..續本文上一頁 completely annihilating the passions inhibited by samadhi. This is the third and the final stage on the Path of Nibbana.

　　With his one-pointed mind which now resembles a polished mirror he looks at the world to get a correct view of life. Wherever he turns his eyes he sees nought but the Three Characteristics — anicca (transiency), dukkha (sorrow) and anatta (soul-lessness) standing out in bold relief. He comprehends that life is constantly changing and all conditioned things are transient. Neither in heaven nor on earth does he find any genuine happiness, for every form of pleasure is a prelude to pain. What is transient is therefore painful, and where change and sorrow prevail there cannot be a permanent immortal soul.

　　Whereupon, of these three characteristics, he chooses one that appeals to him most and intently keeps on developing Insight in that particular direction until that glorious day comes to him when he would realize Nibbana for the first time in his life, having destroyed the three fetters — self-illusion (sakkaya-ditthi), doubts (vicikiccha), indulgence in (wrongful) rites and ceremonies (silabbataparamasa).

　　At this stage he is called a sotapanna (stream-winner) — one who has entered the stream that leads to Nibbana. As he has not eradicated all fetters he is reborn seven times at the most.

　　Summoning up fresh courage, as a result of this glimpse of Nibbana, the pilgrim makes rapid progress and cultivating deeper insight becomes a sakadagami (once returner) by weakening two more fetters — namely sense-desire (kamaraga) and ill-will (patigha). He is called a sakadagami because he is reborn on earth only once in case he does not attain arahatship.

　　It is in the third state of sainthood — anagami (never-returner) that he completely discards the aforesaid two fetters. Thereafter, he neither returns to this world nor does he seek birth in the celestial realms, since he has no more desire for sensual pleasures. After death he is reborn in the "Pure Abodes" (suddhavasa) a congenial Brahma plane, till he attains arahatship.

　　Now the saintly pilgrim, encouraged by the unprecedented success of his endeavors, makes his final advance and, destroying the remaining fetters — namely, lust after life in Realms of Forms (ruparaga) and Formless Realms (aruparaga), conceit (mana), restlessness (uddhacca), and ignorance (avijja) — becomes a perfect saint: an arahat, a Worthy One.

　　Instantly he realizes that what was to be accomplished has been done, that a heavy burden of sorrow has been relinquished, that all forms of attachment have been totally annihilated, and that the Path to Nibbana has been trodden. The Worthy One now stands on heights more than celestial, far removed from the rebellious passions and defilements of the world, realizing the unutterable bliss of Nibbana and like many an arahat of old, uttering that paean of joy:

　　"Goodwill and wisdom, mind by method trained,

　　The highest conduct on good morals based,

　　This maketh mortals pure, not rank or wealth."

　　As T.H. Huxley states — "Buddhism is a system which knows no God in the Western sense, which denies a soul to man, which counts the belief in immortality a blunder, which refuses any efficacy to prayer and sacrifice, which bids men to look to nothing but their own efforts for salvation, which in its original purity knew nothing of vows of obedience and never sought the aid of the secular arm: yet spread over a considerable moiety of the world with marvelous rapidity — and is still the dominant creed of a large fraction of mankind."

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