1. What sort of person is one released occasionally?
Here a person goes on experiencing the eight stages of deliverance*
from time to time, and having seen & understood them through insight,
only
some of his mental impurities (kilesas) are completely destroyed.
Such a person is said to be released occasionally.
* The 4 lower
jhānas
+ 4 formless
jhānas
2. What sort of
person is one released not only occasionally?
Here a person goes on experiencing the eight stages of deliverance
though not only from time to time, and having seen & known them
through
insight, all his mental impurities are completely destroyed.
Such a person is said to be released not only occasionally.
3. What sort of person is one of perturbable nature?
Here a person obtains the 4 lower
jhānas
& also the 4 formless
jhānas,
but he
does not obtain them with the certainty he desires, nor without
difficulty,
nor without travail. Neither does he enter, nor emerge from them
where-ever
or when-ever he wants, nor do they last as long as he wish to.
There remains the possibility that neglect overcoming him should perturb
those attainments. Such a person is said to be of perturbable nature.
4. What sort of person is one of imperturbable nature?
Here a person obtains the 4 lower
jhānas
and also the 4 formless
jhānas,
and he
does indeed obtain them with the certainty he desires, without any
difficulty, effortless. He enters into, remains in, and emerges from them
where-ever he desires, when-ever he desires, and as long as he desires.
There remains no possibility that neglect should overcome him & perturb
those attainments. Such a person is said to be of imperturbable nature.
5. What sort of person is one of imperfect nature?
Here a person obtains the 4 lower
jhānas
& also the 4 formless
jhānas,
but he
does not obtain them with the certainty he desires, nor without
difficulty,
nor without travail. Neither does he enter, nor emerge from them
where-ever he desires, nor when-ever he desires, nor as long as he desires.
There remains the possibility that neglect overcoming him should perturb
those attainments. Such a person is said to be of imperfect nature.
6. What sort of person is one of faultless nature
Here a person obtains the 4 lower
jhānas
& also the 4 formless
jhānas,
and he
does indeed obtain them with the certainty he desires, without any
difficulty, effortless. He enters into, remains in, and emerges from them
where-ever he desires, when-ever he desires, and as long as he desires.
There remains no possibility that neglect should overcome him & perturb
those attainments, causing him to give up his attainments.
Such a person is
said to
be of faultless nature.
7. What sort of person is he, who is made competent by
intention?
Here a person obtains the 4 lower
jhānas
& also the 4 formless
jhānas,
but he
does not obtain them with the certainty he desires, nor without
difficulty,
nor without travail. Neither does he enter, nor emerge from them
where-ever he desires, nor when-ever he desires, nor as long as he desires.
If he follows
this up by intending not to fall away, he does not fall away,
if he does not so deliberately intend, he does indeed fall away from
them.
Such a person is said to be a person, who is made competent by intention.
8. What sort of person is he, who is made competent by
guarding?
Here a person obtains the 4 lower
jhānas
& also the 4 formless
jhānas,
but he
does not obtain them with the certainty he desires, nor without
difficulty,
nor without travail. Neither does he enter, nor emerge from them
where-ever he desires, nor when-ever he desires, nor as long as he desires.
If he is watchful and guards them, he does not fall away
from those states.
If he is neither watchful, nor guards them, he does fall away from them.
Such a person is said to be a person, who is made competent by guarding.
9. What sort of person is said to be an ordinary person
(puthujjana)?
The person whose first three obstructing
fetters
# have not yet been eliminated,
and
who is not going to do anything to put these away, such a person is said
to be
an
ordinary
person =
puthujjana.
Comment
#:
Fetter 1: Personality-belief
(sakkāya-ditthi)
Fetter 2: Sceptical doubt (vicikicchā)
Fetter 3: Clinging to mere rules and
ritual (Sīlabbata-Parāmāsa; s.
upādāna)
10. What sort of person is one become of the
Noble family?
The person, who is endowed with those conditions immediately after
entering the
Noble State, is
said now to be one of the
Noble family.
11 and 12. What sort of person is one dominated by fear?
The seven kinds of learners
(sekha)
and
those ordinary persons,
who observe the 5 precepts are restrained by fear.
The fearless Arahats are not controlled by fear.
