The Sixteen Arhats are a group of legendary Arhats in Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

; holy men who were predecessors or disciples of the Buddha

Buddha

In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...

. The Sixteen Arhats are particular popular in Zen

Zen

Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...

 Buddhism, where they are treated as examples of behaviour. They are sometimes increased to eighteen

Eighteen Arhats

The Eighteen Arhats are individuals depicted in Mahayana Buddhism who have followed the Eightfold Path and attained the Four Stages of Enlightenment, and are also the original followers of the Buddha. They have reached the state of Nirvana and are free of worldly cravings...

, with the addition of Nandimitra and a second Pindola, or sometimes the translator Kumarajiva

Kumarajiva

Kumārajīva; was a Kuchean Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator. He first studied teachings of the Sarvastivada schools, later studied under Buddhasvāmin, and finally became a Mahāyāna adherent, studying the Madhyamaka doctrine of Nagarjuna. Kumārajīva settled in Chang'an, which was the imperial...

.

The sixteen Arhats are:

• Pindolabharadrāja (賓度羅跋囉惰闍尊者, Bindora Baradāja sonja)
• Kanakavatsa (迦諾迦伐蹉尊者, Kanakabassa sonja)
• Kanakabharadrāja (迦諾迦跋釐堕闍尊者, Kanakabarudaja sonja)
• Subinda (蘇頻陀尊者, Subinda sonja)
• Nakula
  Nakula
  Nakula, also spelt "Nakul" was one of the five Pandava brothers according to the epic Mahābhārata. Nakula and Sahadeva were fraternal twins born to Madri, who had invoked the Ashvins using a mantra for a son, the mantra shared by Kunti...
  
   (諾距羅尊者, Nakola sonja)
• Bhadra
  Bhadra
  In Hinduism, Bhadra is a goddess of the hunt and one of Shiva's servants....
  
   (跋陀羅尊者, Badara sonja)
• Kālika (迦哩迦尊者, Kalika sonja)
• Vajraputra (伐闍羅弗多羅尊者, Bajarabutara sonja)
• Jīvaka (戎博迦尊者, Jubaka sonja)
• Panthaka (半託迦尊者, Hantaka sonja)
• Rāhula
  Rahula
  Rāhula was the only son of Siddhartha Gautama , later known as the Buddha, and his wife Princess Yasodharā.Accounts of his life differ in certain points. The following is that given in the Pāli Canon.- Life :...
  
   (囉怙羅尊者, Ragon sonja)
• Nāgasena
  Nagasena
  Nāgasena was a Brahmin who became a Buddhist sage lived about 150 BCE. His answers to questions about Buddhism posed by Menander I , the Indo-Greek king of northwestern India , are recorded in the Milinda Pañha....
  
   (那伽犀那尊者, Nagasena sonja)
• Ańgaja (因掲陀尊者, Ingada sonja)
• Vanavāsin (伐那婆斯尊者, Banabasu sonja)
• Ajita (阿氏多尊者, Ajita sonja)
• Cūdapanthaka (注荼半吒迦尊者, Chudahantaka sonja)