7.10 Additional Points on the Attributes of Stream

7.10 Additional Points on the Attributes of Stream-Enterers

Let us look more closely at the five qualities of faith, moral conduct, learning, generosity and wisdom, which incorporate the four factors of stream-entry (sotāpattiyaṅga). The Buddha emphasized these qualities and used them as benchmarks for progress in relation to ‘noble disciples’, both before the realization of stream-entry and after. Special attention should be given to the quality of faith: why did the Buddha mention faith every time he discussed this stage of practice, even though Buddhism considers wisdom to be the supreme quality for spiritual development?

These five qualities are referred to as the five ‘accomplishments’ (sampadā), the five ‘treasures’ (dhana), and the five qualities of ‘growth’ (vaḍḍhi):

Faith (saddhā)

Trust and conviction resulting from reasoned and wise contemplation. There are three aspects to faith:

1.Faith in the Buddha: the existence of the Buddha is proof that through their own efforts and by mindfulness and wisdom human beings are able to realize the highest truth. Human beings can be trained and cultivated, both in regard to proper conduct vis-à-vis their external environment and in regard to spiritual qualities. They are able to develop wisdom to the point that they escape from the oppression by mental defilement and make an end of suffering, realizing supreme deliverance. With this realization human beings become excellent and self-reliant; they need not petition a divinity (e.g. devas, Māra or Brahma) to intercede on their behalf. By recognizing the exceptional virtues of the Buddha who has reached this realization, a person with faith should cultivate these virtues in him- or herself and try to reach the truth that the Buddha has made known.

2.Faith in the Dhamma – the Truth or the highest good – which the Buddha discovered and revealed. {903} This truth is stable, certain and autonomous; it is a natural law of cause and effect. It does not rely on the appearance of a Buddha; it is neutral and impartial to all beings. It invites investigation and spiritual practice. Every person who has developed himself adequately and has sufficient wisdom can realize this truth. This realization leads to liberation and the end of suffering.

3.Faith in the Sangha, the model community. This community acts as proof that every person has the potential to realize the highest truth realized by the Buddha. The community only comes into existence, however, when individuals allow the truth to manifest through spiritual practice. This community is comprised of people with different levels of maturity and development, but is unified by the adherence to the same standards: they have the Dhamma as their focus and standard of measurement and they are the vessels through which the Dhamma manifests. One should treasure and participate in the virtue of this community, because the Sangha acts more than any other community to preserve the Dhamma in the world; it is the source for goodness and wellbeing to spread in the world.

The three aspects of faith are: a trust that truth – a natural law of cause and effect – exists; human beings are capable of realizing this truth; and there are exceptional people who have reached this truth and share it with others. Those who have confidence in this truth and in the human potential to realize it will strive to generate the results, especially through proper action. They believe in the causal link between action and the fruits of action, and this belief leads to steadfast ethical behaviour and a solid understanding. They do not rely primarily on external forces for help. And they trust that together people can build a virtuous or ideal community, which is comprised of individuals who have trained themselves and realized the truth of the Buddha. By reflecting on causality, a person has a firm conviction that the Buddha was truly awakened, that his teachings accord with the truth, and that it is of utmost benefit to join the community of enlightened disciples who have followed this teaching.

Moral Conduct (sīla)

A moral code: the entire system of conduct covering both private behaviour and one’s interaction with society through physical actions and speech, including one’s livelihood. This code of conduct is established to assist in the attainment of the highest good. Its aim is to prevent unskilful actions and promote good actions by teaching people to see the relationship between their deeds and their environment. It brings about stability, both personal and social, and is a foundation for higher spiritual practice. It helps to perfect physical and verbal conduct and emphasizes harmonious coexistence. {904} Such a harmonious social environment allows each individual to live at peace and to train him or herself in order to reach higher states of realization.

For the general public, the basic code of conduct that supports wellbeing is the five precepts: to not violate living creatures, to not violate others’ property, to not violate loving relationships, to not violate truth by speaking falsely or aggressively, and to not impair mindfulness and clear comprehension (sampajañña) by using addictive substances.²⁴¹ Certain communities establish more intricate and refined codes of conduct, for example the eight precepts, the ten precepts, and the two hundred and twenty-seven precepts, for an ordered discipline and to reach the goal of that specific community.

