Stream-enterer
Main article:
Sotāpanna
The first stage is that of
Sotāpanna (
Pali;
Sanskrit: Srotāpanna), literally meaning "one who enters (āpadyate) the stream (sotas)," with the stream being the supermundane
Noble Eightfold Path regarded as the highest Dharma. The stream-enterer is also said to have "opened the eye of the Dharma" (dhammacakkhu, Sanskrit: dharmacakṣus).
A stream-enterer reaches arahantship within seven rebirths upon opening the eye of the Dharma.
Due to the fact that the stream-enterer has attained an intuitive grasp of Buddhist doctrine (samyagdṛṣṭi or sammādiṭṭhi, "right view") and has complete confidence or
Saddha in the
Three Jewels:
Buddha,
Dharma, and
Sangha, that individual will not be reborn in any plane lower than the human (animal,
preta, or in
hell).
Once-returner
Main article:
Sakadagami
The second stage is that of the Sakadāgāmī (Sanskrit: Sakṛdāgāmin), literally meaning "one who once (sakṛt) comes (āgacchati)". The once-returner will at most return to the human world one more time. Both the stream-enterer and the once-returner have abandoned the first three fetters. The stream-enterer and once-returner are distinguished by the fact that the once-returner has weakened lust, hate, and delusion to a greater degree. The once-returner therefore has fewer than seven rebirths. They may take place in higher planes but will include rebirth in the human world at most only once more. Once-returners do not have only one more rebirth, as the name suggests, for that may not even be said with certainty about the non-returner who can take multiple rebirths in the five "Pure Abodes".
Non-returner
Main article:
Anāgāmi
The third stage is that of the Anāgāmī (Sanskrit: Anāgāmin), literally meaning "one who does not (an-) come (
āgacchati)". The non-returner, having overcome sensuality, does not return to the human world, or any unfortunate world lower than that, after death. Instead, non-returners are
reborn in one of the five special worlds in
Rūpadhātu called the
Śuddhāvāsa worlds, or "Pure Abodes", and there attain
Nirvāṇa; Pāli: Nibbana; some of them are reborn a second time in a higher world of the Pure Abodes.
An Anāgāmī has abandoned the five lower fetters, out of ten total fetters, that bind beings to the
cycle of rebirth. An Anāgāmī is well-advanced.
Arahant
Main article:
Arahant
The fourth stage is that of
Arahant, a fully awakened person. He has abandoned all ten fetters and, upon death (Sanskrit:
Parinirvāṇa, Pāli: Parinibbāna) will never be reborn in any plane or world, having wholly escaped
saṃsāra.
[6] An Arahant had attained awakening by following the path given by the Buddha. In Theravada the term
Buddha is reserved for Siddartha Gautama Buddha, as being the one who discovered the path by himself.