https://www.chuaphuocbinh.com/THE FOUR NOBLE FRUITS

THE FOUR NOBLE FRUITS THROUGH THE PĀLI
Thich Trung Dinh

SUTRA

The Four Noble Fruits are the four levels of fruit that the Buddha pointed out to help practitioners evaluate their cultivation. The person who witnesses one of these four holy fruits is considered to have the status of a saint, has holy qualities, has the value of being a saint, and transcends the mediocrity of human beings, if anyone respectfully offers them to them, they will have great blessings according to their level of enlightenment. The criterion for judging sainthoods is based on the degree of growth of the Path through the destruction of samyojana. There are ten histories including the Five Lower Realms of 'orambhāgiya-samyojana' (precepts, doubts, forbidden precepts, sexual precepts, and anger) which bind sentient beings within the realm of sexual precepts; and the Five Noble Parts of the History 'uddhambhāgiya-samyojana' (loving-kindness, non-affection, arrogance, wandering, and ignorance), which bind sentient beings in the formless and formless realms. The practitioner who applies the practice through the Three Noble Learnings (precepts, concentration, wisdom) will gradually eliminate them. The process of cultivating the elimination of the sacred fruits and the attainment of the holy fruits will be presented in the following order.

1. Sotāpanna

Holy Fruit Sotāpanna is the first of the four noble fruits. This sacred fruit is called having 'opened the eyes of the Dharmacakkhu' (dharmacakkhu), attaining dharmacakkhu, i.e. realizing that whatever gives birth to something will perish (impermanence). Their faith in the Dharma will indeed be unshakable or so-called 'incorruptible'. This saint is also known as the 'Seven Hybrids' Holy Fruit, that is, there are seven more births and deaths to witness the Arahant Holy Fruit. He has eliminated the first three precepts: sakkāyadiṭṭhi, vicikicchā, and sīlabbataparāmāsa. The Nikāya Sutra defines it as follows: "Here the bhikshu ceases the three lifetimes, becomes a reserve stage, does not fall into evil beasts, and is sure to attain bodhicitta." [1]

The Sangha Sutra describes the practitioner who practices gradually according to the precepts, concentration, and wisdom in order to get rid of the precepts and attain the preserved holy fruits as follows: "Here, bhikkhus, bhikkhus, with regard to the precepts, to the practice of the full, for concentration, for the practice of partiality, for wisdom, Partial practice. He did not commit any minor violations of the Dharma, and he was considered pure. Why? Here, bhikkhus, I do not declare that they render him incapacitated. What are the learnings that are the basis of Brahma, commensurate with Brahma, here, he perseveres in that precept, abides in that precept, accepts and studies in the teachings. He, due to the end of the three lifetimes, is a reserve being, no longer corrupted, and is determined to attain enlightenment. [2]

Thus the Stream-winner: Practice the precepts completely, concentrate on partial practice, wisdom, partially practice, eliminate the first three lives and attain the preliminary results. Here, the reserve is not able to get rid of all the unwholesome roots (akusalamula) such as greed, anger (dosa) and moha. However, he is one of those who has eradicated the roots of unwholesomeness, entered the holy lineage, attained virtue, eliminated all evil deeds, attained the ultimate happiness (parama sukha) of Nirvana and ceased to be corrupt.

2. The Holy Fruit of the Truth (Sakadāgāmi)

The Holy Fruit of the First Lai is the second of the four holy fruits. Why is it called Nhat Lai? Because this holy fruit must return to one more birth and death to end suffering and attain the fruit of non-birth. Those who finish the three estates as in the case of the preserved Fruits, and make up the next two lives, namely, kāmacchando and byāpāda, are called the Sakadāgāmi. The School of Sutras defines: "A bhikkhu who has stopped the three lives and alleviated greed, hatred, and ignorance has become the first being, and must be born again in this life before he has completely eliminated suffering." [3]

With the Three Noble Learnings, the Once-returner fully practices the precepts, intends to practice fully, wisdom, and partial practice, eliminate the first three lives, and eliminate greed, anger, and delusion.

