Definition: In the soteriological taxonomy, a sekha is one who has entered the path but not yet completed it — stream-enterers (sotāpanna), once-returners (sakadāgāmī), non-returners (anāgāmī), and those on the path to arahantship. The sekha is contrasted with the asekha ("beyond-trainee", the arahant) above and the puthujjana (ordinary worldling) below.
Canonical usage
Dhp 45 (dhp45:1–45:4)
Sekho pathaviṁ vicessati, / Yamalokañca imaṁ sadevakaṁ; / Sekho dhammapadaṁ sudesitaṁ, / Kusalo pupphamiva pacessati.
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English (Sujato): A student shall examine the earth, this realm of the dead, along with its gods; a student shall reflect on the well-taught verses of the teaching, as an expert picks flowers.
Nuances and translation notes
- Sujato: "student" at Dhp 45 (generalised rendering) — the technical sense is "trainee in the path"
- Buddharakkhita: "disciple in higher training"
- Norman (PTS): "learner"
- de Zoysa (Sinhala): සේඛ — direct cognate
English "student" obscures the technical meaning: a sekha is not a beginner but someone already on the ariya-path at one of four stages below arahantship. At Dhp 45 the parallel pupphamiva pacessati ("picks them like flowers") indicates the sekha's discerning capacity is already operative.
Related concepts
- asekha — the arahant; "one beyond training" (pending)
- puthujjana — the ordinary person, not yet a sekha
- sotapanna — the first grade of sekha (pending)
- ariya — "noble one"; the class all sekhas belong to (pending)
- sikkha — the training itself (pending)
Related pages
- dhammapada 04 pupphavagga — Dhp 45