Three Levels of Practice > Sotāpanna Stage of Nibbāna > Sotāpanna Stage – Previous Posts

Revised July 27, 2017; January 15, 2018; September 22, 2018; September 26, 2018; February 3, 2019; February 13, 2019; January 28, 2020; April 13, 2020; August 11, 2021; July 18, 2022 (#5 added)

Here we discuss the difference between a Sotāpanna and one striving for the Sotāpanna stage. The latter is on the right path (a Sotāpanna Anugāmi).

Who Belongs to the Saṅgha

1. The word saṅgha nowadays refers to the bhikkhus. Yet Saṅgha is “saŋ” + “gha,” or those who have either gotten rid of or are on the way to getting rid of “saŋ.” By that definition, one does not have to be a bhikkhu to belong to the saṅgha; see, “What is “Saŋ”? Meaning of Sansāra or Saṁsāra.”

In the salutation to the saṅgha, they are referred to as “aṭṭha purisa puggalā.” See. “Supreme Qualities of Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha.” Here, “aṭṭha” is eight, “purisa” does not mean male, but one with higher virtues and “puggalā” is a person. Thus there are eight types of people belonging to the saṅgha. Who are the eight?

▪There are four who have started on the Noble Path/fulfilled the conditions for the four stages of Nibbāna: Sotāpanna Anugāmi, Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmi Anugāmi, Sakadāgāmi, Anāgāmi Anugāmi, Anāgāmi, Arahant Anugāmi, and Arahant. Four of those are in the Anugāmi stages (working toward a given stage,) and the other four have reached their respective stage.

▪A special kamma and kamma vipāka happens for Noble kammā (efforts toward a given stage.) Once “what needs to be done” is fulfilled, the vipāka follows in the next citta within a second. Thus when one gets into the Sotāpanna magga citta, for example, one receives the Sotāpanna phala in the next citta. Thus one becomes a Sotāpanna in two consecutive thought moments.

▪However, when one starts grasping the Tilakkhaṇa (anicca, dukkha, anatta), one becomes a Sotāpanna Anugami (one on the way to attaining the Sotāpanna stage). Thus one becomes free of the apāyā. In later commentaries, they are also called “Cūḷa Sotāpanna” or a “junior Sotāpanna.”

Abhidhamma Explanation

2. The citta vīthi for a magga phala is discussed at the end of the post, “Citta Vīthi – Processing of Sense Inputs”:

B B B “BC BU MD P U A G Pa Fr Fr” B B B

[(B) Upaccheda (Arrest Bhavaṅga), (MD) Manodvāra Āvajjana (Mind Averting), (P) Parikamma (Preparation), (U) Upacāra (Close Proximity), (A) Anuloma (Conformity), (G) Gotrabu (Change of Lineage), (Pa) Path (magga), and (Fr) Fruit (phala).

āvajjana : ‘advertence’ of the mind towards the object, forms the first stage in the process of consciousness (s.viññāṇa-kicca). If an object of the 5 physical senses is concerned, it is called ‘five-door advertence’ (pañca dvārāvajjana); in the case of a mental object, ‘mind-door advertence’ (mano-dvārāvajjana).

parikamma : [nt.] arrangement; preparation; preliminary action; plastering.

upacāra : [m.] neighbourhood; preparative or preliminary action.]

▪A Sotāpanna Anugāmi is getting closer to the “change of lineage” or G. The earlier stages of P, U, A, may be reached gradually. Once that level of comprehension is complete, one makes that transition (G), completes the lokuttara kamma, and immediately receives the phala.

▪In a strict sense, it may be better to call one a Sotāpanna Magga Anugāmi (one trying to get to the magga citta) rather than Sotāpanna Anugāmi.

▪The eight Noble Persons (Ariyā) are listed in the “WebLink: suttacentral: Paṭhama Puggala Sutta (AN 8.59)” and in “WebLink: suttacentral: Puggala Sutta (AN 9.9).” In both suttā, Sotāpanna Anugāmi is listed as “sotāpatti phala sacchikiriyāya paṭipanno.” One on the way to become an Anāgāmi is “anāgāmi phala sacchikiriyāya paṭipanno,” etc. In the second sutta, a average human is a “puthujjano.”

