What is an arahant?

An arahant (arhat in Sanskrit) is a person who has reached complete awakening by following the Buddha’s teaching. The word means “worthy one”. An arahant has ended greed, hatred and delusion, and will not be reborn.

The goal of the early path

In the early Buddhist texts, becoming an arahant is the goal of the spiritual life. The Buddha himself is called an arahant in the traditional verses of homage. The difference is that he found the path by himself, while his disciples became arahants by following his teaching. Many of his followers, both monks and nuns, are said to have reached this goal, including Sāriputta, Moggallāna and Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī.

A traditional phrase describes the arahant’s realisation: birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, and there is nothing further for this state of being.

Four stages of awakening

The texts describe four stages on the way. A stream-enterer has seen the Dharma clearly and will reach full awakening within at most seven lives. A once-returner has weakened greed and ill will. A non-returner has ended them. An arahant has let go of the last subtle traces of conceit, restlessness and ignorance. Together these people are called the noble Sangha.

What an arahant is like

An arahant still lives an ordinary bodily life, feels physical pain and grows old. What has changed is the mind. There is no more craving, no clinging to a sense of self and no reactivity driven by anger or fear. The texts describe arahants as calm, kind and clear, and as continuing to teach and help others for the rest of their lives.

Arahants and bodhisattvas

In Theravada Buddhism, the arahant remains the main ideal for practitioners. Mahayana traditions place greater emphasis on the bodhisattva, who aims at full buddhahood for the benefit of all beings, and some Mahayana texts present the arahant’s attainment as a stage on a longer path. These are differences of emphasis and interpretation between traditions, and both ideals share the same core: the end of greed, hatred and delusion.

For a newcomer, the arahant is a reminder that the teaching describes a real possibility. The path is gradual, and every step towards less greed and anger matters.