81 (1) The Destruction of Life
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there. What four? One destroys life, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, and speaks falsely. One possessing these four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there.
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four [other] qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What four? One abstains from the destruction of life, from taking what is not given, from sexual misconduct, and from false speech. One possessing these four qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there.”
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there. What four? One speaks falsely, speaks divisively, speaks harshly, and indulges in idle chatter. One possessing these four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there. [84]
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four [other] qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What four? One abstains from false speech, from divisive speech, from harsh speech, and from idle chatter. One possessing these four qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there.”
83 (3) Dispraise
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there. What four? (1) Without investigating and scrutinizing, one speaks praise of one who deserves dispraise. (2) Without investigating and scrutinizing, one speaks dispraise of one who deserves praise. (3) Without investigating and scrutinizing, one believes a matter that merits suspicion. (4) Without investigating and scrutinizing, one is suspicious about a matter that merits belief. Possessing these four qualities one is deposited in hell as if brought there.
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four [other] qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What four? (1) Having investigated and scrutinized, one speaks dispraise of one who deserves dispraise. (2) Having investigated and scrutinized, one speaks praise of one who deserves praise. (3) Having investigated and scrutinized, one is suspicious about a matter that merits suspicion. (4) Having investigated and scrutinized, one believes a matter that merits belief. Possessing these four qualities one is deposited in heaven as if brought there.”
84 (4) Anger
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there. What four? One values anger, not the good Dhamma; one values denigration, not the good Dhamma; one values gain, not the good Dhamma; one values honor, not the good Dhamma. One possessing these four qualities is deposited in hell as if brought there. [85]
“Bhikkhus, one possessing four [other] qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there. What four? One values the good Dhamma, not anger; one values the good Dhamma, not denigration; one values the good Dhamma, not gain; one values the good Dhamma, not honor. One possessing these four qualities is deposited in heaven as if brought there.”
85 (5) Darkness775
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? The one heading from darkness to darkness, the one heading from darkness to light, the one heading from light to darkness, and the one heading from light to light.
(1) “And how, bhikkhus, is a person heading from darkness to darkness? Here, some person has been reborn in a low family—a family of caṇḍālas, bamboo workers, hunters, cart makers, or flower scavengers776—one that is poor, with little food and drink, that subsists with difficulty, where food and clothing are obtained with difficulty; and he is ugly, unsightly, dwarfish, with much illness—blind, crippled, lame, or paralyzed. He does not obtain food, drink, clothing, and vehicles; garlands, scents, and unguents; bedding, housing, and lighting. He engages in misconduct by body, speech, and mind. In consequence, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell. It is in this way that a person is heading from darkness to darkness.
(2) “And how is a person heading from darkness to light? Here, some person has been reborn in a low family … where food and clothing are obtained with difficulty; and he is ugly … or paralyzed. He does not obtain food … and lighting. He engages in good conduct by body, speech, and mind. In consequence, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world. It is in this way that a person is heading from darkness to light.
(3) “And how is a person heading from light to darkness? [86] Here, some person has been reborn in a high family—an affluent khattiya family, an affluent brahmin family, or an affluent householder family—one that is rich, with great wealth and property, with abundant gold and silver, with abundant treasures and belongings, with abundant wealth and grain; and he is handsome, attractive, graceful, possessing supreme beauty of complexion. He obtains food, drink, clothing, and vehicles; garlands, scents, and unguents; bedding, housing, and lighting. He engages in misconduct by body, speech, and mind. In consequence, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the lower world, in hell. It is in this way that a person is heading from light to darkness.
(4) “And how is a person heading from light to light? Here, some person has been reborn in a high family … with abundant wealth and grain; and he is handsome … possessing supreme beauty of complexion. He obtains food … and lighting. He engages in good conduct by body, speech, and mind. In consequence, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world. It is in this way that a person is heading from light to light.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
86 (6) Bent Down
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? The one bent down who bends lower, the one bent down who rises, the one risen who bends down, and the one risen who rises higher.777
“These are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
87 (7) The Son
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? The ascetic unshaken, the red-lotus ascetic, the white-lotus ascetic, and the delicate ascetic among ascetics.778
(1) “And how, bhikkhus, is a person an ascetic unshaken? Here, a bhikkhu is a trainee practicing the way who dwells aspiring for the unsurpassed security from bondage. Just as [87] the eldest son of a head-anointed khattiya king—one due to be anointed but not yet anointed—would have attained the unshaken,779 so too a bhikkhu is a trainee practicing the way who dwells aspiring for the unsurpassed security from bondage.780 It is in this way that a person is an ascetic unshaken.
