Is a Dhamma follower always a stream entrant?

Question

According to MN 70:

“What kind of person is a Dhamma-follower? Here some person does not contact with the body and abide in those liberations that are peaceful and immaterial, transcending forms, and his taints are not yet destroyed by his seeing with wisdom, but those teachings proclaimed by the Tathāgata are accepted by him after reflecting on them sufficiently with wisdom. Furthermore, he has these qualities: the faith faculty, the energy faculty, the mindfulness faculty, the concentration faculty, and the wisdom faculty. This kind of person is called a Dhamma-follower. I say of such a bhikkhu that he still has work to do with diligence. Why is that? Because when that venerable one…into homelessness. Seeing this fruit of diligence for such a bhikkhu, I say that he still has work to do with diligence.

Do you mean "stream-entrant" ? We can safely say a "stream-entrant" will always be a Dhamma-Follower. But not so safely about the other way round. — Krizalid_Nest, Feb 19 '19 at 06:47

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited Feb 19 '19 at 10:11

It appears that the Dhamma-follower has assured Strem entry in this very life. He is in the Sotapanna path (Magga) but not experience fruits (Phala) He is a stream entrant to be.

"One who, after pondering with a modicum of discernment, has accepted that these phenomena are this way is called a Dhamma-follower: one who has entered the orderliness of rightness, entered the plane of people of integrity, transcended the plane of the run-of-the-mill. He is incapable of doing any deed by which he might be reborn in hell, in the animal womb, or in the realm of hungry shades. He is incapable of passing away until he has realized the fruit of stream-entry.

SN 25.1

See also this topic Regarding Cula Sotapanna

Samana Johann · Answer 2 · 2019-02-19T10:42:27.460

Yes. A so called Sekha (noble disciple), as proper pointed out by Nyom Sarath in his answer. Sadhu!

One might be a better try-to-Dhamma-Follower but will be still a so called outsider, one who has not accessed the path, one who does for now not train and walk the Ariyamagga. See also: Possible for worldling to practice the Ariyamagga, to walk it?.

One eager to reach the path, even if called "lower"-stream-enterer, when either a Faith-, or Damma-Follower, althought he/she is destinated to reach the path before breaking up of the body, is still a neither-sekha-nor-asekha, one who has not "left home yet", one who has not taken on the task. Asekha denotes and Arahat, one who has done the task.

One might now understand that dwelling with kalyanamitta always means "Noble Ones" in regard of path and fruit attainings (right view, and path development)

[Not given to maintain house, trade, stacks, exchange... but to take on the task to be done for liberation]

Is a Dhamma follower always a stream entrant?

2 Answers2