Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c34.s3.45

v2.c34.s3.45

In the *Kvu.* we do not come across any controversy relating to the first two topics. This silence may be interpreted as that the Theravādins accepted the two views. As regards the third topic, we may take into consideration the controversy: *Diṭṭhisampanno puggalo sañcicca pāṇaṃ jīvitā voropeyyā ti?* (see infra). A sotāpanna is a person with right view (*diṭṭhisampanno*), hence, according to the Theravādins, he cannot commit killing (*pāṇātipāta*) or such other offences, not to speak of the five extreme offences like matricide or patricide. Vasumitra perhaps speaks of the opinion of that section of the Mahāsaṅghikas i.e., the Andhakas, who contemplate the retrogression of the Sotāpannas while the *Kvu.* very likely speaks of the other section, according to whom the Sotāpannas do not retrogress.