The Eight Noble Persons

3. Thus it is clear that “aṭṭha purisa puggalā” consists of the eight Ariyā (Noble Persons) listed in #1. They are Sotāpanna Anugāmi, Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmī Anugāmi, Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī Anugāmi, Anāgāmī, Arahant Anugāmi, and Arahant.

▪A critical point to note is the change from being an “average human” (puthujjana) to the Noble Person (Ariya) status. That transition happens at the “gotrabu” (“gotra” is the clan or lineage) before the Sotāpanna magga/phala transition. See the “Citta Vīthi for Attainment of Magga Phala” section at the end of the post, “Citta Vīthi – Processing of Sense Inputs.” Also, see “Sotāpanna Anugāmi – No More Births in the Apāyā.”

▪The types of āsavā eliminated at each stage are discussed at “The Way to Nibbāna – Removal of Āsavā.”

▪How lobha, dosa, moha, and also the ten fetters (saṁyojana) removed at each stage are discussed in “Relinquishing Defilements via Three Rounds and Four Stages.”

▪Both a Sotāpanna Anugāmi and a Sotāpanna would have “Sotāpatti Aṅga – The Four Qualities of a Sotāpanna.”

The Stages of Magga Phala

4. A Sotāpanna Anugāmi/Sotāpanna is someone who has seen Nibbāna, not the full Nibbāna, but a glimpse of it. One becomes a Sotāpanna Anugāmi when one removes avijjā (ignorance) about the actual status of affairs in “this world of 31 realms”; see #5 below. With that understanding, their mind is purified to the extent that it will not allow them to do an immoral act that could lead to a birth in the four lower worlds (apāyā). Not only that, but one will also not “latch onto” a kamma vipāka resulting from such a robust immoral act in the past. Thus, an Ariya above Sotāpanna Anugāmi will never be born in an apāya again.

The other three stages have similar “demarcation thresholds.”

▪A Sakadāgāmī will never again be born in the human or lower four realms. They can still be born in the deva worlds (i.e., in kāma loka.) But those devas do not have “flesh and blood” bodies that lead to physical discomforts and diseases. In the deva loka, beings have subtle bodies that are not subject to old age and diseases.

▪An Anāgāmī has overcome any desire to be born anywhere in the kāma loka, i.e., the 11 lowest realms. They have no kāma rāga (desire for sense pleasures) or paṭigha (hate).

▪An Arahant has no desire to be born anywhere in the 31 realms and thus will never be reborn “in this world.” They have attained full Nibbāna, full release.

5. Subsection 1.1.55. Āsavakkhayañāṇaniddesa (toward the end of the “WebLink: suttacentral: 1.1. Ñāṇakathā (Ps 1.1)” section) of the Tipiṭaka Commentary “Paṭisambhidāmagga” describes three types of ñāṇa attained on the way to the Arahanthood: “Anaññātaññassāmītindriyaṁ kati ṭhānāni gacchati, aññindriyaṁ kati ṭhānāni gacchati, aññātāvindriyaṁ kati ṭhānāni gacchati? Anaññātaññassāmītindriyaṁ ekaṁ ṭhānaṁ gacchati—sotāpattimaggaṁ. Aññindriyaṁ cha ṭhānāni gacchati—sotāpattiphalaṁ, sakadāgāmimaggaṁ, sakadāgāmiphalaṁ, anāgāmimaggaṁ, anāgāmiphalaṁ, arahattamaggaṁ. Aññātāvindriyaṁ ekaṁ ṭhānaṁ gacchati—arahattaphalaṁ.”

▪It says the following. The first ñāṇa is Anaññātaññassāmītindriya attained at the Sotāpanna Anugāmi stage. The second one, Aññindriya, is attained and optimized at the intermediate six stages (sotāpattiphala through arahattamagga.) The third one, Aññātāvindriya, is attained at the Arahant phala moment.

▪Thus, something definitive occurs when one gets to the Sotāpanna Anugāmi stage.

It Is a Step-by-Step Process

6. One must first hear the Buddha’s real message before one can fulfill the conditions to attain the Sotāpanna stage. Thus, they need to go beyond the mundane eightfold path; see “Buddha Dhamma – In a Chart.”

