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There are four types of beings: those who have destroyed three of the ten fetters are called Sotapanna, those who have destroyed three and weakened two are called Sakadagami, and those who have destroyed five are called Anagami. Those who have destroyed all ten fetters are called Arhat.
The first stage represents the time of spiritual underdevelopment. In the second, there is a slight glimmer of development, but the influence of underdevelopment is more pronounced than development. The third to sixth stages represent the progressive increase of spiritual development, which culminates in the sixth stage - Arhat, after which the state of Nirvana is attained.
The Ajivika sect may have also indicated spiritual development through stages. As the leader of the Ajivika sect, Mankhaliputra Goshalak is considered a rival of Lord Mahavira. Therefore, he must have conceived of something like the Gunasthanas to explain spiritual development. However, since no literature of his is available, nothing can be said for certain. Nevertheless, Buddhist literature mentions eight stages of spiritual development in the Ajivika sect:
(1) Mand, (2) Khidda, (3) Pad Vimana, (4) Ujjugat, (5) Sekh, (6) Saman, (7) Jin, (8) Panna.
Buddhaghosa, in his Sumangalavilasini commentary on the Majjhima Nikaya, describes these eight stages as follows:
(1) Mand - From birth to seven days, the being remains in the Mand state due to the pain of birth.