bodhi, or Enlightened. This is as clear as 1+1=2. There cannot be the experience of No-Self, and also be a being that a) is a separate “self” by necessity if b) this “Being” perceives any separateness. There is No Real Bodhisattva that actually perceives themselves, truly, as an entity independent of any thing, or being. [2 ÷ 0 = Undefined, just as 2 x 0 = Zero, this is simple mathematical explanation (not simply a metaphor) of Reality. A being with value of Emptiness, is 0 & ∞ . But that is the law of this physical world, and understanding Absolute Reality does not mean one cannot understand, interact, engage with the illusion that is this conditioned existence, or samsara. I have already discussed this more than once in this format. The Truth is that a Bodhisattva and Stream-Enterer are Not Different. I get into the Linguistic semantics and scholarly evidence of How and Why Mahayana evolved. I know, it is %100 incongruity to conceive of anyone Breaking the First fetter Alone, to Not Know that All “Beings” are One, and the same. (The Practice of cultivating Bodhicitta is Absolutely Beneficial in Experiencing this Reality. But, If “one” does Experience Absolute Bodhicitta, there is a certain irony to the “Bodhisattva Ideal” as being a “Higher Path” of Awakening, when the Fetter to Knowing, the Wrong-View, the Illusion of Self and Other that IS Samsara, becomes clear with Insight, Realization, Right-Vision of Absolute Reality, the Truth of Anatman, Anatta, No-Self. (The body of The Heart Sutra, the outlines in the Pali Canon, when seen with Right-View, when read by one with this Direct Insight into the True Nature of Reality, the Truth of No-Self, sees two perfect descriptions of One Experience.
(I am Not Theravada, nor Mahayana, nor Vajrayana, nor Dhyana, Chan, Zen, etc. I am live by the the Noble Eightfold Path, See the Truth in Mnay forms, in All the “Schools of Buddhism, I am Just/All Buddhist. It’s True, strictly speaking “I” don’t actually exist, this World is Not as appears, a thin veil, a facade, a dream that the Human Mind assembles, assimilates, integrates, but not in the Perfect Health sense, as it does with countless other factors, information, stimuli, an attempted Coping Mechanism, an ‘Ego-Defense System’. I do understand the “debate” the history, the Lineage, Direct Transmission, the Tantras that cannot be written. All that, including All Else is precisely, Perfectly Fine, just as it is! I hold No View over such matters; Only Direct Experience. No “Conditioned Phenomena” can or does add to, or take away from, that which cannot be added to, divided, reduced, manipulated, etc in Any Way. This is the Nature of True Reality, Ultimate Reality, Absolute Truth. (different names, One Reality.)
Amoghasiddhi is “my” Sadhana, Dogen-zenji exemplifies the Buddha-Dharma, Dhardo Rimpoche was/is a Living Bodhisattva-In-Action, the youthful Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche radiates Buddha-Dharma, Shunryu Suzuki-roshi Transmits Pure Buddha-Dharma, Jack Kornfield, Pema Chodrom, Thich Nhat Hanh, Shinzen Young, and on-and-on… Eckhart Tolle Exemplifies the meaning of Buddha-Dharma, infinitely more clearly than many “Buddhist Experts” and Knows this Truth of Absolute Reality (IS’ness, Being-Not Being, nothing relative about Absolute Reality.) Eckhart Tolle is A Bodhisattva, No-Need whatsoever to Identify oneself as Buddhist, there is No Buddhism, per se, (This is the topic of a whole other article, Post, in this blog) “Buddhism” is a Western Invention, to make sense of Buddha-Dharma, which is One not Many. yet it is not about becoming more Buddhist, more alike, it is the opposite of confirming, it is liberating, it’s about showing You who You Truly Are, and Who/What You’re Not! It’s the “Instruction Manual for LIFE”!)
(NOTE: Some Western Buddhist use Initial Capital Letters (as some Lawyers say: ‘initial caps’) to denote a specific implication or definition of the word. I am one of those that understand “Insight” to be a very specific meaning, radically different than the word: “insight..” One problem I have with that isn’t understanding the difference, it stems from working as a Copywriter, where I developed a habit of using Initial Capitols on Everything! hence the addition if the adjective, the modifier: ABSOLUTE + REALITY = Reality.