13. What sort of person is incapable of progress?
The persons, who are covered with the veil of kamma, covered with a disguise of
evil passions, covered with the shrouded membrane of the consequences thereof,
who are devoid of faith, wanting, greedy, who are foolish,
stupid, incapable of
walking the
Way recognised to be the true
path in regard to things that are good:
These persons are said to be
incapable of progress.
14. What sort of person is capable of progress?
The persons who are neither covered with the veil of kamma, nor covered with
disguise of evil passions, nor covered with any shade of the consequences thereof,
who have faith, who wish good, who are wise & capable of walking the sole
Way,
which is the true path, in regard to things that are good, true &
very advantageous:
These persons are said to be capable
of progress.
15 and 16. What sort of person is one with determined destiny
The five types of persons going to hell* and those who hold
wrong views **
are persons with a determined destiny. The eight types of
Noble persons
are persons with a determined destiny.
The remaining persons are with an
so far undetermined destiny.
Comments:
* They have either:
Killed Mother or Father.
Killed an Arahat.
Caused a Split in Sangha.
Injured a
SammāSamBuddha by causing him to bleed.
** Having Wrong View they claim:
"There is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, neither fruit nor any
ripening of neither good, nor evil actions, no this world, no
any world
beyond this,
no need to service mother, or father, no spontaneously reborn beings, no good
and virtuous monks and brahmins, who have themselves realized these
dimensions
by
direct knowledge and explain this world and the other worlds beyond this one."
17 and 18. What sort of person is a path-walker?
The
four persons, who possess the
path are path-walkers.
The
four persons, who possess the fruition stage are
established in the
fruition
of the path.
19. What sort of person is he who is 'equal-headed'?
The person in whose mental impurities
(kilesas)
cease
right at the moment of death. Such a person
is said
to
be one, who is 'equal-headed'.
20: What sort of person is one for whom an aeon endures?
Should such a person strive for the fruition of
stream-entrance, and should
it then be the time for the imploding
conflagration of the existing universe,
then this universe will not burn up before this person realises the Noble state:
This person is said to
be one for whom an aeon endures.
All persons who possess the path (magga) are
such.
21 and 22. What sort of person is a
Noble?
The eight types of
Noble persons are the
Noble.
The remaining
persons are not
Noble.
23-25. What sort of person is a learner
(sekha)
?
The four persons, who possess the
path and the three persons, who
possess
the
fruition are learners. Arahats are not learners,
but learned (asekha).
The remaining most ordinary persons are neither learners, nor non-learners...
26. What sort of person is a master of threefold
knowledges
A person having three knowledges is a person endowed with the threefold lore:
tevijjā = possessed of three
vijjas: namely:
Pubbe-nivasananam = knowledge &
direct experience of
previous
incarnations,
Dibba-cakkhunapam = knowledge & direct experience of
divine deva-sight,
Arahantaphalanapam = knowledge & direct experience of
Arahatship.
27. What sort of person is a possessor of the six superknowledges
(abhinna)?
A person having these is a person endowed with six superknowledges, which
are the 6 supra-normal powers of thought and will:
1:
Various magical powers,
2:
Deva-ear,
3:
Knowing the thoughts of others,
4:
Remembering previous incarnations,
5:
Deva-sight, clairvoyance,
6:
Knowledge
of how to eliminate the 3 mental fermentations
= 3 Asavas:
1:
Kamasava: The mental fermentation of sense-desire,
2: Bhavasava: The mental fermentation of always longing after new being,
3: Avijjasava: The mental fermentation of not knowing the Four Noble
Truths.
28. What sort of person is a Perfectly Enlightened One
(Sammā-SamBuddha).
Here a certain person, who by himself thoroughly understands the sublime truths
regarding the doctrines not heard of before, and he attains omniscience
therein,
as well as perfect mastery over all possible abilities. This sort of person
is said
to be a Perfectly Enlightened One =
Sammā-SamBuddha.
29. What sort of person is Solitary
Enlightened One
(Pacceka
Buddha)?
Here a certain person, who by himself thoroughly understands the sublime truths
regarding the doctrines not heard of before, but he attains neither omniscience,
nor perfect mastery over all possible abilities. This sort of person is said to be
one enlightened solitarily =
Pacceka
Buddha.
