Sankharas, once eliminated. Do they have a chance of coming back?

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There are ten fetters eliminated in Vipassana meditation. Elimination does not occur before you reach the Sothapanna(stream enterer) state. Until then, fetters are only subdued. Once a fetter is eliminated, it's gone for good. Refer to the table below to know the fetters eliminated at each stage of the path.

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Yes, if you stop doing vipassana short of attaining Sothapanna, your mind can fall back to an ordinary corrupted state again.

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Unless you are fully liberated you create new Sankara. The old Sankara you eliminated through practice Vipassana is Ahosi (or rendered in effective)

NB: This is answered in the context of interpretations of the Ledi Sayadaw lineages as I see the question seams to be from some one looking at it from this perspective.

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Now my question is if one stops Vipassana meditation for a sufficient period of time. Is there a way for these sankharas to develop again?

It depends on whether or not their roots have been cut off by the practice. If one has "only" cut off large parts of them and not their roots - they can grow back to some extent. Once their roots have been removed the defilements can never return.

Also bear in mind that its difficult to answer precisely given the fact that every person has different kamma (and past practice).

Upvote:1

Buddhist practice usually eliminate causes, not consequences. If you eliminated some sankhara, it will naturally re-appear when conditions of its appearance are meet. Unless you destroyed bad sankhara In a way arahants destroy tanha, but that's difference case, I suppose.

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