“Here, monks, 1) one individual sinks once and remains submerged; 2) one individual, having come up, submerges again; 3) one individual, having come up, and stays there; 4) one individual, having come up, looks around, sees clearly, and stays there; 5) one individual, having come, up swims across; 6) one individual, having come up, gains a foothold; 7) one individual, having come up, crosses over to the far side as a saint ¹ standing on firm ground.

“And how, monks, does one individual sink once and remains submerged? Here, monks, one individual is endowed with extremely dark unwholesome qualities.² Thus, monks, one individual sinks once and remains submerged.

“And how, monks, does one individual, having come up, submerge again? Here, monks, one individual comes up [and thinks] ‘It is good to have confidence regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have moral shame regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have scrupulousness regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have energy regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have wisdom regarding wholesome qualities.’ His or her confidence neither stabilises nor grows, but dwindles away, his or her moral shame neither stabilises nor grows, but dwindles away, his or her scrupulousness neither stabilises nor grows, but dwindles away, his or her energy neither stabilises nor grows, but dwindles away, his or wisdom neither stabilises nor grows, but dwindles away. Thus, monks, one individual having come up, submerges again.

“And how, monks, does one individual, having come up, stay there? Here, monks, one individual comes up [and thinks] ‘It is good to have confidence regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have moral shame regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have scrupulousness regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have energy regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have wisdom regarding wholesome qualities.’ His or her confidence neither grows, nor dwindles away, but remains stable, his or her moral shame neither grows, nor dwindles away, but remains stable, his or her scrupulousness neither grows, nor dwindles away, but remains stable, his or her energy neither grows, nor dwindles away, but remains stable, his or wisdom neither grows, nor dwindles away, but remains stable. Thus, monks, one individual having come up, stays there.

“And how, monks, does one individual, having come up, look around, see clearly, and stay there? Here, monks, one individual comes up [and thinks] ‘It is good to have confidence regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have moral shame regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have scrupulousness regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have energy regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have wisdom regarding wholesome qualities.’ He or she, having destroyed three fetters, is a Stream-winner, free from the lower realms, and destined for enlightenment. Thus, monks, one individual, having come up, looks around and sees clearly.

“And how, monks, does one individual, having come up, swim across? Here, monks, one individual comes up [and thinks] ‘It is good to have confidence regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have moral shame regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have scrupulousness regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have energy regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have wisdom regarding wholesome qualities.’ He or she, having destroyed three fetters, and weakened lust, anger, and delusion, is a Once-returner, having returned no more than once to this world, makes and end to suffering. Thus, monks, one individual, having come up, swims across.

“And how, monks, does one individual, having come up, gain a foothold? Here, monks, one individual comes up [and thinks] ‘It is good to have confidence regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have moral shame regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have scrupulousness regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have energy regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have wisdom regarding wholesome qualities.’ He or she, having destroyed the five lower fetters, arises spontaneously [in the Pure Abodes] and is destined to attain final cessation without returning from that world. Thus, monks, one individual, having come up, gains a foothold.

“And how, monks, does one individual, having come up, cross over to the far side as a saint standing on firm ground? Here, monks, one individual comes up [and thinks] ‘It is good to have confidence regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have moral shame regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have scrupulousness regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have energy regarding wholesome qualities, it is good to have wisdom regarding wholesome qualities.’ He or she, with the total destruction of the outflows, having realised in this very life the liberation by mind and liberation by wisdom, abides in it. Thus, monks, one individual, having come up, crosses over to the far side as a saint standing on firm ground.

“These, monks, are the seven kinds of individuals like those in water found in the world.”

Notes:

1. A brāhmaṇa, a member of the priest caste, but often used for an Arahant who is free from defilements. See the Brāhmana Vagga of the Dhammapada.

2. The commentary (AA.iv.5) says: “Ekantakāḷakehī ti niyatamicchādiṭṭhiṃ sandhāya vuttaṃ. Extremely dark qualities is said with respect to fixed wrong-views.”