The Perfection of Patience - Analysis of the Elements XI

“It has been asked: why did the almsbowl and robes

which can be made to appear by supranatural powers not come to Pukkusati?

Answer: Because the son of a prominent family did not offer the eight
requisites in the past.

However, the son of a prominent family Pukkusati had made offerings

and he had made aspirations,

and thus, one should not say that the reason (for not obtaining the requisites)

was his lack of generosity in the past...

Robes and bowl which can be made to appear by supranatural power

can only come to disciples who are in their last life,

thus, who have attained arahatship.

For this son of a prominent family there would still be rebirth,

because he had attained the state of non-returner, anagamí, not arahatship.

Moreover, the lifespan of this son of a prominent family was about to expire.

With regard to Pukkusati,

(it can be said that it was as if) the Maha-brahma (of the brahma plane),

the anagamí of the ‘Pure Abodes’ (suddhavasa)

came to the potter’s workshop and sat down there.”

Afterwards he was reborn as a brahma in the heavenly plane of Aviha,

thus, in (the first of) the “Pure Abodes”.

Only those who have attained the stage of the non-returner

and have developed the fifth stage of jhana can be reborn in the “Pure Abodes”.

Pukkusati, before his lifespan had come to an end,

was close to becoming a rupa-brahma in the “Pure Abodes”,

and therefore, the Commentary stated:

“the Maha-brahma (of the brahma plane),

the anagamí of the ‘Pure Abodes’ (suddhavasa)

came to the potter’s workshop and sat down there.”

Very soon his life as Pukkusati would be changed

into the life of a rupabrahma of the “Pure Abodes”.