3. Anāgami

Holy Fruit Anāṃ is the third noble fruit, he has completely eliminated the five lower parts of life (orambhagiya saṃyojana), and after the death of the body will be reborn in the Brahma realm, and will never be reborn again. The Buddha taught: "A bhikkhu who has ended the five years of his life, has become a reincarnation, entered Nirvana here, and no longer has to return to this world." [4]

Non-returner: Practicing the precepts completely, practicing the whole thing, practicing the wisdom partially, ending the five and lower parts of the rebirth of the reincarnation, where one enters Nirvana, and no longer has to go back to this life.

Thus, the Ānaṇa eliminates only the five lower parts of the history and especially the elimination of sensual desires (kāmacchando) and anger (byāpāda), while the three lower ones (self-view, doubt, and forbidden precepts) have been eliminated beforehand.

4. Arahant

After breaking the last five epochs, i.e., affectionlessness, arrogance, repentance, and ignorance, an Arahant will attain arhats, that is, morality has become absolutely perfect. No holy god can find fault with an arahant anymore.

With the Three Noble Learnings, the Virtue of Arahant, the complete practice of the precepts, the concentration of the whole practice, the wisdom of the complete practice of the 10 lifetimes.

The Pure Path explains: "The reason for attaining the fruit of Reserve and Oneness is the Precepts, the fruit of Imperfection is concentration, and the fruit of Arahant is Wisdom. Since the Reserve level is called the one who has 'attained the perfection of the qualities of the precepts', so is the First Generation, the Imperfect Stage is called 'Perfection' and the Arahant is the 'Perfection of Wisdom'. [5] Completely liberated from the suffering of reincarnation is an arhat, who says, " Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being."[6]

Here, of course, an arahant has also achieved the four levels of meditation. As our cultivation progresses , we can weaken these stories and eventually subdue and destroy them at each stage of meditation. After each stage he reaches a higher level of enlightenment. When one has mastered the first three lives, one attains preliminary meditation. Having weakened the next two lives, the practitioner attains the second meditation. Yet the remnants of lust and anger are more subtle than all that has been eradicated. When the practitioner finally overcomes these residual parts, he reaches the three meditations. The last five histories are very subtle. When one removes them, one reaches the fourth and final stage of enlightenment. The Four Meditations and the Four Noble Fruits are fully present in such an arhat.

In the Central Sutra, the Buddha defines the Four Noble Fruits through the elimination of defilements or as follows: "Bhikkhus, among these bhikkhus, there are bhikkhus who are arhats, defilements that have been eliminated, deeds that have been accomplished, what should be done, the burdens that have been laid, the purposes that have been accomplished, Existence has been ended, liberated by right mind. Bhikkhus, among these bhikkhus, there are bhikkhus who have eliminated the five lower parts of history, are reborn, enter Nirvana from there, and no longer have to return to this life. Bhikkhus, among these bhikkhus, there are bhikkhus who have eliminated the three lives, who have made you greedy, angry, and delusional, who are the first beings, and after being born again in this life, will cease to suffer. Such bhikkhus, bhikkhus, are present among these bhikkhus. Bhikkhus, among us bhikkhus, there are bhikkhus who have eliminated the three lives, who are reserves, who have not fallen into the evil path, will surely be enlightened." [7]

All of the above four fruits can enter and exit the Holy Fruit that they have attained easily. He abides in meditation and enjoys the pleasures that he has attained, completely frees himself from all craving and attachment, realizes that all sentient things are illusions, and therefore he no longer has any attachment in this world. [8]These four noble fruits, the Buddha called the holy life: "And monks, are they the fruits of the holy life? Reserve Fruit, First Fruit, Immortal Fruit, and Arahant Fruit. They are called holy lives." [9]

