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i found this from learnreligions.com:

If you wonder if you have become enlightened, it is almost certain you have not. The only way to test one's insight is to present it to a dharma teacher. Don't be dismayed if your achievement falls apart under a teacher's scrutiny. False starts and mistakes are a necessary part of the path, and if and when you achieve enlightenment, it will be built on a solid foundation and you will have no mistake about it.

i was reading about LUANGPOR TEEAN. he is a dead thai monk that was enlightened. upon his enlightenment he was asked questions like 'how do you know yourself?' , 'is salt salty?', 'among black colors, which is more black?', etc

what is the standard (good) way of interrogating the enlightened?

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  • Learn the characteristics of ariyas from Tipitaka and then test. But the observer must be really a wise person otherwise fails. One sutta says that Sila is to be known by associating and Panna by discussing, but for a long time with care.
    – Blake
    Apr 28 at 21:20
  • There is a direct Sutta on this matter.
    – Blake
    May 9 at 11:25

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please read Majjhima Nikāya 112 Chabbisodhana sutta, that's gives you as to how we should question if one declares the enlightenment.

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Unless you have a special power/Gnana, you cannot decide if someone is enlightened or not just by looking at how one behave/talk etc.

I don't remember the exact sutras, when a person told the Lord Buddha he give donations only to monks with Sila, Buddha told him it can only be done by him or another Buddha — to determine if a person has Sila or not.

Just like that, you can't define if someone is Sotapanna etc. Because there were Arihat monks who talked to people in rude words due to the habit of talking like that in a previous life, but those words were uttered without Raga, Dwesha, Moha.

If a Arihat can have that kind of language, what kind of stuff a Sotapanna can do. Therefore, it's a good idea not trying to find someone's enlightenment just by talking.

Also even if someone answers all your Dharma questions with 100% accuracy, they may have not understood it, realized it as some people remember Dharma instead of realizing it. So 100% marks can't say if someone is enlightened or not.

If this is about someone preaching Buddha Dharma, you can get an idea if it's the right Dharma to keep listening by checking whether your Raga, Dwesha, Moha became low after listening among other methods.

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