There are several attributes of Buddhist morality:

1.it creates a conducive external environment for spiritual practice leading to the highest goal;

2.it promotes peace and harmony within a community, so that each individual can pursue his or her activities in comfort; and

3.the restraint of moral conduct leads to self-discipline and a reduction of mental impurity. Moral conduct makes a person receptive to wholesome qualities. In particular it is a basis for concentration.²⁴²

Although there are levels of moral conduct higher than the five precepts, all desirable codes of conduct required for Dhamma practice (referred to as ‘conduct cherished by the noble ones’ – ariyakanta-sīla) share the same essence and have the same criteria: they are followed neither out of desire for pleasurable rewards, nor out of attachment, nor out of fixed views on morality, nor by blindly following social customs. They are followed by understanding the true purpose of moral precepts. For lay Buddhists who have this proper perspective, observing the five precepts is enough to lead to stream-entry.

Learning (suta)

‘That which is heard’; knowledge gained from listening, reading, studying, news media, or any other sources; knowledge of the ‘noble teachings’ (ariya-dhamma) – the teachings of enlightened beings – which reveal the highest way of life and the path to awakening. Knowledge gained for careers and general activities in the world (for example in the arts and sciences) is insufficient to become a ‘noble disciple’. {905} Worldly knowledge varies between different individuals and it is not always harmless. Although it is developed to solve problems and to generate happiness, often it has the opposite desired effect and creates all sorts of complications. Therefore it is not the same as the learning referred to here.

The knowledge of a noble disciple is always beneficial. It is the knowledge that every person needs to lead a good life. It enables people to apply professional knowledge to promote personal and social wellbeing. It prevents harm and solves problems in a truly effective way. And most importantly, it alone can lead an ordinary person to become enlightened. For professional knowledge to be an effective tool for solving problems it must be aligned with the knowledge of the noble teachings. All these forms of knowledge, however, including the knowledge of noble teachings, resemble at first a storeroom containing raw materials. The knowledge has not yet been applied to truly settle one’s affairs. After acquiring knowledge a person assimilates it and makes it his own, as a particular view or belief. But for the knowledge to be truly effective, it must become an instrument for wisdom, at which point it develops into analytical and discriminative knowledge and is integrated into systematic, comprehensive practice (dhammānudhamma-paṭipatti).

Generosity (cāga)

True giving; outward relinquishment by giving material things and inward relinquishment by abandoning greed; an absence of stinginess. Noble disciples do not seek reward (material gain, prestige, happiness or heaven) in exchange for their gifts. The expression in the suttas, ‘delighting in giving and sharing’ (dānasaṁvibhāga-rata), indicates that noble disciples derive joy from the very act of giving. They do not experience the suffering or disappointment from such thoughts as: ‘I have given but received nothing in return.’ Noble disciples are endowed with lovingkindness and compassion. Without the urge to acquire or to possess, the heart becomes expansive and sympathy for others arises. One clearly sees other people’s hardship and suffering, and naturally inclines to generosity. One finds joy in giving, by alleviating others’ suffering and making them happy. The goodness in the act of giving becomes the reward. By giving, the world becomes a happier place. {906} In addition, generosity purifies the heart, reduces mental impurities, and leads a person closer to the goal of Buddhism.²⁴³ As Ven. Sāriputta said:

Wise persons do not give gifts for worldly happiness, nor do they give gifts for a better rebirth. Wise persons give gifts to remove defilement, to reach the state of no renewed existence.²⁴⁴

Nd. I. 424-5.

Besides generous assistance in a wider context, noble disciples are generous with their fellow companions. They willingly relinquish their personal belongings for public consumption, to benefit the virtuous members of their community.

Because noble disciples are ‘superior persons’ (sappurisa), they give the ‘gifts of a good person’ (sappurisa-dāna). (See Note Qualities of Giving)

One of these qualities is to give respectfully; a noble disciple values the recipient, the gift, and the act of giving. He gives willingly and without resentment; no matter how low the recipient’s social standing, he does not hold the person in contempt, acting with kindness and the intention to help.²⁴⁵

Qualities of Giving

These qualities consider the attributes of the donor, over and above the needs of the recipient. There are several different groups of these qualities:

(A) Group of five:

1.gives respectfully;

2.gives with humility;

3.gives with his own hand;

4.gives a pure gift (or does not give leftovers);

5.gives with the knowledge of the fruits of giving (āgamana-diṭṭhika) – the commentaries explain this as knowing the fruits of giving and believing in kamma and the results of kamma; M. III. 24; A. III. 171-2; A. IV. 392-3;

(B) Group of five:

1.gives with faith;

2.gives respectfully;

3.gives at the proper time;

4.gives with a generous heart, with no pride (this is the commentarial explanation; this quality is also translated as ‘gives with a heart of service’);

5.gives without troubling oneself or others (e.g. by elevating oneself and denigrating others); A. III. 173;

(C) Group of eight:

1.gives clean gifts;

2.gives choice things;

3.gives at the proper time;

4.gives appropriate things;

5.gives with discretion;

6.gives regularly;

7.the mind is bright at the moment of giving;

8.after giving, the mind is delighted; A. IV. 244.