An arhat is called an arhat: in addition to the elimination of the ten eons as described above, an arhat also eradicates all defilements, including: immoral desire, illicit existence, and illicit ignorance. Illegal or (āsava), which are impurities that flow out. It is the factor that defiles the mind, binds the mind and engulfs sentient beings in the cycle of birth and death. Gonorrhea or complete elimination takes place only in one person who has attained the fruit of the arhat. One attains a state of complete liberation of all defilements or is called an arhat, the stage of defilement. In the sutras, an arhat is defined as follows: "Through the cessation of all defilements or (Āsavakkhaya), he has attained the state of liberated mind, liberated wisdom, attainment of defilement, self-understanding and realization." [10]

Thus, an arhat is defined not as one who only removes the female precepts, but as a person who has eliminated the defilements or has become an āsavānaṃkhayā anāsavaṃ. According to the traditional scriptures, the Sotāpatti, which completely eradicates smuggled ants; Anāgāmī, which completely eliminates immoral desires, and arhat fruits completely eliminate all defilements or (including immoral desire, illicit existence, illicit ants, and illicit ignorance). [11]

The term Arahant' is a combination of two words namely, 'ari' (hostility) and, 'hana' (kill or destroy). According to the Chinese translation, Arhat has three meanings: to destroy the Three Thieves; Nhon Thien Offering; The Hybrid Mind is not born. He is called 'all that needs to be done is done, no longer entangled in anything, and therefore no longer reborn in this world.' Arhats also known as asekhas differ from learned ones (sekhas) in that they still have to be educated in order to attain 'uneducated'.

An arhat is called Sandhicchedo, literally, the one who demolished the house, that is, the one who broke all bonds, that is, the one who demolished the house due to the desire for design and the construction of karma. Therefore, after attaining devotion under the bodhi tree, the Buddha uttered the Dharma verse with the same meaning: "Through many lifetimes in the cycle of samsara, the Tathagata walks and goes forever. The Dalai Lama searched for forever but did not find him, and the Tathagata went to find the worker who built this house. Repeating life over and over again is indeed depressing. O housebuilder, the Tathagata has found you. From here on, you will no longer build a house for the Tathagata. All the sides of the house are broken, and the thunderbolt you erected is also shattered! The Tathagata has realized the fruit of immortality and immortality and the Tathagata has destroyed all cravings" (The Owl Sutra).)

An arhat is also called Hatāvakāso, literally, a person who misses every opportunity or opportunity that can be benefited, etc. Because the Arahants do not create an opportunity for the perpetuation of the consequences, they are called the destroyers of all chances. Having eliminated all craving with the highest transcendent wisdom (arahant), and thus becoming a blind non-believer, the one who understands non-birth, the one who destroys the house called samsara, and who kills every opportunity; he is worthy of being the Supreme Being (Uttamapuriso), the Sexual Being, that is, one who no longer seeks anything to satisfy the senses. [12]

The Buddha is also an arhat, but a true arhat. He has eradicated all corruption. The Third Sutra, 'Attachment', the 'True Enlightenment' section defines: "The Tathagata, bhikkhus, is an arhat, the True Enlightenment, which is called the Liberation Stage, without attachment, and True Enlightenment."[13]

According to Bhikkhu Bodhi, Northern Tibetan Buddhism has a great distinction between arhats and Buddhas. But in the Pāli sutras this difference is not much. On the one hand, the Buddha was an arhat, as is evident from the standard sentence of respect for the Blessed One (iti pi so bhagavā araham sammā sambuddho...); on the other hand, an arhat is a Buddha, in the sense that he has attained omnisight, the Triple Bodhisattva (Sambodhi), by enlightening the same truths that the Buddha himself realized. There is a slight difference here between the terms Sambuddha Samma and the Enlightened One. An arhat has attained enlightenment and liberation as a disciple (savaka) of an Enlightened Perfect Buddha. And the Buddha was the one who discovered the path of enlightenment and taught his disciples to follow it. However, in order to avoid further complications, we should distinguish in terms of liberation of attainment and insight between a Buddha and an arhat.

In terms of liberation, all the arhats, the True Enlightenments of the past, all these Beings have eliminated the Five Truths, the defilements that make the intellect weak, have taken refuge in the Four Minds, have truly practiced the Seven Senses, and have attained the Supreme Enlightenment. These, however, aspects of the path that the Buddha completed together with his arhat disciples. That is, equal in terms of liberation.

