Sotāpanna (Pali) or Srotāpanna (Sanskrit; ch: rùliú 入流, Tib. rgyun zhugs[1]) means in the Buddhism "stream-winner" and refers to a person, who has eradicated the first three fetters (sanyojanas) of the mind. Sotapanna literally means "one who entered (āpanna) the stream (sota)", after a simile that compares attaining nibbāna with crossing a stream and reaching the farthest shore. Sotapannaship is the first of the four stages of enlightenment.
According to Tripitaka Master Bhikshu Hsuan Hua's Commentary on the Vajra Sutra, "A Shrotaapanna is a first stage Arhat. Certification to the first fruit of Arhatship, which is within the Small Vehicle, comes when the eighty-eight categories of view delusions are smashed." p. 77 [2]
Venerable Hsuan Hua continues, "The first fruit is that of
Srotāpanna, 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."
(Vajra Sutra
Commentary, p. 78, Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2002)
The first moment of the attainment is termed the path of
stream-entry (sotāpatti-magga), which cuts off the first
three fetters. The person who experiences it is called a
stream-winner (sotāpanna).[3][4] The
Sotāpanna is said to attain an intuitive grasp of Buddhist doctrine
(right
view) and has complete confidence in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dhamma, and
Sangha). The Sotapanna is said
to have "opened the eye of the Dharma" (dhammacakkhu),
because they have realized that whatever arises will cease
(impermanence). Their conviction in the true dhamma would be
unshakable.
The three fetters which the Sotāpanna eradicates are: [5][6]
According to the Pali Commentary, six types of defilement would be abandoned by a Sotāpanna: [7]
A Sotāpanna will be 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 will not be 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 attaining nibbana.[8] It is not necessary for a Sotāpanna to be reborn seven more times before attaining nibbana, 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 of nibbāna. [9]
In the Pali Canon, qualities of a Sotāpanna are described as: [10]
…those monks who have abandoned the three fetters, are all stream-winners, steadfast, never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening. This is how the Dhamma well-proclaimed by me is clear, open, evident, stripped of rags.—Alagaddupama Sutta
Sotāpanna is not capable of committing six wrong actions:
The Buddha spoke favorably about the Sotapanna on many occasions, and even though it is the first of Ariya Sangha members, he or she is welcomed by all other Sangha-members for he or she practices for the benefit and welfare of many. In the literature the Ariya Sangha is described as the four when taken as pairs the eight when taken as individuals. Thus the first one of the pairs is referred to as the Sotapanna, a stream enterer, however when taken as eight individual, the Sotapanna acts not only with stream-entry present but also a Sotapanna (plus), A Noble One who acts for the fruit of stream-entry: "The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples is practising the good way, practising the straight way, practising the true way, practising the proper; that is the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals - this Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world."
The fifty-fifth Samyutta of the Samyutta Nikaya is called the Sotāpatti-saṃyutta, and concerns Sotapannas and their attainment. In Sutta-numbers of chapter 1-4, 6-9, 11-14, 16-20, 22-36, 39-49, 51, 53, 54, Sotapannas are praised as Sangha members by and to the sick, layfollowers, people on their deathbed, bhikkhunis, bhikkhus, and devas, and end up for the wellbeing and benefit of many.
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