phyir mi 'ong ba
non-returner, never-returner, not returning to sams ra [IW]
never-returner (1 of lam bzhi), that will not have to come back, anagamins, those who will not have to be born in the world again [JV]
non-returner; nonreturner, never-returner, not returning to samsara [RY]
Discussion[edit]
Non-Returner. A Noble who will not be reborn in the Desire Realm because they have extinguished all the afflictions of the Desire Realm. They may be reborn in the Form or Formless Realm, where they will attain Nirvana. This is the third of the four results of the Listener path. There are many divisions of non-returners--those bound for Form, bound for Formless, etc.
The suggestion of "never-returner" is not commonly encountered; non-returner is seen far more often, particularly in Theravada texts, and is preferable for that reason. "Not returning to samsara" is incorrect, as noted above.. DKC