30. What sort of person is released in both ways
(ubhato-bhāga-vimutta)
?
Here a person obtains the 4 lower
jhānas
and also the 4 formless
jhānas,
and having seen and understood them through insight, all of his mental
impurities (kilesas) are completely destroyed. This sort of person is
said to be released in both ways =
ubhato-bhāga-vimutta.
31. What sort of person is released by way of insight
(paññā-vimutti)?
Here a person does neither obtain the 4 lower
jhānas,
nor the 4 formless
jhānas,
but having seen and understood any phenomena through insight, all of his mental
impurities (kilesas) are completely destroyed. This sort of person is said
to be released
by insight =
paññā-vimutti.
32. What sort of person is an eye-witness
(kāya-sakkhi)
?
Here a person obtains the 4 lower
jhānas
and also the 4 formless
jhānas,
and having seen and understood them through insight, some of his mental
impurities (kilesas) are completely destroyed. This sort of person is said
to
be an eye-witness =
kāya-sakkhi.
33. What sort of person is one, who has won vision?
Here a person truly understands that all this is suffering, that
craving is the
cause of suffering, that no craving is the end of suffering, and
that this Noble
8-fold Way is the method to end all suffering. The
doctrines promulgated by the
Tathagata are perceived by him through
insight, as well as practised; and having
seen phenomena through insight,
some of his mental impurities are completely
eliminated. This sort of
person is said to be one, who has won vision.
34. What sort of person is released by faith?
Here a person truly understands that all this is suffering, that
craving is the
cause of suffering, that no craving is the end of suffering, and
that this Noble
8-fold Way is the method to end all suffering. The
doctrines promulgated by the
Tathagata are perceived by him through
insight, as well as practised; and having
seen phenomena through insight,
some of his mental impurities are completely
eliminated, though not in
the same deeper way, as one who has won vision.
This sort of
person is said to be one released by faith.
35. What sort of person is a Dhamma-Follower?
The ability of insight of a person going to realise the fruit of
stream-entrance
develops to a large extent;
he cultivates the
Noble Path carrying with it insight,
Such a person practising for
the fruition of a
stream-attainer
is a
Dhamma-Follower,
while the same
person
established in the fruition, is one who has won vision.
36. What sort of person is a Faith-Follower?
The ability of faith of a person going to realise the fruit of
stream-entrance
develops to a large extent. He cultivates the
Noble Path carrying with it
faith,
which is initiated by faith - this sort of
person is said to be one Faith-Follower.
Such a person striving after the fruition stage of stream-attaining is a
faith-
follower; while the same person established in the fruition is
released by faith.
37. What sort of person is one, who is re-born only 7 times
more at most?
Here a person, having completely destroyed the first three
fetters, becomes
a
stream-attainer;
he is no more prone to fall into lower rebirth than as human,
but is destined to succeed to enlightenment after transmigrating seven times
at most among
devas and men. Such a person is said to be
one not undergoing
re-birth more than seven times.
38. What sort of person is he, who transmigrates among good families?
Here a person, having completely destroyed the first three
fetters, becomes
a
stream-attainer;
he is no more liable to fall into lower rebirth than human,
but is destined to succeed to enlightenment; he transmigrates two or three
times among good families and then makes an end of suffering. Such a person
is said to
be one, who migrates from good family to good family.
39. What sort of person is single seeded?
Here a person, having completely destroyed the first three
fetters, becomes
a
stream-attainer;
he is no more liable to fall into lower rebirth than as a human,
but is destined to succeed to enlightenment. Having returned only once more to
the state of human existence makes an
end of suffering. Such a person is said
to
be single-seeded.
40. What sort of person is a once-returner
(Sakadāgāmi)?
Here a person, having completely destroyed the first three
fetters,
and
having furthermore
weakened greed, hatred and confusion, he becomes a
once-returner, who by coming back once only to this human world, will make
a final end to all suffering.
Such a person is said to be a once-returner.
41. What sort of person is a non-returner (Anāgāmī)?
Here a person, having completely destroyed the first five
fetters causing
re-birth in the lower worlds, becomes a being of spontaneous divine re-birth;
attaining the final release at that same level, he is not
liable to return from
that high deity state. Such a man is said to be a non-returner =
Anāgāmī.
