Anāgāmi
3rd of the four stages of enlightment in Buddhism
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Through Buddhism
An anāgāmin is so called because, after death, such a person does not "return" to rebirth in the human world. Since the anāgāmin has not yet become free from the bond of existence (bhava-yoga), however, existence continues in a higher realm: the person is reborn in the heaven of the Pure Abodes, where only anāgāmins reside, and there ultimately attains full enlightenment, or arahantship.
Requisites for becoming an anāgāmin
An anāgāmin is free from the lowest five chains or fetters (Sanskrit: pañcāvarabhāgīya-saṃyojana; Pali: pañcorambhāgiyāni-saṃyojanāni; 五下分結) which are as follows:
- Belief in ātma or ego/self (Sanskrit: satkāya-dṛṣṭi or svakāya-dṛṣṭi; Pāli: sakkāya-diṭṭhi; 有身見)
- Attachment to rites and rituals (Sanskrit: śīlavrata-parāmarśa-dṛṣṭi; Pāli: sīlabbata-parāmāsa-diṭṭhi; 戒禁取見)
- Skeptical doubt (Sanskrit: vicikitsā; Pali: vicikicchā; 疑)
- Sensuous craving (kāmarāga; 欲貪)
- Ill will or aversion (vyāpāda or byāpāda; 瞋恚)
The remaining five higher fetters (Sanskrit: pañca-ūrdhvabhāgiya-saṃyojana; Pali: pañcuddhambhāgiyāni-saṃyojanāni; 五上分結) from which an anāgāmin is not yet free are:
- Craving for fine-material existence (the first 4 jhanas) (rūparāga; 色貪)
- Craving for immaterial existence (the last 4 jhanas) (arūparāga; 無色貪)
- Conceit or pride (māna; 慢)
- Restlessness (Sanskrit: auddhatya; Pali: uddhacca; 掉挙)
- Ignorance (Sanskrit: avidyā; Pali: avijjā; 無明)
Kāmarāga and vyāpāda, which they are free from, can also be interpreted as craving for becoming and non-becoming, respectively.
Anāgāmins are at an intermediate stage between the sakṛdāgāmin and the arhat. An arhat enjoys complete freedom from the ten fetters, while an anāgāmin's mind remains very pure.
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Five types of anāgāmin
The Pali Puggalapannatti and the Sanskrit texts Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra and the Sarvāstivādin-Vaibhaṣika Abhidharma both describe five classes of anāgāmin. When an anāgāmin is reborn in the Pure Abodes, one of the five following scenarios will occur:
- He will attain arhatship immediately after rebirth or within the first half of his life in the Pure Abodes. Such a being is called "one who reaches Nibbāna within the first half of the life" (Sanskrit: antarāparinirvāyin; Pali: antarā-parinibbāyī).
- He will attain arhatship within the latter half of his life in the Pure Abodes or at the moment of death. Such a being is called "one who reaches Nibbāna after crossing half the life-time" (Sanskrit: upapadyaparinirvāyin; Pali: upahacca-parinibbāyī).
- He exerts himself to the point of attaining arhatship. Such a being is called "one who reaches Nibbāna with exertion" (Sanskrit: sābhisaṃskāraparinirvāyin; Pali: sasankhāra-parinibbāyī).
- He does not exert himself, yet attains arhatship. Such a being is called "one who reaches Nibbāna without exertion" (Sanskrit: anabhisaṃskāraparinirvāyin; Pali: asankhāra-parinibbāyī).
- He traverses the five heavens of the Pure Abodes in order from lowest to highest before attaining arhatship. Such a being is called "one who passes up-stream to the highest gods" (Sanskrit: ūrdhvasrotas; Pali: uddhamsota-akanittha-gāmī)."
Anāgāmins in literature
Several figures who appear in the literature achieve the state of an anāgāmin. Some of these people include:
- The Brahmin Bāvarī
- The householder Uggata
- The wandering ascetic Subhadda
- The monk Pukkusāti
- The nun Nandā
- The laywoman Matikamata
- The layman Citta
- The layman Visākha
- The householder Sandhāna
- The Brahman Uṇṇābha
- Ghatikara the Potter, a lay follower of the Kāśyapa Buddha