THE EIGHT TYPES OF NOBLE DISCIPLES :
 

The definition (Ariya-Sangha)

 

"The Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples who have practiced well... who have practiced straight-forwardly... who have practiced methodically... who have practiced masterfully —
in other words, the four types [of noble disciples] when taken as pairs, the eight when taken as individual types —
they are the Sangha of the Blessed One's disciples: worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of respect, the incomparable field of merit for the world."

 

— AN 11:12
 
 

 

"Four types of noble disciples..."

 

"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 set of 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. (Anagami)

 

"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 (Sakadagami), 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 (Sotapanna), steadfast, never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening: such are the monks in this community of monks."

 

— MN 118
 
 

 

"...the eight when taken as individual types"

 

"Just as the ocean is the abode of such mighty beings as whales, whale-eaters, and whale-eater-eaters; asuras, nagas, and gandhabbas, and there are in the ocean beings one hundred leagues long, two hundred... three hundred... four hundred... five hundred leagues long; in the same way, this Dhamma and Discipline is the abode of such mighty beings as stream-winners and those practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry; once-returners and those practicing to realize the fruit of once-returning; non-returners and those practicing to realize the fruit of non-returning; arahants and those practicing for arahantship...
This is the eighth amazing and astounding fact about this Dhamma and Vinaya."

 

— Ud 5:5

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