Knowra Arhat Arhat An arhat is a person who has attained liberation from rebirth by ending the mental causes of suffering. In early Buddhism, arhatship is the goal of the disciple’s path.
Four Noble Truths : The foundational Buddhist teaching that explains suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path to its cessation. They frame liberation as ending suffering by removing its causes.
Bodhisattva : A being who aspires to buddhahood and cultivates the qualities needed to benefit others. Mahayana traditions often contrast the bodhisattva ideal with the arhat’s liberation.
Pali Canon : The scriptural collection preserved in the Pali language by the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Its discourses and monastic texts describe arhatship and its attainment.
Mahakassapa : A principal disciple of the Buddha, remembered in Buddhist traditions for ascetic practice and leadership. He is counted among the Buddha’s foremost disciples and portrayed as an arhat.
Nirvana : The Buddhist liberation from suffering and rebirth, associated with the ending of craving, aversion, and delusion. An arhat’s liberation is described as the attainment of nirvana.
Buddhahood : The awakened state of a buddha, marked by complete awakening and the capacity to teach the path. Some traditions distinguish a buddha’s awakening from an arhat’s attainment.
Nikayas : Five collections of discourses in the Pali Canon, including teachings attributed to the Buddha and his disciples. Their narratives and teachings give detailed accounts of arhats.
Sariputta : A chief disciple of the Buddha, renowned in Pali sources for wisdom and teaching. Texts present him as an arhat whose insight exemplifies the path.
Karma in Buddhism : In Buddhism, karma is intentional action that shapes future experience and rebirth. Arhatship ends the intentions that generate further karmic rebirth.
Pratyekabuddha : A solitary awakened person who realizes liberation without establishing a teaching community. Buddhist accounts distinguish this mode of awakening from arhatship.
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