I want to be a sotapanna so much. I want to eradicate doubts and wrong views forever in this very life. Is it still possible to become a sotapanna as a lay person in this modern era? I’m a college student, so I can’t be a full-time meditator yet. I try to meditate for 15-30 mins everyday. Sometimes I do two meditation sessions like that everyday. I try to practice some of the six recollections like the recollection of the Buddha and recollection of peace, and it helps me to guard my mind better. I haven’t found any other college students who is into Theravada Buddhism. I feel like a lot of college students my age are more into sensual pleasures than the Dhamma, so I really like this forum because it’s a place where I can discuss the Dhamma.
My goals are:
To become successful and rich in my worldly life
To be healthy for as long as possible
To become a sotapanna
To help my parents and relatives become a sotapanna or close to sotapanna
To go to heaven in my next life
Those are everything a lay Buddhist could ever ask for. I need all the advice I can get on how to achieve all those goals. Thank you in advance, and may everyone be happy and attain Nibanna.
Take it slowly and strive to really understand what the Buddha taught.
And remember there is no self at all who is striving, there are merely conditioned elements arising and performing various functions. If we don’t keep that in mind we might study and contemplate with the idea of ‘my study’, ‘my understanding’ - i.e. with subtle wrong view.
All realisations depend on conditions, so the task is to create those conditions and then, with practice, it’s a matter of time. It will happen when the conditions are right. Patience.
For a start, train to keep the five precepts.
Because the training is to be aware of the present moment, any wandering off into future wants or don’t wants become obstacles and fruitless wastes of time.
Buddha said that patience is the greatest of virtues.
Gradually the path is revealed.
Optimum conditions are as monastic.
The lay deciples is wise to nurture good wholesome fellowship and avoid the unwholesome while cultivating a clean mind.
