2.1. Division of Human Types by One

1. What sort of person is one emancipated at times?

Here a person goes on experiencing the eight stages of emancipation from time to time, and he having seen them through insight, some of his sinful tendencies are completely destroyed. Such a person is said to be emancipated at times.

2. What sort of person is one emancipated not (only) at times?

Here a person goes on experiencing the eight stages of emancipation though not from time to time, and he having seen them through insight, his sinful tendencies are completely destroyed. Such a person is said to be emancipated not (only) at times. Indeed, all persons who are Ariyas (noble or elect) are so emancipated in matters of the higher emancipation.

3. What sort of person is one of perturbable nature?

Here a person obtains the attainments (of ecstatic trance) whether accompanied by an idea of form or by an idea of formlessness, and he does not surely obtain them as he desires, nor without difficulty, nor without toil, neither does he get into, nor get up from them where he desires, when he desires, and as long as he desires; there is this possibility that indolence coming over him should perturb those attainments. Such a person is said to be of perturbable nature.

4. What sort of person is one of imperturbable nature?

Here a person obtains the attainment (of ecstatic trance) whether accompanied by an idea of form or by an idea of formlessness, and he surely obtains them as he desires, without difficulty or toil, and he gets into and gets up from them where he desires, when he desires, and as long as he desires; there is no occasion and there is no opening that indolence coming over him should perturb the attainments of that person. Such a person is said to be of imperturbable nature. Indeed, all persons who are Ariyas (noble or elect) are of imperturbable nature in matters of Ariyan emancipation.

5. What sort of person is one of fallible nature?

Here a person obtains the attainments whether accompanied by an idea of form or by an idea of formlessness, and he surely does not obtain them as he desires, nor without difficulty, nor without toil, neither does he get into nor get up from them where he desires, when he desires, and as long as he desires; there is this possibility that indolence coming over him should cause him to give up his attainments. Such a person is said to be of fallible nature.

6. What sort of person is one of infallible nature?

Here a person obtains the attainments whether accompanied by an idea of form or by an idea of formlessness, and he surely obtains them as he desires without difficulty and without toil, and he gets into and gets up from them where, when, and as long as he desires; there is no occasion and there is no opening that indolence coming over him should cause him to give up his attainments. Such a person is said to be of infallible nature. Indeed all persons who are Ariyas (noble or elect) are of infallible nature in matters of Ariyan emancipation.

7. What sort of person is he who is competent in will?

Here a person obtains the attainments whether accompanied by an idea of form or by an idea of formlessness, and he does not surely obtain them as he desires, nor without difficulty, nor without toil, neither does he get into nor get up from them where he desires, when he desires, and as long as he desires; if he follows this up by willing (not to fall away), he does not fall away from those attainments, if he does not so will, he does fall away from them. Such a person is said to be a person who is competent in will.

8. What sort of person is he who is competent in watchfulness?

Here a person obtains the attainments whether accompanied by an idea of form or by an idea of formlessness, and he does not surely obtain them as he desires, nor without difficulty or toil, neither does he get into nor get up from them where he desires, when he desires, and as long as he desires; if he is watchful, he does not fall away from those attainments; if he is not watchful, he does fall away from them. Such a person is said to be a person who is competent in watchfulness.

9. What sort of person is said to be an average person?

The person whose three fetters have not been put away and who is not proceeding to put these away—such a person is said to be an average person.

10. What sort of person is one become of the Ariya family?

The person who is endowed with those conditions immediately after which there is the advent of the Ariyan (noble or elect) nature is said to be one become of the Ariya family.

11 and 12. What sort of person is restrained by fear?

The seven (kinds of) learners are restrained by fear and those average persons who observe the precepts: the Arahants are not restrained by fear.

13. What sort of person is incapable of progress?

The persons who are covered with the veil of karma, covered with the veil of evil passions, covered with the veil of the consequences (thereof), who are devoid of faith, wanting in desire, are foolish, stupid, incapable of walking along what is recognised to be the true path in regard to things that are good: these persons are said to be incapable of progress.

14. What sort of person is capable of progress?

The persons who are not covered with the veil of karma, not covered with the veil of evil passions, not covered with the veil of the consequences (thereof), who have faith, who have desire, are wise, capable of walking along what is recognised to be the true path in regard to things that are good: these persons are said to be capable of progress.

15 and 16. What sort of person is one with determined destiny?

Five (types of) persons (going forward to) hell and those who hold erroneous views are persons with determined destiny. Eight (types of) noble persons are persons with determined destiny. The remaining persons are with undetermined destiny.

