user-1: A couple of months ago someone tried to convince me that arahants no longer have sati.
He said that sati is like a raft in the sense that it should be given up as soon as the goal, arahantship, has been reached. To give more strength to his claim he also pointed out that sati is not one of the 10 parami (perfections).
I myself think that his claim is absurd, I think that arahants have nothing but sati. But, I'm neither a scholar nor an arahant. So, I can be wrong. I also don't understand the link he makes to the 10 parami.
Does someone have a reference or source from the tipitaka that would support or deny his claim without a doubt and put my mind at ease? And does someone understand the link he makes to the perfections?

user471: That's not what DN 16 appears to say. The Buddha, who is also an Arahant, endured his physical pains mindfully (sati) according to DN 16.

After the Buddha had commenced the rainy season residence, he fell
  severely ill, struck by dreadful pains, close to death.
Atha kho
  bhagavato vassūpagatassa kharo ābādho uppajji, bāḷhā vedanā vattanti
  māraṇantikā.
But he endured with mindfulness and situational awareness, without
  worrying.
Tā sudaṃ bhagavā sato sampajāno adhivāsesi avihaññamāno.

And also:

But the mendicants who were free of desire endured, mindful and aware,
  thinking:
Ye pana te bhikkhū vītarāgā, te satā sampajānā adhivāsenti:
“Conditions are impermanent. How could it possibly be otherwise?”
“aniccā saṅkhārā, taṃ kutettha labbhā”ti.


user2282: Maybe your friend meant to say that an arahant no longer has to consciously make an effort to develop sati? An arahant has developed all 8 limbs of the Noble Eightfold Path to perfection such that they've become second nature. To him, sati's no longer an effort to be developed. It's become his way of life. It's like a novice martial arts student at first has to constantly practicing many drills to build up his reflex and awareness. Once he's become a martial arts master, it'd be absurd to say he "no longer has reflex and awareness", but reflex and awareness have become second nature to him.

The Blessed One said, "Now, what are the eight thoughts of a great person? This Dhamma is for one who is modest, not for one who is self-aggrandizing. This Dhamma is for one who is content, not for one who is discontent. This Dhamma is for one who is reclusive, not for one who is entangled. This Dhamma is for one whose persistence is aroused, not for one who is lazy. This Dhamma is for one whose mindfulness is established, not for one whose mindfulness is confused. This Dhamma is for one whose mind is centered, not for one whose mind is uncentered. This Dhamma is for one endowed with discernment, not for one whose discernment is weak. This Dhamma is for one who enjoys non-objectification, who delights in non-objectification, not for one who enjoys & delights in objectification. ~~ AN 8.30 ~~


user8157: 
He said that sati is like a raft in the sense that it should be given up as soon as the goal, arahantship, has been reached.

Sati is "non-forgetting" of the Dhamma Truth. 

To give more strength to his claim he also pointed out that sati is not one of the 10 parami (perfections).

This does not make sense because effort, determination, patience, etc are parami. Why would a mind that has destroyed/uprooted the defilements need effort, determination, patience, etc? Regardless, the Buddha never taught the 10 parami; particularly for Arahants.

I myself think that his claim is absurd, I think that arahants have nothing but sati.

When the defilements are destroyed/uprooted; naturally the sati of a non-arahant (which includes the abandoning of wrong view) is not required. The sati of a non-arahant or learner is described as follows:

One is mindful to abandon wrong view & to enter & remain in right view: This is one's right mindfulness.
MN 117

This being said, the mind of an arahant obviously cannot forget the Dhamma Truth. Thus MN 117 also says:

Thus the learner is endowed with eight factors, and the arahant with ten.
MN 117

In short, the sati of an arahant is automatic because an arahant can never forget the Dhamma Truth. 

