Are teaching on gratitude and "duty" nessesary? Supreme Buddha once mentioned…


  “These two people are hard to find in the world. Which two? The one who is first to do a kindness, and the one who is grateful and thankful for a kindness done.” — AN 2:118


1. So my question to you is should Gratitute be on a par with Loving Kindness?

In other words, asked from another view point...

2. Are teaching on gratitude and "duty" nessesary for the path development?

Or even otherwise asked...

3. Is it possible to gain path and fruits for an ungrateful person, a person denying his/her duties?

4. Could it be that the seldom appearing of gratitude is direct connected with the seldom appearing of people reaching path and fruit?

5. What in particular are teaching on gratitude mentioned in the suttas? (References of Dhamma-Dana in this regard)

[Note: This is a gift of Dhamma and not meant for commercial purpose and other low wordily gains by means of trade and exchange]
Teaching on gratitude &amp; “duty” is not necessary for Nibbana. MN 117 states gratitude &amp; duty is a defiled (asava) right view with attachment (upadhi) siding with merit. In MN 56, Upali's stream-entry resulted in independence from the teacher. In the Vakkali Sutta, Vakkali was rebuked for wrong gratitude. Dhammapada 294 states to "kill the mother &amp; father to attain Nibbana". In MN 86, the arahant Angulimala, ate his alms food without debt (obligation). Gratitude is a moral teaching for worldlings (puthujjana) but is unrelated to the goal of Buddhism, namely, Nibbana. Dhp 43 says:


  Na taṃ mātā pitā kayirā, aññe vāpi ca ñātakā; sammāpaṇihitaṃ cittaṃ, seyyaso naṃ tato kare
  
  Neither mother, father, nor any other relative can do greater good than the well-directed mind.