17 and 18. What sort of person is a path-walker?

The four persons who possess the path are path-walkers. The four persons who possess the fruition stage are established in the fruition.

19. What sort of person is he who is “equal-headed”?

The person in whose case no sooner does the termination of sinful tendencies take place than the life terminates. Such a person is said to be one who is “equal-headed”.

20. What sort of person is one for whom an aeon endures?

Should such a person strive for realisation of the fruition stage of a stream-attainer, and should it then be the time for the conflagration of the existing aeon, the aeon must not be burnt up until this person realises the desired state: this person is said to be one for whom an aeon endures.

All persons who possess the path are such.

21 and 22. What sort of person is an Ariya?

The eight (types of) Ariyan persons are the Ariyas. The remaining persons are not Ariyas.

23–25. What sort of person is a learner?

The four persons who possess the path and the three persons who possess the fruition are learners. Arahants are non-learners; the remaining persons are neither learners nor non-learners.

26. What sort of person is a master of threefold lore?

A person having three vijjas is a person endowed with the threefold lore.

27. What sort of person is a possessor of the six super-knowledges?

A person having these is a person endowed with six super-knowledges (supernormal exercise of thought and will).

28. What sort of person is a Perfectly Enlightened One?

Here a certain person who himself thoroughly understands the truths in regard to doctrines unheard of before, and attains omniscience therein, as well as mastery over the fruitions—this sort of person is said to be a Perfectly Enlightened One.

29. What sort of person is enlightened for himself?

Here a person himself thoroughly understands the truths in regard to doctrines unheard of before, but attains neither omniscience nor mastery over the fruitions thereof—this sort of person is said to be one enlightened for himself.

30. What sort of person is emancipated in both ways?

Here a person goes on himself experiencing the eight stages of emancipation, and having seen them through insight, his sinful tendencies are completely destroyed. This sort of person is said to be emancipated in both ways .

31. What sort of person is emancipated by way of insight?

Here a person without experiencing the eight stages of emancipation but having perceived them through insight, has his sinful tendencies completely destroyed. This sort of person is said to be emancipated by insight.

32. What sort of person is an “eye-witness”?

Here when a person lives experiencing the eight stages of emancipation and having seen them through insight, some of his sinful tendencies are completely destroyed. This sort of person is said to be an “eye-witness”.

33. What sort of person is one who has won vision?

Here a man truly understands that this is suffering, that this is the genesis of suffering, that this is the cessation of suffering, and that this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering. The doctrines promulgated by the Tathāgata are perceived by him through insight as well as practised; and having seen them through insight, some of his sinful tendencies are completely extinct. This sort of person is said to be one who has won vision.

34. What sort of person is emancipated by faith?

Here a person truly understands that this is suffering, that this is the genesis of suffering, that this is the cessation of suffering, and that this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering. The doctrines promulgated by the Tathāgata are perceived by him through insight as well as practised, and having seen them through insight, some of his sinful tendencies are completely destroyed, though not in the same way as in the case of one who has won vision. This sort of person is said to be one emancipated by faith.

35. What sort of person is “one conforming to the Norm”?

The faculty of insight of a person proceeding to realise the fruition stage of “stream-attainer” develops to a large extent; he cultivates the Noble Path carrying with it insight, preceded by insight—this sort of person is said to be one conforming to the Norm. Such a person practising the fruition stage of a stream-attaining is one conforming to the Norm, while the same person established in the fruition is one who has won vision.

36. What sort of person is “one conforming by faith”?

The believing faculty of one proceeding to realise the fruition stage of a stream-attainer develops to a large extent. He cultivates the Noble Path carrying with it faith, preceded by faith—this sort of person is said to be one conforming by faith. Such a person striving after the fruition stage of stream-attaining is one conforming by faith, while the same person established in the fruition is emancipated by faith.

37. What sort of person is he who undergoes re-birth (not more than) seven times?

Here a person, having completely destroyed the three fetters, becomes a “stream-attainer”; he is no more liable to fall into a woeful state, but is destined to succeed and has enlightenment as his final end (or aim); he running on and transmigrating seven times amongst devas and men makes an end of suffering. Such a person is said to be one not undergoing re-birth more than seven times.

38. What sort of person is he who transmigrates from family to (good) family?

Here a person having completely destroyed the three fetters, becomes a stream-attainer; he is no more liable to fall into a woeful state, but is destined to succeed, and has enlightenment as his final end (or aim); he running on and transmigrating through two or three (good) families makes an end of suffering. Such a person is said to be one who migrates from family to family.

