1“Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four? The confirmed ascetic, the white lotus ascetic, the pink lotus ascetic, and the exquisite ascetic of ascetics.

2And how is a person a confirmed ascetic? It’s when a mendicant—with the ending of three fetters—is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening. That’s how a person is a confirmed ascetic.

3And how is a person a white lotus ascetic? It’s when a mendicant—with the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion—is a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. That’s how a person is a white lotus ascetic.

4And how is a person a pink lotus ascetic? It’s when a mendicant—with the ending of the five lower fetters—is reborn spontaneously. They’re extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. That’s how a person is a pink lotus ascetic.

5And how is a person an exquisite ascetic of ascetics? It’s when a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements. That’s how a person is an exquisite ascetic of ascetics.

These are the four people found in the world.”

1"Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro? Samaṇamacalo, samaṇapuṇḍarīko, samaṇapadumo, samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo.

2Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇamacalo hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpanno hoti avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇamacalo hoti.

3Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapuṇḍarīko hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā, rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī hoti, sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapuṇḍarīko hoti.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapadumo hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko hoti tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapadumo hoti.

5Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.