-1: <p>A couple of months ago someone tried to convince me that arahants no longer have sati.</p>

<p>He said that sati is like a raft in the sense that it should be given up as soon as the goal, arahantship, has been reached. To give more strength to his claim he also pointed out that sati is not one of the 10 parami (perfections).</p>

<p>I myself think that his claim is absurd, I think that arahants have nothing but sati. But, I'm neither a scholar nor an arahant. So, I can be wrong. I also don't understand the link he makes to the 10 parami.</p>

<p>Does someone have a reference or source from the tipitaka that would support or deny his claim without a doubt and put my mind at ease? And does someone understand the link he makes to the perfections?</p>
 471: <p>That's not what <a href="https://suttacentral.net/dn16/en/sujato" rel="nofollow noreferrer">DN 16</a> appears to say. The Buddha, who is also an Arahant, endured his physical pains mindfully (sati) according to DN 16.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>After the Buddha had commenced the rainy season residence, he fell
  severely ill, struck by dreadful pains, close to death.<br>
  <em>Atha kho
  bhagavato vassūpagatassa kharo ābādho uppajji, bāḷhā vedanā vattanti
  māraṇantikā.</em></p>
  
  <p>But he endured with mindfulness and situational awareness, without
  worrying.<br>
  <em>Tā sudaṃ bhagavā sato sampajāno adhivāsesi avihaññamāno.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>And also:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>But the mendicants who were free of desire endured, mindful and aware,
  thinking:<br>
  <em>Ye pana te bhikkhū vītarāgā, te satā sampajānā adhivāsenti:</em></p>
  
  <p>“Conditions are impermanent. How could it possibly be otherwise?”<br>
  <em>“aniccā saṅkhārā, taṃ kutettha labbhā”ti.</em></p>
</blockquote>
 2282: <p>Maybe your friend meant to say that an arahant no longer has to consciously make an effort to develop sati? An arahant has developed all 8 limbs of the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Noble Eightfold Path</a> to perfection such that they've become second nature. To him, sati's no longer an effort to be developed. It's become his way of life. It's like a novice martial arts student at first has to constantly practicing many drills to build up his reflex and awareness. Once he's become a martial arts master, it'd be absurd to say he "no longer has reflex and awareness", but reflex and awareness have become second nature to him.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The Blessed One said, "Now, what are the eight thoughts of a great person? This Dhamma is for one who is modest, not for one who is self-aggrandizing. This Dhamma is for one who is content, not for one who is discontent. This Dhamma is for one who is reclusive, not for one who is entangled. This Dhamma is for one whose persistence is aroused, not for one who is lazy. <strong>This Dhamma is for one whose mindfulness is established, not for one whose mindfulness is confused</strong>. This Dhamma is for one whose mind is centered, not for one whose mind is uncentered. This Dhamma is for one endowed with discernment, not for one whose discernment is weak. This Dhamma is for one who enjoys non-objectification, who delights in non-objectification, not for one who enjoys &amp; delights in objectification. ~~ <a href="https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.030.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AN 8.30</a> ~~</p>
</blockquote>
 8157: <blockquote>
  <p><em>He said that sati is like a raft in the sense that it should be given up as soon as the goal, arahantship, has been reached.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Sati is "non-forgetting" of the Dhamma Truth. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>To give more strength to his claim he also pointed out that sati is not one of the 10 parami (perfections).</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>This does not make sense because effort, determination, patience, etc are parami. Why would a mind that has destroyed/uprooted the defilements need effort, determination, patience, etc? Regardless, the Buddha never taught the 10 parami; particularly for Arahants.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>I myself think that his claim is absurd, I think that arahants have nothing but sati.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>When the defilements are destroyed/uprooted; naturally the sati of a non-arahant (which includes the abandoning of wrong view) is not required. The sati of a non-arahant or learner is described as follows:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>One is mindful to abandon wrong view &amp; to enter &amp; remain in right view: This is one's right mindfulness.</strong></p>
  
  <p><strong>MN 117</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>This being said, the mind of an arahant obviously cannot forget the Dhamma Truth. Thus MN 117 also says:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Thus the learner is endowed with eight factors, and the arahant with ten.</strong></p>
  
  <p><strong>MN 117</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>In short, the sati of an arahant is automatic because an arahant can never forget the Dhamma Truth. </p>