Wisdom (paññā)

Comprehensive knowledge; clear knowing; discriminative knowledge; reasoned analysis. A noble disciple distinguishes between true and false, good and bad, right and wrong, appropriate and inappropriate, benefit and harm. It is a practical knowledge; a person understands causality and understands how to relate to conditions in order to solve problems. This knowledge applies specifically to human suffering: it is used to alleviate suffering and to live a good life. {907} There are many ways to refer to this wisdom, including knowledge of the Four Noble Truths, knowledge of Dependent Origination, and knowledge free from the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa). The definition of the ‘accomplishment of wisdom’ (paññā-sampadā) as an attribute of a noble disciple is: ‘Wisdom that penetrates arising and passing away, which is noble and pierces defilement, leading to the complete destruction of suffering.’²⁴⁶

No matter what level of expertise a person has in worldly knowledge, as a prominent politician, brilliant businessman, clever inventor, or skilled researcher, for example, the knowledge of a noble disciple is indispensable for every person in solving life’s problems and living honourably.

Learning (suta) can be a conditioning factor for wisdom: it provides information and expands a person’s understanding. It is not only Dhamma learning that supports wisdom; worldly knowledge, especially life experience, can foster an understanding of the truth. A person skilled in reflection (yoniso-manasikāra) gains an understanding of the world and of life from applying technical or professional knowledge. The decisive factor for spiritual progress, however, is wisdom. Some people are highly educated but are unable to reflect; they therefore do not grow wise and do not truly benefit from their knowledge. Some people have only a meagre level of formal education but are very wise; their wise reflection enables them to solve problems. For a wise person, increased knowledge of any kind is used to their advantage. Because a wise person can still prosper despite a shortage of formal learning, there are many occasions where the number of attributes of noble disciples is reduced from five to four, leaving faith, conduct, generosity and wisdom.

Wisdom fulfils not only learning (suta); it also validates all the other factors of a noble disciple. Wisdom ensures that faith is correct, not erring towards gullibility. Wisdom leads to suitable moral conduct, which is praised by awakened beings and free from clinging to rules and practices. Wisdom brings about true relinquishment, because as long as one does not truly understand the world and phenomena, and one has not discovered a more refined happiness, it is natural that one takes pleasure in sensuality. With a lack of wisdom it is difficult to avoid being preoccupied by worldly pleasures and to be generous without wishing for some form of sense pleasure or other reward. Wisdom thus unites the other factors; it is the essential factor of a noble disciple and is the aim of each successive level of spiritual practice.

To sum up, there are four primary virtues of a noble disciple: {908}

1.Saddhā: faith in the wisdom, virtue, and perseverance of human beings; these qualities promote a realization of the truth and the highest good as taught by the Buddha and his disciples. This faith fosters the building of a virtuous society, established on principles of truth.

2.Sīla: self-discipline, which leads to an appropriate behaviour and relationship to others and to one’s environment. This conduct supports the blossoming of virtue in an individual and fosters social harmony.

3.Cāga: relinquishment, which reduces selfishness and prepares a person to assist others.

4.Paññā: wisdom; penetrative knowledge of things as they truly are, as following laws of nature, as arising and passing away according to causes and conditions. This knowledge accompanied by a free mind promotes a proper relationship to things and an appropriate, balanced conduct. A person then knows how to apply or develop the other virtues in a suitable way.

Learning (suta) acquired by any form – by instruction, encouragement, advice, or study – supports the development of the other virtues and brings about greater success, but the required amount of learning and the level of success depends on a person’s ability to reflect with wisdom.

