Four Types of Buddhist Monks

by Jayaram V

Anapanasati Sutta from Majjima Nikaya¹ refers to four communities of Buddhist monks. They pass through four progressive stages of perfection and purification to reach the final stage of Arhatship. The Sutta begins with the highest type of awakened and enlightened monks who have overcome all the fetters such as belief in the Self, doubt, attachment to rites and rituals, sensual desires, ill will, lust, envy, and so on,   and ends with the fresh initiates or those who have just started their journey on the Eightfold Path. The Sutta is reproduced below and it is self-explanatory.

"In this community of monks there are monks who are arahants, whose mental effluents are ended, who have reached fulfillment, done the task, laid down the burden, attained the true goal, totally destroyed the fetter of becoming, and who are released through right gnosis: such are the monks in this community of monks.

"In this community of monks there are monks who, with the total ending of the first five fetters, are due to be reborn [in the Pure Abodes], there to be totally unbound, never again to return from that world: such are the monks in this community of monks.

"In this community of monks there are monks who, with the total ending of [the first] three fetters, and with the attenuation of passion, aversion, & delusion, are once-returners, who — on returning only one more time to this world — will make an ending to stress: such are the monks in this community of monks.

"In this community of monks there are monks who, with the total ending of [the first] three fetters, are stream-winners, steadfast, never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening: such are the monks in this community of monks.

"In this community of monks there are monks who remain devoted to the development of the four frames of reference... the four right exertions... the four bases of power... the five faculties... the five strengths... the seven factors for Awakening... the noble eightfold path: such are the monks in this community of monks.

"In this community of monks there are monks who remain devoted to the development of good will... compassion... appreciation... equanimity...[the perception of the] foulness [of the body]... the perception of inconstancy: such are the monks in this community of monks.