▪In particular, a Sotāpanna Anugāmi (or Sotāpanna Magga Anugāmika or Sotāpanna Magga Anugāmi) has heard about anicca, dukkha, anatta (Tilakkhaṇa), or the “true nature of this world with 31 realms.” Of course, those concepts must come from a Noble Person who has grasped the basic idea.

▪That is why the association with a “kalyāṇa mitta” or “kalyāṇa mitra” (basically a “Noble friend,” i.e., an Ariya) is a pre-condition for attaining the Sotāpanna stage; see, “Four Conditions for Attaining Sotāpanna Magga/Phala.”

▪Once attaining the Sotāpanna anugāmi, one becomes a Noble Person (one of the aṭṭha purisa puggala), and thus is free from the apāyā, see “Sotāpanna Anugāmi – No More Births in the Apāyā.”

Difference Between Sotāpanna Magga Anugāmi and a Sotāpanna

7. Let us take a simile to see this “demarcation” between Sotāpanna Magga Anugāmi and a Sotāpanna.

▪Suppose that a precious treasure is known to be at the peak of a mountain. But it is not generally known where that mountain is. That is pretty much the status of Buddha Dhamma today. Most people know that it is valuable but they do not know what the correct version among the many different versions put forth today.

▪As the Buddha said in his first sermon, “my Dhamma has not been known to the world before.” Thus one needs a Buddha or a true disciple of Buddha to show them what Nibbāna is and how to get to the Sotāpanna stage. That is an essential and critical point.

▪Suppose someone gets directions to the correct mountain with the treasure. Then they know which country to go to and which geographic location in that country the mountain is. This person is like one on the path to becoming a Sotāpanna, i.e., a Sotāpanna Magga Anugāmi. They know exactly where to go and have a detailed map. And they have to get it from a Buddha or a true disciple of a Buddha. A true disciple has at least seen the mountain (a Sotāpanna), if not been to the top (an Arahant).

▪Now they make the journey to the country and region where the mountain is. On the way there, they can verify the landmarks given by the “friend” (an Ariya). Similarly, a Sotāpanna Magga Anugāmi spends time contemplating the newly learned concepts of anicca, dukkha, anatta, Paṭicca Samuppāda, etc.

▪Thus, with confidence, the person gets closer and closer to the mountain and starts seeing the mountain at some point. At that point, the person has “crossed the boundary” to become a Sotāpanna. They have seen a glimpse of Nibbāna for the first time. Now they can complete the journey without any help, even if the physical map is lost (i.e., even in a future life).

An Analogy

8. Going back to the simile of the mountain with treasure, different versions of “Buddhism” identify the mountain as being in different geographic locations. So people travel long distances and much effort to reach various mountains. All these are in remote places, and the journey is hard.

▪Many people are wasting their time and effort targeting the “wrong mountain.” So, how does one know which “mountain” or version to pick? That is why it takes effort to weed out the wrong/incompatible versions of Buddha Dhamma; see, “Why is it Critical to Find the Pure Buddha Dhamma?.”

Grasping the Anicca (Unfruitful) Nature of This World

9. In technical terms, one gets to the Sotāpanna magga/phala when one understands anicca, dukkha, and anatta (the three characteristics of this world or Tilakkhaṇa) to a minimum level, where one begins to realize that there is nothing in “this world” that can provide meaningful and unconditioned happiness.

▪When one comprehends anicca, dukkha, and anatta to the extent that one can “see” this concept, one is said to have the “anuloma ñāṇa.” Here, “anu” means “through the understanding of Tilakkhaṇa,” “lo” means “craving for worldly things,” and “ma” means “removal,” and thus “anuloma” means “removal of craving for worldly things to some extent via the comprehension of Tilakkhaṇa.”

▪We came across “anu” also in “anupassanā”; see, “4. What do all these Different Meditation Techniques Mean?.” In a previous post, I also discussed how “lobha” comes from “lo” + “bha” or “immersed in craving for worldly things.”

▪Thus it makes a huge difference if one incorrectly interprets anicca as “impermanence” and anatta as “no-self”; see, “Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – Wrong Interpretations.”

10. Suffering is prevalent in the lower four realms (apāyā). We can see at least one of those, the animal realm. Let us discuss one way to contemplate anicca, dukkha, and anatta using an example from this life.

