Q36. Householders can’t be awakened, can they?

~ By Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu ~

Don’t give unqualified answers to this question either, saying they can or can’t. It must be answered by saying that arahants have transcended householding and monkhood alike. Please note that the belief that anyone becoming arahant must hurry off and be ordained within seven days or else die was made by overconfident, careless teachers of later ages, and appears only in commentaries, sub-commentaries, and other post-canonical works. Arahants must always transcend householding and monastic categories. No one can make arahants into householders, yet they live above and beyond the state of monkhood, too.

Therefore, don’t make statements as to whether arahants can live at home or not. Even though some arahants might be forced to live at home, they could never be made into house- holders. They transcend both householding and home-leaving.

(From “Buddha-Dhamma for Inquiring Minds”)

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Buddha-Dhamma for Students (title of original translation) was composed of two talks given by Ajahn Buddhadāsa in January 1966 to students at Thammasat University, Bangkok. It was translated from the Thai by Rod Bucknell, and revised in 2018 by Santikaro Upasaka. To read/download as free ebook (pdf).

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For all English retreat talks, visit Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu.

For more information and free ebooks, visit Suan Mokkh – The Garden of Liberation.

Photo: Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives E-363