(2) “And how is a person a white-lotus ascetic? Here, with the destruction of the taints, a bhikkhu has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it; yet he does not dwell having contacted with the body the eight emancipations. It is in this way that a person is a white-lotus ascetic.781
(3) “And how is a person a red-lotus ascetic? Here, with the destruction of the taints, a bhikkhu has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it; and he dwells having contacted with the body the eight emancipations. It is in this way that a person is a red-lotus ascetic.782
(4) “And how is a person a delicate ascetic among ascetics? Here, a bhikkhu usually uses a robe that has been specifically offered to him, seldom one that has not been specifically offered to him;783 he usually eats almsfood that has been specifically offered to him, seldom almsfood that has not been specifically offered to him; he usually uses a lodging that has been specifically offered to him, seldom one that has not been specifically offered to him; he usually uses medicines and provisions for the sick that have been specifically offered to him, seldom those that have not been specifically offered to him. His fellow monks, those with whom he dwells, usually behave toward him in agreeable ways by body, speech, and mind, seldom in disagreeable ways. They usually present him what is agreeable, seldom what is disagreeable. Discomfort originating from bile, phlegm, wind, or their combination;784 discomfort produced by change of climate; discomfort produced by careless behavior; discomfort produced by assault; or discomfort produced as the result of kamma—these do not often arise in him.785 He is seldom ill. He gains at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are pleasant dwellings in this very life. With the destruction of the taints, he has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, [88] liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it. It is in this way that a person is a delicate ascetic among ascetics.
“If, bhikkhus, one could rightly say of anyone: ‘He is a delicate ascetic among ascetics,’ it is precisely of me that one might say this. For I usually use a robe that has been specifically offered to me, seldom one that has not been specifically offered to me; I usually eat almsfood that has been specifically offered to me, seldom almsfood that has not been specifically offered to me; I usually use a lodging that has been specifically offered to me, seldom one that has not been specifically offered to me; I usually use medicines and provisions for the sick that have been specifically offered to me, seldom those that have not been specifically offered to me. Those bhikkhus with whom I dwell usually behave toward me in agreeable ways by body, speech, and mind, seldom in disagreeable ways. They usually present me what is agreeable, seldom what is disagreeable. Discomfort originating from bile, phlegm, wind, or their combination; discomfort produced by change of climate; discomfort produced by careless behavior; discomfort produced by assault; or discomfort produced as the result of kamma—these do not often arise in me. I am seldom ill. I gain at will, without trouble or difficulty, the four jhānas that constitute the higher mind and are pleasant dwellings in this very life. With the destruction of the taints, I have realized for myself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, I dwell in it. If one could rightly say of anyone: ‘He is a delicate ascetic among ascetics,’ it is precisely of me that one might say this.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
88 (8) Fetters
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? The ascetic unshaken, the white-lotus ascetic, the red-lotus ascetic, and the delicate ascetic among ascetics.
(1) “And how, bhikkhus, is a person an ascetic unshaken? Here, with the utter destruction of three fetters, [89] a bhikkhu is a stream-enterer, no longer subject to [rebirth in] the lower world, fixed in destiny, heading for enlightenment. It is in this way that a person is an ascetic unshaken.
(2) “And how is a person a white-lotus ascetic? Here, with the utter destruction of three fetters and with the diminishing of greed, hatred, and delusion, a bhikkhu is a once-returner who, after coming back to this world only one more time, will make an end of suffering. It is in this way that a person is a white-lotus ascetic.
(3) “And how is a person a red-lotus ascetic? Here, with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters, a bhikkhu is one of spontaneous birth, due to attain final nibbāna there without returning from that world. It is in this way that a person is a red-lotus ascetic.
