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Sotāpanna
In Buddhism, a sotāpanna (Pali) or srotāpanna (Sanskrit)—translated variously as "stream-enterer", "stream-entrant" or "stream-winner"—is one who has reached the first of the four stages of enlightenment. Stream entry is purportedly followed by three subsequent stages of awakening: Sakadāgāmi (once-returner), Anāgāmi (non-returner), and Arahant (fully liberated).
The word sotāpanna literally means "one who entered (āpanna) the stream (sota); stream-enterer", after a metaphor which calls the noble eightfold path a stream which leads to a vast ocean, nibbāna. It describes a person who has grasped the dharma and thereby dropped the first three fetters (Pāli: samyojana), namely self-view (sakkāya-ditthi), skeptical indecision (vicikicchā), and clinging to rites and rituals (sīlabbata-parāmāsa). A stream entrant is said to be free from possible rebirth in one of the three lower realms.
Having dropped the first three fetters, a person who has just begun on the path of stream-entry (sotāpatti-magga) is called a sotāpanna.
The sotāpanna is said to attain an intuitive grasp of the dharma—this wisdom being called right view (sammā diṭṭhi)—and has unshakable confidence in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; this trio is sometimes taken to be the triple refuge, and are at other times listed as being objects of recollection. In general though, confirmed confidence in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha is considered to be one of the four limbs[jargon] of stream-winning (sotāpannassa angāni). The sotāpanna is said to have "opened the eye of the Dhamma" (dhammacakkhu), because they have realized that whatever arises will cease (impermanence). Their conviction in the true Dharma would at this point be unshakable.
The sotāpanna has had their first glimpse of the unconditioned[jargon] element, the asankhata,[citation needed] in which they see the goal, in the moment of the fruition of their path[clarification needed] (magga-phala). Whereas the stream-entrant has seen nibbāna and therefore has verified confidence in it, the arahant can drink fully of its waters, to use a simile from the Kosambi Sutta (SN 12.68) of a "well" encountered along a desert road. The sotāpanna "may state this about himself: 'Hell is ended; animal wombs are ended; the state of the hungry shades is ended; states of deprivation, destitution, the bad bourns are ended! I am a stream-winner, steadfast, never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening!'"
The remaining three paths—namely: once-return (sakadāgāmin), non-return (anāgāmin), and sainthood (arahatta)—become "destined" (sammatta niyāma) for the stream-entrant, whose enlightenment as a disciple (ariya-sāvaka) becomes inevitable within seven lives transmigrating among gods and humans. If they are diligent (appamatta, appamāda) in the practice of the Teacher's (satthāra) message, they may fully awaken within their present life. They have very little future suffering to undergo.
The early Buddhist texts (e.g. the Ratana Sutta) say that a stream-entrant will no longer be born in the animal womb, or hell realms, nor as a hungry ghost. The pathways to unfortunate rebirth destinations (duggati) have been closed to them.
Joy Manné notes that early Buddhist texts spoke of two stages, a 'convert', who has just joined the community, and the arhat, who is liberated. As the account of Buddhist praxis developed, two extra steps were added and the 'convert' stage became known as sotāpanna.
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Sotāpanna
In Buddhism, a sotāpanna (Pali) or srotāpanna (Sanskrit)—translated variously as "stream-enterer", "stream-entrant" or "stream-winner"—is one who has reached the first of the four stages of enlightenment. Stream entry is purportedly followed by three subsequent stages of awakening: Sakadāgāmi (once-returner), Anāgāmi (non-returner), and Arahant (fully liberated).
The word sotāpanna literally means "one who entered (āpanna) the stream (sota); stream-enterer", after a metaphor which calls the noble eightfold path a stream which leads to a vast ocean, nibbāna. It describes a person who has grasped the dharma and thereby dropped the first three fetters (Pāli: samyojana), namely self-view (sakkāya-ditthi), skeptical indecision (vicikicchā), and clinging to rites and rituals (sīlabbata-parāmāsa). A stream entrant is said to be free from possible rebirth in one of the three lower realms.
Having dropped the first three fetters, a person who has just begun on the path of stream-entry (sotāpatti-magga) is called a sotāpanna.
The sotāpanna is said to attain an intuitive grasp of the dharma—this wisdom being called right view (sammā diṭṭhi)—and has unshakable confidence in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; this trio is sometimes taken to be the triple refuge, and are at other times listed as being objects of recollection. In general though, confirmed confidence in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha is considered to be one of the four limbs[jargon] of stream-winning (sotāpannassa angāni). The sotāpanna is said to have "opened the eye of the Dhamma" (dhammacakkhu), because they have realized that whatever arises will cease (impermanence). Their conviction in the true Dharma would at this point be unshakable.
The sotāpanna has had their first glimpse of the unconditioned[jargon] element, the asankhata,[citation needed] in which they see the goal, in the moment of the fruition of their path[clarification needed] (magga-phala). Whereas the stream-entrant has seen nibbāna and therefore has verified confidence in it, the arahant can drink fully of its waters, to use a simile from the Kosambi Sutta (SN 12.68) of a "well" encountered along a desert road. The sotāpanna "may state this about himself: 'Hell is ended; animal wombs are ended; the state of the hungry shades is ended; states of deprivation, destitution, the bad bourns are ended! I am a stream-winner, steadfast, never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening!'"
The remaining three paths—namely: once-return (sakadāgāmin), non-return (anāgāmin), and sainthood (arahatta)—become "destined" (sammatta niyāma) for the stream-entrant, whose enlightenment as a disciple (ariya-sāvaka) becomes inevitable within seven lives transmigrating among gods and humans. If they are diligent (appamatta, appamāda) in the practice of the Teacher's (satthāra) message, they may fully awaken within their present life. They have very little future suffering to undergo.
The early Buddhist texts (e.g. the Ratana Sutta) say that a stream-entrant will no longer be born in the animal womb, or hell realms, nor as a hungry ghost. The pathways to unfortunate rebirth destinations (duggati) have been closed to them.
Joy Manné notes that early Buddhist texts spoke of two stages, a 'convert', who has just joined the community, and the arhat, who is liberated. As the account of Buddhist praxis developed, two extra steps were added and the 'convert' stage became known as sotāpanna.