Certainly the teacher Gautama and the other arahants must have realized that their are methods for almost anyone to achieve arahantship within a short time-period...but why was the method not revealed? Was it suppressed?
There are some hints here and there on things that have big effects in a finger-snap or few moments but I can't find any exact method revealed...like something was suppressed or disappeared.
The minimum time-period given to achieve arahantship seems to be within half a day or 12 hours, so this means The Buddha must have been aware of some types of methods:
So what happened? Why didn't The Buddha or other arahants reveal a method?When he had spoken, Prince Bodhi said to the Buddha, “Sir, when a mendicant has the Realized One as trainer, how long would it take for them to realize the supreme end of the spiritual path in this very life?”
...
When a mendicant with these five factors that support meditation has the Realized One as trainer, they could realize the supreme end of the spiritual path in seven years.
Let alone seven years, they could realize the supreme end of the spiritual path in six years, or as little as one year.
Let alone one year, when a mendicant with these five factors that support meditation has the Realized One as trainer, they could realize the supreme end of the spiritual path in seven months, or as little as one day.
Let alone one day, when a mendicant with these five factors that support meditation has the Realized One as trainer, they could be instructed in the evening and achieve distinction in the morning, or be instructed in the morning and achieve distinction in the evening.”
- MN 85
I can only think of a few possibilities:
- The world's kamma was too bad
- No one asked or requested
- Since Ananda's requests allowed women to enter the order the pure dhamma had to cease quickly
- Since Ananda refused to ask The Buddha to remain alive for the eon after The Buddha relinquished his life force the agreement he made with Mara prevented anyone from asking