The Four Stages Forming an Integrated Soteriological Path Scheme in Pāli Abhidhamma and Pāli Commentarial Literature

This chapter focuses on the development of the theory of the four stages in the Abhidhamma and Pāli commentaries. It particularly highlights two points: (1) the four stages as a monolithic standard path, and (2) the question of the sequential attainment of the four stages. Insofar as the Pāli Nikāyas delineate, the four stages together form aspects of the path to liberation but are not a monolithic path. In other words, it was not specified that everyone should pass through the four stages. But in the Abhidhamma literature and Pāli commentaries, the four stages are presented as a singular path to liberation, whereby everyone has to pass through these stages. Secondly, the four stages are not presented in the Pāli Nikāyas as an attainment achieved necessarily sequentially. Rather, they imply that some may directly become arahants, some may attain only the lower stages, and some may at least theoretically pass through all the stages. However, this interpretation is revised in the Abhidhamma and the Pāli commentaries to a required sequential attainment. Such interpretation is deemed here not theoretically tenable, for if that interpretation is accepted, then arahantship in this lifetime is impossible. It is for this reason that the Ābhidhammikas and the Pāli commentators may have changed the interpretation of non-returning to momentary attainment to fit their interpretation. It discusses that there are different opinions among the Buddhist schools on the question of retrogress from the attainment of the four stages. While there are some schools that hold the view of retrogression from the attainment of the stage of arahantship, non-returning and once-returning, the Theravāda school strongly opposes such a view and upholds the view that it is not possible to retrogress from any of the four stages. However, most schools agree that retrogression from the attainment of the stage of stream-entry is not possible.