131 (1) Fetters
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four?
“(1) Here, bhikkhus, some person has not abandoned the lower fetters, the fetters for obtaining rebirth, or the fetters for obtaining existence.826 [134] (2) Some other person has abandoned the lower fetters, but not the fetters for obtaining rebirth or the fetters for obtaining existence. (3) Still another person has abandoned the lower fetters and the fetters for obtaining rebirth, but not the fetters for obtaining existence. (4) And still another person has abandoned the lower fetters, the fetters for obtaining rebirth, and the fetters for obtaining existence.
(1) “What kind of person has not abandoned the lower fetters, the fetters for obtaining rebirth, or the fetters for obtaining existence? The once-returner.827 This person has not abandoned the lower fetters, the fetters for obtaining rebirth, or the fetters for obtaining existence.
(2) “What kind of person has abandoned the lower fetters, but not the fetters for obtaining rebirth or the fetters for obtaining existence? The one bound upstream, heading toward the Akaniṭṭha realm.828 This person has abandoned the lower fetters but not the fetters for obtaining rebirth or the fetters for obtaining existence.
(3) “What kind of person has abandoned the lower fetters and the fetters for obtaining rebirth but not the fetters for obtaining existence? The one who attains final nibbāna in the interval.829 This person has abandoned the lower fetters and the fetters for obtaining rebirth but not the fetters for obtaining existence.
(4) “What kind of person has abandoned the lower fetters, the fetters for obtaining rebirth, and the fetters for obtaining existence? The arahant. For this person has abandoned the lower fetters, the fetters for obtaining rebirth, and the fetters for obtaining existence.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.” [135]
132 (2) Discernment
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? One whose discernment is incisive but not free-flowing;830 one whose discernment is free-flowing but not incisive; one whose discernment is both incisive and free-flowing; and one whose discernment is neither incisive nor free-flowing. These are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
133 (3) Of Quick Understanding
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? One who understands quickly; one who understands through elaboration; one who needs to be guided; and one for whom the word is the maximum. These are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”831
134 (4) Effort
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? One who lives off the fruit of his effort but not off the fruit of his kamma; one who lives off the fruit of his kamma but not off the fruit of his effort; one who lives off the fruit of both his effort and his kamma; and one who lives off the fruit of neither his effort nor his kamma. These are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”832
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? The blameworthy, the mostly blameworthy, the slightly blameworthy, and the blameless.
(1) “And how, bhikkhus, is a person blameworthy? Here, a person engages in blameworthy bodily action, blameworthy verbal action, and blameworthy mental action. It is in this way that a person is blameworthy. [136]
(2) “And how is a person mostly blameworthy? Here, a person engages in bodily action that is mostly blameworthy, verbal action that is mostly blameworthy, and mental action that is mostly blameworthy. It is in this way that a person is mostly blameworthy.
(3) “And how is a person slightly blameworthy? Here, a person engages in bodily action that is mostly blameless, verbal action that is mostly blameless, and mental action that is mostly blameless. It is in this way that a person is slightly blameworthy.
(4) “And how is a person blameless? Here, a person engages in blameless bodily action, blameless verbal action, and blameless mental action. It is in this way that a person is blameless.
“These are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”833
136 (6) Virtuous Behavior (1)
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? (1) Here, bhikkhus, some person does not fulfill virtuous behavior, concentration, and wisdom. (2) Another person fulfills virtuous behavior but does not fulfill concentration and wisdom. (3) Still another person fulfills virtuous behavior and concentration but does not fulfill wisdom. (4) And still another person fulfills virtuous behavior, concentration, and wisdom. These are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”834
137 (7) Virtuous Behavior (2)
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? [137]
(1) “Here, bhikkhus, some person does not value virtuous behavior or take virtuous behavior as an authority, does not value concentration or take concentration as an authority, and does not value wisdom or take wisdom as an authority.
(2) “Another person values virtuous behavior and takes virtuous behavior as an authority, but does not value concentration or take concentration as an authority, and does not value wisdom or take wisdom as an authority.
(3) “Still another person values virtuous behavior and takes virtuous behavior as an authority, values concentration and takes concentration as an authority, but does not value wisdom or take wisdom as an authority.
(4) “And still another person values virtuous behavior and takes virtuous behavior as an authority, values concentration and takes concentration as an authority, and values wisdom and takes wisdom as an authority.
“These are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
138 (8) Retreat
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? One who has gone on retreat by body but not gone on retreat by mind; one who has not gone on retreat by body but has gone on retreat by mind; one who has not gone on retreat either by body or by mind; and one who has gone on retreat both by body and by mind.
