The Buddha describes the four individuals.

AN 4.131 Fetters

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti.

Katamassa, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni? Sakadāgāmissa. Imassa kho, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni.

Katamassa, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni? Uddhaṁsotassa akaniṭṭhagāmino. Imassa kho, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni.

Katamassa, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni? Antarāparinibbāyissa. Imassa kho, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni.

Katamassa, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni? Arahato. Imassa kho, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni.

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

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

“Mendicants, these four individuals are found in the world.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti.

One individual hasn’t given up the lower fetters, the fetters for getting reborn, or the fetters for getting a continued existence.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti.

One individual has given up the lower fetters, but not the fetters for getting reborn, or the fetters for getting a continued existence.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni honti.

One individual has given up the lower fetters and the fetters for getting reborn, but not the fetters for getting a continued existence.

Idha pana, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni honti.

One individual has given up the lower fetters, the fetters for getting reborn, and the fetters for getting a continued existence.

Katamassa, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni?

What individual hasn’t given up the lower fetters, the fetters for getting reborn, or the fetters for getting a continued existence?

Sakadāgāmissa.

A once-returner.

Imassa kho, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni.

This is the individual who hasn’t given up the lower fetters, the fetters for getting reborn, or the fetters for getting a continued existence.

Katamassa, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni?

What individual has given up the lower fetters, but not the fetters for getting reborn, or the fetters for getting a continued existence?

Uddhaṁsotassa akaniṭṭhagāmino.

One heading upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm.

Imassa kho, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni.

Katamassa, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni?

What individual has given up the lower fetters and the fetters for getting reborn, but not the fetters for getting a continued existence?

Antarāparinibbāyissa.

One extinguished between one life and the next.

Imassa kho, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni appahīnāni.

Katamassa, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni?

What individual has given up the lower fetters, the fetters for getting reborn, and the fetters for getting a continued existence?

Arahato.

A perfected one.

Imassa kho, bhikkhave, puggalassa orambhāgiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, upapattipaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni, bhavapaṭilābhiyāni saṁyojanāni pahīnāni.

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

These are the four individuals found in the world.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026