Let us return to the first virtue of faith (saddhā) and examine how it is a crucial factor at the beginning of spiritual practice. Normally, faith is divided into three groups: faith in the Buddha, faith in the Dhamma, and faith in the Sangha. Occasionally, a single, precise definition is presented, especially when describing the faith of a noble disciple before the realization of stream-entry: [A person] has faith in the enlightenment of the Tathāgata thus: ‘The Blessed One is an arahant ... the Awakened One.’ This form of faith is called ‘faith in the Tathāgata’s awakening’ (tathāgatabodhi-saddhā, see Note Faith in the Tathāgata’s Awakening). It is faith in the wisdom of the Buddha, who is considered the archetype, representative, or pioneer for all human beings.

The Buddha’s awakening confirms that all human beings are capable of realizing the truth and reaching the highest good through mindfulness, wisdom and disciplined effort. The Buddha compared himself to a baby chick who is the first to peck its way through the eggshell of ignorance,²⁴⁷ and to a discoverer of an ancient path who reveals this path to humanity.²⁴⁸ Faith in the Buddha’s awakening is thus equivalent to faith in the capability and wisdom of human beings. {909} Or more succinctly, it is self-confidence or faith in oneself. This confidence is not selfish belief or pride, but rather confidence in being human or an objective trust in humanity. One believes in the human potential for wisdom, that every person can reach the highest goal through spiritual training and satisfy the greatest of human aspirations.²⁴⁹ The Buddha is the symbol of self-belief; he was the first person to assert this human potential and the first person to not attribute enlightenment to a divine or supernatural power.

Faith in the Tathāgata’s Awakening

Alternatively, ‘faith in the wisdom of the discoverer of Truth’. It is noteworthy that the Buddha uses the term Tathāgata here to refer to himself, because there are many epithets for the Buddha and each one emphasizes different qualities.

The use of the term Tathāgata here is consistent with the passage where the Buddha describes the laws of nature, which exist autonomously and are not dependent on the arising of Tathāgatas; a Tathāgata is merely the discoverer and revealer of these truths (see: A. I. 286; S. II. 25).

On many occasions the term Tathāgata is translated as a ‘being’ (e.g.: M. I. 426; S. IV. 395; explained, for example, at MA. III. 142). Interested scholars may compare bodhi here with the concept of Buddhahood in the Mahayana tradition.

Effectively, faith in the Buddha’s awakening encompasses faith in the Triple Gem: there is trust that human beings can develop wisdom to the point of resolving even the most refined difficulties in the heart, and they are able to reach the highest liberation and complete happiness, just as the Buddha was able to accomplish; there is trust that these principles of practice and the highest goal are aspects of truth based on natural laws; and there is trust that there are people who have reached this goal, who comprise a noble community, have verified the truth, propagate the Dhamma, spread blessings, and are fully prepared to assist others in joining this noble community.

Although Buddhism advocates wisdom, faith is an essential quality at the beginning stages of practice, before a person realizes his or her potential and perfects wisdom. Faith here is different from what is commonly understood and should not be mistaken for blind faith; it is faith in wisdom, linked with wisdom, and leads to wisdom.

There are two important aspects to faith in the Triple Gem or to faith in the Buddha’s awakening. First, the entire teaching in Buddhism, either of the highest goal or of modes of practice, rests on the principle that human beings are capable of following in the Buddha’s footsteps and realizing the truth through their own effort and wisdom. There exists no external, supreme source of power surpassing that of human beings. If this principle were to be false, then the entire Buddhist system of practice and the stated goal would be meaningless and void. {910} Second, if a Buddhist disciple does not have trust in this human potential, he will be unable to progress along the path of Buddhism. How would he be able to devote himself to practice? In fact, he would not be a true disciple of the Buddha. Faith in the Buddha’s awakening is thus an essential quality for a Buddhist.²⁵⁰

Stream-entry is a valid goal for Buddhist practitioners and reaching this essential stage of awakening should be encouraged. The related factors of faith, conduct, learning, generosity, and wisdom, which the Buddha repeatedly taught, and when developed can be considered equivalent to stream-entry, should also be emphasized. These five factors can be developed gradually, both before the realization of stream-entry and after, and they are relevant to the present time.

Today’s society is in need of faith that is based on reason not credulity, and of trust in the human potential for reaching the highest good.

Society requires an understanding of the true spirit of moral conduct, as connected to other spiritual qualities; this conduct then guides and protects society.

In today’s society there is an abundance of learning and a profusion of information, but it often appears to create increased confusion and difficulty for people. Society requires an education in noble principles that reveals the essential meaning of life and points out ways of disentanglement from problems; such learning leads to self-sufficiency and suitable action. {911}

Today’s society faces increasingly dire economic problems, which require self-sacrifice, generosity and mutual assistance coming from a pure heart. The earth no longer has the resources to sustain people’s unbridled greed. People need to discover the happiness that comes from giving and sharing and that leads to social harmony.

