Expert: Justin Choo - 3/22/2006

Question
Can you tell me a little more about the Arahant?
Heather
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I am working on a research paper for one of my college classes. In the catholic religion the have people called incorrupitbles (Incapable of being morally corrupted). Do you have something like that in your religion?
Thank you for your time,
Heather
Answer -
Hi Heather,

Thank you for asking me.

There is always something new for me to learn.  I never knew that there was such a term in the Catholic religion.  The meaning, I would assume is that the person is 100% morally incorruptible.  This is a very tall order.  Are we so pure and clean that we will never be morally corrupted?  I would like to be one, but there is no guarantee that I can, if being tempted continuously.  In Buddhism the frailty of humans is a very realistic and common factor.  The Buddha cautioned his followers to watch their behaviour in thought, speech and action, so that they would not fall prey to heedlessness.  Ordinary mortals would be very difficult to be 100% morally incorruptible.  "Incapable" will be a very strong adjective, meaning that it is impossible for the person to be corrupted (even if he wishes).  In Buddhism such a person would be one who has completely eradicated the 3 roots of defilements, namely greed, hatred and delusion.  Such a person is called an Arahant, or "Saint" for lack of a better English equivalent.  This person will be incapable of not only being morally corrupt but also incapable of being hateful and greedy.  In addition he is perfectly wise and enlightened.  Such people are very few in this world.

Smile from justinchoo :-)

Answer
Hi Heather,

Yes, I can tell you a "little more" about Arahant.  It will just be a little bit more, for you will need some Buddhist knowledge to know in detail.

An ordinary person is not a "pure" person because his mind is polluted with greed, hatred and delusion.  His ego is as big as the planet earth!  A slight agitation on his ego, he will flare up.  If he is tempted continuously, he most probably will succumb to the temptation.  With all these defilements in his mind, this ordinary person becomes his own slave, a slave of his own mind.  This is because his mind is not a tamed or controlled mind.  He reacts to external stimuli without restraint.  Throughout his whole life, he will be happy if he gets what he wants, unhappy if he can't.  The more he gets, the more he wants...greed.  If he can't get want he wants, he gets disappointed and angry....aversion and hatred.  So for a "normal" person it will be impossible to be 100% morally pure.

It is only when the mind is trained to respond wisely, that the person knows how to reduce all the unwholesome reactions caused by external stimuli.  His mission is to train the mind to see the true nature of this existence and to conduct his life wholesomely, having full control over his mind; becoming master of his mind, and not its slave.  With persistent training, he would be able to eliminate all traces of greed, hatred and delusion; if not within this life, then the future life.  Once this person achieves this complete elimination of greed, hatred and delusion, then he will be incapable of committing any moral wrong.  There will not be any trace of these defilements left.  He is perfectly pure. He is fully enlightened.  He is an Arahant.

Smile from justinchoo :-)