Arhats are enlightened beings who attained individual liberation in Buddhism.  They are 4 levels of Arhats:

1. Srota-apanna (须陀洹) – partial enlightenment, still need 7 returns to earthly life before full liberation
2. Sakrdagamin (斯陀含) – partial enlightenment, still need 1 return to earthly life before full liberation
3. Anagamin (阿那含) – partial enlightenment, no need to return to earthly life, can attain full liberation in heavenly realms
4. Arhat (阿罗汉) – complete liberation in an individual level, although there is even more complete potential in the Mahayana (big vehicle, collective liberation) tradition

As individual proceeds on the path of spiritual cultivation, the amount of attachments and karmic debts will decrease, and therefore there will be less and less force to pull one back to the earth as human.  At the end point of the individual path, one transcends completely of one’s bias and attachments, and arrives at full liberation and individual enlightenment.

A common theme of each of the 4 above states/levels is that, there is a lack of attachment (and aversion) to the “self” as one’s locus or focus in life.  From the ego’s perspective, it is tempting to claim itself to have arrived, or have attained certain enlightenment states, e.g. i am Arhat, i am Bodhisattva, i am Buddha, etc.  Therefore, in this Chapter, the Buddha specifically warned us that, we should be aware of this potential error, and reject the temptations to identify ourselves to any of these states, no matter whole holy or magnificent they are, or how fitting our lives might seem to the descriptions.  If we say we attained any of this states, we fall into the identification errors of a self, others, beings, immortals (see also earlier post: Diamond Sutra – self, others, beings, immortals).

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一相无相分第九

THE ONE APPEARANCE IS BEYOND APPEARANCES, NINE

须菩提！于意云何？须陀洹能作是念：“我得须陀洹果”不？
“Subhuti, what do you think? Can one who has entered the stream (srota-apanna) have this thought (in his mind): I have obtained the fruit of entering the stream?”

须菩提言：不也，世尊！
Subhuti replied: “No, World Honoured One.

何以故？
“Why?

须陀洹名为入流，而无所入，不入色声香味触法，是名须陀洹。
“Because srota-apanna means ’entering the stream’, but actually there is no entry into either form, sound, smell, taste, touch or dharma. Therefore, he is called srota-apanna.”

须菩提！于意云何？斯陀含能作是念：“我得斯陀含果”不？
“Subhuti, what do you think? Can a Sakrdagamin have this thought (in his mind): I have obtained the fruit of a Sakrdagamin?”

须菩提言：‘不也，世尊！
Subhuti replied: ’No, World Honored One.

何以故？
“Why?

斯陀含名一往来，而实无往来，是名斯陀含。
“Because Sakrdagamin means once come and go, but actually there is neither coming nor going. Therefore, he is called a Sakrdagamin.”

须菩提！于意云何？阿那含能作是念：“我得阿那含果”不？
“Subhuti, what do you think? Can an Anagamin have this thought (in his mind): I have obtained the fruit of an Anagamin?”

须菩提言：不也，世尊！
Subhuti replied: “No, World Honoured One.

何以故？
“Why?

阿那含名为不来，而实无不来，是故名阿那含。
“Because Anagamin means ‘no-coming’ but actually there is no such a thing as no-coming. Therefore, he is called an Anagamin.”

须菩提！于意云何？阿罗汉能作是念：“我得阿罗汉道”不？
“Subhuti, what do you think? Can an Arhat have this thought (in his mind): I have obtained the enlightenment of an Arhat?”

须菩提言：‘不也，世尊！
Subhuti replied: “No, World Honoured One.

何以故？
“Why?

实无有法名阿罗汉。
“Because there is no Dharma which is called Arhatship.

世尊！若阿罗汉作是念：“我得阿罗汉道”，即为著我人众生寿者。
“World Honoured One, if an Arhat thinks ‘I have obtained the enlightenment of an Arhat’, he will still grasp and hold on to the notion of an ego, a personality, a being and a life.