Anuloma Khanti and Sammattaniyāma – Pre-requisites for a Sotāpanna

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Anuloma Khanti and Sammattaniyāma – Pre-requisites for a Sotāpanna

August 9, 2021

To attain the Sotāpanna stage, two conditions must be met. One must get to Anuloma Khanti, i.e., one must see that suffering hugely dominates the rebirth process. One must also get to Sammattaniyāma, i.e., realize that the ultimate bliss is in Nibbāna (reached via stopping the rebirth process.) [Here, “anu” means “through the understanding of Tilakkhaṇa,” “lo” means “craving for worldly things,” and “ma” means “removal,” and thus “anuloma” means “removal of craving for worldly things to some extent via the comprehension of Tilakkhaṇa.”]

Anuloma Khanti and Sammattaniyāma

1. If you have been reading my posts for a while, you know the points listed below. Here I will introduce two new terms — Anuloma Khanti and Sammattaniyāma — but the same concepts. These two terms are used in Tipiṭaka references that point out the necessity of comprehending the meanings of anicca, dukkha, and anatta nature to attain magga phala, as we discuss below.

▪Complete cessation of suffering cannot be achieved while in the rebirth process. While some births may have less suffering than others, death is inevitable for ANY birth.

▪Understanding Tilakkhaṇa or the Three Characteristics of Nature is essential to reach that conclusion. That understanding comes with the simultaneous comprehension of Paṭicca Samuppāda (the process that leads to new births.) That is the Noble Truth ABOUT suffering. That realization gets one to Anuloma Khanti.

▪Closely related to that issue of the dangers of remaining in the rebirths process is another critical issue. That is to realize that Nibbāna is the only refuge. That conclusion comes with understanding the Four Noble Truths, i.e., liberating from the rebirth process via the Noble Eightfold Path. That is when one gets to Sammattaniyāma and gets to the Sotāpanna stage.

2. Thus, it is CRITICAL to start with understanding Tilakkhaṇa and Paṭicca Samuppāda, i.e., understanding why craving for worldly pleasures will INEVITABLY lead to suffering.

▪However, as I have mentioned many times before, it is impossible to give up cravings for worldly pleasures with just willpower. It has to come through understanding WHY and HOW cravings for worldly pleasures lead to future suffering.

▪Here is an analogy. An alcoholic CANNOT get rid of his addiction just by willpower. He has to investigate the bad consequences of drinking and comprehend – without any doubts — that drinking is bad for health and can lead to death!

▪In the same way, one needs to realize the dangers in the rebirth process first. With that understanding, the generation of the worst types of saṅkhāra (leading to rebirth in the apāyās) will stop. But a Sotāpanna’s mind will still crave sensual pleasures. Those cravings will be gradually lost in three more stages and will disappear at the Arahant stage.

▪Thus, a Sotāpanna has the “roadmap” (same as Sammā Diṭṭhi) to reach the Arahant stage. Therefore, only a Sotāpanna can truly start cultivating Satipaṭṭhāna/Ānāpāna/Satta Bojjhaṅga/Noble Eightfold Path to get to the Arahant stage via the intermediate Sakadāgāmi and Anāgāmi stages.

Getting to Anuloma Khanti Requires Comprehending Anicca/Dukkha Nature of Saṅkhāra

3. The “WebLink: suttacentral: Anicca Sutta (AN 6.98)” states: “..saṅkhāraṁ niccato samanupassanto anulomikāya khantiyā samannāgato bhavissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘Anulomikāya khantiyā asamannāgato sammattaniyāmaṁ okkamissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘Sammattaniyāmaṁ anokkamamāno sotāpattiphalaṁ vā sakadāgāmiphalaṁ vā anāgāmiphalaṁ vā arahattaṁ vā sacchikarissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.”

Translated: “ ..anyone who regards saṅkhāra are of nicca nature cannot get to Anuloma Khanti. Without getting to Anuloma Khanti, it’s impossible to get to Sammattaniyāma. Without getting to Sammattaniyāma, it’s impossible to realize ANY magga phala (sotāpatti, sakadāgāmi, anāgāmi, arahatta.)

