FettersSaṁyojanasutta

“Mendicants, these four individuals are found in the world.“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What four?Katame cattāro? The confirmed ascetic, the white lotus ascetic, the pink lotus ascetic, and the delicate ascetic of ascetics.Samaṇamacalo, samaṇapuṇḍarīko, samaṇapadumo, samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo.

And how is an individual a confirmed ascetic?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇamacalo hoti? It’s when a mendicant—with the ending of three fetters—is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā sotāpanno hoti avinipātadhammo niyato sambodhiparāyaṇo. That’s how an individual is a confirmed ascetic.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇamacalo hoti.

And how is an individual a white lotus ascetic?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapuṇḍarīko hoti? 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.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu tiṇṇaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā, rāgadosamohānaṁ tanuttā sakadāgāmī hoti, sakideva imaṁ lokaṁ āgantvā dukkhassantaṁ karoti. That’s how an individual is a white lotus ascetic.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapuṇḍarīko hoti.

And how is an individual a pink lotus ascetic?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapadumo hoti? 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.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu pañcannaṁ orambhāgiyānaṁ saṁyojanānaṁ parikkhayā opapātiko hoti tattha parinibbāyī anāvattidhammo tasmā lokā. That’s how an individual is a pink lotus ascetic.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapadumo hoti.

And how is an individual a delicate ascetic of ascetics?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti? It’s when a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom. And they live having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. That’s how an individual is a delicate ascetic of ascetics.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti.

These are the four individuals found in the world.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.