When we say noble or ignoble we should be speaking of an individual and not of a race as a whole. It is a question of knowledge or wisdom but not of birth or caste. Thus the object of the Buddha was to create a noble personage (arya-pudgala)—in the sense of a noble life.

The noble community (arya-sangha) was founded for that very purpose. The noble ideal (arya-dharma) and the noble discipline (arya-vinaya) were set forth for the aspiring candidates. The path to be pursued by the noble aspirant is the Noble Eightfold Path (arya-astangika-lltarga) and the truth to be believed by the noble is the Noble Fourfold Truth (catvari arya-satyani). The perfections attained by the noble were the four noble fruitions (arya-phala) and the wealth to be possessed by the noble was the noble sevenfold wealth (sapta arya-dhana), all being spiritual qualifications. The careful application of the word ‘arya’ to each of the important points of his institution must not be overlooked by a student of Buddhism. The Buddha thus seemed to have endeavored to revive the original meaning of arya in personality and the daily life of his religious community.