Don't Think that Stream Entry is no Longer Possible Nowadays

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Great video. Right view most definitely is not about attaining something or gaining something or adopting a new belief system, but about clearing away all the wrong view that gets in the way of seeing the truth of suffering and the escape from suffering. Which doesn't mean you even stop doing the things that are creating suffering for yourself, but you do concretely see the way out and know what work you need to do. It is an end point, but a beginning, because everything before that was just you figuring it out. After that so much space gets opened in the mind and so much of a burden is relieved, and you really see all these things you used to be entangled in as, well, entanglements and burdens and want to be free of them. Question: Curious that you said that a stream-enterer has perfected virtue. I haven't reviewed the suttas on this, but my teacher told me that it's once-returners who have perfected virtue, but I'm likely misunderstanding something here. Could you give me a reference or expand on that?

The dry insight schools claim that attainment through Vipassana is easier or quick, because you don't need to attain jhanic absorption, but only need access concentration. The suttas are great for tidying up cultural and lineage bias, but they also refer to the idea that it is a living lineage and does require people with experience in the path. You need to balance the suttas with ideas of how people have practiced, and see if they match up in the suttas to really get it. Bhante Vimilaramsi called himself a suttist too. But he trained in Vipassana, got some validation of his training and then went on to explore the Suttas because something was missing from his perspective. He even doesn't claim a specific attainment but just says says its possible like you. Which you seem to value. From a sutric perspective I think you can see how all the Theravada schools have something, and even some of the Mahayana schools.

Really love your channel. Have you thought of ordaining?

It’s like my mind bullies me away from stream-entry

I'd say even arahant is possible. The Buddha said in DN 16 (5.27.1): "In whatever teaching and training the noble eightfold path is found, there is an ascetic found, a second ascetic, a third ascetic, and a fourth ascetic. In this teaching and training the noble eightfold path is found. Only here is there an ascetic, here a second ascetic, here a third ascetic, and here a fourth ascetic. Other sects are empty of ascetics. Were these mendicants to practice well, the world would not be empty of perfected ones."

uprooting Sakkayaditthi completely to possess the eye of Dhamma and completely understood the working of conditionality and hence the Four Noble Truths is easier than attaining mundane jhanas - this claim sounds unfounded.

Can please point out where in the Sutta saying that becoming a Stream Entry is easier than reaching Jhana (Sammasamadhi)?

Are you a Stream-Enterer?

There is a remarkable amount of faith required to believe that stream entry is real. There seems to be some sort of karmic load that makes us truly believe it.

First thing: I strongly feel the "Can Not" language is problematic. It's one of the things that has irked me for quite awhile. I think it's probably more apt to say, "A sotāpanna or Arhat has no interest in doing X, Y and X and therefor will not do them." That feels like it is more wisdom based then "Can Not". It would mean that they know doing all of those things brings bad karma (or X thing just isn't worth doing). That they have have seen how those systems function first hand and there for, just will not do them. It's like, a lot of people stop drinking because they realize that the good feelings that you get from it are just not worth the aftermath. That even just having 1/2 a beer or less actually makes you sick and always has. You just didn't realize it before because you hadn't paid attention to it and therefor were not aware of it. And Buddhism at it's core is all about paying attention and being aware.. of everything. Knowing the causes of all feelings and thoughts, desires etc etc. As or Being a steam Enterer etc? The only reason I can see that lay people can't be fully liberated is the need to sustain oneself by having a job. Monks also work but it's different. It's to sustain the monastery and they take care of elders. Vrs lay people? Nope, 99.99999999% of us work with people that have no interest in Buddhism. In jobs that are toxic etc etc etc. We also don't for sure know we will be taken care of when we are old. Also there is a huge issue that no one even talks about what it is like to be a stream enter. Like, how do you make decisions as one? Or do you just wander around life doing whatever is asked of you? A few monastic teachers I've listened to in over 500+ hours of dhamma talks have been like, "You must act like there is a self and make decisions." The mere ability to act like something says there is still an I doing stuff.. and therefor them saying the above is utterly unhelpful at best and counter everything I've heard and read. Like, I'm pretty sure I've been in 4th Jhanna, possibly even 8th. But you know how it happened? Btw, this happened before I even really knew anything about Buddhism. I was sitting out side in my back yard, it was noisy and I was trying to meditate. I realized that all the noise was just fellow beings doing their things and let the anger go. I realized that I have never wanted to actually put in the effort to get/do the 9,999,999+ things I've always wanted to do because I don't feel like anything you have to put effort into is actually worth having. That all effort is suffering and does not make the good feeling you get when you complete a project or get something worth it. I've always been depressed because I don't have and can't do the stuff I want. Accepting that I don't want to put effort into getting or doing them made the depression vanish. Then I went further and just merged myself with everything around me. I listened to all the sounds, the smells, the feeling of the wind etc etc and just spread myself out into it and pulled it in to me. I accepted everything for what it was, just stuff. Just movement. "I" utterly vanished. I was just really complete and utter awareness of everything the senses were giving me. I wasn't engaging it it, I wasn't judging it, wasn't pushing it away. At least, I think that is what happened. I'm honestly not sure. I seem to have a memory of being aware but I can't remember any specifics of what happened. I sat like that for at least two hours (longest I've EVER sat.) I came out of it utterly at peace that lasted for weeks. Now? 1) Did I do something wrong? Was this not what Buddhism is? (Some teachers 100% say what I did is right.) 2) If it is right, what do I do now? I had NO interested in the world after this for two years but was faced with having to have a job, living with people that have worldly interests in shared housing etc etc. But, I can't become a monk so I started letting some worldly desire back in and honestly? It SUCKS. But, again, how can someone live in the normal world and not have worldly desire? Or a sense of self even? We have to make decisions to live.

I've just watchd a few of your videos and noticed you consider yourself a sutta buddhist. I wanted to ask you if you've tried to learn pali to read the suttas in their original language and if so how have you managed to? There's very little resources on it online