Arhat

Arhat (Pali arahant; Sanskrit arhat) means "worthy one" or "one who has achieved worthiness." In early Buddhist thought, an arhat is a person who has eradicated ignorance and craving and has realized Nirvana, ending the cycle of birth and death.

In Theravada Buddhism, the arhat is the ideal of liberation. An arhat has completed the path described in the Four Noble Truths, has destroyed the ten fetters that bind beings to samsara, and has obtained nibbana (nirvana) at the time of death. As such, arahants are no longer subject to rebirth. The traditional path is described as four stages: stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, and arahantship.

In Mahayana Buddhism, the arhat is acknowledged but the soteriological emphasis often shifts toward the bodhisattva path, which aims for complete Buddhahood for the benefit of all beings. Some Mahayana traditions view arhatship as a valid but relatively limited attainment, while others preserve the term with varying emphasis. In Vajrayana contexts, the focus remains on awakening and the Bodhisattva ideal, with arhatship sometimes treated as an aspect of early training on the path.

Arhats are venerated in many Buddhist communities as exemplary practitioners who have overcome major afflictions and demonstrate discipline, ethical conduct, and deep meditation. The concept is rooted in early Buddhist scriptures such as the Nikāyas and Abhidhamma, though interpretations and emphasis differ across schools.