What Kind of Craving Has the Srotāpanna Abandoned?

Original text of the Lankavatara Sutra: A Srotapanna severs the three fetters. Craving and delusion do not arise. If a Srotapanna entertains such a thought: "These fetters I have not attained," two faults should exist: falling into the view of self-existence and the non-severing of the fetters. Mahamati addressed the Buddha: "World-Honored One, the World-Honored One has spoken of the many kinds of craving and desire. Which craving has been severed [by the Srotapanna]?" The Buddha told Mahamati: "Delighting in women, clinging and grasping with infatuation, employing various means, committing bodily and verbal misdeeds, enjoying present pleasures, and planting the seeds of future suffering—that craving does not arise [in him]. Why is this so? Because he attains the bliss of samadhi and right reception. Therefore, that [craving] is severed. It is not the craving directed towards Nirvana that is severed." Commentary: The Buddha said that a Srotapanna severs the three fetters; craving and delusion do not arise. If a Srotapanna has the thought: "If I do not attain these three fetters," two faults would occur: falling into the view of self-existence and the non-severing of the various defilement-fetters. Mahamati said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, you have said that sentient beings have numerous cravings and desires; which craving has the Srotapanna severed?" The Buddha told Mahamati: Delighting in women, clinging and grasping with infatuation towards women, using various methods and means, committing bodily and verbal misdeeds, enjoying present pleasures, planting the seeds of suffering in future lives—this craving the Srotapanna has severed; it no longer arises. Why is this so? Because when the Srotapanna contemplates and severs the view of self, he experiences the bliss of samadhi and does not need to crave the pleasure of women. Therefore, that craving is severed; it is not the craving directed towards the bliss of Nirvana that is severed.

This explains that a Srotapanna has severed a certain type of craving so that it does not arise; it is not that all craving does not arise. The complete non-arising of all craving belongs to the third-fruit person [Anagamin]. The first-fruit person has severed the three binding fetters of the view of self-existence; clinging and infatuation towards the opposite sex does not arise because of the bliss of samadhi. The so-called bliss of samadhi is the meditative absorption experience and the phenomenon of clarity of awareness at the time of realizing the first fruit. Therefore, realizing the first fruit necessarily requires meditative concentration (dhyana), specifically access concentration (anagamya-samadhi); only then, at the time of realizing the first fruit, does the state of samadhi arise, encompassing both meditative absorption and the wisdom that severs the view of self.