Who was the youngest Arahat?

[vanquisher91]

I believe Rahula was the youngest to become ordained by The Buddha at age 7, but was he also the youngest to attain enlightenment?

[cooran]

Hello ,

Not sure how old Rahula was when he became enlightened, but I think he may have been older than 7 years:
http://www.palikanon.com/namen/r/raahula.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But Seven years seems to be the youngest age for a few of them:

Thag 6.10
When I was seven & newly gone forth, having conquered with my power the great powerful serpent, I was fetching water for my preceptor from the great lake, Anotatta, when the Teacher saw me & said: "Look, Sariputta, at that one, the young boy coming there, carrying a pot of water, well-centered within, his practices — inspiring; his bearing — admirable. He's Anuruddha's novice, mature in his powers, made thoroughbred by a thoroughbred, good by one who is good, tamed by Anuruddha, trained by one whose task is done. He, having reached the highest peace & realized the unshakable, Sumana the novice wants this: 'Don't let anyone know me.'"
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The other monks all did the same, until at last only a seven-year old novice, who was also an Arahant, remained. The novice said that he was inexperienced, but Potthila insisted so the novice gave him this instruction:
“Venerable sir. There are six openings in a mound, which an iguana makes his home. If you want to catch the iguana, close up the five exits from the mound, and wait for it to come out from the last exit. There are six doors through which sense-objects can enter. If you close five of them, and keep watch at the mind-door, your task will be accomplished.
What the young Arahant advised was for Potthila not to allow impulsion to hang on to any of the five sense-doors, but to shut them all, and note only the mind-door so that impulsion could lead him on to insight. This gave the learned monk a clue to the method of insight practice. When one sees, one must stop at the thought moment of determining and note all phenomena with mindfulness. It is the same as saying, “When you see, you just see it.” Having practised meditation as suggested, Potthila attained Arahantship.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... clnk&gl=au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris

[chownah]

Cooran,
I've been trying to find the Theravada source for the stuff about the 7 year old arahant because I find his example interesting and want to verify its source....do you know where it comes from?
chownah

[Lombardi4]

Cooran,
I've been trying to find the Theravada source for the stuff about the 7 year old arahant because I find his example interesting and want to verify its source....do you know where it comes from?
chownah

Hi chownah, here you are:

Two seven-year-old Arahats were Samanera Sumana and Samanera Pandita (Sukha) (Ref: Dhammapada V. 382 & V.80)

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/numbers.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DNS]

Sopaka was another one, he was fully ordained at the age of 7 since he was fully enlightened (Theragatha 486).

[grasshopper]

Sopaka was another one, he was fully ordained at the age of 7 since he was fully enlightened (Theragatha 486).

If these Buddhist concepts such as Nibbana preceeded by the 4 Stages of Enlightenment are really true, I find it abs-bloody-lutely amazing how some kids can penetrate the veil of ignorance and crack the Anatta nut when most adults can not.

I think even Lady Vishaka is said to have become a Stream-enterer by the age of 7 when Buddha visited her hometown. Pretty lofty aye....

[cooran]

Hello grasshopper,

Samsara has no discernible beginning. ‘Streams of becoming’ (Beings) have been reborn uncountable times through aeon after aeon according to their Kamma. Those who are arahants at the age of seven years in this lifetime, have put in the hard yards in uncountable previous lifetimes. It isn’t as if this is a one-time life experience and somehow, miraculously, a little child has attained Nibbana by chance, a cute smile, or good luck.

with metta
Chris

[ajahndoe]

Grasshopper: Why should we find it odd that a child can more easily see truth than an adult? They have not been subject to the same extreme amount of "conditioning of ignorance" while they are yet young in years, and their minds are very malleable. The Buddha's teachings are nothing less than an expression of Truth and a method to unbind one from this conditioning which is in large part passed on by society. A child is much more likely to see Truth, but they would need to be guided by one or more adults that can properly raise and teach the child these things.

[grasshopper]

Cooran and Ajahndoe, I agree, it is just that I find it remarkable that an innocent looking kid can go the distance when I haven't yet

I am certainly open to the idea that if rebirth etc etc are true, then the child could be spiritually mature to cut through the crap and hit the bull's eye of Enlightenment...but it is so stunning and amazing 'cos we tend to think or at least I, that kids are kids etc.

[Paññāsikhara]

Cunda (#2), possibly the younger brother of the Ven. Sáriputta, was by some accounts a very young arahant, too.

[JimKai]

Hello ,

Not sure how old Rahula was when he became enlightened, but I think he may have been older than 7 years:
http://www.palikanon.com/namen/r/raahula.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But Seven years seems to be the youngest age for a few of them:

Thag 6.10
When I was seven & newly gone forth, having conquered with my power the great powerful serpent, I was fetching water for my preceptor from the great lake, Anotatta, when the Teacher saw me & said: "Look, Sariputta, at that one, the young boy coming there, carrying a pot of water, well-centered within, his practices — inspiring; his bearing — admirable. He's Anuruddha's novice, mature in his powers, made thoroughbred by a thoroughbred, good by one who is good, tamed by Anuruddha, trained by one whose task is done. He, having reached the highest peace & realized the unshakable, Sumana the novice wants this: 'Don't let anyone know me.'"
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The other monks all did the same, until at last only a seven-year old novice, who was also an Arahant, remained. The novice said that he was inexperienced, but Potthila insisted so the novice gave him this instruction:
“Venerable sir. There are six openings in a mound, which an iguana makes his home. If you want to catch the iguana, close up the five exits from the mound, and wait for it to come out from the last exit. There are six doors through which sense-objects can enter. If you close five of them, and keep watch at the mind-door, your task will be accomplished.
What the young Arahant advised was for Potthila not to allow impulsion to hang on to any of the five sense-doors, but to shut them all, and note only the mind-door so that impulsion could lead him on to insight. This gave the learned monk a clue to the method of insight practice. When one sees, one must stop at the thought moment of determining and note all phenomena with mindfulness. It is the same as saying, “When you see, you just see it.” Having practised meditation as suggested, Potthila attained Arahantship.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... clnk&gl=au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris

Thank you for this, very inspiring