“Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a Teacher called Sunetta. He was a religious founder and was free of desire for sensual pleasures. He had many hundreds of disciples. He taught them the path to rebirth in the company of Divinity. Those lacking confidence in Sunetta were—when their body broke up, after death—reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. Those full of confidence in Sunetta were—when their body broke up, after death—reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.
Once upon a time there was a teacher called Mūgapakkha … Aranemi … Kuddālaka … Hatthipāla … Jotipāla … Araka. He was a religious founder and was free of desire for sensual pleasures. He had many hundreds of disciples. He taught them the way to rebirth in the company of Divinity. Those lacking confidence in Araka were—when their body broke up, after death—reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. Those full of confidence in Araka were—when their body broke up, after death—reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.
What do you think, mendicants? If someone with malicious intent were to abuse and insult these seven teachers with their hundreds of followers, would they not create much wickedness?”
“Yes, sir.”
“They would indeed. But someone who abuses and insults a single person accomplished in view with malicious intent creates even more wickedness. Why is that? I say that any injury done by those outside of the Buddhist community does not compare with what is done to one’s own spiritual companions.
So you should train like this: ‘We will have no malicious intent for our spiritual companions.’ That’s how you should train.”
What does being free from sensual desires mean in this case? Does it mean they were only free from sensual desires while immersed in jhana or were they free from sensual desires permanently in those life due to seeing the drawbacks and practicing jhana a lot.
I like to think that they were free from sensual desires completely in those lives meaning no thoughts of sensual desire arose even when they were not immersed in jhana.
I believe bodhisattas can also experience the fruits of the ascetic life. They can attain superpowers and vipassana knowledges and be free from sensual desires, anger, sorrow, and worries.
I long for the day when I can simply meditate, practice the Dhamma, and teach it — free from the burden of greed and worldly ambition.