Arahantship

Arahantship refers to the state of being an arahant, a person who has achieved full liberation from the cycle of birth and death in certain Buddhist traditions. The term arises from the Pali arahanta and Sanskrit arahant, literally meaning “worthy” or “one who is worthy.”

An arahant has eradicated the defilements that fuel samsara—greed, hatred, and delusion—and overcome the latent tendencies that sustain rebirth. They have realized nirvana and, in Theravada understanding, upon death enter parinirvana, a final release beyond existence. The path to arahantship is described as the culmination of the Noble Eightfold Path: ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom, rooted in insight into the Four Noble Truths and dependent origination.

In Theravada Buddhism, arahantship is the ideal for individual liberation and is often viewed as the pinnacle of early Buddhist practice. Arahants are celebrated for their profound ethical integrity, mental clarity, and freedom from craving and ignorance. They are said to no longer experience rebirth and live with equanimity and deep wisdom.

In Mahayana Buddhism, the term arahant is acknowledged, but the bodhisattva ideal—aspiring to achieve Buddhahood for the benefit of all beings—often takes precedence. Some Mahayana sutras critique the arhat ideal as focused on personal liberation, while other schools preserve it as a valid perfection within a broader path.

Overall, arahantship denotes a completed realization of liberation and a state characterized by the absence of defilements and the experience of nirvana.