Alexander Hipple

A stream-winner, also known as a sotāpanna, knows what is wholesome (kusala) and what is unwholesome (akusala). They know the method of practice through and through. Because of this clarity, they no longer experience skeptical doubt (vicikicchā) regarding what needs to be done to achieve full liberation. There’s no anxiety about the future because their confidence—rooted in direct experience—assures them that they can face whatever arises in this life. It’s impossible for them to fall into the hellish states you might fear encountering.

If you do encounter such states, it’s a sign that your practice is off track. The practice of the Buddha’s sāsana is wholesome at the start, the middle, and the end. Missteps indicate a lack of understanding between kusala and akusala. It means you are still wrestling with skeptical doubt about the correct method, and perhaps holding the view (or belief) that transformation isn’t possible in this very moment, regardless of the circumstances you face. This attachment to strong opinions or personality (sakkāya-diṭṭhi) can also lead to reliance on rites and rituals (sīlabbata-parāmāsa), hoping they might protect you from some imagined future suffering. This is magical thinking, which has no place in the practice of the Buddha’s path—often referred to as Buddhology, the science of awakening. The Buddha’s teachings are the cure for magical thinking, or superstitious beliefs, what we might call Sleepology, the science of being asleep.

If you are still searching for guidance, know that books and beliefs won’t provide the answers. Worldly knowledge, rites, and rituals won’t lead to awakening either. Instead, I encourage you to stop worrying about labels and titles and instead focus on associating with nobles. This association is an essential factor for attaining the path and fruit of stream-winning. And remember, the most important text you can study is the one between your ears.

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