Contemporary society is full of people who take pride in their intelligence because they have received a formal education. They are able to accomplish extraordinary things and wield a certain power over nature and the environment. People have become expert at worldly knowledge to the extent that their power is exceptional. But because they lack transcendent wisdom, they have only begun to penetrate the mysteries of the universe. As a result of pride, people risk falling into a pit created by their own intelligence; they meet with obstruction on the physical level and frustration in their hearts. To solve these problems, people require noble wisdom.²⁵¹

Looking at the state of the world today and the widespread behaviour of people, there are two outstanding qualities of a stream-enterer that should be emphasized as guidelines for living:

First, stream-enterers have a firm understanding of the law of cause and effect. Their trust in wisdom is adequately strong to expect successful results from actions based on mindfulness and balanced effort, and in line with causality.²⁵² They do not rely on fate or petition a supernatural force from outside to intercede on their behalf. However, because their wisdom is not yet complete, their confidence is not self-sustaining. They still rely on someone else who has reached the truth and leads the way. This is faith in the Buddha’s awakening or faith in the Triple Gem. This is the highest and purest level of faith; thereafter wisdom is perfected and replaces faith. The wisdom of stream-enterers is not yet absolute; their wisdom is reinforced by faith.

Second, stream-enterers are firmly established on the path to awakening. Their understanding of the world is sufficient to not be influenced by defilement nor to overrate worldly conditions (loka-dhamma).²⁵³ They have begun to experience transcendent joy and freedom, which brings about an appreciation of the truth. They develop chanda: enthusiasm and love for truth. They desire truth so much that there is no chance of them returning to a fascination with material pleasures. Unlike ordinary people, they seek no reward – of material gain, honour, fame, praise, pleasure or heaven – from their virtuous conduct (sīla) or from acts of generosity (cāga). Their moral conduct is steadfast; they are not discouraged if they do not reap these aforementioned rewards. {912}

This Dhammapada verse illustrates the life of a stream-enterer:

Fear-stricken people in large numbers take refuge in mountains,
 Forests and sacred groves and trees.
 But no such refuge is safe,
 No such refuge is supreme.
 Not by resorting to such a refuge
 Is one freed from all misery.

One who goes for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha;
 Who sees clearly with wisdom:
 Suffering, the origin of suffering,
 The transcendence of suffering,
 And the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the end of suffering.
 This, indeed, is a safe refuge;
 This, indeed, is the refuge supreme.
 By reaching such a refuge,
 One is freed from all misery.

Dh. verses 188-92.

Let us return to the Buddha’s frequent teaching:

Bhikkhus, those for whom you have compassion and those who are receptive – whether friends or colleagues, relatives or kinsmen – these you should exhort, settle and establish in the four factors of stream-entry.

Leaders of a family, an organization, or a business who really deserve the title of leader and fulfil their responsibility are able to foster the five qualities of stream-entry in their relatives, dependents and employees:

Supported by the Himalayas, a great tree grows in these five growths: it grows in branches and leaves, in inner bark, in outer bark, in sapwood, and in hardwood. So too, supported by a devout family leader, members of a family grow in these five growths: they grow in faith, moral conduct, learning, generosity, and wisdom.²⁵⁴

A. III. 44.

Besides encouraging general assistance to family and friends, the Buddha gave a specific teaching concerning the factors of stream-entry in reference to repaying the goodness of one’s parents:

I declare, O monks, that there are two persons whose goodness it is difficult to repay. What two? One’s mother and father. Even if one were to carry one’s mother on one shoulder and one’s father on the other, attending to them, until one reached the age of a centenarian, reached the age of one hundred years; and if one were to care for them by kneading, massaging, and bathing, and they would even void their excrements there – even by that one would not do right by one’s parents, one would not repay them. Even if one were to establish one’s parents as the supreme lords and rulers over this earth rich in the seven treasures, one would not do right by one’s parents, one would not repay them. What is the reason for this? Parents have been of great service to their children: they have nurtured, fed, and introduced them to the world.

But one who encourages his unbelieving parents, settles and establishes them in faith; who encourages his immoral parents, settles and establishes them in moral conduct; who encourages his stingy parents, settles and establishes them in generosity; who encourages his ignorant parents, settles and establishes them in wisdom – such a one does right by his parents, he repays them.

A. I. 61-2.