Having cultivated the Noble 8-fold Way, a being might enter
the stream
which leads to Nibbāna! The Stream-Enterer (Sotāpanna) is
entirely freed
from rebirth as Animal, Hungry Ghost, Angry Demon &
Burning Hell Being!
Such Noble One (Ariya) will be enlightened within
maximally 7 rebirths...
The Stream-Enterer has eliminated all egoism,
belief in a 'person' or 'self',
eradicated all 'I-making' &
'Mine-making', abolished all sceptical doubt in
the perfect
Self-Enlightenment of the Buddha, & removed silly superstitious
belief
in any benefit of empowerments and empty rituals. Such Noble have
by direct
momentary experience touched and tasted the deathless Nibbāna
and is
forever hereafter independent of any Dhamma-teacher...
Having cultured the Noble 8-fold Way even further, a being
might attain the
state of a Once-Returner (Sakadāgāmi), who is reborn only
once as human or
lower god and then awakens in that next life! Such Noble
have furthermore
reduced sense-desire and aversion...
Having yet further refined the Noble
8-fold Way, a being might attain the
state of a Non-Returner (Anāgāmi), who
is reborn in the higher fine material
worlds - The Pure Abodes - where they
live for many universal cycles & there
attain Nibbāna without ever
returning to the human or lower divine worlds...
Such Noble have
furthermore entirely eliminated sense-desire and aversion!
Having fully perfected the Noble 8-fold Way one awakens as an
Arahat, who
is enlightened in this very life, by elimination of all
remaining mental defects
such as desire for fine form and formlessness, the
subtle conceit that 'I am',
latent tendency to restlessness and all
ignorance. Such Noble One enters at
the moment of death the freedom, bliss
& peace of Nibbāna without trace of
clinging left...
Further study:
The Thirty-One Planes of Existence: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/loka.html
The
Noble Eightfold Path: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/misc/waytoend.html
