There are four methods of practice to purify the spirit or soul according to the temperament of each one. Each method leads to the realization of Nibbana or emancipation from all bondage of rebirth. There are four types of enlightenment (Arahat).
          Sukkhavipassaka. Those who have attained the noble path through pure insight (wisdom) observation or investigation of reality of life and the soul detach from the five aggregates (Vipassana). They have at least reached the first stage of absorption (first jhanic state) to realize the true meaning of life and reached the stage of sainthood. They enjoy the happiness of Nibbana through comprehension of the fruits that they have attained.
Those who practice the four foundations of mindfulness will attain Nibbana by wisdom, but they will not see ghosts or any sentient beings in hells or heavens or Brahma. They have no miraculous powers of mind. They do not see Nibbana or Buddha, but they realize there are many planes of existence and there is real eternal supreme happiness that they can enter after they die.

           Tevijja (threefold knowledge of worthy ones). Those Arahats or enlightened people have attained the noble path through super-knowledge from forty subjects of meditation such as the following three :
- The knowledge of previous lives (Pubbeniva sanusstinana).
- The super-knowledge of passing away and rebirth of beings (Cutupapata-nana). On what plane will they be born whether in a state of misery or on a heavenly plane ?
- The super-knowledge of emancipation. Those enlightened people have easily abandoned the passions of the body (five aggregates of hatred, anger, craving, attachment, all worldly possessions) with the highest state of absorption (Asavakkaya) in concentration meditation. They have realized the true meaning of life, nature, and the universe, through the highest wisdom. They have entered the noble path and attained Nibbana, the supreme happiness.
The Arahat with sixfold knowledge (Chalabhinna). Those who enter the state of sainthood, enlightened people enjoy the eternal peace or Nibbana and have been liberated from the cycle of life and death by the forty methods of meditation and have gained miraculous psychic power and supernatural knowledge far beyond that of scientists. They have practiced meditation with the eight devices (kasina) until they have reached the fourth stage of absorption (one-pointedness of mind) in each device.
- They are able to walk on water or fly in the air and can go anywhere within seconds. They perform many miraculous powers which we ordinary people cannot understand. The sixfold path of supernatural knowledge or super-wisdom is as follows: - The super-knowledge (Cutupapata-nana) of where all being come from, where are they going to be born, on which planes of existence will they be after death. This super-knowledge is to be realized. There is no ending of rebirth without eradication of all defilements, attachments, and the determination to reach the stage of Nibbana.
- The super-knowledge of the state of mind (Cetopariyanana) of all sentient beings who are happy. They know what they are thinking and possess knowledge of the state of sainthood or state of misery. It is the telepathic ability to know the condition of other beings. This knowledge reveals to these souls, the condition of sentient beings, such as cleanliness or defilement.
- The super-knowledge to remember or to recall one's own previous life or any plane of one's own existence.
- The super-knowledge of hearing far away (Dibbasota) or clairaudience.
- The super-knowledge of the destruction of all defilements (Asavakkaya), mental intoxication, greed, passion, craving, attachment to body, states of mind, and egoism, and self-delusion. These fetters will be eradicated eventually with the wisdom in the fourth stage of meditation.
The fourth type of Enlightened One or Worthy One (Arahat) is Patisambhidhapatta arahat.
Those who practice all forty subjects of meditation and four foundations of mindfulness and liberate themselves from the cycle of life and death attain Nibbana. They are very intelligent with many kinds of super-knowledge and can perform miraculous, powerful actions, especially the super-knowledge of sacred texts and languages can simply explain any difficult problems and make it easy for other people to understand the super-knowledge of all Buddha's teachings.
This type of enlightenment is a combination of Tevijja-arahat and Chalabhinna-arahat. They achieve the fourth stage of absorption in form devices and another four formless devices called the eight jhana. They attain Nibbana with special kinds of super-knowledge and super-power performance. One example of this type of Arahat is Pramogalana, the leaf chief disciple of Lord Buddha.