Buddha

     A Buddha achieves four maggas by himself.

     Simultaneously with the achievement of Arahata Phala, he achieves Sabbannuta Nana.

     There will be no rebirth after his death.

Paccekabuddha

     Like a Buddha, a Paccekabuddha achieves the four Maggas by himself.

     But unlike a Buddha, a Paccekabuddha does not achieve Sabbanuta Nana which will enable him to know all there is to know.

Aggasavaka

     Agga means exalted; Savaka means a disciple.

     The two chief disciples are called Aggasavakas. The first Aggasavaka is second only to the Buddha in wisdom. The second Aggasavaka is second only to the Buddha in Abhinna.

     There will be no rebirth after their death.

Mahasavaka

     Maha means great; Savaka means a disciple of the Buddha.

     He is an arahat with special attainments such as Abhinna(supernormal powers) and patisambhida (mastery of' analytic insight).

     There will be no rebirth after his death.

Arahat

     He is named after the Arahatta Magga, the fourth and final magga, which he has gained.

     The Arahatta Magga uproots all ten fetters or seven Anusayas including mana (pride, conceit), ruparaga as well as aruparaga(attachment to rebirths as brahmas), Uddhacca (restlessness) and avijja (non-comprehension of Four Ariya Truths).

     There will be no rebirth after his death.

Anagami

     He is named after the Anagami Magga, which he has gained.

     The Anagami Magga completely uproots the first five fetters or the first four anusayas, including Kamaraga(attachment to sensual pleasures) and patigha (anger, worry, fear).

     An Anagami cannot go beyond one more rebirth. He or she will not be born again in the sensuous realms (Kama loka). (Never-Returners) He will usually gain Nibbana in the his next life in Suddhavasa, the pure abodes of the Brahmas. Th

Sakadagami
Once-Returner

     He is named after the Sakadagami Magga, which he has gained.

     The Sakadagami Magga does not uproot any of the remaining seven fetters or five anusayas.

     In addition to the destruction of the first three fetters as below, the next two factors, Kamaraga and Patigha are lessened.

     A Sakadagami will return only once. (Once-Returners)

Sotapanna

     He has achieved Sotapatti Magga, the first magga. Therefore he is known as a Sotapanna.

     He becomes an ariya. In the hierarchy of ariyas, he is the lowest.

     One who has destroyed the first three fetters, uprooting Sakkaya ditthi, vicikicchanusaya and Silabbataparamasa
(See Ten Fetters) or the first two Anusayas, Sakkaya Ditthi and vicikiccha. (See Seven Anusayas)

     Because of the extinction of the three samyojanas (fetters)

     (a) a Sotapanna'sfaith in Buddha, Dhamma, Samgha becomes confirmed. He will under no circumstances abandon it;

     (b) his sila becomes firm. He will under no circumstances kill, steal, commit adultery, tell lies, take intoxicants;

     (c) his aparapariya(ever following) akusala kammas that can cause him to gain rebirth in one or the other of four nether regions become ahosi (abortive)kammas. Therefore a Sotapanna will never be reborn in one or the other of four nether regions;

     (d) his rebirth will not be endless. He cannot go beyond the seventh rebirth, even if he fails to give serious attention to vipassana bhavana because of distractions from sensual pleasures.

Puthujjanas

(Humans, Devas, and Brahmas)

Seven Anusayas

(1) Ditthi: false view of mind and body.

(2) Vicikiccha: doubts about the Buddha, Dhamma and Samgha.

(3) Kamaraga: attachment to sensual pleasures.

(4) Patigha: anger.

(5) Mana: Conceit.

(6) Bhavaraga: attachment to rebirth as a brahma.

(7) Avijja: not knowing the Four Ariya Truths, namely, (a) dukkha (rebirth, old age, disease, death, tribulation, grief, separation from dear ones, etc.), (b) samudaya (cause of dukkha), (c) nirodha (end of dukkha), (d) magga (path to the end of dukkha).

      According to Patthana Abhidhamma, every mental spark has what is known as Anantarasatti. Anantara means without break or interval. Satti means power. Therefore Anantarasatti means power that enables a preceding mental spark to condition the arising of the next spark, without any break or interval.

     This power receives its vitality from seven Anusayas (defilements). So long as these seven Anusayas remain intact, Anantarasatti can make the mental process endless. If, however, Ditthi and Vicikiccha Anusayas are uprooted by means of the first magga, Anatarasatti is effective up to the end of Cuti (the last mental spark) of the seventh rebirth. If, however, one achieves the second magga which makes the remaining five Anusayas very weak, Anantarasatti is effective up to the end of Cuti of the second rebirth. If, however, one achieves the third magga, which uproots Kamaraga and Patigha Anusayas, Anantarasatti is effective up to the end of Cuti of the next rebirth. If, however, one achieves the Arahatta Magga, the fourth and final magga which uproots the remaining three Anusayas, namely, Mana, Bhavaraga, Avijja, Anantarasatti is effective up to the end of Cuti of his present life.

     There is no definite period of training, (striving for perfection), for ariyas from Sotapanna to Mahasavaka.

     The periodof training for an Aggasavaka is one asankhyeyya (an incalculably long period) and one hundred thousand worlds.

     The period of training for a Paccekabuddha is two asankhyeyya and one hundred thousand worlds.

     The period of training for a Buddha varies from four asankhyeyya and one hundred thousand worlds to sixteen asankhyeyya and one hundred thousand worlds..