arhat

Literally meaning worthy one, an arhat has eliminated the mental afflictions of craving, aversion, and delusion. This attainment brings nirvana in this very life. At death, an arhat enters parinirvana, ending the cycle of rebirth. Theravada tradition holds this attainment as the highest goal for ordinary practitioners. The Pali canon describes four progressive stages leading toward this goal: stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner, and arhat. Prominent disciples such as Ananda and Sariputra earned this title after learning directly from the Buddha. A buddha, by contrast, discovers the path without a teacher. Mahayana Buddhism also honors the arhat as a genuine attainment. It holds up its own ideal as well: the bodhisattva, who aspires to help all beings awaken.