The Mirror of the Stream-Enterer

Ānanda, I will teach you a Teachings exposition called the mirror of The Teachings, equipped with which a Noble Disciple, if he aspires, could by himself declare of himself: I am one finished with hell, finished with the animal realm, finished with the realm of afflicted spirits, finished with the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world. I am a Stream-Enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destination, with Enlightenment as my destination.

And what, Ānanda, is that Teachings exposition, the mirror of The Teachings, equipped with which a Noble Disciple, if he aspires, could by himself declare thus of himself?

Here, Ānanda, a Noble Disciple possesses confirmed confidence in The Buddha thus: The Perfectly Enlightened One is an Arahant, perfectly Enlightened, accomplished in true wisdom and conduct, fortunate, knower of the worlds, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, Teacher of heavenly beings and humans, The Enlightened One, The Fortunate One.

He possesses confirmed confidence in The Teachings thus: The Teachings are well expounded by The Perfectly Enlightened One, directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise.

He possesses confirmed confidence in The Community thus: The Community of The Perfectly Enlightened One’s disciples is practicing the wholesome way, practicing the straight way, practicing the true way, practicing the proper way, that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals — this Community of The Perfectly Enlightened One’s disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respectful salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.

He possesses the virtues dear to the Noble Ones — unbroken, untorn, unblemished, unblotched, liberating, praised by the wise, not misunderstood, and leading to concentration.

This, Ānanda, is those Teachings exposition, the mirror of The Teachings, equipped with which a Noble Disciple, if he aspires, could by himself declare of himself.

(Reference: SN 55.8)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares a few criteria of attaining the first Stage of Enlightenment.

There are multiple aspects of one’s life practice that need to be developed to attain Enlightenment. In this Teaching, The Buddha shares that one would need to have confidence in The Buddha, The Teachings, and The Community. These are needed in order to attain the first Stage of Enlightenment but there are also other aspects of training one would need to develop. This book is dedicated to helping Practitioners understand the first Stage of Enlightenment in its entirety and additional Teachings will be shared to help you more deeply understand attaining this Stage of Enlightenment throughout this book.

For a Practitioner to attain the first Stage of Enlightenment as a Stream-Enterer, they would need to learn and practice the core and central Teachings of The Three Universal Truths, The Four Noble Truths, The Eight Fold Path, The Five Precepts, The Brahma-viharas, The Ten Fetters, The Seven Factors of Enlightenment and extensive meditation training along with eliminating the first three (3) fetters described as part of The Ten Fetters.

A Practitioner who attains the first Stage of Enlightenment would have already experienced all four (4) Jhānas as preliminary phases the mind moves through prior to the attainment of the first Stage of Enlightenment.

Once a Practitioner has learned and is practicing the above mentioned core and central Teachings, they would then need to focus on the elimination of the first three (3) fetters.

The first three (3) fetters are the main criteria that a Practitioner can use to guide them in development and attainment of the first Stage of Enlightenment. The elimination of the first three (3) fetters is typically focused on once a Practitioner has learned and is practicing the core and central Teachings for an extended period of time and is starting to experience the Jhānas.

A Practitioner would be unable to just jump into the first Stage of Enlightenment but instead, would need to focus on the preliminary learning and practice of these core and central Teachings to prepare the mind to eliminate the first three (3) fetters.

What are The Four Stages of Enlightenment?

There are four (4) stages in the attainment of Enlightenment, however, these are for personal development purposes only. You should not compare or profess to another person which Stage of Enlightenment you feel you have attained. Self declared attainment has no beneficial purpose and oftentimes comes from arrogance and pride, the ego, while being fraught and filled with errors.

One goal of these Teachings is to eliminate arrogance and pride, the ego, therefore, if a Practitioner is declaring their self determined Stage of Enlightenment, there is still arrogance and pride. A Practitioner sharing with others what they feel they have attained is an indication that, the mind is not yet Enlightened.

An Enlightened being would have no need or desire to profess what they feel the mind has attained. An Enlightened mind is so peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy that an Enlightened being will just be enjoying life rather than attempting to convince others or boasting about what they feel they have attained.

