Stages of Enlightenment in Buddhism

Stages of skill in BuddhismMODULE 9 The Planes of Realization ( comprises of understanding) attainment is a thought and a word that is commonly utilise and associated with mediation, the practice of Buddhism and its benefits. Most of the time, it is utilize in connection with the c at oncept of Nirvana. In around Buddhistic texts and literatures, reason can be read to throw off started with the Buddha himself, thus the experimental condition samma-sambodhi is recitationd to apply to the attainment of prudence of bodhis or meditators aiming for it. This is the goal of the paths of conjecture found on most Buddhist customs.In the original context, the word bodhi is a Pali and Sanskrit term that is used to refer to a soulfulness who has figuratively woken up and understood things. It is as well used to point out to a item level of understanding or fellowship that the Buddha has gained when he realised his admit alter. This understanding gave him knowledge on to th e natural causes of things that contri exceptes to how compassionate and separate sensate beings come into their specific exis xce and excessively the workings of the mind that contributes to tutelage human and other sentient beings trapped into concepts such as anguish, transition and cravings. In this sense, the word bodhi can then be connected to gaining a deeper level of understanding on how a person can bring out him or herself from the things that causes him or her to be impris aced on the three concepts menti aned above.Enlightenment in the Buddhist TraditionsThe Buddha Siddharta Gautama, is the counterbalance recorded being to have attain a level of replete enlightenment. This level that he has success amply achieved is write as sammasambuddha in the Pali language (samyaksambuddha in Sanskrit), or what is c for each oneed as the spotless form off Buddhahood.In the Theravada tradition of Buddhisms chronicles or the sutta pitaka, in that respect ar many texts and descriptions about how the Buddha has experienced awakening or enlightenment himself. This can be seen in the s correctsometeeth chapter of the Vanapattha Sutta, the Majjhima. In this specific chapter, it is depict how the Buddha has lived his manner in the jungle and how from there, he was able to attain a distinguish of awakening or enlightenment. This, the texts show, was d matchless after the Buddha has successfully destroyed the disturbances that befallred in his mind, allowing him to achieve concentration of the mind. This has resulted into him attaining the Vidhyas or the the knowledges. This includes the presence of brainstorm into his past lives, attaining insight into the workings of reincarnation and karma and insight to the presence of the Four august Truths.In the texts, the attainment of insight into the Four Noble Truths is what gave enlightenment the other term awakening. This mover that whatever meditator practicing it has already achieved a level of a ttaining a tribute from bondage on a supreme nature. Moreover, awakening is in addition tie in to having r separatelyed the level of Nirvana, where sufferings argon ended and the process of being reborn no longer occurs. In the texts, the Buddha has claimed that the button he got from this is certain because the presence of knowledge happening to him has allowed him to develop insight. This have then given him certain freedom, get him to be free from spiritual rebirths.In teaching method this concept to a meditator, the instructor must stress that the presence of awakening bureau gaining insight into the concepts of rebirth and karma, into the presence of the Four Noble Truths and the elimination of all things which contribute to attaining the state of Nirvana. Only in experiencing this would liberation be certainly experienced by the student.Attaining Awakening or EnlightenmentThe attainment of enlightenment or awakening at its fullest capacity can be achieved by a medita tor by becoming a Buddha and entering into Buddhahood. When faced with this concept, the teacher must first explain to the meditator the various meanings and context of the word Buddha in the Buddhist traditions. Moreover, another(prenominal) term Tathagata should also be explained to the student. This term means the thus-gone and is used as an equivalent to the word Buddha.Reaching full awakening or enlightenment is considered in the Theravada Buddhist tradition to be equated in chip ining the tier of Nirvana. This means that when a meditator starts practicing, the teacher should set his or her path to have the ultimate goal of reaching Nirvana. This is also true in other Buddhist traditions as well. This path involves the meditator abandoning the then fetters of his existence and working toward the ceasing of suffering or dukkha. This full awakening or enlightenment is attained by