ABSTRACT
Not surprisingly, then, the Kathāvatthu rarely criticizes these points as such. Usually it simply attacks them as generalizations. Not everyone who pronounces the word dukkha immediately gains enlightenment regardless of their previous behaviour, nor even everyone who has developed insight! Quite often the typical abhidhamma emphasis on the impossibility of two simultaneous consciousnesses occurs.108 What is interesting, however, is the precise position which is being commented on. The opponent is making a very specific claim. The spontaneous utterance of the word ‘suffering’ occurs only in one case. It does not occur in ordinary jhāna, whether of the form or formless realms. Neither does it occur in an ordinary path attainment (strong insight of the later terminology). Nor does it occur if the path attainment, although transcendent, is higher than the first jhāna in level. The commentary even understands that it is restricted to the path of stream-entry on the grounds of the denial that it occurs in all cases: However, it would seem difficult to justify this position from the text.