Self determination of attainment of any Stage of Enlightenment is fraught and filled with errors.

While one should consistently apply effort towards learning, reflecting, and practicing The Teachings to include understanding The Four Stages of Enlightenment, these are used for personal development to guide a Practitioner’s journey assisting you on the path to higher and higher degrees of attainment not as a way to brag, show off or profess to others what you feel you have attained. Convincing the mind that it has attained any of these Stages of Enlightenment or that the mind is actually Enlightened is dangerous for the mind.

The ego is constantly going to be interested to convince the mind it is more Enlightened than it really is. The ego is equivalent to a “bad tenant” who never pays rent and doesn’t want to leave the residence. The bad tenant, the ego, needs to be evicted but every time things move in that direction it tries to convince the mind it is more Enlightened than it really is because the ego does not want to leave. The bad tenant keeps wanting to stay but yet provides no benefit whatsoever and continually attempts to convince the mind it is Enlightened so that the bad tenant, the ego, can stick around.

You need to evict the ego and as long as the mind is convinced that it is experiencing higher and higher degrees of attainment, then there is the risk or danger that arrogance and pride will arise, thus, halting any forward progress. With arrogance and pride (i.e. the ego), the mind will want to measure and compare what it feels it has attained to others creating unwholesome decisions that produce separation rather than harmony amongst friendly Practitioners and “all beings”. The mind could become judgmental looking down on others rather than practicing loving-kindness and compassion with an interest in seeing all beings attain Enlightenment.

You should never believe you have attained Enlightenment and continuously pursue this path your entire life. Should you ever feel you have attained Enlightenment and are “done”, the mind can become “sluggish or complacent” and halt your progress on this path.

Arrogance and pride can arise in the mind if one becomes absorbed, engrossed or fascinated with progressing through The Four Stages of Enlightenment. As soon as any arrogance, pride, or ego arises, the mind is not experiencing Enlightenment.

If any of this is occurring in the mind, the mind is not Enlightened and is essentially sabotaging a Practitioner’s ability to experience more progress. Through never convincing the mind that it is truly Enlightened, even when all discontentedness has been eliminated, then, the mind can continue to reside protected from any potential arising of arrogance and pride (i.e. the ego), and continue to experience increased benefits as the mind becomes more and more Enlightened.

While we use the term Enlightenment, this mental state is not a destination that once one arrives, everything is complete. Instead, as the mind arrives to Enlightenment having eliminated all discontentedness, a Practitioner can experience increased benefits of the Enlightened mind as the brilliance and brightness of the Enlightened mind shine through more and more. If one convinces themselves they are Enlightened and are actually “done”, then they would not experience the continued and increasing benefits of the mind entering into an even higher degree of Enlightenment.

There will be glimpses of Enlightenment as you develop your practice. Whether it be in meditation, during the daily activities, or for multiple minutes, hours, weeks, months, etc. as one progresses. These glimpses are similar to a flickering lightbulb that is struggling to shine bright on a consistent and ongoing basis. These glimpses of Enlightenment help a Practitioner to observe the possibilities of what one is headed towards and that they are headed in the right direction. But the mind needs to remain unaffected by these momentary or elongated and impermanent experiences. The mind needs to remain unaffected by the improved condition of the mind to be able to experience more and more awakening of the mind.

The mind could experience multiple minutes, hours, weeks, months, etc. with the returning of discontentedness at any moment. A wise Practitioner needs to remain determined, dedicated, and diligent to apply effort watching over the mind with mindfulness or awareness of mind. If one proceeds without guarding the mind with mindfulness, then cravings/desires/attachments can emerge from the corners of the mind producing discontentedness.

Just like the mind will experience flickering and glimpses of Enlightenment as the mind is developed, the mind will also experience a flickering diminishing of cravings/desires/ attachments and discontentedness.

As discontentedness isgraduallybeing extinguished, the qualities of the Enlightened mind are continuing to increase. All the while, the Practitioner is having experiences in the mind they never knew existed and the mind can become quite blissful and elated. It is important to reside unaffected by these experiences continuing to bring the mind back to the middle. If the mind takes great pleasure in what it is experiencing, this is dangerous and risky as the mind then continues to crave these pleasant feelings stalling progress.