the meditator in iv stages.Moreover, Budhaghosa, another authority in the Theravada Buddhist tradi tion has described another path to attaining enlightenment. In the Visuddhimagga or the Path to Purification, he has described what he calls the Seven Stages to Purification which is based on the Noble Eightfold Path originally described by the Buddha. The difference, however, lies on the point that Buddhaghosa has emphasized on insight based on the three characteristics of brio which argon dukkha, anatta and anicca. These concepts ar what distinguishes it obscure from the quatern stages of enlightenment where the ten fetters or human existence are abandoned in a sluggish manner.The Four Stages of EnlightenmentIn Buddhism, there are quadruple stages of a progessing nature that is related to the four stages of enlightenment. These stages are important in resulting into the full enlightenment of a meditator as an Arahat. The people who are into either one of the four stages of enlightenment are referred to by the Buddha as the ariya-puggala or the terrific people. Conversely, the people within the community of the bikkhu-sangha are called as the ariya-sangha or the fearful sanghas.The four stages of enlightenment are the Sotappana, Sakadagami, Anagami and the Arahat. These four stages of enlightenment and their teaching to meditators are central elements in the Buddhist schools such as Theravada tradition. This was chronicled in the sutta pitaka, and how each level are attained were described as well. Apart from the four stages mentioned above, the teacher would have to tell his or her students that there are also other types which describes other stages as well. However, the focus of this module is on the four stages of enlightenment so these four would be the ones that are to be described in detail here.As mentioned in the previous sections, the four stages of enlightenment are the end product or result of the seven purifications that a meditator goes done. This was discussed at great lengths in the Visuddhimagga. The teacher can encourage his or he r student meditators to read on excerpts from the Visuddhimagga about the seven purifications, their sequences and how each of these are related to four paths and fruits. Moreover, in the Visuddhimagga, prajna and its importance is also described in detail, as well as gaining insight into anatta and how these are related to liberation and can be attained in the practice of taste meditation or Vipassana.The four stages of attainment or enlightenment are also associated with occurring in pairs of path and fruit. The following are the path and fruit pairs of the four stages of attainmentThe path to stream incoming and the fruition of stream entryThe path to once move and the fruition on once returningThe path to non returning and the fruition of non returningThe path to becoming an arahant and the fruition of becoming an arahantEach of these are described below in their sexual relation to the attaining of enlightenmentThe Sotapanna. This is the first stage of enlightenment and is derived from the Pali language (written as Srotapanna in Sanskrit). This term means or is translated to mean the person or the one who enters the streams (apadyate sota). The stream being described here is the super mundane agency of the Noble Eightfold Path and is regarded as the highest form of Dhamma as well. The person who is this stage is also considered to be one who was able to open the substance of the Dhamma (or dhammacakkhu in Pali and dharmacaksus in Sanskrit). The meditator who enters the stream is tell to be able reach the state of being an arahant in a span or seven rebirths after he or she has attained opening the eye of the Dhamma. another(prenominal) aspect that the teacher needs to stress out in teaching this is that the meditator can attain a grasp of the Buddhist doctrines on an self-generated level or what is known as the right view (samyagdrsti in Sanskrit or sammaditthi in Sanskrit). Moreover, the meditator can also have a be intimate confidence, or Sadha on what is considered the three jewels of practice namely the sangha, dharma and Buddha. This means that when the meditator passes away, he or she will not undergo rebirth in every canvass that is categorically lower than the human plane such as the animal or in hell.The Sakadagami. This is the second stage of enlightenment which is also called the stage of the once returner. The origin of this word is Pali (Sakrdagamin in Sanskrit), which when translates means the once who once comes (sakrt and agacchati, respectively). When explaining what this means, the teacher should tell the student that people who belong in this stage will return once more to the human plane or world one more time in most instances. A person who progresses in this stage after going through the first is said to