I have come 180ª on this. For years I only wanted to (and did) Practice with Dzogchen, Naked Awareness, or Shiken-taza, and I’m debating the Efficacy of various practices, just the misunderstanding (by those without Real Wisdom) that there is no Difference in the results, the fruition. As I said in here somewhere. Now, the Truth us apparent in at least 84,000 Dharma Doors…The Dharma (I do apologize, the scope of this went from minimal to WHOLISTIC (I can make my own rules..Holistic is Whole, not Hole, in the Approach to Treatment. So why is not spelled with a “W”? (I’m sure there’s a great lesson in linguistic Semantics, but I am falling asleep!)
As Dogen said: “People like what is not true, and they don’t like what is true.’
[That was actually not, relatively, an Epic tangent, I DO prefer “Stream-of-Consciousness” style of communicating in a talk or written format. Which is why I don’t think this Blog is working out. I have received a couple super wonderful bits of feedback, but I am “blindfolded without an arm and a leg” as far ability to effectively communicate in this format which I hoped would be Interactive…anyhow, I know there’s several ways to contact me if the right person, at the right time, find this message. Dharmamitra Jeff Stefani, (In the Detroit, Royal Oak, Michigan area, USA, but I interact with 1,000s of Buddhist, MOSTLY in India, and Southeast Asia. There are many ways t Connect, so let me know if there’s anything you’d like to share, or ask, or just..”whatever”! (Until my book gets published, and then, it’s all Spiritual Teacher Rock Star Mode…I’ll be hangin’ with Eckhart Tolle and the Dalai Lama, and in popular demand! If ONLY we could talk now?!)
[Seriously, You ARE at least chuckling, right? I’m Laughing a Lot..this serious shit is also funny! If you are not, PUT DOWN the Computer, and just {{{ B R E A T H E }}}….., and just rest you mind, and feel feeling, observe all the feelings, thoughts, images, desires, etc, just like Cloud in a Big Blue Sky…and Just Relax, as It Drifts In, then Away, and Dissipates into Pure Blue Sky…
Back to the Dhamma of the Pali Canon!
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of stress.’ Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This noble truth of stress is to be comprehended.’ Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before:’ This noble truth of stress has been comprehended.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the origination of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the origination of stress is to be abandoned’ … ‘This noble truth of the origination of stress has been abandoned.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the cessation of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the cessation of stress is to be directly experienced’… ‘This noble truth of the cessation of stress has been directly experienced.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress’… ‘This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress is to be developed’… ‘This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress has been developed.’
“And, monks, as long as this — my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be — was not pure, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras, & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & commonfolk. But as soon as this — my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be — was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its deities, Maras & Brahmas, with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & commonfolk. Knowledge & vision arose in me: ‘Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.'”
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted at his words. And while this explanation was being given, there arose to Ven. Kondañña the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.
And when the Blessed One had set the Wheel of Dhamma in motion, the earth devas cried out: “At Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahman or contemplative, deva, Mara or God or anyone in the cosmos.” On hearing the earth devas’ cry, the devas of the Four Kings’ Heaven took up the cry… the devas of the Thirty-three… the Yama devas… the Tusita devas… the Nimmanarati devas… the Paranimmita-vasavatti devas… the devas of Brahma’s retinue took up the cry: “At Varanasi, in the Game Refuge at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by brahman or contemplative, deva, Mara, or God or anyone at all in the cosmos.”
So in that moment, that instant, the cry shot right up to the Brahma worlds. And this ten-thousand fold cosmos shivered & quivered & quaked, while a great, measureless radiance appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the devas.
Then the Blessed One exclaimed: “So you really know, Kondañña? So you really know?” And that is how Ven. Kondañña acquired the name Añña-Kondañña — Kondañña who knows.
Dhardo Rimpoche: One of Nine Modern tethers in the Triratna Buddhist Order & Community’s Refuge Tree (Photo cred: Wikipedia)
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Buddhist Insight: Entering the Stream of Enlightenment—The Proof Is In The Pudding! 
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