Arhat

Home > Philosophy and Religion > Eastern Religions > Buddhism

Arhat (arhati, ‘be worthy of’; Pāli arahat). In Buddhism, one who is worthy of reverence because he has attained the penultimate state of perfection (Chin., alohan, lohan; Jap., arakan; Korean, arahan, nahan). The term was originally applied to all ascetics, but it came to be applied to those who are no longer bound to punabbhava (‘again-becoming’) and have become completely detached from the Triple World of sense, form, and formlessness. Since, in Theravāda, there can be only one Buddha in each world cycle, the condition of arhat is the highest to which one can aspire in this cycle (since the Buddha has already appeared).

They possess four faculties of discernment and exegesis not possessed by ordinary mortals, and five kinds of transcendent knowledge, so that they are characterized by supreme wisdom, and are known as prajñāvimukta. They can hear and understand all sounds in the universe, know the thoughts of others, and remember previous existences. At death, they attain nirvāna completely.

Mahāyāna Buddhism, in contrast, regards the notion, especially the limited goal, of arhat as selfish. The development of the bodhisattva, who might attain the goal but returns to help others, is held to be the logical application of the example of the Buddha and of his teaching.

Among Jains, the arhat is one who is worthy of absolute reverence. In effect, these are the tīrthaṅkaras.

Arhat (Skt., worthy one; Pāli, arahant). One who has attained the goal of enlightenment or awakening (bodhi). Essentially, Arhatship consists in the eradication of the outflows (āśrava) and the destruction of the defilements (kleśa). The Arhat is also free of the ten fetters (saṃyojana), and on death is not reborn. The difference between an Arhat and a Buddha is that the Buddha attains enlightenment by himself, whereas the Arhat does it by following the teachings of another. It should be noted, however, that the Buddha is also an Arhat and is frequently addressed as such in invocations such as the Pāli formula ‘Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa’ (Homage to the Lord, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Awakened One). As taught in early Buddhism, the Arhat attains exactly the same goal as the Buddha. Mahāyāna Buddhism, however, comes to regard Arhatship as an inferior ideal to that of Buddhahood, and portrays the Arhat (somewhat unfairly) as selfishly concerned with the goal of a ‘private nirvāṇa’. In contrast, emphasis is placed on the great compassion (mahākaruṇā) of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who dedicate themselves to leading all beings to salvation.