Can a Lay Practitioner Attain the Fourth Stage of Arhatship?

Question: There is a viewpoint that states that once innate ego-grasping is severed, the mind becomes free from attachments; one no longer feels fear or dread regarding the life and death of oneself or loved ones, nor dread over the loss of one's property. This certainly constitutes great liberation. But is this state appropriate for a lay practitioner who does not intend to renounce household life? If one truly cultivates to this level, it seems many types of work would become impossible to do.

Answer: Firstly, if we are speaking of someone who has completely severed innate ego-grasping, in the Hinayana tradition, this is a Fourth Fruition Arhat (Great Arhat), and in the Mahayana tradition, this is an Eighth Bhumi Bodhisattva. Now, it is impossible for a layperson to cultivate to the level of a Fourth Fruition Arhat. A layperson can at most attain the Third Fruition. Attaining the Third Fruition is extremely difficult. A Third Fruition person is almost entirely disinterested in worldly dharmas within the secular realm and will inevitably seek a way to renounce household life. Moreover, the opportunities for renunciation are very numerous, and they have even less interest in the household. If they do not renounce, most live their days according to conditions, but there is still a portion of clinging that has not been eradicated. Regarding household life and work, they are also accommodating to conditions, with little sense of clinging.

As for the Fourth Fruition Arhats of the Mahayana tradition, who are at the Eighth Bhumi Bodhisattva level, they generally do not come to the Saha World. Even if they come to this world, they would not live a householder's secular life—such as working to support a family and make a living. This is fundamentally impossible. Their merit and virtue are immeasurably vast; how could they engage in such a lowly matter as doing secular work to make a living? Their work of liberating sentient beings is all done according to conditions, without the slightest clinging. Why then would they stoop to work and support a family? In truth, finding even a First Bhumi Bodhisattva or a Third Fruition person in the Saha World is exceedingly rare. Bodhisattvas on the Bhumis generally do not remain householders; they renounce to liberate sentient beings. The only exception might be if there were so many Bodhisattvas that it was unnecessary for all of them to renounce in order to serve as examples for sentient beings.