220: Noble Persons and Mental Defilements (Ariya and Kilesa)

In this talk, we explore the relationship between Noble Persons (Ariya) and Mental Defilements (Kilesa) in Theravāda Buddhism. Using the framework of the ten fetters, the teaching explains how each of the four stages of enlightenment—Stream-Enterer, Once-Returner, Non-Returner, and Arahant—progressively eradicates or weakens specific defilements.

The episode clarifies which fetters are abandoned at each stage, how moral purity and insight deepen, and why only the Arahant fully uproots all unwholesome consciousness. A practical and illuminating guide for understanding one’s spiritual progress on the path to liberation.

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Sayar Myat 0:02

Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa,Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa, Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa. Theravada Buddhism series, Dhamma talk number forty three. Noble Persons (Ariya) and Mental Defilements (Kilesa). We'll discuss the relationship between noble persons and mental defilements in this talk. In a way it is gauging where one is with regard to being Ariya. One of eight noble persons four per persons eradicates different aspects of mental defilements. The Buddha taught us using ten factors that binds a being to sansara because it is not sufficient to explain only with three mental defilements Loba, Dosa and Moha. The ten fetters F E T T E R S Pardon my pronunciation the ten fetters are wrong view, doubt, rites and rituals, sense desire, ill will find material existence immaterial existence conceit restlessness and ignorance. Different path consciousness eradicates wholly and in some cases shaves off or weaken fetters from the gross level to the subtle level. Let's see the first noble person, the stream enterer. Some people translate it as stream winner sotapana. A yogi attains the first part consciousness mega chita upon maturity of tripassana insights. When a yogi attains the first part consciousness that yogi becomes Satana the stream enterer. This first part consciousness completely uprooted the wrong view also because one has known firsthand it is simply the physical and mental phenomenon. Before we all believe it's a self, me self, myself, yourself or a soul or a spirit, a being, but vipassana insight give you the firsthand experience and understanding that it's simply a twinned phenomena physical and mental are in play, but we dilutedly understood as self. Also, this pub consciousness eradicates doubt wecha doubt, doubt in the Buddha, doubt in the Dharma, and doubt in Sangha, and also doubt in the law of karma. The law of karma. And also this first part consciousness eliminate rites and rituals, believing that could end all forms of suffering. Because at the time of Buddha there are many teachers, philosophies, ideas, viewpoints. They all believe that their method will bring about the end of all suffering. Rites and rituals and Sautapana understand there's only one way, the only way, eightfold noble path is the one that can bring about the end of suffering, but nothing else. Also, this path consciousness partially eradicates sense desire and ill will. In other words, it eradicates gross forms of sense desire kamachanda and ill will viabada. Partially the gross nature. What does it mean by gross nature of sense desire and ill will? It is the sense desire and ill will that can drag you down or take you down to hell rum, animal rums, hungry gross rum and demonic rum. That kind of sense desire and ill will we term it gross form and the first part consciousness totally eradicate that part. If a stream enterer sotapana does not gain a higher level of enlightenment in this life, they will be reborn as Sautapana for a maximum of seven existences before achieving that final liberation. In other words, if one becomes a sotapana in this life and does not progress any farther, he or she will practice and be liberated from sansara. In the seventh life, that one will put enough effort to practice vipassana and attain nibhana. In the second to the seventh rebirth, in those rebirth one does not know that they are Sautapana. However, there's one indicator whether he or she knows that he or she is Sautapana or not. That first noble person will never break the five precepts killing a being, stealing and robbing with wicked greed, engaging in sexual misconducts, lying and slandering, volition to hurt and harm others, and taking intoxicate, which makes one malleable to break the first four recepts and become heedless. That a sort of panak will never break, not only that he never break, that person does not even need to put effort not to break, because such kind of thoughts, such kind of breaking these thoughts never arise and they are mine. Just like a dramatized a two-year-old is mine. A thought of driving a car cannot arise, will not arise. Period. Just like that, a sort of minds, a thought of breaking the precepts will never arise, needless to say about breaking it. It is the stage of moral purity. The first noble person. Okay, the second noble person Sagadagami in English wants returna. The second part consciousness does not eradicate any new mental fatters, but weakens sense desires and ill will that Sotapana has to a subtle degree. Before they are, the gross form are gone, but still they are bad, they are unwholesome. They are still movable, but with the practice it becomes finer and finer, more refined, and become very subtle under current. So regardless, it is still considered unwholesome, although it will not drag once down to the fullful state. Still unwholesome state of mind. These once returna are still capable of getting angry. Let's call it mildly angry. If provoked, they will be reborn one more time as human. Sakadami passed away and they will be reborn one more time as a human. That's the reason it's called once returner. The third noble