https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/20006/5513
In reading the Ariyapariyesana Sutta: The Noble Search – MN 26
one come across the group of five monks (Kondanna, Bhaddiya, Vappa,
Mahanama and Assaji) who attended to Buddha when He was resolute in
exertion, before Buddhahood. They were far more intelligent than any of
us in the present day. Even they could not identify the Buddha as an
Arahant. So what would make one think that a present day monk can
identify an Arahant? Only after a monk leaves this existence can one
identify that he is someone special (an Arahant ) in observing the dead
body. Such an incident took place in Sri Lanka, a couple of months ago.
Waharaka Abhyaratanalankara Thero was one such. Those who knew him, kknew the person only as a mopnk who gave us a different meaning to Anicca and Anatta. Unfortunately Waharaka Abhyaratanalankara Thero left us for good just two months ago, in February 2017. Several years ago he had declared that he would not be reborn again. It is quite possible that he did attain Parinibbana at the dying moment, which does happen. What we got to observe was that his body that was not embalmed never decomposed even on the seventh day when it was cremated. For six days his death was not declared as it was uncertain whether the Thero had passed away or gone into Nirodha Samapatti. The body was warm for 6 days, and then it started to get cold. Even at this stage the body was not hard, rigid & heavy which is the norm. He is one of the handful of monks who told us of Anicca and Anatta as seen in a new light, when almost all past publications have translated anicca, dukkha, anatta as impermanence, suffering, and no-self.
Waharaka Abhyaratanalankara Thero was one such. Those who knew him, kknew the person only as a mopnk who gave us a different meaning to Anicca and Anatta. Unfortunately Waharaka Abhyaratanalankara Thero left us for good just two months ago, in February 2017. Several years ago he had declared that he would not be reborn again. It is quite possible that he did attain Parinibbana at the dying moment, which does happen. What we got to observe was that his body that was not embalmed never decomposed even on the seventh day when it was cremated. For six days his death was not declared as it was uncertain whether the Thero had passed away or gone into Nirodha Samapatti. The body was warm for 6 days, and then it started to get cold. Even at this stage the body was not hard, rigid & heavy which is the norm. He is one of the handful of monks who told us of Anicca and Anatta as seen in a new light, when almost all past publications have translated anicca, dukkha, anatta as impermanence, suffering, and no-self.
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