AN 4:131 · Fetters (Saṁyojana Sutta)
“Monks, there are these four types of individuals to be found existing in the world. Which four?
“There is the case where, in a certain individual, the lower fetters are unabandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are unabandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are unabandoned.
“Then there is the case where, in a certain individual, the lower fetters are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are unabandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are unabandoned.
“Then there is the case where, in a certain individual, the lower fetters are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are unabandoned.
“Then there is the case where, in a certain individual, the lower fetters are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are abandoned.
“And which is the individual in which the lower fetters are unabandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are unabandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are unabandoned? A once-returner. In this individual the lower fetters are unabandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are unabandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are unabandoned.
“And which is the individual in which the lower fetters are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are unabandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are unabandoned? One going upstream to the Peerless [i.e., a non-returner heading for the Akaniṭṭha heaven, the highest of the Pure Abodes].1 In this individual the lower fetters are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are unabandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are unabandoned.
“And which is the individual in which the lower fetters are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are unabandoned? One unbound in between [i.e., one who is destined to unbind after leaving the human realm but before reaching a Pure Abode]. In this individual the lower fetters are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are unabandoned.
“And which is the individual in which the lower fetters are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are abandoned? An arahant, one whose effluents are ended. In this individual the lower fetters are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a spontaneous reappearance are abandoned, the fetters for gaining a becoming are abandoned.
“These are four types of individuals to be found existing in the world.”
Note
1. According to the Commentary, this category of non-returner first appears spontaneously in any of the first four levels of the five Pure Abodes—among the Aviha (Not Falling Away) devas, the Atappa (Untroubled) devas, the Sudassa (Good-looking) devas, or the Sudassī (Clear-seeing) devas—and then appears spontaneously in progressively higher levels until reaching the highest, the Akaniṭṭha (Peerless) Pure Abode, there to be unbound.
See also: MN 70; AN 3:88; AN 10:13
Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence, for free distribution only. Source: dhammatalks.org (Metta Forest Monastery).
