Venerable sir,


Thank you

    – user2512
    Mar 10 '15 at 21:16
  • 1
    – Lowbrow
    Apr 13 '17 at 14:01

14 Answers 14






There are 5 ways to start your journey:

  1. listening to the Dharma
  2. teaching the Dharma
  3. reciting the Dharma
  4. reflecting on the Dharma
  5. meditation

Followed by:

joy arises in him;

because of joy, zest arises;

because of zest, the body becomes tranquil;

when the body is tranquil, he feels happiness;

a happy mind becomes concentrated.

Vimutt’āyatana Sutta


Also see this answer for more reference on Nibbida formula.








Sariputtri achieved stream enterer right then and there.













  • 1
    – jackchalat
    Jan 9 '15 at 16:09










    – user2512
    Mar 10 '15 at 21:18
  • 1
    – Ahmed
    Mar 12 '15 at 4:30
    – user2341
    Apr 13 '17 at 11:46







here is a book about sotapanna with citations


Free download so no breaking of second precept :-)

  • 1
    – ChrisW
    Apr 13 '17 at 10:16

Nondual Direct Pointing Out such as given in Dzogchen or Zen can result in realizing no-self without meditation, for those who's beings are ready.



The stages of enlightenment are dependant on cultivation.

Attachments to circumstances of the generation are a means of describing or assessing the level of enlightenment attainment, So to answer your question brother, achieving stream entry can be done, however that is all dependent on the path taken to attain the Dharma of the individual in question and the 'definition' of meditation.

Meditations are techniques or arts of cultivation. Cultivating the mind, heart and body are all important for a balanced or wholesome foundation. The more wholesome foundation will attune more to reaching the next level of enlightenment than an imbalanced one.

Body meditations are conditioning the limitations of the physical self (exercising the centre of gravity, centre of breathing, and the centre of action).

Heart meditations condition limitations on the emotional self (exercising the centres of Discipline - integrity, tenacity, and detachment; Expression - countenance, amplitude, and articulation; and Connection - empathy, perception, and restraint)

Mind meditations condition the cognitive self (exercising critical thinking, philosophical logic and functional analysis).

Cultivation is refining the arts of learning to reach Dharma for the individual. Focusing on the Dharma of the self will bring forth opportunities of coming across more relevant meditations to attain the Dharma. The relevant meditations nurture the Dharma of the self to Attain enlightenment.

Cultivate in harmony


Meditation is a tool — one might argue its the best tool for the job, but that would take a long discussion of what 'the job' is, which would be a serious digression — and anything you can do with a tool, you can do without a tool. It's just more difficult.

The reason people have trouble meditating is that as they sit, they keep thinking: "Gah, there's got to be something more interesting and useful to do than this." The mind always wants to drag us away from meditation, because the mind always wants to be doing something, because the mind is nothing more than a tool that gets stuff done. If we constantly had a hammer in our hand we would constantly be looking for something to hit with it; when we constantly have our mind engaged we are constantly looking for something to do. Meditation is a tool we use to put that other tool down.

There are all sorts of tricks one can use — one of my favorites is listening to the space between words, where nothing is happening — but putting down the mind is the key.


Based on the quoted talk below, meditation is required for most people, because attainment of stream entry is not possible without the overcoming of the five hindrances, which is done through the attainment of the first jhana.

However, Ven. Dhammavuddho is of the opinion, that very intelligent people, can fully understand the Dhamma and attain stream entry, without jhana or meditation. This is because they already possess the ability to focus their minds. The canonical support for this opinion can be found in this answer.

In the YouTube video entitled "Characteristics of a Sotapanna", Ven. Dhammavuddho Mahathera stated (with some paraphrasing):

Now we look at another Sutta - SN 55.5. ... It is mentioned that there are four factors or conditions for stream entry - sotapattiyangani. First, association with true men - sappurisa. Second, hearing the true Dhamma (Saddhamma). Third, focused attention or proper attention (yoniso manasikara). And fourth, practice of the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma - Dhammanudhammapatipatti.

The first one is association with true men. The word sappurisa also means ariyans - those who understand the true Dhamma. Because they understand the true Dhamma, you can hear the true Dhamma from them.

The second condition - What is the true Dhamma? ... if it agrees with the Buddha's words in the Suttas, then it is the true Dhamma. ....

The third condition, this word - yoniso manasikara, which I translate as focused attention. Sometimes they say careful attention. This word means that when you listen to the Dhamma, you are focused on listening to the Dhamma. In other words, at that time, you don't have the five hindrances. If that is so, then you can understand the Dhamma and attain stream entry.

So who are the people who do not have the five hindrances? In the suttas, it is stated by the Buddha that as long as a person has not attained piti (rapture) and sukha (joy) which are secluded from unwholesome states, which are secluded from sensual pleasures, the five hindrances will obsess him and obsess him habitually.

So, there are two types of persons who do not have the five hindrances. The first is the one who has attained the first jhana (i.e. he who has attained piti and sukha). When a person has attained the first jhana, he has eliminated the five hindrances and the Buddha says that the five hindrances no longer obsess that person habitually.

So there are two conditions if a person has the hindrances. Firstly, it obsesses your mind, it enslaves your mind. Secondly, it is habitual, it is very often there. ... When a person attains the first jhana, these hindrances reduce to a very low level. ...

The other type of person who does not have the five hindrances habitually obsessing his mind is an intelligent person - the person with a high IQ. Normally, a person born with a high IQ, he has good concentration and that was obtained from previous lives. ...

These are the two types of persons. One, because of previous lives, he's born very intelligent - he can focus his mind. The second person is one who has attained the jhanas.

The fourth condition - practice of the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma. So he keeps practising the Dhamma and he will attain stream entry. Now this fourth condition may not be necessary for some people. We find in the suttas - many people when they listen to the Buddha, speaking the Dhamma, even for the first time, they attain stream entry. The Buddha confirms this. But some people after they have listened, it doesn't click immediately. They go back and they think about it and then it clicks. And then they understand the Dhamma and attain stream entry.

So this practice of the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma is after he has listened, he starts to recall the Dhamma or investigate more of the Dhamma. And then after some time, then the pieces fall into place like a jigsaw puzzle. And then he sees the Dhamma.

Your Answer