(4) “And how is a person a delicate ascetic among ascetics? Here, with the destruction of the taints, a bhikkhu has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it. It is in this way that a person is a delicate ascetic among ascetics.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
89 (9) View
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? The ascetic unshaken, the white-lotus ascetic, the red-lotus ascetic, and the delicate ascetic among ascetics.
(1) “And how, bhikkhus, is a person an ascetic unshaken? Here, a bhikkhu is one of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. It is in this way that a person is an ascetic unshaken.
(2) “And how is a person a white-lotus ascetic? Here, a bhikkhu is one of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, right knowledge, and right liberation; yet he does not dwell having contacted with the body the eight emancipations. [90] It is in this way that a person is a white-lotus ascetic.
(3) “And how is a person a red-lotus ascetic? Here, a bhikkhu is one of right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, right knowledge, and right liberation; and he dwells having contacted with the body the eight emancipations. It is in this way that a person is a red-lotus ascetic.
(4) “And how is a person a delicate ascetic among ascetics? Here, a bhikkhu usually uses a robe that has been specifically offered to him, seldom one that has not been specifically offered to him … [as in 4:87] … If one could rightly say of anyone: ‘He is a delicate ascetic among ascetics,’ it is precisely of me that one might say this.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”786
90 (10) Aggregates
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? The ascetic unshaken, the white-lotus ascetic, the red-lotus ascetic, and the delicate ascetic among ascetics.
(1) “And how, bhikkhus, is a person an ascetic unshaken? Here, a bhikkhu is a trainee who has not attained his mind’s ideal, one who dwells aspiring for the unsurpassed security from bondage. It is in this way that a person is an ascetic unshaken.
(2) “And how is a person a white-lotus ascetic? Here, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating arising and vanishing in the five aggregates subject to clinging: ‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling, such its origin, such its passing away; such is perception, such its origin, such its passing away; such are volitional activities, such their origin, such their passing away; such is consciousness, such its origin, such its passing away’; yet he does not dwell having contacted with the body the eight emancipations. It is in this way that a person is a white-lotus ascetic.
(3) “And how is a person a red-lotus ascetic? Here, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating arising and vanishing in the five aggregates subject to clinging: ‘Such is form, such its origin, such its passing away; such is feeling … such is perception … such are volitional activities … such is consciousness, such its origin, [91] such its passing away’; and he dwells having contacted with the body the eight emancipations. It is in this way that a person is a red-lotus ascetic.
(4) “And how is a person a delicate ascetic among ascetics? Here, a bhikkhu usually uses a robe that has been specifically offered to him, seldom one that has not been specifically offered to him … [as in 4:87] … If one could rightly say of anyone: ‘He is a delicate ascetic among ascetics,’ it is precisely of me that one might say this.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
775 The sutta, accompanied by similes and verses, is at SN 3:21, I 93–96; see too Pp 51–52. Mp: “One is in darkness (tamo) because one is conjoined with darkness by being reborn in a low family, and one is heading toward darkness (tamoparāyaṇa) because one is approaching the darkness of hell through bodily misconduct, etc. One is in light (joti) because one is conjoined with light by being reborn in a high family, and one is heading toward light (jotiparāyaṇa) because one is approaching the light of a heavenly rebirth through bodily good conduct, etc.”
776 See 3:13. I read with Ce and Be veṇakule vā nesādakule, as against Ee nesādakule vā veṇakule.
777 Ce defines these four types with exactly the same explanations given in 4:85. Be and Ee, however, offer no explanations but merely give the headings.