▪The next sutta, “WebLink: suttacentral: Dukkha Sutta (AN 6.99),” makes a similar statement, “..anyone who regards saṅkhāra are of sukha nature cannot get to Anuloma Khanti.” The rest of that verse is the same, i.e., unless one gets to Anuloma Khanti, it’s impossible to get to Sammattaniyāma and magga phala.

Getting to Anuloma Khanti Also Requires Comprehending Anatta Nature of Dhammā (Created via Saṅkhāra)

4. Then the next sutta “WebLink: suttacentral: Anatta Sutta (AN 6.100)” states: “.. dhammaṁ attato samanupassanto anulomikāya khantiyā samannāgato bhavissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. Anulomikāya khantiyā asamannāgato sammattaniyāmaṁ okkamissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘Sammattaniyāmaṁ anokkamamāno sotāpattiphalaṁ vā sakadāgāmiphalaṁ vā anāgāmiphalaṁ vā arahattaṁ vā sacchikarissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.”

Translated: “..anyone who regards dhammā are of atta nature can not get to Anuloma Khanti. Without getting to Anuloma Khanti, it’s impossible to get to Sammattaniyāma. Without getting to Sammattaniyāma, it’s impossible to realize ANY magga phala (sotāpatti, sakadāgāmi, anāgāmi, arahatta.)

Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta Are Characteristics of Anything in the World – But We Need to Focus on Saṅkhāra and Dhammā

5. Before discussing the critical implications of grasping the anicca, dukkha, anatta nature to make any progress on the Noble Path, let us clarify something that stands out in the above verses.

▪You may have noticed that the first two suttas in #3 explicitly refer to the anicca, dukkha nature of saṅkhāra. On the other hand, the third sutta in #4 refers to the anatta nature of dhammā.

▪As we have discussed, anicca, dukkha, anatta characteristics apply to ANYTHING in the world. See, “Anicca and Anatta – Two Characteristics of the World.”

▪So, why be specific about the anicca, dukkha nature of saṅkhāra, and the anatta nature of dhammā?

6. The reasons will become clear when we realize that the saṅkhāra generation initiates the Paṭicca Samuppāda process and is the starting point for all future suffering.

▪Paṭicca Samuppāda process starts with “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” specifically due to the expectation of a nicca outcome, i.e., not realizing that anicca nature is a “built-in” feature of the world!

▪Dhammā (with a long-a) are the seeds that result when saṅkhāra are cultivated. “Dhammā” means to “bear things in this world.” But anything thus generated will not lead to a “nicca outcome,” and all those efforts are fruitless. Thus, all “dhammā” generated are of “anatta nature.”

7. That is a summary. We will discuss that in detail. However, it is to be noted that those 3 suttas state the same as the following famous verses in Dhammapada verses 277 through 279:

“Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā”ti, yadā paññāya passati; Atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.”

“Sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā”ti, yadā paññāya passati; Atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.”

“Sabbe dhammā anattā”ti, yadā paññāya passati; Atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā.”

▪Those 3 verses state that to reach ultimate release from suffering (nibbindati dukkhe) via the purification of mind (visuddhi), one must see the futility and dangers in (abhi)saṅkhāra generation (because that only leads to accumulation of dhammā bearing more future existences.)!

Only Nibbāna Has the Characteristics of Nicca, Sukha, Atta!

8. The “WebLink: suttacentral: Nibbāna Sutta (AN 6.101)” completes the description. The following is the first verse in the sutta:

“‘So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu nibbānaṁ dukkhato samanupassanto anulomikāya khantiyā samannāgato bhavissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘Anulomikāya khantiyā asamannāgato sammattaniyāmaṁ okkamissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati. ‘Sammattaniyāmaṁ anokkamamāno sotāpattiphalaṁ vā sakadāgāmiphalaṁ vā anāgāmiphalaṁ vā arahattaṁ vā sacchikarissatī’ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjati.

Translated:

“Bhikkhus, it is impossible for anyone who regards Nibbāna to be suffering to get to Anuloma Khanti. Without getting to Anuloma Khanti, it’s impossible to get to Sammattaniyāma. Without getting to Sammattaniyāma, it’s impossible to realize ANY magga phala (sotāpatti, sakadāgāmi, anāgāmi, arahatta.)