This is yet another reason guidance with a Teacher is so important. As the mind moves and shifts through the preliminary phases of the Jhānas and into The Four Stages of Enlightenment, a Practitioner is going to need support from someone who has experienced what they are experiencing. This will allow a Practitioner to gain the insight and Teachings needed to continue forward development through seeking guidance of how to continue the mind’s cultivation.

The Ten Fetters are the ten (10) individual aspects of the mind that need to be eliminated to attain Enlightenment. The word “fetter” is defined as: “a chain or shackle used to restrain a prisoner, typically placed around the ankles”. The Ten Fetters are essentially keeping a being trapped in The Cycle of Rebirth bound to the endless cycle of continuous rebirth experiencing discontentedness over countless lives.

It is not until one eliminates The Ten Fetters that a being's mind is liberated from discontentedness and The Cycle of Rebirth. A fetter can also be referred to as a taint or pollution of the mind. A taint is an impure quality of the mind and is why these need to be eliminated to attain Enlightenment. The Ten Fetters pollute the mind not allowing us to experience the brightness and radiance of the Enlightened mind.

These are “The Ten Fetters”. These are the chains that bind us into The Cycle of Rebirth and to multiple lifetimes of experiencing continuous discontentedness. You must eliminate these and practice The Seven Factors of Enlightenment to attain Enlightenment - along with many other Teachings as part of The Eight Fold Path.

The Ten Fetters

Lower Fetters

1.) Personal existence view (Eliminating the concept of a permanent self from the mind. Realization of The Universal Truth of Non-self.)

2.) Doubt (Elimination of doubts about The Teachings and the ability of them to attain Enlightenment. Confidence in The Buddha, The Teachings, The Community, your Teacher, and your own ability to attain Enlightenment.)

3.) Wrong behavior and observances (Elimination of the mind’s belief that rites, rituals, ceremonies, and worship will help a Practitioner to attain Enlightenment. Well developed practice of The Eight Fold Path.)

4.) Sensual desire (Elimination of the desire for pleasures from The Six Sense Bases: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and the mind.)

5.) Ill will (Elimination of hostility, hatred, anger, aggression, resentment, frustration, irritation, annoyance, etc.)

Higher Fetters

6.) Desire for form (Elimination of desire for existence in the form realms; Animal or Human. Elimination of the fear of death.)

7.) Desire for the formless (Elimination of desire for existence in the formless realms; Hell, Afflicted Spirits, or Heaven.)

8.) Conceit (Elimination of arrogance, pride, judging, measuring or comparing as superior or inferior to others. Ego is completely dissolved.)

9.) Restlessness (Elimination of confused, distracted, worried, anxious, restless state of mind the opposite of “singleness of mind”.)

10.) Ignorance (Elimination of delusion or unknowing of true reality through acquiring wisdom. Learn, reflect, and practice of The Teachings of The Buddha, such as, The Three Universal Truths, The Four Noble Truths, The Eight Fold Path, The Five Precepts, The Three Wholesome/Unwholesome Roots, The Natural Law of Kamma, The Cycle of Rebirth, etc. all detailed later in this book and book series.)

The Four Stages of Enlightenment

A Stream-Enterer (returning to human realm no more than 7 times) is:

Free From:

1. Personal existence view

2. Doubt

3. Wrong behavior and observances

A Once-Returner (returns to human realm only one time) is:

Free From:

1. Personal existence view

2. Doubt

3. Wrong behavior and observances

Greatly Thinned:

4. Sensual desire

5. Ill will

A Non-Returner (does not return to human realm) is:

Free From:

1. Personal existence view

2. Doubt

3. Wrong behavior and observances

4. Sensual desire

5. Ill will

An Arahant is free from all of the five lower fetters and the five higher fetters, which are:

1. Personal existence view

2. Doubt

3. Wrong behavior and observances

4. Sensual desire

5. Ill will

6. Desire for form

7. Desire for the formless

8. Conceit

9. Restlessness

10. Ignorance

A Practitioner attaining the results and Stage of Enlightenment as an Arahant is Enlightened. In the first three (3) Stages of Enlightenment, the mind is not yet Enlightened and is still experiencing discontentedness. There will be agradualdiminishing of discontentedness as the mind ascends through each Stage of Enlightenment but it is not until the mind reaches the Stage of Enlightenment as an Arahant, where the mind is actually Enlightened, that all discontentedness is eliminated and there is no more rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth..