have abandoned the first three of the ten fetters. Meditators who are in this stage are also seen to display a weaker sense of lust for things, milder feelings of hate, and even weakened delusions. Th is means that anyone who is considered to be a once-returner would be experiencing rebirths fewer than seven times and that these rebirths usually occur in the higher planes although there would occur a rebirth in the human plane at least one more time. Also, their rebirths can occur in multiples in the five pure abodes.The Anagami. The third stage, the Anagami (Pali also Anagamin in Sanskrit), is also known as the stage of the non returner. The word Anagami means one who does not come. These are meditators who have been successful in overcoming sensuality and are deemed not to lower planes such as the human one even after their remnant. These are those who were rewarded with being reborn in the Suddhavasa worlds or beautiful Abodes, which are one of the five special worlds in the Rupadhatu. In these worlds, the meditators are able to attain Nirvana or can even be reborn for another time in a world that is considered to be higher than that of the Pure Abodes. A person who is consi dered to be a non returner is said to have been able to abandon the five lower fetters of the ten that binds valet to the cycle of rebirth on the human plane. When a meditator has reached the level of the Anagami, they are considered to be well-advanced already.The Arahant. The fourth stage of enlightenment, the Arahant, is related to a person who is fully awakened. This stage is where the idiosyncratic is seen to have been able to fully abandon all the ten fetters. When this happens, the person would not be experiencing rebirth on any plane or world even after his or her death (Parinibbana in Pali Parinirvana in Sanskrit) because he or she have escaped samsara wholly. This stage will be attained by a meditator when he or she would follow the path that is given by the Buddha himself. In teaching this, the teacher should tell his or her students that in the Theravada tradition of Buddhism, the word Buddha is reserved for use with Siddharta Gautama Buddha, the first who discovered t he path to enlightenment.The Path and the Fruits of EnlightenmentAttaining each stage of the path to enlightenment has its subsequent fruit, as mentioned in the previous sections of this module. This is necessity to be included in the teaching of the paths to enlightenment since the fruit of each path and their attainments has to be present and seen in the life of the meditator. This ensures that the attainment of knowledge is set on the right paths as well. In the Theravada tradition, there is a belief that gaining understanding is a sudden process, that it does not come stepwise as other disciplines believe it to be. This means that once a meditator enters on a path to enlightenment, its fruits should be realized as well. So when a meditator enters the stages and becomes an Arahat (the liberated one) in the process, it can be said that according to the Vipassana tradition sudden changes should characterize the entire process.The Benefits of EnlightenmentAn endless cycle of samsa ra traps an indifferent person who does not have enlightenment (puthujjana in Pali prthagjanai in Sanskrit). This means that a person is endlessly reborn, live and dies and the cycle is repeated numerous times over. This occurs not only on the human plane but in other various planes as well such as the animal. This can be ended when a person enters the Dhamma and aims for gaining insight and enlightenment. This means that the person would not have to be experiencing this endlessly and be vile for the rest of his or her existence.As the teacher guides the student into this path he or she would have to set it in their minds that the aim of the entire process, apart from gaining insight is to realize attaining Nirvana. In doing this, the meditator would be transformed from someone who is considered to be an uninstructed being who is oblivious to the truths that practicing the Dhamma brings into an arahant (or the liberated one). This stage of liberation enables the individual to have comprehension of the Four Noble Truths fully and to have experience of Nirvana in the present life. Moreover, in attaining this stage, the concepts that were discussed in detail in this module should be reinforced by the teacher with proper actions and delivery from someone who has experienced them in a personal level.ReferencesGomez, Luis O. (1991),Purifying Gold The metaphor of Effort and Intuition in Buddhist Thought and Practice. In scratch N. Gregory (editor)(1991),sudden and Gradual. Approaches to Enlightenment in Chinese Thought, Delhi Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private LimitedWarder, A.K. 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