The 10 Questions to the
Enlightened Boy!
Sopāka awakened as novice, when 7 years old!
The Buddha then asked him:
One is what? All beings are
fuelled
by Nutriment
(Āhāra)
answered the boy.
Two is what? Name and form (Nāma-Rūpa),
responded the novice promptly!
Three is what? The three kinds of
Feeling, was this assured boy's reply...
Four is what? The
Four
Noble Truths, returned this perfected novitiate..
Five is what? The
Five Clusters of Clinging,
acknowledged this not-pupil..
Six is what? The
Six
Sense-Sources, responded this all
trained and learned.
Seven is what? The
Seven Links to Awakening, answered this eldest boy..
Eight is what? The
Noble
Eightfold Path, replied this One gone to the end!
Nine is what? The
Nine Abodes of Beings, explained this worthy
no-junior...
Ten is what? One who is endowed with
Ten Qualities
is defined as
Arahant....
Source: The
Khuddakapatha
1-6;9:
The "Kumārapañhā"
A Matured Mind,
and not an
old body
defines the
Worthy Senior!
More on this
Sopāka,
who became
Enlightened, when only 7 years old:
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/s/sopaka.htm
see 2nd Thera
Having accumulated the right conditions in prior lives, he was
almost and very
close to be able to awaken in his last life... Therefore he could enlighten
as
only 7 years old in this his last existence! Though his biological frame was
that young, his mind was the eldest, and most mature among his un-awakened
monk colleagues. Any Arahant is the oldest, and most senior in the universe!
To make the other monks understand, that they should
not clap his head and
treat him as junior, although they were much older than him biologically,
the Buddha asked him these ten questions, which are studied intensely by
all Theravāda novices even today 2500 years after! May all disciples do so!
The entire Dhamma-teaching is contained in these 10 not so
simple questions...
