Anagamin, Anāgāmin, Anāgamin: 11 definitions
Introduction:
Anagamin means something inBuddhism, Pali,Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Anāgamin (अनागमिन्) refers to one of the eighteenśaikṣa types of the twenty-seven total classes of individuals (pudgala), as mentioned in the 2nd centuryMahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 36. In contrast to the Pṛthagjana ‘the worldly’, the Āryas who have entered onto the Path (mārga) and who make up the holy Community (saṃgha), are arranged into various groups.
The list of the twenty-seven individuals [viz., Anāgamin] is one of the masterpieces of the Sarvāstivādin-Vaibhaṣika Abhidharma which, with the help of the canonical sources, has located them precisely along the Path to Nirvāṇa. (cf. Vibhāṣā, Saṃyuktābhidharmasāra and Abhidharmāmṛta). The Prajñāpāramitās have used the preceding sources broadly to establish their twenty categories of saints, but the end-point of the career is no longer the entry into Nirvāṇa but the arrival at the state of Buddha by the conquest of Anuttarasaṃyaksaṃbodhi.
Anāgamin means “non-returner”, composed of ‘an’ and ‘anāgāmin’, according tochapter XLIX.—Accordingly, “the charactersA-na (an-) mean ‘not’,K’ie-mi (āgāmin) mean ‘returner’. The ascetic thus named has ‘not returning’ as his characteristic. Having died in the desire realm (kāmadhātu), this man is reborn in the form realm (rūpadhātu) or in the formless realm (ārūpyadhātu); there his impurities are destroyed (kṣiṇāsrava) and he is no longer reborn”.
Notes: there are several kinds of anāgāmins: the most widespread list distinguishes five:
- Antarāparinirvāyin,
- Upapadyaparinirvāyin,
- Sābhisaṃskāraparinirvāyin,
- Anabhisaṃskāraparinirvāyin,
- Ūrdhvasrotas.
Whether alone or inserted into broader contexts, the list of the five anāgāmins is very widespread in the sūtras and in the Abhidharma, both Sanskrit as well as Pāli: Dīgha; Saṃyutta; Anguttara; Saṃgītiparyāya; Mahāvibhāṣā; Amṛtarasa; Kośabhāṣya.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are manysūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
General definition (in Buddhism)
Anagamin:—[or Anagami] A ‘non-Returner’ (the third stage of holiness in the Theravada tradition.)
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Anāgāmin, (adj.-n.) (an + āgāmin) one who does not return, a Never-Returner, as tt. designating one who has attained the 3rd stage out of four in the breaking of the bonds (Saṃyojanas) which keep a man back from Arahantship. So near is the Anāgāmin to the goal, that after death he will be reborn in one of the highest heaven and there obtain Arahantship, never returning to rebirth as a man. But in the oldest passages referring to these 4 stages, the description of the third does not use the word anāgāmin (D.I, 156; II, 92; III, 107;M.II, 146) and anāgāmin does not mean the breaking of bonds, but the cultivation of certain specified good mental habits (S.III, 168, the anatta doctrine; S v.200—2, the five Indriyas;A.I, 64, 120, cultivation of good qualities, II 160; v.86, 171 = S 149). We have only two cases in the canon of any living persons being called anāgāmin. Those are at S v.177 and 178. The word there means one who has broken the lower five of the ten bonds, & the individuals named are laymen. AtD.II, 92 nine others, of whom eight are laymen, are declared after their death to have reached the third stage (as above) during life, but they are not called anāgāmins. AtIt.96 there are only 3 stages, the worldling, the Anāgāmin, and the Arahant; and the Saṃyojanas are not referred to. It is probable that already in the Nikāya period the older, wider meaning was falling into disuse. The Abhidhamma books seem to refer only to the Saṃyojana explanation; the commentaries, so far as we know them, ignore any other. SeePs.II, 194; Kv. Tr. 74;Dhs. Tr. 302 n;Cp. 69.
Anāgāmin (in Pali) can be associated with the following Chinese terms:
1)不還 [bù hái]: “non-returner”.
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Sanskrit dictionary
Anāgāmin (अनागामिन्).—m.
1) Not coming, not arriving.
