The type of Nirodha is “Phalasamapatti”. I misunderstood the use of the word “Nirodha”. I willed to use it as “cessation”. Anyway, the important issue here is the following:
The path to Sotappana
- The meditator undertakes the practice of morality, specifically guarding the mind from unwholesomeness (sīlavisuddhi)
- Guarding the mind, the meditator cultivates focus, gaining clarity of mind based on the objects of experience (cittavisuddhi)
- Having a clear mind, the meditator cultivates an understanding of the nature of experience as composed of impersonal physical and mental constituents (diṭṭhivisuddhi)
- Observing the physical and mental phenomena, the meditator cultivates an understanding of the causal interactions between the physical and mental phenomena (kaṅkhāvitaraṇavisuddhi)
- Through the understanding of positive and negative causal relationships, the meditator cultivates an understanding of what is an what is not the path (maggāmaggañāṅadassanavisuddhi)
- Through an understanding of the path, the meditator cultivates the right path (paṭipadāñāṅadassanavisuddi)
- Through cultivating the right path, one attains knowledge and vision of the noble path and fruition (ñāṅadassanavisuddhi)
Sotāpanna occurs upon attainment of the seventh stage. The right path (#6) is the gradual understanding that all formations are impermanent, suffering, and non-self. Once this realization becomes all-encompassing, the meditator attains an absolute certainty of one or another of the three characteristics and this leads to a release based either on knowledge of signlessness (based on impermanence – that there is no telling what will happen in advance), desirelessness (based on suffering – that there is no benefit to clinging to any formation), or emptiness (based on non-self – that all formations are void of self and there is no relationship of ownership or control in regards to all formations).
This release leads to an experience of cessation, where there is no arising of sense experience (including mental sense experience). This is the realization of nibbāna, and this is what leads to the eradication of the first three fetters.
1- Wrong view is eradicated because one can never believe that anything could be permanent, satisfying or controllable, having seen them all cease without remainder.
2- Attachment to wrong practice is eradicated because one can never be confused about the practice that leads to nibbāna after seeing nibbāna for oneself.
3- Doubt about the Buddha, Dhamma or Sangha can never arise, because one knows what the Buddha taught to be true with complete certainty, and the results that one attains having followed said teachings.
From my point of view is undeniable that we have to experience Nibbana in order to reach a “secure standpoint”. This is our own validation that the teachings are real. We dispel every little spark of doubt when we See Nibbana, not before.
Is it reasonable? When we see smoke that smells like something burning we can be almost sure that there is a fire somewhere, but it is not until we actually see it that we can affirm by our own experience that is true.
The Sotappana is an Ariyan because he attained one of the Supramundane paths, and the only reality that classifies as “supramundane” is Nibbana.
Stream-entry is by no means an easy task. It requieres year of practice, years of practical investigation of reality. With this I don’t pretend to give a pessimist vision about the journey, but it is important to be realistic to. When I read about this stuff I usually prefer to keep in mind that this is the ultimate goal of all us so it will requiere the most high standar of achivement possible, it won’t be easy to do. Aeons of Craving and Ignorance are in our backs, incalculable periods of contraction and expansion of the entire Universe.
In fact, it’s Amazing that such a thing as entering the path leading to liberation can be achieved in one life. (Taking into consideration that we have to pass through kindergarten over and over again) Don’t you think?