person, Anagami Nan Returner. The third part consciousness, Megajita, completely eradicates the remaining subtle sense desire and ill will. Such kind of very subtle mental negative mental state will never arise in that person's mind ever again. However, these anagami, they don't have to be a monk, they can be a layperson or a householder. One may even be married from the legal point of view, but the couple will stay as a brother and sister instead of being a husband and a wife. There are some cases in the sutra and even there are some cases in the modern era around 1850 to 900. Nagami always keep eight precepts as they have no desire for senses. One will not eat meals after twelve o'clock afternoon. They will not listen to music, watch entertainment, or live luxuriously. Of course, exception is if the environment condition forces them. Say they are at a certain place and in the neighborhood there's a big loudspeaker playing songs and so on. For them it is simply hearing, hearing, hearing, just a sound. But they will never put any effort to listen to a music or to watch a show. They keep simple living with only what is necessary and enjoy solitude except engaging in Dharma activities with the public. A Nagami will not be reborn in the sense fear. When he dies, he will not be reborn in Dewar Ram or Human Ram or Full Woeful State. That's the reason it's called non returna. Does not return to the sense sphere Kama Wasara Loka. That's how we get the name non returner. The five factors of the three lower noble persons wholly abandoned are called the lower fatas. If you recall, the first noble person abandon self illusion wrong view, wichika, doubt and rites and rituals. Three totally abandon. Second noble person does not eradicate any particular factor but weakens them. The third noble person eradicates sense desire and ill will. So altogether five wrong view, doubt, rites and rituals, sense desire and ill will. Those five are called five lower fatas. The first three noble persons eradicates completely. The last one, the fourth noble person, Arhan, destroyer of mental defilements. The fourth part consciousness eradicates the desire to be born in the fine material realm. In other words, Rupa Brahma. And also they have eradicates the desire to be reborn in the immaterial realm, mind only Brahma. They don't have any desire to be reborn because Arahat has no more attachment to existence. They don't have attachment to life. It is simply is. Arahat also eliminates conceit. Be careful about that conceit manat. It is so powerful only when you become arahat one can completely eradicate it. And also restlessness oddja and finally ignorance ovija. So there are five that Arahan eradicates. First is lack of desire to be reborn in the Rupa Brahmaram. Secondly, lack of desire to be reborn in the Arupa Brahmaram. Third conceit. Fourth restlessness. And the fifth ignorance oja. And these five are called five. Higher fetters. Arahant is fearless. Nothing, nothing can provoke or move an Arahant. They simply exist, do what is need to be done. If there is nothing to do, they dwell in a state of samatpalap. In other words, they enjoy the fruition consciousness and that consciousness. Nothing else. Let's see this noble persons in relation to the unwholesome consciousness, Aku Salat Jitak. There are twelve unwholesome consciousness, if you remember correctly. These consciousness are not capable to arise in Arhant's mind. Just like driving a car, the idea of a thought of driving a car does not arise in a two-year-old. Just like that. Let's see one novel person at a time with regard to unwholesome consciousness. Suttapana predicates full unwholesome consciousness accompanied by wrong view. You have to go back to the Dhamma talk on unwholesome consciousness. There are four types of unwholesome consciousness accompanied with wrong view. As Sautapana has eradicated wrong view, those full consciousness cannot arise in them anymore. And also one unwholesome consciousness associated with doubt, which cannot arise because Sotapana had eradicated doubt in the Buddha Dharma, Sangha and Kama. So there are five unwholesome consciousness gone. The once returna only weakens the mental defilements, the remaining unwholesome consciousness, they weaken them. But the third noble person, Nanraturna, eliminates two unwholesome consciousness associated with Dosa Anger. Because Nanratarna eradicates completely Patigaha, anger, ill will, aversion. Completely. That's why two unwholesome consciousness associated with Dosa cannot arise in them anymore. So altogether, seven unwholesome consciousness are gone when one becomes non-returner. But in the statement they also eliminate sense desire. Yes, they eradicate sense desire. But what is sense desire? Sense desire is lobak greed. But they still have a slight trace of loba. What is that? They want to be reborn in the Rupa Brahmaram or Arupa Brahmaram. Existent. They are still attached to existent. Being attached to existent is lobak. So that particular lobha is still there. But other than that every type of sense desire is eliminated. But still lobha for existent. Attachment to existent still remains in Nanraterna. Arahant annihilates the remaining five unwholesome consciousness. Those five are called the higher fadas. What are those five unwholesome consciousness? It is the attachment to Rupa Rams, attachment to be reborn in Arupa Rams, Dobas Gone, conceit, restlessness and ignorance. So in other words, the five remaining Moha, delusion rooted consciousness and loba rooted consciousness are gone. So altogether five plus two plus five twelve all twelve unwholesome consciousness. And our hunt is free from all those twelve unwholesome consciousness. That's why they are free or they are liberated from rebirth. May all of you be able to practice mindfulness inside meditation and attain at least the first dream enter in this very life as soon as possible. Sadu sadhu thank you very much