Light/Dark

Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

4: The Book of the Fours

IX. Confirmed — AN 4.90: Aggregates

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 is a trainee who hasn’t achieved their heart’s desire, but lives aspiring to the supreme sanctuary. That’s how a person is a confirmed ascetic.

3And how is a person a white lotus ascetic? It’s when a mendicant meditates observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates. ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Such is feeling … Such is perception … Such are choices … Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’ But they don’t have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations. That’s how a person is a white lotus ascetic.

4And how is a person a pink lotus ascetic? It’s when a mendicant meditates observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates. ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Such is feeling … Such is perception … Such are choices … Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’ And they have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations. 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 usually uses only what they’ve been invited to accept … And if anyone should be rightly called an exquisite ascetic of ascetics, it’s me.


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 sekho hoti appattamānaso, anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ patthayamāno viharati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇamacalo hoti.

3Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapuṇḍarīko hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassī viharati:  ‘iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā … pe … iti saññā … pe … iti saṅkhārā … pe … iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti; no ca kho aṭṭha vimokkhe kāyena phusitvā viharati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapuṇḍarīko hoti.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapadumo hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassī viharati:  ‘iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā … pe … iti saññā … pe … iti saṅkhārā … pe … iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti; aṭṭha ca vimokkhe kāyena phusitvā viharati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapadumo hoti.

5Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yācitova bahulaṁ cīvaraṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito … pe … mameva taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya samaṇesu samaṇasukhumāloti.


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

Dasamaṁ.

Macalavaggo catuttho.

6Pāṇātipāto ca musā,
avaṇṇakodhatamoṇatā;
Putto saṁyojanañceva,
diṭṭhi khandhena te dasāti.