Arhat

Arhat is a term for a practitioner who fully stored greed, hatred and delusion, according to Buddhist ideas. He is not born again through the achievement of Nirvana. The word comes from the Sanskrit ( arhati, Pali: arahati, Chinese: Luohan罗汉) and means: " The Decent ".

Arhatship in Theravada

The term arhat referred to Theravada Buddhism a practitioner who has passed through the practice of Buddhist teachings for awakening. They are used as shravaka Buddha ( " listener " ) referred. Thus, the term " Buddha" in principle only the honorary title for a Arhat who has attained full enlightenment without guidance. Buddhism distinguishes between possible ways to achieve Buddhahood.

• The Buddha Shakyamuni, who had achieved without any help from the awakening and the Buddhist doctrine announced later.
• The pratekya - buddha, a practitioner who is also alone leads to the awakening, but the teaching is not systematically passed on.
• The Arhat which has passed through the preaching ( Buddhist ) teachings for awakening

During his lifetime the Buddha Shakyamuni to many of his students through various methods ( such as meditation, chanting, or even mere listening to a speech ) have become Arhats. A match to achieve the Arhat does not exist in the Pali canon, which is why later (including reasons) comments were written in order to bring clarity to the various statements and contradictions.

The main difference between an arhat and its equivalent in the Mahayana, the bodhisattva is that an arhat not voluntarily defers the final step in nirvana in order to help other beings on the way out of suffering. The reason, however, is not about selfishness, but the conviction of Theravada that this is not possible. Every being is responsible according to the law of karma for his actions even, a transfer of merit to other beings is not possible. Therefore, an Arhat tried by the teachings of the Dharma ( Pali: Dhamma ) to support the other beings on their path to enlightenment and by giving them the opportunity to create good karma (for example, through the donations of Dana, alms ). Importantly, however, it should be mentioned that the Arhat no ethical obligation other fellow has opposite to spread the doctrine or direction. It is the sole responsibility of the decision of the Arhats, to help other living beings. This is according to texts but not a condition for the achievement of the Arhat. This led in later Mahayana texts and commentaries for polemical statements against the Arhatkonzept.

Arhat in Mahayana

Therefore, the Arhatship plays in Theravada Buddhism, the teachings based on the Pali Canon, a major role, while the action moves to be sought ideal of Mahayana Buddhism to the Bodhisattva.

A Bodhisattva is a being which resets the ideal desire for their own entrance into Nirvana to lead all sentient beings to enlightenment. Arhat in Mahayana therefore referred to someone who merely has completely dissolved the ego- idea. As is in the Mahayana the attainment of Arhatship as an independent mental development stage immediately prior to entering the so-called ten bodhisattva stages that lead directly to enlightenment. Each of these stages represents a (low ) higher spiritual level of development is accompanied by the occurrence of special powers ( Siddhi ). The mental capacity for the benefit of sentient beings to act increases with each stage and ends in the attainment of enlightenment ( Buddhahood ).

To the attainment of Buddhahood is therefore in the Mahayana and the Bodhisattva motivation to act, especially in Vajrayana over arhatship addition to the benefit of all sentient beings, and the dissolution of the perception of ordinary sentient beings constricting subject-object duality necessary. The concept of Arhat is therefore with a different significance level used in the Mahayana Theravada.