“Bhikkhus, there are these seven kinds of persons comparable to those in water, found existing in the world.
What 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 by the Buddha for an Arahant, an awakened being [brāhmaṇa]| stands on firm ground.
1) 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.
2) 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.
3) 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.
4) 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 ending of suffering, and 3) adherence to rules and observances as a means of liberation [sotāpanna]|, not liable to states of suffering, assured of liberation and destined for full awakening. This is a person who, having come up, sees clearly and examines.
5) 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::ill will, hatred, hostility, mental attitude of rejection, fault-finding, resentful disapproval [dosa]|, and |illusion::delusion, hallucination, misapprehension, distorted view; that which fuels further confusion and doubt [moha]|, this person becomes a |once-returner::the second stage of awakening where one has completely exhausted the fetters of 1] personal existence, 2] doubt, perplexity, or indecisiveness, and 3] adherence to rules and observances as a means of liberation, and 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.
6) 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.
7) 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::defilements, pollutants [āsava]|, 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.
These, bhikkhus, are the seven kinds of persons, comparable to those in water, found existing in the world.