(1) “And how, bhikkhus, has a person gone on retreat by body but not gone on retreat by mind? Here, some person resorts to remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves, but there he thinks sensual thoughts, thoughts of ill will, and thoughts of harming. It is in this way that a person has gone on retreat by body but has not gone on retreat by mind.
(2) “And how has a person not gone on retreat by body but gone on retreat by mind? Here, some person does not resort to remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves, but he thinks thoughts of renunciation, thoughts of good will, and thoughts of harmlessness. It is in this way that a person has not gone on retreat by body but gone on retreat by mind.
(3) “And how has a person gone on retreat neither by body nor by mind? Here, some person does not resort to remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves, [138] and he thinks sensual thoughts, thoughts of ill will, and thoughts of harming. It is in this way that a person has gone on retreat neither by body nor by mind.
(4) “And how has a person gone on retreat both by body and by mind? Here, some person resorts to remote lodgings in forests and jungle groves, and there he thinks thoughts of renunciation, thoughts of good will, and thoughts of harmlessness. It is in this way that a person has gone on retreat both by body and by mind.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
139 (9) Dhamma Speakers
“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of Dhamma speakers. What four?
(1) “Here, bhikkhus, some Dhamma speaker speaks little and [his speech is] pointless, and his assembly is not skilled in distinguishing what is meaningful from what is pointless. Such a Dhamma speaker is reckoned as a Dhamma speaker by such an assembly.
(2) “Another Dhamma speaker speaks little but [his speech is] meaningful, and his assembly is skilled in distinguishing what is meaningful from what is pointless. Such a Dhamma speaker is reckoned as a Dhamma speaker by such an assembly.
(3) “Still another Dhamma speaker speaks much but [his speech is] pointless, and his assembly is not skilled in distinguishing what is meaningful from what is pointless. Such a Dhamma speaker is reckoned as a Dhamma speaker by such an assembly.
(4) “And still another Dhamma speaker speaks much and [his speech is] meaningful, and his assembly is skilled in distinguishing what is meaningful from what is pointless. Such a Dhamma speaker is reckoned as a Dhamma speaker by such an assembly.
“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of Dhamma speakers.”
140 (10) Speakers
“Bhikkhus, there are these four speakers. What four? [139] (1) There is the speaker who exhausts the meaning but not the phrasing. (2) There is the speaker who exhausts the phrasing but not the meaning. (3) There is the speaker who exhausts both the meaning and the phrasing. (4) And there is the speaker who does not exhaust either the meaning or the phrasing. These are the four speakers. It is impossible and inconceivable that one who possesses the four analytical knowledges will exhaust either the meaning or the phrasing.”835
826 In Pāli, the three kinds of fetters are, respectively: orambhāgiyāni saṃyojanāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṃyojanāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṃyojanāni. Mp distinguishes the last two thus: the “fetters for obtaining rebirth” are those by which one obtains the next rebirth (yehi anantarā upapattiṃ paṭilabhati); the “fetters for obtaining existence” are the conditions for obtaining rebirth-existence (upapattibhavassa paṭilābhāya paccayāni). Apparently the difference, from the commentary’s point of view, is that the former bind one only to the immediately following rebirth while the latter bind one to successive rebirths. But see note 829 below for an alternative interpretation.
827 Since the stream-enterer, too, has not abandoned any of these fetters, Mp explains: “The once-returner is mentioned to show the highest among the noble ones who have not abandoned any of the fetters.” Mp-ṭ: “That is, who have not abandoned the lower fetters. For above the once-returner, there is no noble one who has not abandoned the lower fetters. But isn’t it the case that once-returners have abandoned [some] lower fetters, for they have abandoned the fetters of views, doubt, and wrong grasp of rules and observances? In that case, why is it said that they have not abandoned the lower fetters? Because once-returners have not abandoned the fetters of sensual lust and ill will; therefore the statement that they have not abandoned the lower fetters is said with reference to those fetters that they have not abandoned. It does not mean that they have not abandoned any fetters.”
828 Uddhaṃsotassa akaniṭṭhagāmino puggalassa. This refers to the most sluggish of the five classes of non-returners, who proceed upward through successive pure abodes to the highest one, called Akaniṭṭha. This type, too, is mentioned to show the coarsest who still retain the fetters of rebirth, but more acute classes of non-returners also retain these fetters.
