To conclude,
I know many fear the apayas, and this is because they cannot tell for certain whether they have reached the Sotapanna Stage. Still, they need not fear. Lest one should think that what I said above is only my understanding, here is support from the suttas:
SN 55.24:
After the cases of Arahants, Anagamis and Sakadagamis are presented, there follows:
Take another person who has experiential confidence in the Buddha … With the ending of three fetters they’re a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening.This person, too, is exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
Y E T , even those who do NOT have aveccappasada, i.e are NOT Sotapannas, but, “they have these qualities:the faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom” together with either:
“And they accept the principles proclaimed by the Realized One after considering them with a degree of wisdom”, or
“And they have a degree of faith and love for the Buddha”:
THIS PERSON TOO DOESN’T GO TO HELL, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They don’t go to places of loss, bad places, the underworld.
The sutta itself starts off with the Buddha stating : “when a lay follower has for a long time gone for refuge to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, how could they go to the underworld?” At the time Sarakani was not a Sotapanna; he ‘undertook the training'(became a Sotapanna) only just before dying.(SN 55.25) ‘saranam’ alone (taking Refuge) suffices to be exempt from the apayas.
This is just to dispel the fear of the apayas from the minds of many. Just strive on, whatever stage you are at.
Metta to all