Four stages of enlightenment The four stages of enlightenment in Buddhism are the four progressive stages culminating in full enlightenment as an Arahat. These four stages are Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami, and Arahat. The Buddha referred to people who are at one of these four stages as noble people (ariya-puggala) and the community of such persons as the noble sangha (ariya-sangha) The teaching of the four stages of enlightenment is a central element of the early Buddhist schools, including the Theravada school of Buddhism, which still survives. Origins In the Sutta Pitaka several types of Buddhist practitioners are described, according to their level of attainment. The standard is four, but there are also longer descriptions with more types. The four are the Stream-enterer, Once-returner, Non-returner and the Arahat. In the Visuddhimagga the four stages are the culmination of the seven purifications. The descriptions are elaborated and harmonized, giving the same sequence of purifications before attaining each of the four paths and fruits. The Visuddhimagga stresses the importance of prajna, insight into anatta and the Buddhist teachings, as the main means to liberation. Vipassana has a central role in this. Insight is emphasized by the contemporary Vipassana movement. Path and Fruit The Sutta Pitaka classifies the four levels according to the levels attainments. The Sthaviravada/Theravada tradition, which believes that progress in understanding comes all at once, insight (abhisamaya) does not come gradually (successively - anapurva), has elaborated on this classification, describing each of the four levels as a path to be attained suddenly, followed by the realisation of the fruit of the path. The process of becoming an Arahat is therefore characterized by four distinct and sudden changes, instead of a gradual development. The same stance is taken in the contemporary Vipassana movement, especially the so-called New Burmese Method. The ordinary person An ordinary person or puthujjana (Pali; Sanskrit: pṛthagjanai.e. pritha : without, and jnana : knowledge) is trapped in the endless cycling of samsara. One is reborn, lives, and dies in endless rebirths, either as a deva, human, animal, male, female, neuter, ghost, asura, hell being, or various other entities on different categories of existence. An ordinary entity has never seen and experienced the ultimate truth of Dharma and therefore has no way of finding an end to the predicament. It is only when suffering becomes acute, or seemingly unending, that an entity looks for a solution to and, if fortunate, finds the Dharma.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 13:07:58 +0000
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