<p>The orthodox Theravada interpretation is that he went through all four stages.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[I]n the course of his long wanderings in samsāra, the bodhisatta had been to all the realms except the five suddhāvāsa realms which are meant only for those who have attained anāgāmi stage. The bodhisatta usually attains all the four stages on the path only in his last existence.</p>
<p>-- Mahasi Sayadaw, Discourse on Paticcasamuppada</p>
</blockquote>
<p>N.B. I assume &quot;usually&quot; above is a mistranslation; it is not usually, it is always the case AFAIK.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-29T16:14:16.833Z
2015-03-29T16:14:16.833Z
2020-06-17T09:56:10.877Z
yuttadhammo
<p>Did Buddha go through the stages of sotapanna/sakadagami/anagami before his enlightenment? Or did he go straight from a normal person to an arahant and a Buddha during the night of his enlightenment?</p>

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2015-03-30T14:26:15.057Z
I would imagine he was born an anagami in his last life.
Anthony
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2015-03-30T14:56:30.793Z
@Anthony, but Buddha did get married and had a son in that lifetime. I guess that required some kama-raga?
fxam
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2015-03-30T15:12:09.893Z
@Anthony, and I guess the bodhisatta's ascetic practice was a form of silabbata-paramasa (attachment to rites and rituals) too.
fxam
<anagami><sotapanna><sakadagami><arahant>
Did Buddha go through the stages of sotapanna/sakadagami/anagami before his enlightenment?
# Did Buddha go through the stages of sotapanna/sakadagami/anagami before his enlightenment?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-03-29)

Did Buddha go through the stages of sotapanna/sakadagami/anagami before his enlightenment? Or did he go straight from a normal person to an arahant and a Buddha during the night of his enlightenment?

**Tags:** anagami, sotapanna, sakadagami, arahant

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I would imagine he was born an anagami in his last life.  
> **username_0**: @username_1, but Buddha did get married and had a son in that lifetime. I guess that required some kama-raga?  
> **username_0**: @username_1, and I guess the bodhisatta's ascetic practice was a form of silabbata-paramasa (attachment to rites and rituals) too.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-03-29. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

The orthodox Theravada interpretation is that he went through all four stages.

> [I]n the course of his long wanderings in samsāra, the bodhisatta had been to all the realms except the five suddhāvāsa realms which are meant only for those who have attained anāgāmi stage. The bodhisatta usually attains all the four stages on the path only in his last existence.
>
> -- Mahasi Sayadaw, Discourse on Paticcasamuppada

N.B. I assume "usually" above is a mistranslation; it is not usually, it is always the case AFAIK.


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