Namal is expected to become an Arahant in prison - Thiththagalle Thero

Venerable Titthagalle Anandasiri Thero, speaking on the 'Truth with Chamuditha' program, explained that Namal Rajapaksa meditates in prison to attain Arahantship, and if he fails to secure the future presidency, he will at least attain Arahantship. The monk also stated that while he himself is an Arahant, there is no point in explaining it to those who come to understand it. This monk, the founder of the Meth Bo Sevana International Vipassana Meditation Center, is also a key organizer of the current march to secure the release of Gnanasara Thero.

The discussion that took place in the YouTube program is as follows.

Now Namal meditates in prison for three and a half to four hours.

What is Namal saying about becoming an Arahant?

So if these people are put in jail, you can ask the prison officials if you want, they wake up at four in the morning and meditate.

Who?

Namal.

Okay.

In prison, do you want to see if he went to prison?

I went to see.

Okay.

After going, I gave him a second book and instructions, and then he started meditating for the program.

He meditates for three and a half hours.

Two hours in the morning, two hours at night.

So what is Namal saying about becoming an Arahant?

So, you think, Angulimala practiced Satipatthana, didn't he become an Arahant? So why can't Namal become an Arahant?

So that means the next President of Sri Lanka will be an Arahant, a Venerable Arahant?

No, no, you can't say that. I'm saying they keep saying they'll keep putting them in jail, the government keeps saying it at every rally. So if they keep putting them in jail, they can't govern the country, right? I can become an Arahant by meditating and practicing Satipatthana in fifteen or sixteen years.

Namal?

Yes. The way things are going.

So if they say they'll put him in jail, if he comes out and works, there's no time to meditate, he's doing politics, he won't be able to do these things. So that's his turn...

Is this, this meditation thing, not a false pretense, a joke?

No, no. Can you close your eyes for about two hours and sit cross-legged for a false pretense?

How, how does the monk know he meditates like that?

I'm the one giving the instructions, the meditation subjects.

Is the monk, this, this...

Yes.

If you want, I'll give it to you today, you also do it for fifteen, four minutes initially each day, I'll give you meditation subjects month by month.

So even Namal can become an Arahant?

Not just Namal, Chamuditha can too.

But then you can't do such busy work, meditating for about four hours a day...

Then, okay, then the monk should also be able to. It would be better if the monk had meditated and become an Arahant first.

I, I am teaching because I have realized it.

Does that mean Your Reverence has also become an Arahant?

So, if I tell you whether I have become an Arahant or not, you won't accept it, will you? When you see an Arahant after I tell you, then with me...

No, no, I, I have no problem accepting it, please tell me the answer, Venerable Sir.

No, no, I'll give you the answer to that. This is how I'll answer it. Now I'm showing you a path. When the five ascetics came and said that the Buddha had attained enlightenment, did they accept it? No. After that, he preached the Dhamma until dawn. So who was the first to realize it? Aṅña Koṇḍañña. At that time, the Buddha became enlightened only for him at that moment. It took three months for the others to understand it. For the other five, four people. That's why I said, I will show you the path, if you realize the truth, then say, 'It was Titthagalle Hamuduruwo who taught me this, he must have realized something.' Otherwise, Arahantship cannot be accepted, right? I might be telling a lie.