778 Mp resolves samaṇamacalo into samaṇa-acalo, with –m– a mere conjunct consonant. It identifies this figure with the seven kinds of trainees (sattavidhampi sekhaṃ dasseti). On the next two ascetics, Mp says: “The white-lotus ascetic (samaṇapuṇḍarīka) is an ascetic similar to a white lotus (puṇḍarīka), which has fewer than a hundred petals. By this he shows the dry-insight arahant (sukkhavipassakakhīṇāsavaṃ dasseti), called a white-lotus ascetic because his virtues are incomplete, since he lacks the jhānas and direct knowledges. The red-lotus ascetic (samaṇapaduma) is an ascetic similar to a red lotus (paduma), which has a full hundred petals. By this he shows the arahant liberated in both respects (ubhatobhāgavimuttaṃ khīṇāsavaṃ dasseti), called a red-lotus ascetic because his virtues are complete, since he possesses the jhānas and direct knowledges.” On the colors of the two kinds of lotus flowers, puṇḍarīka and paduma, see p. 1642, note 389. “The delicate ascetic among ascetics” (samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo) is “one with soft mind and body, who experiences exclusively pleasure, free from bodily and mental pain” (muducittasarīro kāyikacetasikadukkharahito ekantasukhī).
779 Mp: “Macalappatto ti rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa puttabhāvena ceva puttesu jeṭṭhakabhāvena ca na tāva abhisittabhāvena ca abhisekappatti-atthāya acalappatto niccalapatto.” The gist is that the eldest son is said to have “attained the unshaken” since he is destined to be a head-anointed king. See too p. 1636, note 345.
780 Anuttaraṃ yogakkhemaṃ patthayamāno viharati. Mp: “He dwells aspiring for arahantship.”
781 Contrary to Mp, the definition of the white-lotus ascetic here is ambiguous; for the expression “he does not dwell having contacted with the body the eight emancipations” (no ca kho aṭṭha vimokkhe kāyena phusitvā viharati) could mean either: (1) that he does not attain any of the eight emancipations, which would make him a dry-insight arahant (as Mp asserts); or (2) that he attains some of the eight emancipations but not all, perhaps the three emancipations based on form but not the formless attainments and cessation. In such a case, the meditator would conform to the definition of the arahant liberated by wisdom (paññāvimutta) of whom it is said that he has eliminated the taints but does not attain the peaceful formless attainments (MN 70.16, I 477,33–478,1). The commentators hold that the paññāvimutta arahant can possess any number among the four jhānas or no jhāna at all; only the latter is a dry-insight arahant. The dry-insight arahant (sukkhavipassakakhīṇāsava) is not explicitly mentioned as such in the Nikāyas but first gains recognition in the commentaries. In any case, the difference in the definitions between the wisdom-liberated arahant and the white-lotus arahant suggests that at some point a shift had taken place in the scale of meditative attainments that was expected of an arahant. While the arahant liberated by wisdom lacks only the formless attainments, the white-lotus arahant, on the interpretation offered by the commentators, lacks the jhānas as well.
The eight emancipations (aṭṭha vimokkhā), defined at 8:66, are not exactly identical with the four jhānas and four formless attainments. It seems that the first three emancipations correspond to the four jhānas but distinguish them in terms of objects rather than mental factors.
782 Again, there is an ambiguity in the definition of the red-lotus ascetic. To qualify as such, does one have to possess all eight emancipations or is it sufficient to possess several? Given the commentarial explanation, which compares the red-lotus ascetic to a lotus with a full hundred petals, it seems that one would have to possess all eight emancipations. But the commentarial definition of the ubhatobhāgavimutta arahant allows one who possesses any of the formless attainments to count as “one liberated in both respects.” This, too, might represent a lowering of a more stringent criterion that would restrict the designation to an arahant possessing all eight emancipations.
783 More literally, “the robe he uses is usually one that he has been asked to accept, seldom one that he has not been asked to accept.” And so with the other three requisites.
784 In commenting on sannipātikāni, Mp-ṭ says “produced by a combination of the three—bile and so forth—which are out of balance” (pittādīnaṃ tiṇṇampi visamānaṃ sannipātena jātāni). Spk III 81,22–23, commenting on the same word at SN IV 230,29, says “originating through a disturbance of the three, bile and so forth” (tiṇṇampi pittādīnaṃ kopena samuṭṭhitāni).
785 The eight causes of feelings are also at SN 36:21, IV 230–31.
786 Mp says that the first section describes the seven kinds of trainees; the second, the dry-insight arahant; the third, the arahant liberated in both respects; and the fourth, the Tathāgata and an arahant similar to the Tathāgata.