In order to progress to the first Stage of Enlightenment, a Practitioner will have needed to develop confidence in The Buddha, The Teachings, and The Community as part of their progression. Having progressed to the point of experiencing the Jhānas, a Practitioner would have developed this “confirmed confidence”.

An unEnlightened mind that is off The Path to Enlightenment and an unEnlightened mind that is experiencing the Jhānas, is like night and day. It is very noticeable and apparent that the mind is experiencing the Jhānas. This experience will help to further develop “confirmed confidence” in The Buddha, The Teachings, and The Community as the Practitioner observes the improved qualities of mind associated with attainment of the Jhānas.

The Buddha explains in this Teaching that “confirmed confidence” in The Buddha, The Teachings, and The Community is an aspect of attainment of the first Stage of Enlightenment but these are not the only criteria.

Additionally, notice The Buddha explains that “if he aspires, could by himself declare of himself” “I am a Stream-Enterer, no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destination, with Enlightenment as my destination”.

A Practitioner who attains the first Stage of Enlightenment will no longer ever be reborn into the lower realms of existence of hell, animal, or afflicted spirits realms. The mind will not backslide away from the first Stage of Enlightenment. If there is death for one who attains the first Stage of Enlightenment, there will be rebirth back into the human realm no more than seven (7) times which will result in the attainment of Enlightenment. This is why The Buddha shares “no longer bound to the nether world, fixed in destination, with Enlightenment as my destination”.

Also, a wise Practitioner would not attempt to declare or profess to others that they have attained the first Stage of Enlightenment but instead, use The Teachings of what is needed to attain the first Stage of Enlightenment as a personal guide in consultation with a Teacher. There is no desire or need for a Practitioner to declare or profess their attainments to others. This would only be due to craving/desire/attachment and the ego.

It is important to pursue Enlightenment without craving or desire to attain it but use it as a goal, an interest, or an objective.

If there is craving, even craving for Enlightenment, you will not be able to attain full Enlightenment as an Arahant. And if there is craving at the time of death, there will be rebirth.

There is no finish line to the attainment of Enlightenment. Once a mind reaches the fourth Stage of Enlightenment, the mind can continue to ascend to higher degrees of the Enlightened mind. A Practitioner needs to focus on the one (1) step in front of them that leads to further progress on The Path to Enlightenment. If the mind is focusing on the imaginary non-existent finish line, the craving/desire/attachment for Enlightenment will inhibit and hinder the mind from experiencing Enlightenment.

Instead, a Practitioner may be interested to understand that Enlightenment is the true nature of the human mind, and they are just working to remove all the pollution of the mind that is inhibiting them from experiencing the true nature of Enlightenment. In this way, the mind is not attempting to attain anything at all but instead, the mind is already Enlightened and a Practitioner's life practice is to purify the mind removing the pollution that is hindering one from experiencing the radiance and brightness of Enlightenment.

You should not compare or profess to another person which Stage of Enlightenment you feel you have attained. Self declared attainment has no beneficial purpose and oftentimes comes from arrogance and pride, the ego, while being fraught and filled with errors. You should never believe you have attained Enlightenment, and constantly pursue this path your entire life.

Should you ever feel you have attained Enlightenment and are “done”, the mind will become “sluggish” and halt your progress on this path. If the mind is sluggish, you are not practicing The Seven (7) Factors of Enlightenment and thus have not attained Enlightenment.

If you profess your Stage of Enlightenment to others, then you do so with ego and therefore it is well known that you have not attained Enlightenment.

The Four (4) Stages of Enlightenment are provided as a personal guide to assist you on the path to higher and higher degrees of attainment but never to be compared to others or feel that you are more important than another person.

If you feel this way, you have not attained Enlightenment.

Detailed explanation of What is Enlightenment is available in this same book series found in Chapter 3 of the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).