Well-Being Contributed by a Sotāpanna Individual to a Society

Abstract

A human being of our modern world is an egoist and self-interest seeker. This article is an attempt to study well-being contributed by a sotāpanna, a benevolent individual to our modern society in Buddhism. The important characteristics of the sotāpanna must be of the following qualities: 1) Possesses the noble eightfold path, 2) Have strong belief in the Buddha, 3) Have faith in the Buddha, and 4) Do not act against the Dhammas attaining. The sotāpanna is the first stage of the four progressive atages—sotapanna, sakadagamin, anagamin and arahat where arahat is the stage culminating stage into full enlightenment. The first stage is that of sotāpanna literally meaning “one who enters the stream” and also said to have “opened the eye of the dhamma”. She/he will be free from doubt. The four kinds of well-being an individual who prefers to be a sotāpanna has to cultivate in one’s self are, namely: 1) Physical cultivation, 2) Moral cultivation, 3) Mental cultivation, and 4) Wisdom cultivation. Everyone is trying to improve their status. However, people who have attained sotāpanna by practicing the Threefold Trainings have no longer need to strive for a better life like common ordinary persons because Dhamma uplifts their lives automatically.