Arya is a term frequently used in Buddhism that can be translated as "noble", "not ordinary", "valuable", "precious", "pure", etc. Arya in the sense of "noble" or "exalted" is frequently used in Buddhist texts to designate a spiritual warrior or hero.
Buddha's Dharma and Vinaya are the ariyassa dhammavinayo.
In Buddhist texts, the āryas are those who have the Buddhist śīla and follow the Buddhist path.
Buddhists who have attained one of the four levels of awakening are themselves called ariya puggalas.
In the context of the four noble truths, contemporary scholars explain the meaning of ārya as follows:
Paul Williams states: "The Aryas are the noble ones, the saints, those who have attained 'the fruits of the path', 'that middle path the Tathagata has comprehended which promotes sight and knowledge, and which tends to peace, higher wisdom, enlightenment, and Nibbana'.
Geshe Tashi Tsering states: "The modifier noble means truth as perceived by arya beings, those beings who have had a direct realization of emptiness or selflessness. Noble means something seen by arya beings as it really is, and in this case it is four recognitions—suffering, origin, cessation, and path. Arya beings see all types of suffering—physical and mental, gross and subtle—exactly as they are, as suffering. For people like us, who do not have the direct realization of emptiness, although we may understand certain levels of physical and mental experiences as suffering, it is impossible for us to see all the levels of suffering for what they are. Instead we may see some things as desirable when in truth they are suffering."
Bhikkhu Bodhi explains: In Chinese Buddhist texts, ' is translated as :wikt:聖|聖. The spiritual character of the use of the term ārya in Buddhist texts can also be seen in the Mahavibhasa and in the Yogacarabhumi. The Mahāvibhasa states that only the noble ones realize all four of the four noble truths and that only a noble wisdom understands them fully. The same text also describes the āryas as the ones who "have understood and realized about the suffering, " and who "understand things as they are". In another text, the Yogācārabhūmi, the āryas are described as being free from the viparyāsas. Several Buddhist texts show that the ' was taught to everybody, including the āryas, Dasyus, Devas, Gandharvas and Asuras. The describes a story of Buddha teaching his dharma to the Four Heavenly Kings of the four directions. In this story, the guardians of the east and the south are āryajatiya who speak Sanskrit, while the guardians of the west and the north are dasyujatiya who speak Dasyu languages. In order to teach his Dharma, Buddha has to deliver his discourse in Aryan and Dasyu languages. This story describes Buddha teaching his Dharma to the āryas and Dasyus alike. The Karandavyuha| describes how Avalokiteśvara taught the ārya Dharma to the asuras, Yaksha|s and Rakshasa|s. In many parts of the South India, if somebody is supposed to be addressed respectably, the prefix "Ayya", derived from "Arya" is used. South Indians used to call them "Arya" which is now transformed to "Ayya". This term is used even today.
