7: The Book of the Sevens
II. Tendencies — AN 7.15: A Simile With Water
- © Translated from the Pali by Bhante Sujato. (More copyright information)
1“Mendicants, these seven people found in the world are like those in water.
What seven? One person sinks under once and stays under. One person rises up then sinks under. One person rises up then stays put. One person rises up then sees and discerns. One person rises up then crosses over. One person rises up then finds a footing. One person has risen up, crossed over, and gone beyond, and that brahmin stands on the shore.
2And what kind of person sinks under once and stays under? It’s the kind of person who has exclusively dark, unskillful qualities. This kind of person sinks under once and stays under.
3And what kind of person rises up then sinks under? It’s the kind of person who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ However their faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom don’t last or grow, but dwindle away. This kind of person rises up then sinks under.
4And what kind of person rises up then stays put? It’s the kind of person who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ And their faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom lasts, neither dwindling nor growing. This kind of person rises up then stays put.
5And what kind of person rises up then sees and discerns? It’s the kind of person who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ With the ending of three fetters they’re a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening. This kind of person rises up then sees and discerns.
6And what kind of person rises up then crosses over? It’s the kind of person who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ With the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, they’re a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. This kind of person rises up then crosses over.
7And what kind of person rises up then finds a footing? It’s the kind of person who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re reborn spontaneously. They are extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. This kind of person rises up then finds a footing.
8And what kind of person has risen up, crossed over, and gone beyond, a brahmin who stands on the shore? It’s the kind of person who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ They realize 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. This kind of person has risen up, crossed over, and gone beyond, a brahmin who stands on the shore.
9These seven people found in the world are like those in water.”
1"Sattime, bhikkhave, udakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame satta?
Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sakiṁ nimuggo nimuggova hoti; idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjitvā nimujjati; idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjitvā ṭhito hoti; idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjitvā vipassati viloketi; idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjitvā patarati; idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjitvā patigādhappatto hoti; idha pana, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjitvā tiṇṇo hoti pāraṅgato thale tiṭṭhati brāhmaṇo.
2Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo sakiṁ nimuggo nimuggova hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo samannāgato hoti ekantakāḷakehi akusalehi dhammehi. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo sakiṁ nimuggo nimuggova hoti. (1)
3Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā nimujjati? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjati sādhu saddhā kusalesu dhammesu, sādhu hirī … pe … sādhu ottappaṁ … sādhu vīriyaṁ … sādhu paññā kusalesu dhammesūti. Tassa sā saddhā neva tiṭṭhati no vaḍḍhati hāyatiyeva, tassa sā hirī … pe … tassa taṁ ottappaṁ … tassa taṁ vīriyaṁ … tassa sā paññā neva tiṭṭhati no vaḍḍhati hāyatiyeva. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā nimujjati. (2)
4Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā ṭhito hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjati sādhu saddhā kusalesu dhammesu, sādhu hirī … pe … sādhu ottappaṁ … sādhu vīriyaṁ … sādhu paññā kusalesu dhammesūti. Tassa sā saddhā neva hāyati no vaḍḍhati ṭhitā hoti. Tassa sā hirī … pe … tassa taṁ ottappaṁ … tassa taṁ vīriyaṁ … tassa sā paññā neva hāyati no vaḍḍhati ṭhitā hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā ṭhito hoti. (3)
5Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā vipassati viloketi? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjati sādhu saddhā kusalesu dhammesu, sādhu hirī … pe … sādhu ottappaṁ … sādhu vīriyaṁ … sādhu paññā kusalesu dhammesūti. So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpanno hoti avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā vipassati viloketi. (4)
6Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā patarati? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjati sādhu saddhā kusalesu dhammesu, sādhu hirī … pe … sādhu ottappaṁ … sādhu vīriyaṁ … sādhu paññā kusalesu dhammesūti. So tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī hoti, sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā patarati. (5)
7Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā patigādhappatto hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjati sādhu saddhā kusalesu dhammesu, sādhu hirī … pe … sādhu ottappaṁ … sādhu vīriyaṁ … sādhu paññā kusalesu dhammesūti. So pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko hoti tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā patigādhappatto hoti. (6)
8Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā tiṇṇo hoti pāraṅgato thale tiṭṭhati brāhmaṇo. Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo ummujjati sādhu saddhā kusalesu dhammesu, sādhu hirī … pe … sādhu ottappaṁ … sādhu vīriyaṁ … sādhu paññā kusalesu dhammesūti. So āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo ummujjitvā tiṇṇo hoti pāraṅgato thale tiṭṭhati brāhmaṇo. (7)
9Ime kho, bhikkhave, satta udakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin"ti.
Pañcamaṁ.