39. What sort of person is “single-seeded”?

Here a person, having completely destroyed the three fetters, becomes a stream-attainer; he is no more liable to fall into a woeful state, but is destined to succeed and has enlightenment as his final end (or aim); he having returned to the state of human existence makes an end of suffering. Such a person is said to be single-seeded.

40. What sort of person is a “once-returner”?

Here a person, having completely destroyed the three fetters, having weakened passions, hatred and delusion, becomes a once-returner; coming back once only to this world, he makes an end of suffering. Such a person is said to be a once-returner.

41. What sort of person is a “non-returner”?

Here a person, having completely destroyed the five fetters causing re-birth in the lower worlds, becomes a “being of apparitional re-birth”; attaining the final release in the self-same state, he is not liable to return from that region. Such a man is said to be a non-returner.

42. What sort of person is one who dies and attains Nirvāṇa before half the age he should have lived in a Brahma world expires?

Here a person, having completely destroyed the five fetters, causing re-birth into the lower worlds, becomes a being of apparitional re-birth; attaining the final release in the self-same state, he is not liable to return from that region; he, either immediately after his advent, or before reaching the middle of this span of life, brings forth the Noble Path that so he may put away the fetters of the higher nature. Such a person is said to be one who dies and attains Nirvāṇa before half the age he should have lived in a Brahma world expires.

43. What sort of person is a “term-curtailing decedent”?

Here a person, having completely destroyed the five fetters, causing re-birth in the lower worlds, becomes a being of apparitional re-birth, attaining the final release in the self-same state, not liable to return from that region; he stepping out of the middle of the span of his life and advancing towards decease brings forth the Noble Path that so he may put away the fetters of the higher nature. Such a person is said to be a “term-curtailing decedent”.

44. What sort of person is “automatically decedent”?

Here a person having completely destroyed the five fetters, causing re-birth in the lower worlds, becomes a being of apparitional re-birth, attaining the final release in the self-same state, not liable to return from that region; he automatically brings forth the Noble Path that so he may put away the fetters of the higher nature. Such a person is said to be “automatically decedent”.

45. What sort of person is one attaining Nirvāṇa through strenuous exertion?

Here a person, having completely destroyed the five fetters, causing re-birth in the lower worlds, becomes a being of apparitional re-birth, attaining the final release in the self-same state, not liable to return from that region; he by a strenuous effort of his will produces the Noble Path with a view to putting away the fetters of the higher nature. Such a person is said to be one attaining Nirvāṇa through strenuous exertion.

46. What sort of person is one proceeding upstream to the Akaṇiṭṭha region?

Here a person, having completely destroyed the five fetters, causing re-birth in the lower region, becomes a being of apparitional re-birth, attaining the final release in the self-same state, not liable to return from that region; he having deceased from Aviha (the immobile gods) goes to Atappa (serene gods), having deceased from Atappa goes to Sudassa (beautiful gods), having deceased from Sudassa goes to Sudassi (clear-sighted gods), having deceased from Sudassi goes to Akaṇiṭṭha (the supreme gods), in the Akaṇiṭṭha abode he brings forth the Noble Path that so he may put away the fetters of the higher nature. Such a person is said to be one proceeding upstream to the Akaṇiṭṭha region.

47. What sort of person is a “stream-attainer”, and what sort of person is one striving for realisation of the fruition stage?

A person who works for putting away the three fetters is one working for realisation of the fruition stage of a “stream-attainer”; the person whose three fetters have been put away is said to be a “stream-attainer”.

48. What sort of person is a “once-returner”, and what sort of person is one striving for realisation of the fruition stage?

A person who is working for the destruction of attachment to sensual pleasures and malevolence is one working for realisation of the fruition stage of a once-returner; the person whose attachment to sensual pleasures and malevolence has been destroyed is said to be a “once-returner”.

49. What sort of person is a “non-returner”, and what sort of person is one striving for realisation of the fruition stage?

A person working for putting away the attachment to sensual pleasures and malevolence without a residuum is one working for realisation of the fruition stage of a “non-returner”. The person whose attachment to sensual pleasures and malevolence has been entirely put away is said to be a “non-returner”.

50. What sort of person is an Arahant, and what sort of person is one striving for realisation of the fruition stage?

A person working for putting away attachment to form and the formless, to pride, haughtiness, and ignorance without any residuum is one working for the fruition stage of Arahantship. The person whose attachment to form and the formless, to pride, haughtiness and ignorance has been entirely put away is said to be an Arahant.

Here ends the specification of grouping by One.