Who is a Stream-Enterer? (Second Discourse)

Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Your death will not be a bad one, your demise will not be a bad one. A Noble Disciple who possesses four things slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna (Enlightenment).

What four?

Here, Mahānāma, (1) 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.

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

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

Suppose, Mahānāma, a tree was slanting, sloping, and inclining towards the east. If it was cut down at its foot, in what direction would it fall?

‘In whatever direction it was slanting, sloping, and inclining, Venerable Sir.’

So too, Mahānāma, a Noble Disciple who possesses these four things slants, slopes, and inclines towards Nibbāna (Enlightenment).

(Reference: SN 55.21)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that through possessing “these four things” a Practitioner is likely to attain Enlightenment. One would need to develop “confirmed confidence” in The Buddha, The Teachings, The Community, and practice virtuous conduct (i.e. moral conduct).

A being can attain Enlightenment during their life or at death. The ideal goal would be to attain Enlightenment during this life so that one can enjoy the mental state of Enlightenment for the rest of their life where the mind is peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy - permanently. But, if one is able to attain Enlightenment at death, this would also be beneficial in that they would not need to experience rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth which would include continuing to experience sorrow, grief, and despair. Discontentedness would be prolonged for a being who has not escaped The Cycle of Rebirth by continuing to experience constant rebirth and the associated discontentedness.

The Buddha is explaining to a Student that possessing the four things in this Chapter, one would be likely to attain Enlightenment because these qualities of mind "slant, slope, and incline towards Nibbāna (Enlightenment)”.

These four qualities are described in the previous Teaching with The Buddha providing the same guidance in this Teaching with a slightly different perspective helping Practitioners understand that these four (4) qualities are not only needed to attain the first Stage of Enlightenment as a Stream-Enterer but also to attain the fourth Stage of Enlightenment as an Arahant where the mind is considered to be Enlightened.