Stream-Winners Subsequent Lives

[AdvaitaJ]

Just thinking, but one who is a Sotapanna and returning for one of the not-more-than-seven remaining lives must get reconnected with the Triple Gem, right? Do you suppose they know from birth where they stand or do they figure it out somewhere along the way?

AdvaitaJ

[Rhino]

I think they don't know it from birth, but they will attain/recognize quickly sotapanna again and then going forward.
But, of course, I'm not sure.

With best wishes

[Dhammanando]

Just thinking, but one who is a Sotapanna and returning for one of the not-more-than-seven remaining lives must get reconnected with the Triple Gem, right?

Yes.

Do you suppose they know from birth where they stand or do they figure it out somewhere along the way?

The deceased sotapannas whose narratives are related in Pali texts were all reborn as devas, and as such had perfect recall of their preceding human life. Since we don't have any accounts of sotapannas who are reborn in the human realm one can only speculate as to what they would be like. My guess is that strong natural-decisive-support condition would probably lead to their being reborn in a Buddhist family. If it didn't and they were reborn among holders of wrong view, they would be impervious to any parental attempts to indoctrinate them, since akusala cittas accompanied by wrong view cannot arise in the mental continuum of a sotapanna. But this doesn't mean that the cittas that do arise will all be accompanied by knowledge (ñanasampayutta); so it's quite conceivable that in their early years they would have no sense of being sotapannas until they came to re-encounter the Dhamma.

Best wishes,
Dhammanando Bhikkhu

[Jechbi]

But their sila is perfect, right?

[AdvaitaJ]

...they would be impervious to any parental attempts to indoctrinate them...

Venerable,

Thanks for the response. Not to suggest that I'm anything other than a struggling neophyte, but when I was a little boy, my mother took me to a neighborhood Presbyterian church and left me with the other children while she did whatever it is that the adults do there. The only memory I have of the event is walking in the front doors. But at the end of the service, they told her "don't bring him back here."

Probably the luckiest moment in my life.

Kind regards: AdvaitaJ

[Jechbi]

... when I was a little boy, my mother took me to a neighborhood Presbyterian church and left me with the other children while she did whatever it is that the adults do there. The only memory I have of the event is walking in the front doors. But at the end of the service, they told her "don't bring him back here."

Probably the luckiest moment in my life.

Out of curiosity I googled "presbyterian buddhist" and came across this. Kind of a muddle, but interesting.

Back to the topic ... I would speculate that a sotapanna who takes rebirth as a human would eventually notice unusual things about himself or herself, such as an inability to tell a lie, a strange compulsion not to swat at and kill mosquitoes or other living things, an overwhelming motivation not to try alcohol ever, and perhaps a natural inclination toward meditative absorption. I would speculate that a sotapanna generally would be a very happy, content individual whose kamma has brought him or her to rebirth in a setting conducive to a calm, peaceful existence. But if not, then I imagine those ordinary people who are close to the sotapanna would notice something different about him or her compared with others.

[Nibbida]

The creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, claims to be a "Methodist Buddhist." Although I don't know, resolving problems with ligthsabers, blasters, and proton torpedoes sounds a little like "wrong action" to me.

From a Lucas interview: (http://www.adherents.com/people/pl/George_Lucas.html)
Q: What religion are you?
A: I was raised Methodist. Now let's say I'm spiritual. It's Marin County. We're all Buddhists up here.

Based on this statement, I'd say that all Sotapannas appear to be reborn in Marin County. It must be something of a kammic Buddhist magnet.