2) Not future, not likely to return.-m. An epithet of the third among the 4 Buddhist orders.
Anāgāmin (अनागामिन्).—f. °nī (= Pali id.),one who is destined nomore to return to this world:Mahāvyutpatti 5135-6;Avadāna-śataka i.286.7;f. °nī (pl. °nyo)Divyāvadāna 533.26; °mi-phala,the fruit of attainingthis condition,Divyāvadāna 18.6; 48.14; 50.9;Avadāna-śataka i.65.1 etc. Sees.v. srota-āpanna.
1) Anāgāmin (अनागामिन्):—[=an-āgāmin] [froman-āgata]mfn. not coming, not arriving
2) [v.s. ...] not future, not subject to returning
3) [v.s. ...]m.Name of the third among the four Buddhist orders. (see, [Monier-Williams’ Buddhism 133])
Anāgāmin (अनागामिन्):—[tatpurusha compound] I. m. f. n.
(-mī-minī-mi) 1) Not arriv-ing, not coming.
2) Not future. Ii. m.
(-mī) The third of the four orders of the Buddhists, generally termed Āryās; (see besidesśrotaāpanna, sakṛdāgāmin andarhat): literally, one who does not return, but it means one who has only to pass through forty thousand kalpas and then is freed from transmigration. E.a neg. andāgāmin.
Anāgāmin (अनागामिन्):—(3.a + āgāmin)m.der nicht Wiederkehrende; so heisst bei den Buddhisten ein Wesen, das nur noch [40,000] Kalpa's zu durchwandern hat und dann nicht mehr zurückkehrt in die Welt der Begierden, [Burnouf I, 293.]
Anāgāmin (अनागामिन्):—m.der nicht Wiederkehrende , bei den Buddhisten Bez. der 3ten Stufe auf dem Wege zum Nirvāṇa.
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with:Anagamimagga,Anagamiphala.
Full-text (+86):Anagamiphala,A na jia mi,Anagamimagga,Anahan,Na han,Anagamiphalanagamin,Pratipannaka,A na han guo,Wu zhong bu hai,Bu hai guo,Bu hai,Shuddhavasa,Sabhisamskaraparinirvayin,Bu hai xiang,Agamin,Vitaraga,Bu hui,Anagamita,Wu xing ban,Qi zhong ban.
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Search found 28 books and stories containing Anagamin, An-agamin, An-āgāmin, Anāgāmin, Anāgamin, Anagamins; (plurals include: Anagamins, agamins, āgāmins, Anāgāmins, Anāgamins, Anagaminses). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Appendix 3 - Five kinds of Anāgāmin (non-returners) < [Chapter XLIX - The Four Conditions]
Part 7 - Establishing all beings in the fruits of the path < [Chapter XLIX - The Four Conditions]
Appendix 11 - The various groups of noble individuals (āryas) < [Chapter XXXVI - The eight recollections (anusmṛti or anussati)]
Taisho: Chinese Buddhist Canon
Sutta 21: The Ascetic (Brahmin) and the Self-Sacrifice of the Rabbit < [Part 152 - Discourse of the Collection of the Six Perfections]
Sutta 17: The Ascetic (Brahmin) (Viram) and the Superiority of Ethical Giving < [Part 152 - Discourse of the Collection of the Six Perfections]
Part 155b - Jataka Stories (unknwon translator), Scroll 2 < [Part 155 - Jataka Stories of the Bodhisattva (unknwon translator)]
Stupas in Orissa (Study) (by Meenakshi Chauley)
Maha Buddhavamsa—The Great Chronicle of Buddhas (by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw)
Part 18 - The Ratana Sutta < [Chapter 42 - The Dhamma Ratanā]
The Story of Kāḷadevila the Hermit < [Chapter 1 - The Jewel of the Buddha]
Part 3 - The Andha Grove < [Chapter 32b - The Buddha’s Fourteenth Vassa at Savatthi]
Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra
Chapter VII - On the Four Aspects < [Section One]
Chapter XLII - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa (c) < [Section Nine]
Chapter XL - On Bodhisattva Kasyapa (a) < [Section Eight]
A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms (by Fa-Hien)