▪When young, it seems like one can get anything one wants by working hard. But we all have seen how our parents, grandparents, or even famous people spent their old age suffering from various ailments, and finally dying helplessly.

▪They may have “accomplished” many things. But they spend their whole lives working hard to achieve those, and then they have to leave it all behind.

▪One may have a beautiful body when young, but for how long? We can see how that old movie star ages now. Some of them commit suicide because it is depressing to remember the “good old days” when one had all the attention in the world, but now it all seems to be slipping away.

▪That is anicca and anatta. No matter how much we try, whatever we gain in this world lasts only a short time (in the sansāric time scale), and one becomes helpless in the long run. At some point, one realizes this and becomes distraught.

One Creates One’s Own Future Suffering

11. When one comprehends the true nature of this world, such sad thoughts do not arise. People who follow the Path and even those who have wisdom from previous lives (gati) can realize that “all things in this world” are subjected to this arising/destruction process. Beings come to existence and die. But those existence are “created” by oneself. See, “Origin of Life – One Creates One’s Own Future Lives.”

▪That understanding itself leads to ease of mind. A stronger version of this “ease of mind” is the “anuloma khanti” that one experiences when attaining the “anuloma ñāṇa” (pronounced “anuloma gnana”). [anulomikāya khantiyā samannāgata (being of gentle and forbearing disposition)]

▪The key to attaining the “anuloma ñāṇa” is to realize the fleeting nature of anything in this world. The next post discusses this.

Anuloma Ñāṇa and Sammatta Niyāma

12. With the “anuloma ñāṇa,” one realizes that permanently getting rid of suffering is impossible anywhere in the 31 realms. It can be achieved only by attaining Nibbāna. By this time, one has felt the nirāmisa sukha, and thus one needs to cultivate, “etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ…” the release one has felt, and the value of Nibbāna. Then one truly embarks on the Noble Eightfold Path and is said to get to “sammatta niyāma” and to Sotāpanna phala. [“‘etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho Nibbānan’ti.” WebLink: suttacentral: AN 9.36 : Jhānasutta, WebLink: suttacentral: AN 10.6 : Samādhisutta, WebLink: suttacentral: AN 3.32 : Ānandasutta, WebLink: suttacentral: AN 11.8 : Manasikārasutta, WebLink: suttacentral: AN 11.7 : Saññāsutta, WebLink: suttacentral: AN 10.60 : Girimānandasutta] [It is peaceful, it is serene, the expelling of all saṅkhāra, breaking of bonds, removing greed and hate; Nibbāna] [sammatta: [abstr. fr. sammā] the ‘state of rightness’, are the 8 links of the 8-fold Path.]

▪Therefore, it is critical to realize BOTH the unfruitful nature of this world with “anuloma ñāṇa,” AND to realize the value and cooling down due to Nibbāna, i.e., “sammatta niyāma.”

▪Further details in the post, “Anuloma Khanti and Sammattaniyāma – Pre-requisites for a Sotāpanna.”

13. Thus it is critical to understand that Nibbāna is “nicca, sukha, atta,” after realizing that this world is “anicca, dukkha, anatta.” A Sotāpanna has understood both.

▪Anything in this world (except nāmagotta) is a saṅkhata, i.e., it comes into being due to causes, stays in existence for a time, and then inevitably is destroyed. The arising of a saṅkhata is called “udaya” in Pāli, and the destruction is called “vaya.” Thus, “udayavaya ñāṇa” is the knowledge about that process.

▪Nibbāna is the only asaṅkhata. Removal of all causes leads to Nibbāna.

▪Many people have even attained the Arahanthood without actually having heard about these terms like “udayavaya” or “anuloma.” Thus it is imperative to realize that just reading about these concepts does not get one anywhere. One needs to “see” the Tilakkhaṇa or the unfruitfulness of craving for saṅkhata (through saṅkhāra) by true meditation or contemplation.

▪Thus a Sotāpanna has the udayavaya (sometimes called udayabbaya) ñāṇa; see, “Udayavaya Ñāṇa.”

Next, “Four Conditions for Attaining Sotāpanna Magga/Phala”, ………