The Nikāya Sutra refers to the distinction between the Tathagata, the arhats, as 'an enlightened being' and 'a bhikkhus liberated by wisdom': Bhikkhus, this is the difference, the peculiarity, the difference between the Tathagata, the arhats, the True Enlightenment and the bhikkhus liberated by wisdom."

A Buddha has the function of discovering and explaining the path that he has realized. He realized the profound teachings and taught them the profound richness of the teachings to his disciples. That is, the disciples are under the guidance of the Buddha.[14]

The Blessed One distinguishes the difference between the Blessed One and the Arahants' disciples thus: "The Tathagata, bhikkhus, who are arhats, the True Enlightenment, give rise to the path that has not yet begun, who brings about the path that has not yet been brought , who proclaims the path that has not yet been proclaimed. the intellectual, the gnostic, the proficient in the Tao. Behold, bhikkhus, the disciples are those who live the religion and continue to attain it."[15]

In short, according to the Theravada Buddhist tradition, the Four Fruits of Pure Text, the culmination of which is the holy fruit of arhats, is the final fruit of cultivation and the final goal on the path of liberation. Meanwhile, the Northern Buddhist tradition holds that the Buddha's fruit or Buddhahood is the ultimate goal. The path of cultivation to Buddhahood must pass through the path of practicing the Bodhisattva Path, specifically the Six Degrees of Paramita. This is the most basic difference between the two traditions of Southern Tibet and Northern Tibet. The aim of Buddhism is to end suffering and attain the fruits of liberation. Organs Pāli gives a specific chart that is the ten noble precepts and the defilements or are gradually eliminated through the application of the Three Noble Precepts and Wisdom, which helps the practitioner to firmly grasp the goal and practice to achieve the goal. From there, the evaluation of the holy fruit levels is very clear and transparent. The practitioner can test for himself whether he has eliminated any defilements, defilements, or anything, thereby knowing how far his cultivation level is on the path of liberation and enlightenment.
Thich Trung Dinh
Hoa Sen Library

Notes:

[1] Maurice Walshe (trans.), Dīgha nikāya, The Long Discourses of the Buddha, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2012, p. 145

[2] E.M. Hare, The Book of the Gradual Sayings (Aṅguttara Nikāya), Vol.1, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi, 2006, pp. 211-212. (Sangha Sutra, Chapter 3 Dharma, IX. Spiritual Studies 2.)

[3]Maurice Walshe (trans.), Dīgha nikāya, The Long Discourses of the Buddha, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2012, p. 145.

[4]Ibid, p. 145.

[5] Thich Nu Tri Hai, Pure Way, chapter on precepts.

[6]Bhikhu Bodhi, (trans.) Saṃyutta nikāya, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, Wisdom publication,Boston, 2000, p. 912.

[7] Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli and Bhikhu Bodhi, (trans.), Majjhima nikāya, The Middle Discourses of the Buddha, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2009, p. 942-43.

[8] See, Bhikkhu Isidatta, Theravadin Essay, Vol. 1, United States of America, 2009, p. 51.

[9] Bhikhu Bodhi, (trans.), SaṃyuttaNikāya, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2000, p. 1541.

[10]Maurice Walshe, (trans.), Dīgha nikāya, The Long Discourses of the Buddha, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2012, p. 145-46.

[11] Cf. Nyanatiloka, Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines (4threvised edition; Kandy, Śri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society [1980]), pp. 27-28.

[12] Acharya Buddharakkhita, Mind Overcoming Its Cankers, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Srilanka, 2004, p. 218.

[13] Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.), Saṃyutta nikāya, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2000, p. 900.

[14] Bhikkhu Bodhi (ed.), In the Buddha's words An Anthology of Discourses from the Pāli Canon, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2005, p. 382.

[15] Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.), Saṃyutta nikāya, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, Wisdom Publications, Boston, 2000, p. 901.

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