▪Most people think that to attain Nibbāna would be to “give up all the pleasures in this world.” They cannot even imagine why anyone would want to stop the rebirth process. They think, “Life is good; how can anyone even think about not living in this world?”

▪That is because they equate “living” to live the life of a human. But the Buddha explained that all animals were humans in the past, and MOST present-day humans will end up with animal births. Furthermore, there are even worse births than those in the animal realm.

▪When one comprehends Tilakkhaṇa/Paṭicca Samuppāda/Four Noble Truths, one will logically conclude that the rebirth process is filled with suffering.

9. Then the second verse of the sutta says: “‘So vata, bhikkhave, bhikkhu nibbānaṁ sukhato samanupassanto anulomikāya khantiyā samannāgato bhavissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. ‘Anulomikāya khantiyā samannāgato sammattaniyāmaṁ okkamissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjati. ‘Sammattaniyāmaṁ okkamamāno sotāpattiphalaṁ vā sakadāgāmiphalaṁ vā anāgāmiphalaṁ vā arahattaṁ vā sacchikarissatī’ti ṭhānametaṁ vijjatī”ti.

Translated:

“Bhikkhus, it is possible for anyone who regards Nibbāna to be blissful to get to Anuloma Khanti. After getting to Anuloma Khanti, it’s possible to get to Sammattaniyāma. After getting to Sammattaniyāma, it’s possible to realize ANY magga phala (sotāpatti, sakadāgāmi, anāgāmi, arahatta.)

▪Thus, here one will realize that ultimate bliss is not in sporadic sensual pleasures. Rather it is to stop any possibility of future suffering by stopping the rebirth process and merging with Nibbāna.

Summary

10. It is necessary to understand Tilakkhaṇa/Paṭicca Samuppāda/Four Noble Truths to become a Sotāpanna and start on the Noble Eightfold Path to attain the Arahanthood (if one understands one of them, one will simultaneously understand the other two).

▪That understanding comes in two parts: (i) One will realize the dangers in remaining in the rebirth process, and (ii) One would see that ending the rebirth process and attaining Nibbāna is the ultimate bliss.

▪Thus it is critical to understand what is meant by anicca, dukkha, anatta.

▪Before discussing anicca, dukkha, anatta further, I wanted to point out the importance of those 3 words. Dukkha does not mean just any suffering that we experience now. Anicca and anatta cannot be just translated into two English words as impermanence and “no-self.”

▪There are deeper meanings in all three terms, AND they are related to each other.

11. Another point is that the translation of anicca as impermanence and anatta as “no-self” does not lead to a sensible translation of the suttas in #3 and #4 above.

▪Saṅkhāra are obviously impermanent. They arise and disappear. If the requirement to attain the Sotāpanna stage is to see the “impermanent nature of saṅkhāra”, then anyone would be a Sotāpanna!

▪Can anyone still believe that “anicca” means “impermanence”? As the Buddha advised in the “WebLink: suttacentral: Kālāmā (Kesamutti) Sutta (AN 3.65)” we should not blindly follow others.

▪As I pointed out many times, impermanence is just a small part of “anicca nature.” To understand the “anicca nature” one MUST understand Paṭicca Samuppāda, i.e., how those things that we perceive to bring us happiness eventually lead to suffering!

▪In other words, all actions started with “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” will ALWAYS end up with “jāti paccayā jarā, maraṇa, soka-parideva-dukkha-domanassupāyāsā sambhavan’ti” See, “Idappaccayatā Paṭicca Samuppāda.” [Avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā, saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇapaccayā nāmarūpaṁ, nāmarūpapaccayā saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatanapaccayā phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā, taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ, upādānapaccayā bhavo, bhavapaccayā jāti, jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.]

Reference

12. A complete analysis of Anuloma Khanti and Sammattaniyāma concerning Tilakkhaṇa is in one of the original commentaries (Paṭisambhidāmagga) included in the Tipiṭaka. See, “WebLink: suttacentral: Paṭisambhidāmagga – 3.9. Vipassanākathā (KN Ps 3.9).” There is no English translation at Sutta Central, but there is a Sinhala translation: “WebLink: suttacentral: 3.9 විදර්ශනා කථා.”