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InBuddhism, asotāpanna (Pali) orsrotāpanna (Sanskrit)—translated variously as "stream-enterer", "stream-entrant"[1] or "stream-winner"[2]—is one who has reached the first of thefour stages of enlightenment.[3] Stream entry is purportedly followed by three subsequent stages of awakening:Sakadāgāmi (once-returner),Anāgāmi (non-returner), andArahant (fully liberated).
The wordsotāpanna literally means "one who entered (āpanna) the stream (sota); stream-enterer", after a metaphor which calls thenoble eightfold path a stream which leads to a vast ocean,nibbāna.[4] It describes a person who has grasped thedharma and thereby dropped the first threefetters (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 threefetters, a person who has just begun on the path of stream-entry (sotāpatti-magga) is called asotāpanna.[5][6]
The sotāpanna is said to attain an intuitive grasp of thedharma[7]—thiswisdom being calledright view (sammā diṭṭhi)[8]—and has unshakable confidence in theBuddha,Dharma, andSangha; this trio is sometimes taken to be thetriple refuge, and are at other times listed as being objects of recollection.[9] In general though, confirmed confidence in the Buddha,Dharma, andSangha is considered to be one of the four limbs[jargon] of stream-winning (sotāpannassa angāni).[10] The sotāpanna is said to have "opened the eye of the Dhamma" (dhammacakkhu), because they have realized that whatever arises will cease (impermanence).[11] Their conviction in the trueDharma would at this point be unshakable.[12]
The sotāpanna has had their first glimpse of the unconditioned[jargon] element, theasankhata,[citation needed] in which they see thegoal, inthe moment of the fruition of their path[clarification needed] (magga-phala). Whereas the stream-entrant has seennibbāna and therefore has verified confidence in it, thearahant[13] 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.[14] 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!'"[15]
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.[16][17] 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.[18]
Theearly Buddhist texts (e.g. theRatana 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.[19]
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.[20]
According to Theravada Buddhism, in the period of 5,000 years after theparinirvana of Buddha, we can still attain sotāpanna or evenArhat through practicingsatipatthana, andsatipatthana is the only way out.[21]
In thePali Canon, the qualities of a sotāpanna are described as:[22]
...those monks who have abandoned (the first) three fetters, are all stream-winners, certain, never again destined for the lower realms, headed for self-awakening. This is how the Dhamma well-proclaimed by me is clear, open, evident, stripped of rags.
— Alagaddupama Sutta
The three fetters which the sotāpanna eradicates are:[23][24]
According to the Pali commentary, six types of defilement are eventually abandoned by a sotāpanna:[26][failed verification]
A sotāpanna is safe from falling into the states of misery (they will not be born as an animal,ghost, or hell being). Their lust, hatred, and delusion are not strong enough to cause rebirth in the lower realms. A sotāpanna will have to be reborn at most only seven more times in the human or heavenly worlds before attainingnibbāna.[27] It is not necessary for a sotāpanna to be reborn seven more times before attainingnibbāna, as an ardent practitioner may progress to the higher stages in the same life in which he/she reaches the sotāpanna level by making an aspiration and persistent effort to reach the final goal ofnibbāna.[28]
According to Buddha, there are three types of sotāpannas, classifiable according to their possible rebirths:[citation needed]
A sotāpanna will not commit six wrong actions:[29]
The Buddha spoke favorably about the sotāpanna on many occasions. Even though it is (only) the first ofariya sangha members, he or she is welcomed by all othersangha members for he or she practices for the benefit and welfare of many. In the literature, thearya sangha is described as "the four" when taken as pairs, and as "the eight" when taken as individual types. This refers to the four supra-mundane fruits (attainments: "phala") and the corresponding four supra-mundane paths (of those practicing to attain those fruits: "magga").[31]
"The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples who have practiced well... who have practiced straight-forwardly... who have practiced methodically... who have practiced masterfully — in other words, the four types [of noble disciples] when taken as pairs, the eight when taken as individual types — they are the Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples: worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, the incomparable field of merit for the world."
— Anguttara Nikaya, 11.12
This is called "the recollection of the Sangha" (sanghanussati). It can also be interpreted as: "They are the Blessed One's disciples, who have practiced well, who have practiced directly, who have practiced insight-fully, those who practice with integrity (to share what they have learned with others). They give occasion for incomparable goodness to arise in the world because gifts to them bear great fruit and benefit to the giver."[citation needed]
The fifty-fifth Samyutta of theSamyutta Nikaya is called the "Sotāpatti-saṃyutta", and concerns sotāpannas and their attainment. In that chapter's discourse-numbers 1–4, 6–9, 11–14, 16–20, 22–36, 39–49, 51, 53, and 54, sotāpannas are praised assangha members—by and to: the sick, lay followers, people on their deathbed,bhikkhunis,bhikkhus, anddevas—and end up becoming the well-being and benefit of many.
