9. The Four Stages of an Arhat
“Subhuti, what do you think? Does a srotapanna have the thought: ‘I have attained the realization of the srotapanna’?” Subhuti said, “No, World Honored One. Why not? Because ‘srotapanna’ means ‘stream-enterer,’ and there is in fact nothing to enter; one who does not enter into form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas is called a srotapanna.”
“Subhuti, what do you think? Does a sakridagamin have the thought, ‘I have attained the realization of the sakridagamin’?” Subhuti said: “No, World Honored One. Why not? Although ‘sakridagamin’ means to go and come one more time, there is, in reality, no going and no coming. Therefore he is called a sakridagamin.”
“Subhuti, what do you think? Does an anagamin have the thought, ‘I have attained the realization of the anagamin’?” Subhuti said, “No, World Honored One. Why not? ‘Anagamin’ means non-returning [to the human world], but there is, in fact, no such thing as non-returning. Therefore he is called an anagamin.”
“Subhuti, what do you think? Does an arhat have the thought, ‘I have attained the realization of the arhat’?” Subhuti said, “No, World Honored One. Why not? There is, in reality, no such a thing called ‘arhat.’ World Honored One, if an arhat should give rise to the thought, ‘I have attained the realization of the arhat’, this means that he is attached to the notions of a self, a person, a sentient being, or a life span.
“World Honored One, you have said that of all people I am the foremost in attaining the samadhi of non-contention, and the foremost arhat in being free from desires. But I do not have the thought that I am an arhat who is free from desires. World Honored One, if I give rise to the thought that I have attained arhatship, then you would not have said that Subhuti practices aranya—abiding peacefully in non-contention. In reality, Subhuti abides in nothing at all, therefore Subhuti is called one who abides peacefully in non-contention.”
一 相 無 相 分 第 九
須菩提•於意云何•須陀洹能作是念•我得須陀洹果 不•須菩提言•不也•世尊•何以故•須陀洹名為入 流•而無所入•不入色聲香味觸法•是名須陀洹• 須菩提•於意云何• 斯陀含能作是念• 我得斯陀含 果不•須菩提言•不也• 世尊• 何以故•斯陀含名 一往來•而實無往來•是名斯陀含•須菩提•於意云 何•阿那含能作是念•我得阿那含果不•須菩提言• 不也•世尊• 何以故• 阿那含名為不來•而實無不 來•是故名阿那含•
須菩提•於意云何• 阿羅漢能作是念• 我得阿羅漢 道不•須菩提言•不也•世尊•何以故•實無有法• 名阿羅漢•世尊•若阿羅漢作是念•我得阿羅漢道• 即為著我人眾生壽者•世尊•佛說我得無諍三昧•人 中最為第一•是第一離欲阿羅漢•世尊•我不作是 念•我是離欲阿羅漢•世尊•我若作是念•我得阿羅 漢道•世尊則不說須菩提•是樂阿蘭那行者•以須菩 提實無所行•而名須菩提•是樂阿蘭那行•
