The Third-Fruit Arhat and the Fourth-Fruit Arhat

When one is free from greed towards external states, that is the stage of the Sakadagami (Third Fruition), having eradicated the manifest functioning of the afflictions of greed and hatred. When one is free from attachment to external states, that is the stage of the Arahant (Fourth Fruition), having eradicated the self-attachment of the mind (manas) and the craving for the Three Realms. Before attaining the Third Fruition, no matter how tranquil the mind may be, it merely suppresses the afflictions rather than eradicating them. The afflictions remain latent within the mind, rarely manifesting. However, when significant events arise, they inevitably become exposed and manifest, allowing the afflictions to become active. Very few people can truly and comprehensively examine their own afflictions. Consequently, they often mistakenly believe they have no afflictions, or even consider themselves to have attained the Second Fruition (Sakadagami), when in reality they are far from reaching it.