FromDhammapada verse 178:[further explanation needed]
Sole dominion over the earth,
going to heaven,
lordship over all worlds:
the fruit of stream-entry
excels them.
According to Mahāyāna MasterBhikshuHsuan Hua's commentary on theVajra Sutra,
A Shrotaapanna is a first stageArhat. Certification to the first fruit of Arhatship, which is within theSmall Vehicle, comes when the eighty-eight categories of view delusions are smashed.[32]
Hsuan Hua continues:
The first fruit is that of Śrotāpanna, a Sanskrit word which means "One Who Has Entered the Flow." He opposes the flow of common people's six dusts and enters the flow of the sage's dharma-nature. Entering the flow means entering the state of the accomplished sage of the Small Vehicle.[33]
Very good, Sariputta! Very good! This noble eightfold path — right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration — is the stream.
Even these great sal trees, 43 Mahanama, if they could understand what is well spoken and what is ill spoken, I would declare them to be streamwinners, no longer bound to the lower world, of fixed destiny, sure of awakening!
And what is the right view that is noble, without effluents, transcendent, a factor of the path? The discernment, the faculty of discernment, the strength of discernment, analysis of qualities as a factor for awakening, the path factor of right view in one developing the noble path whose mind is noble, whose mind is without effluents, who is fully possessed of the noble path. This is the right view that is noble, without effluents, transcendent, a factor of the path.
There is the case where a disciple of the noble ones is endowed with verified confidence in the Awakened One... And further, the disciple of the noble ones is endowed with verified confidence in the Dhamma... And further, the disciple of the noble ones is endowed with verified confidence in the Saṅgha...
Then to Sariputta the wanderer, as he heard this Dhamma exposition, there arose the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: "Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation."
11 The 4 qualities of a streamwinner: (1) unshakable faith in the Buddha, (2) in the Dharma, and (3) in the Sangha; and (4) moral virtue dear to the saints.
My friend, although I have seen properly with right discernment, as it actually is present, that 'The cessation of becoming is Unbinding,' still I am not an arahant whose fermentations are ended. It's as if there were a well along a road in a desert, with neither rope nor water bucket. A man would come along overcome by heat, oppressed by the heat, exhausted, dehydrated, & thirsty. He would look into the well and would have knowledge of 'water,' but he would not dwell touching it with his body. In the same way, although I have seen properly with right discernment, as it actually is present, that 'The cessation of becoming is Unbinding,' still I am not an arahant whose fermentations are ended.
Furthermore, Sariputta, here a certain person fulfills moral virtue, but gains only limited concentration, gains only limited wisdom. With the total destruction of the three fetters, he is a seven-at-most, having re-arisen and wandered amongst gods and humans for seven lives at the most, makes an end of suffering.
He is incapable of doing any deed by which he might be reborn in hell, in the animal womb, or in the realm of hungry ghosts. He is incapable of passing away until he has realized the fruit of stream-entry.
(4) He understands that it is impossible, there is no chance, that an individual attained to right view, would deprive his mother of life—this is not possible. And he understands that it is possible, there is the chance, that an ordinary worldling, would deprive his mother of life—this is possible. (5) He understands that it is impossible, there is no chance, that [65] an individual attained to right view, would deprive his father of life—this is not possible. And he understands that it is possible, there is the chance, that an ordinary worldling, would deprive his father of life—this is possible. (6) He understands that it is impossible, there is no chance, that an individual attained to right view, would deprive an arhat of life—this is not possible. And he understands that it is possible, there is the chance, that an ordinary worldling, would deprive an arhat of life—this is possible. (7) He understands that it is impossible, there is no chance, that an individual attained to right view, would draw the Tathagata's blood—this is not possible. And he understands that it is possible, there is the chance, that an ordinary worldling, would draw the Tathagata's blood—this is possible. (8) He understands that it is impossible, there is no chance, that an individual attained to right view, would divide the monastic order [the Sangha]—this is not possible. And he understands that it is possible, there is the chance, that an ordinary worldling, would divide the monastic order—this is possible. (9) He understands that it is impossible, there is no chance, that an individual attained to right view, would proclaim another Teacher—this is not possible. And he understands that it is possible, there is the chance, that an ordinary worldling, would declare another Teacher—this is possible.
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