Buddhist Dhammapadha not all bhikkhus are Arahants

Chapter XXVI - BRAHMANA VAGGA - The Brahmana

REALISE THE UNCREATED

REALISE THE UNCREATED

Chinda sotam parakkamma kame panuda brahmana
Sankharanam khayam natva akatannu' si brahmana. [383]

O brahmana, ¹ cut off the stream ² of craving with diligence, and abandon sense desires. Knowing the destruction of conditioned things, be, O brahmana, a knower of the Unmade ³(Nibbana). [383]

XXVI: 01 Not all bhikkhus are Arahants

Once in Savatthi, there lived a brahmin who became extremely devoted to the Buddha and his bhikkhus. Always, he invited the bhikkhus to his house for almsfood. When they arrived at his house, he addressed them as 'Arahants' and respectfully requested them to enter his house. When they were addressed thus, those who had not attained Arahanthood felt embarrassed and after that they avoided going to the brahmin's house.

When the bhikkhus avoided his house, the brahmin felt sad and depressed. He reported to the Buddha that the bhikkhus were avoiding his house. When questioned, they told the Buddha that the brahmin addressed all of them as Arahants. He then asked them whether they felt false pride and undue elation when they were thus addressed. They answered in the negative. To them the Buddha said, 'Bhikkhus! the brahmin is using this form of address only out of respect because of his boundless devotion to the Arahants. Bhikkhus should try to attain Arahanthood by uprooting the stream of craving.'

Notes:

Though a racial term here it is applied either to a Buddha or an Arahant - to one who has completed the Way and has won Enlightenment.

Sotam - stream of craving.

Nibbana is not made of anything. It is unconditioned.