42. What person is
one, who reaches release before half-time (antarā-parinibbāyī)?
Here a person, having completely destroyed the first five
fetters causing
re-birth
in the lower worlds, becomes a being of spontaneous divine re-birth;
attaining the
final release at that same level, he is not
liable to return from
that high deity state.
Either immediately after his coming there or before
reaching the middle life length,
he produces the
Noble
Path and puts away
the remaining 5 higher
fetters.
Such a
person is said to be one, who reaches
release before half-time =
antarā-parinibbāyī.
43. What sort of person is
one who crosses the half-time (upahacca-parinibbāyī)?
Here a person, having completely destroyed the first five
fetters causing
re-birth in the lower worlds, becomes a being of spontaneous divine re-birth;
attaining the final release at that same level, he is not
liable to return from
that high deity state. After crossing the middle of
that life span, he brings forth
the
Noble Path
and thus puts away the
5 higher fetters.
Such a person is said
to be one, who crosses the half-time =
upahacca-parinibbāyī.
44. What sort of person
reaches Nibbāna without effort (asankhāra-parinibbāyī)?
Here a person, having completely destroyed the first five
fetters causing
re-birth in the lower worlds, becomes a being of spontaneous divine re-birth;
attaining the final release at that same level, he is not
liable to return from
that high deity state. He spontaneously brings forth the
Noble
Way & puts away
the 5 higher
fetters.
He reaches Nibbāna without effort
=
asankhāra-parinibbāyī.
45. What person one
who reaches Nibbāna with effort (sasankhāra-parinibbāyī)?
Here a person, having completely destroyed the first five
fetters causing
re-birth in the lower worlds, becomes a being of spontaneous divine re-birth;
attaining the final release at that same level, he is not
liable to return from
that high deity state. By persistent effort he
produces the
Noble Path
and puts
away the 5 higher
fetters.
Such a person is called one, who reaches
Nibbāna with
some effort
=
sasankhāra-parinibbāyī.
46. What person is
an upstream Akanittha-Traveller (uddhamsota-akanittha-gāmī)?
Here a person, having completely destroyed the first five
fetters causing
re-birth in the lower worlds, becomes a being of spontaneous divine re-birth;
attaining the final release at that same level, he is not
liable to return from
that high deity state. Having deceased from Aviha
(the cannot-fall-back-gods) he
goes to Atappa
(at-ease gods), having died there at the Atappa
deva level he
goes
to Sudassa (good-looking gods),
having deceased from Sudassa he goes to Sudassi
(clear-sighted gods), having deceased from
Sudassi he goes to Akanittha
(senior gods).
In the Akanittha abode he brings forth the
Noble
Path &
puts away the 5 higher
fetters.
Such a person is an upstream Akanittha-Traveller =
uddhamsota-akanittha-gāmī.
47. Who is a
stream-attainer
and who is one striving for the fruition stage?
Any person, who works for putting away the first three
fetters is one working
for realisation of the fruition stage of a
stream-attainer,
while
the person whose
three first
fetters
already have been put away is said to be a
stream-attainer.
48. Who is a once-returner & who
is striving for once-return fruition?
Any person, who is working for the destruction of sense-desire and ill-will
is striving for once-return fruition, while the person whose sense-desire &
ill-will already has been reduced much, is said to be
a once-returner.
49. Who is a
non-returner (Anāgāmī)
and
works for non-return fruition?
Any person, who is working for the traceless elimination of sense-desire and
ill-will
is still striving for realisation of
the fruition stage of a non-returner.
The person whose sense-desire & ill-will has been entirely eradicated without
any
remaining traces left back, is said to be a non-returner.
50. Who is an Arahat, and who is one striving of the
Arahat fruition stage?
A person working for putting away attachment to form and the
formless,
to pride, arrogance, and ignorance without any residuum is
one working for
the fruition stage of Arahatship. The person whose
attachment to form and
the formless, and whose pride, conceit and ignorance already has been entirely
eradicated, is said to be an
Arahat.
Here ends the designation of grouping
beings by One.
