The Buddha explains how one becomes the perfected one, an arahant, and shares verses on their qualities.

SN 22.76  Arahanta sutta - Arahants

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthi.

“Rūpaṁ, bhikkhave, aniccaṁ. Yadaniccaṁ taṁ dukkhaṁ; yaṁ dukkhaṁ tadanattā; yadanattā taṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

“Form, bhikkhus, is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering; what is suffering is not-self; what is not-self should be seen as, ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self,’ — thus it should be seen with right wisdom as it really is.

Vedanā

Felt experience, bhikkhus, is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering; what is suffering is not-self; what is not-self should be seen as, ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self,’ — thus it should be seen with right wisdom as it really is.

saññā

Perception, bhikkhus, is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering; what is suffering is not-self; what is not-self should be seen as, ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self,’ — thus it should be seen with right wisdom as it really is.

saṅkhārā

Intentional constructs, bhikkhus, are impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering; what is suffering is not-self; what is not-self should be seen as, ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self,’ — thus it should be seen with right wisdom as it really is.

viññāṇaṁ aniccaṁ. Yadaniccaṁ taṁ dukkhaṁ; yaṁ dukkhaṁ tadanattā; yadanattā taṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

Consciousness, bhikkhus, is impermanent. What is impermanent is suffering; what is suffering is not-self; what is not-self should be seen as, ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self,’ — thus it should be seen with right wisdom as it really is.

Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi saññāyapi saṅkhāresupi viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati. Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati. Vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the learned noble disciple becomes disenchanted with form, disenchanted with felt experience, disenchanted with perception, disenchanted with intentional constructs, and disenchanted with consciousness. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, he is liberated. When liberated, there arises the knowledge: ‘I am liberated.’”

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānāti. Yāvatā, bhikkhave, sattāvāsā, yāvatā bhavaggaṁ, ete aggā, ete seṭṭhā lokasmiṁ yadidaṁ arahanto”ti.

He knows: ‘Birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of existence.’ Bhikkhus, in all the realms of beings, in all the worlds, these are highest, these are the foremost, namely, the arahants.”

Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

The Blessed One said this. Having spoken thus, the Accomplished One, the Teacher, further spoke these words:

“Sukhino vata arahanto,
taṇhā tesaṁ na vijjati;
Asmimāno samucchinno,
mohajālaṁ padālitaṁ.

“Truly at ease are the arahants,
for craving is no longer found in them;
The conceit of ‘I am’ is cut off,
and the net of delusion is torn apart.

Anejaṁ te anuppattā,
cittaṁ tesaṁ anāvilaṁ;
Loke anupalittā te,
brahmabhūtā anāsavā.

Having arrived at the unperturbed,
their minds are serene;
In the world, they’re untainted,
they have become noble, free from defilements.

Pañcakkhandhe pariññāya,
satta saddhammagocarā;
Pasaṁsiyā sappurisā,
puttā buddhassa orasā.

Having fully understood the five aggregates,
they dwell in the true nature of things;
Praiseworthy are these noble beings,
true-born children of the Buddha.

Sattaratanasampannā,
Tīsu sikkhāsu sikkhitā;
Anuvicaranti mahāvīrā,
Pahīnabhayabheravā.

Endowed with the seven elements of awakening,
well-trained in the three trainings;
These great heroes wander freely,
having abandoned the causes of fear and dread.

Dasahaṅgehi sampannā,
mahānāgā samāhitā;
Ete kho seṭṭhā lokasmiṁ,
taṇhā tesaṁ na vijjati.

Endowed with the ten factors,
these great beings are deeply composed;
Indeed, they are the foremost in the world,
for craving is no longer found in them.

Asekhañāṇamuppannaṁ,
antimoyaṁ samussayo; Variant: antimoyaṁ antimassa (mr)
Yo sāro brahmacariyassa,
tasmiṁ aparapaccayā.

The wisdom of the non-learner has arisen,
this is the final accumulation;
It is the heartwood of the spiritual life,
in which there is no further dependence.

Vidhāsu na vikampanti,
vippamuttā punabbhavā;
Dantabhūmimanuppattā,
te loke vijitāvino.

They do not waver in any way,
fully liberated from renewed existence;
They have attained the state of self-control,
these are the conquerors in the world.

Uddhaṁ tiriyaṁ apācīnaṁ,
nandī tesaṁ na vijjati;
Nadanti te sīhanādaṁ,
buddhā loke anuttarā”ti.

Above, across, and below,
no attachment is found in them;
They roar the lion’s roar,
the Buddhas, unsurpassed in the world.”

Last updated on October 22, 2025