AN 7.15 Udakūpamā sutta - Comparable to Water

“Sattime, bhikkhave, udakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

¶ 1“Bhikkhus, there are these seven kinds of persons comparable to those in water, found existing in the world.

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.

¶ 2What seven? 1) Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, sinks down once and remains submerged. 2) Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having come up, sinks again. 3) Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having come up, remains afloat. 4) Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having come up, |sees clearly::understands with insight [vipassati]| and |examines::inspects [viloketi]|. 5) Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having come up, swims across. 6) Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having come up, gains a foothold. 7) Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having come up, swims across, and having reached the other shore, the |sage::Brāhmaṇa, a title used for an Arahant, an awakened being [brāhmaṇa]| stands on firm ground.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo sakiṁ nimuggo nimuggova hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo samannāgato hoti ekantakāḷakehi akusalehi dhammehi. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo sakiṁ nimuggo nimuggova hoti.

¶ 31.) And how, bhikkhus, does a person who sinks down once remain submerged? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person is endowed with exclusively dark, |unwholesome::unhealthy, unskillful, unbeneficial, or karmically unprofitable [akusala]| qualities. This is a person who sinks down once and remains submerged.

Kathañca, 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.

¶ 42.) And how, bhikkhus, does a person, having come up, sink again? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having risen up, [thinks]: ‘It is good to have |faith::confidence, conviction, trust [saddha]| for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have a |sense of right and wrong::sense of shame, conscience, modesty [hirī]| for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have |fear of wrongdoing::moral dread [ottappa]| for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have |energy::willpower, determination [vīriya]| for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have |wisdom::distinctive knowledge, discernment [paññā]| for the sake of wholesome qualities.’ However, his faith does not become stable or grow, but dwindles. His sense of right and wrong, fear of wrongdoing, energy, and wisdom do not become stable or grow, but rather, dwindle. This is a person who, having come up, sinks again.

Kathañca, 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.

¶ 53.) And how, bhikkhus, does a person, having come up, remain afloat? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having risen up, [thinks]: ‘It is good to have faith for the sake of wholesome qualities. It is good to have a sense of right and wrong for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have fear of wrongdoing for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have energy for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have wisdom for the sake of wholesome qualities.’ And this person’s faith neither declines nor grows, but remains stable. His sense of right and wrong, fear of wrongdoing, energy, and wisdom also neither decline nor grow, but remain stable. This is a person who, having come up, remains afloat.

Kathañca, 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.

¶ 64.) And how, bhikkhus, does a person, having come up, see clearly and examine? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having risen up, [thinks]: ‘It is good to have faith for the sake of wholesome qualities. It is good to have a sense of right and wrong for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have fear of wrongdoing for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have energy for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have wisdom for the sake of wholesome qualities.’ With the |complete exhaustion::gradual and complete wearing away [parikkhaya]| of three fetters, this person becomes a |stream-enterer::A stream-enterer is an individual who has attained the first stage of awakening, having completely abandoned the three fetters: 1) personal existence view - identity view, belief in a self, 2) doubt or perplexity regarding suffering, its arising, its ending, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering, and 3) adherence to rules and observances as a means of liberation [sotāpanna]|, not liable to states of suffering, fixed in destiny, |with full awakening as his destination::culminating in enlightenment [sambodhiparāyaṇa]|. This is a person who, having come up, sees clearly and examines.

Kathañca, 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.

¶ 75.) And how, bhikkhus, does a person, having come up, swim across? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having risen up, [thinks]: ‘It is good to have faith for the sake of wholesome qualities. It is good to have a sense of right and wrong for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have fear of wrongdoing for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have energy for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have wisdom for the sake of wholesome qualities.’ With the complete exhaustion of three fetters and the weakening of |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]|, |aversion::hatred, hostility, mental attitude of rejection, fault-finding, resentful disapproval [dosa]|, and |delusion::illusion, misperception, erroneous belief, false idea, misapprehension; a fundamental distortion of reality that sustains confusion, clouds discernment, and fuels further doubt [moha]|, this person becomes a |once-returner::the second stage of awakening where one has completely exhausted the fetters of 1.) personal existence view, 2.) doubt or perplexity regarding suffering, its arising, its ending, and the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering, and 3.) adherence to rules and observances as a means of liberation; as well as made significant progress in overcoming the fetters of 4] sensual desire and 5] ill will. [sakadāgāmī]|, who, after returning to this world only once more, will make an end of |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|. This is a person, who having come up, swims across.

Kathañca, 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.

¶ 86.) And how, bhikkhus, does a person, having come up, gain a foothold? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having risen up, [thinks]: ‘It is good to have faith for the sake of wholesome qualities. It is good to have a sense of right and wrong for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have fear of wrongdoing for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have energy for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have wisdom for the sake of wholesome qualities.’ With the complete exhaustion of the five lower fetters, he is spontaneously reborn [in the Pure Abodes] and will attain final Nibbāna there without returning from that world. This is a person, who having come up, gains a foothold.

Kathañca, 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.

¶ 97.) And how, bhikkhus, does a person, having come up, swim across and having reached the other shore, the sage stands on firm ground? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person, having risen up, [thinks]: ‘It is good to have faith for the sake of wholesome qualities. It is good to have a sense of right and wrong for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have fear of wrongdoing for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have energy for the sake of wholesome qualities; it is good to have wisdom for the sake of wholesome qualities.’ Through the complete exhaustion of the |taints::outflows, discharges; (comm) mental defilements [āsavā]|, this person realizes with direct knowledge and attains in this very life, the taintless |liberation of mind::emancipated by mind/heart, samādhi obtained from fruition [cetovimutti]| and |liberation by wisdom::emancipation by insight [paññāvimutti]|, and dwells in it. This is a person, who having come up, swims across, and having reached the other shore, the sage stands on firm ground.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, satta udakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

¶ 10These, bhikkhus, are the seven kinds of persons, comparable to those in water, found existing in the world.