Development of the Sub-stages

This chapter investigates the development of the sub-stages of the stage of stream-entry and the sub-stage of non-returning and other doctrinal elements involved with these sub-stages. Regarding the sub-stages of stream-entry, it argues that originally, the stage of once-returning was also a sub-stage of stream-entry; later, it was developed as an independent stage. Regarding the sub-stages of the stage of non-returning, it argues that these stages appear to have developed in the Abhidhamma period and later crept into the Pāli Nikāyas. By comparing and contrasting the definition of the concept of antarāparinibbāyı̄ in the Pāli commentaries and Sarvastivāda literature with the Pāli Nikāya sources, it becomes clear that the Sarvāstivāda interpretation as intermediate existence (antārabhava), i.e. ‘before taking rebirth’, seems to be closer to the Pāli Nikāya implication, which implies the existence of some kind of intermediate existence. Further, it argues the interpretation of sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyı̄ and asaṅkhāraparinibbāyı̄ as ‘one attains liberation with effort’ and ‘one attains liberation without effort’ respectively are absurd. Rather, these should be interpreted as ‘one attains liberation with karmic remnant’ and ‘one attains liberation without karmic remnant’.