829 This statement creates a predicament for the traditional Theravādin interpretation of the five types of non-returners, which is based on Pp 16–17 and its commentary at Pp-a 198–201. The core of this interpretation is the rejection of an intermediate state (antarābhava) between two lives. Such rejection thus entails the need to interpret the antarāparinibbāyī as a non-returner who attains arahantship during the first half of the life span in the next existence. However, the word antarāparinibbāyī literally means “one who attains final nibbāna in between,” and there seems no legitimate reason, based on a sutta, to deny the possibility that certain non-returners, following their death in human form, enter an intermediate state and attain final nibbāna in that state itself, thereby circumventing the need to take another rebirth. This seems to be the purport of the present text, according to which the antarāparinibbāyī has abandoned the fetters of rebirth but not the fetters of existence. Upon attaining arahantship, the antarāparinibbāyī will also abandon the fetters of existence. I have discussed the five types of non-returners in detail in CDB 1902–3, note 65. For further discussion, see p. 1782, notes 1535–38; for additional textual analysis, see Harvey 1995: 98–108.
830 Yuttappaṭibhāno no muttappaṭibhāno. Mp: “When answering a question, he answers correctly (yuttameva), but he does not answer quickly (sīghaṃ pana na katheti). The meaning is that he answers slowly. This method [of explanation] should be applied to all the cases.” Pp 42 (Be §152) defines this person in the same sense thus: “A person who, being asked a question, speaks correctly but not quickly is called one whose discernment is incisive but not free-flowing” (idh’ekacco puggalo pañhaṃ puṭṭho samāno yuttaṃ vadati no sīghaṃ, ayaṃ vuccati puggalo yuttappaṭibhāno no muttappaṭibhāno).
831 The four alternatives are: ugghaṭitaññū, vipacitaññū (so Ce and Ee; Be vipañcitaññū), neyyo, padaparamo. The difference in reading of the second person would yield a choice between “one who understands when ripened” (based on Ce and Ee) and “one who understands when elaborated” (based on Be). Be’s reading seems to me to agree better with the formal definition of this type in other sources. I cite here the definitions at Pp 41 (Be §§148–51) with commentarial clarifications at Pp-a 223: (1) “The person of quick understanding is one for whom the breakthrough to the Dhamma (dhammābhisamaya) occurs together with an utterance. (Pp-a: Ugghaṭita means the opening up of knowledge (ñāṇugghāṭana); the meaning is that one knows as soon as knowledge opens up. Together with an utterance: as soon as [a statement on Dhamma] is uttered. The breakthrough occurs together with knowledge of the Dhamma of the four truths.)” (2) “The person who understands through elaboration is one for whom the breakthrough to the Dhamma occurs when the meaning of what has been stated briefly is being analyzed in detail. (Pp-a: This is the person able to attain arahantship when, after a concise outline of the teaching has been set up, the meaning is being analyzed in detail.)” (3) “The person to be guided is one for whom the breakthrough to the Dhamma occurs gradually, through instruction, questioning, careful attention, and reliance on good friends.” (4) “One for whom the word is the maximum is one who—though hearing much, reciting much, retaining much in mind, and teaching much—does not reach the breakthrough to the Dhamma in that life.”
Nett 125 (Be §88) correlates these four types with the four kinds of practice (see 4:161–62): the ugghaṭitaññū puggala with one emancipated by pleasant practice and quick direct knowledge, the vipañcitaññū puggala with one emancipated by either painful practice and quick direct knowledge or by pleasant practice and sluggish direct knowledge, and the neyya puggala with one emancipated by painful practice and sluggish direct knowledge. The padaparama puggala is not emancipated and thus the four alternatives do not apply.
832 Mp: “One who lives off the fruit of his effort but not off the fruit of his kamma: This is one who passes the day energetically exerting himself and lives off whatever he gains as the consequential fruit of this, but does not obtain any meritorious fruits as a result of his exertion. One who lives off the fruit of his kamma but not off the fruit of his effort: These are all the devas, from [the heaven of] the four great kings up, who live off their meritorious fruits without energetically exerting themselves. One who lives off the fruit of both his effort and his kamma: These are kings and royal ministers, etc. One who lives off the fruit of neither his effort nor his kamma: These are the beings in hell. In this sutta, by ‘fruit of kamma,’ only meritorious fruit is intended.”
833 Mp: “The first is the blind foolish worldling; the second is the worldling who intermittently does wholesome deeds; the third is the stream-enterer, the once-returner, and the non-returner; and the fourth is the arahant.”
834 Mp: “The first is the multitude of worldly people; the second is the dry-insight stream-enterer and once-returner; and the third is the non-returner. Since the dry-insight meditator does obtain momentary jhāna arisen on the basis of his object (taṅkhaṇikampi upapattinimittakaṃ jhānaṃ paṭilabhati yeva), he too fulfills concentration. The fourth is the arahant. The following sutta should be understood by the method stated here.”
835 On the four analytical knowledges (paṭisambhidā), see below note 875.