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3. Chapter on Persons 1. The Discourse to Samiddha 21. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then Ven. Samiddha and Ven. Mahākoṭṭhika approached Ven. Sāriputta; having approached, they exchanged greetings with Ven. Sāriputta. When they had concluded their courteous and amiable talk, they sat down to one side. As Ven. Samiddha sat to one side, Ven. Sāriputta said to him: "There are these three persons, friend Samiddha, existing and found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one who has attained to view, one who is liberated by faith. These, friend, are the three persons existing and found in the world. Of these three persons, friend, which person do you approve of as more excellent and more sublime?" "There are these three persons, friend Sāriputta, existing and found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one who has attained to view, one who is liberated by faith. These, friend, are the three persons existing and found in the world. Of these three persons, friend, the person who is liberated by faith, this person I approve of as more excellent and more sublime among these three persons. For what reason? Because, friend, the faith faculty of this person is pre-eminent." Then Ven. Sāriputta said to Ven. Mahākoṭṭhika: "There are these three persons, friend Koṭṭhika, existing and found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one who has attained to view, one who is liberated by faith. These, friend, are the three persons existing and found in the world. Of these three persons, friend, which person do you approve of as more excellent and more sublime?" "There are these three persons, friend Sāriputta, existing and found in the world. Which three? A body-witness... (a body-witness), one attained to view, one liberated by faith. These, friends, are three individuals existing, found in the world. Of these, friends, three individuals, this individual who is a body-witness, this individual pleases me, more excellent and more sublime than these three individuals. For what reason is that? Because, friends, the faculty of concentration of this individual is excessive." Then indeed the venerable Mahākoṭṭhika said this to the venerable Sāriputta: "These three, friend Sāriputta, are individuals existing, found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one attained to view, one liberated by faith. These, friends, are three individuals existing, found in the world. Of these, friends, three individuals, which individual pleases you, more excellent and more sublime?" "These three, friend Koṭṭhika, are individuals existing, found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one attained to view, one liberated by faith. These, friends, are three individuals existing, found in the world. Of these, friends, three individuals, this individual who is one attained to view, this individual pleases me, more excellent and more sublime than these three individuals. For what reason is that? Because, friends, the faculty of wisdom of this individual is excessive." Then indeed the venerable Sāriputta said this to the venerable Samiddha and the venerable Mahākoṭṭhika: "Indeed, friends, we have all declared our respective insights. Come, friends, let us approach the Blessed One; having approached, let us report this matter to the Blessed One. As the Blessed One declares to us, so shall we remember it." "Yes, friend," indeed the venerable Samiddha and the venerable Mahākoṭṭhika replied to the venerable Sāriputta. Then indeed the venerable Sāriputta, the venerable Samiddha, and the venerable Mahākoṭṭhika approached the Blessed One; having approached, having paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side. To one side Venerable Sāriputta, being seated there, reported all that conversation he had had with Venerable Samiddhi and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika to the Blessed One. "It is not easy here, Sāriputta, to declare definitively: 'This one among these three persons is more excellent and more sublime.' It is possible here, Sāriputta, that the person liberated by faith is one who has entered the path to arahantship; that the person who is a body-witness is a once-returner or a non-returner; and that the person who has attained to view is a once-returner or a non-returner. "It is not easy here, Sāriputta, to declare definitively: 'This one among these three persons is more excellent and more sublime.' It is possible here, Sāriputta, that the person who is a body-witness is one who has entered the path to arahantship; that the person liberated by faith is a once-returner or a non-returner; and that the person who has attained to view is a once-returner or a non-returner. "It is not easy here, Sāriputta, to declare definitively: 'This one among these three persons is more excellent and more sublime.' It is possible here, Sāriputta, that the person who has attained to view is one who has entered the path to arahantship; that the person liberated by faith is a once-returner or a non-returner; and that the person who is a body-witness is a once-returner or a non-returner. "It is not easy here, Sāriputta, to declare definitively: 'This one among these three persons is more excellent and more sublime.'" The First. 2. The Discourse on the Sick. "Monks, there are these three kinds of sick persons existing and found in the world. Which three? Here, monks, a certain sick person, whether obtaining suitable foods or not obtaining suitable foods, whether obtaining suitable medicines or not obtaining suitable medicines, whether obtaining a suitable attendant or not obtaining a suitable attendant, does not recover from that illness. Here, monks, a certain sick person, whether obtaining suitable food or not obtaining suitable food, whether obtaining suitable medicine or not obtaining suitable medicine, whether obtaining a suitable attendant or not obtaining a suitable attendant, recovers from that illness. Here, monks, a certain sick person, only by obtaining suitable food, not by not obtaining it, only by obtaining suitable medicine, not by not obtaining it, only by obtaining a suitable attendant, not by not obtaining one, recovers from that illness. There, monks, that sick person who only by obtaining suitable food, not by not obtaining it, only by obtaining suitable medicine, not by not obtaining it, only by obtaining a suitable attendant, not by not obtaining one, recovers from that illness— it is for the sake of this sick person, monks, that sick-food is allowed, sick-medicine is allowed, a sick-attendant is allowed. And it is for the sake of this sick person, monks, that other sick persons should be attended to. These, monks, are the three sick persons existing, found in the world. Just so, monks, these three persons like sick persons exist, found in the world. Which three? Here, monks, a certain person, whether obtaining a sight of the Tathāgata or not obtaining a sight of the Tathāgata, whether obtaining a hearing of the Dhamma-Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata or not obtaining a hearing of the Dhamma-Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata, does not enter the fixed course of wholesome states. Here, monks, a certain person, whether obtaining a sight of the Tathāgata or not obtaining a sight of the Tathāgata, whether obtaining a hearing of the Dhamma-Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata or not obtaining a hearing of the Dhamma-Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata, enters the fixed course of wholesome entered upon the assurance in wholesome states. "Here, monks, a certain person, though obtaining to see the Tathāgata, does not obtain; though obtaining to hear the Dhamma-Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata, does not obtain; yet enters upon the assurance in wholesome states. "Among these, monks, that person who, though obtaining to see the Tathāgata, does not obtain; though obtaining to hear the Dhamma-Vinaya proclaimed by the Tathāgata, does not obtain; yet enters upon the assurance in wholesome states— it is concerning this person, monks, that the teaching of the Dhamma is allowed. And concerning this person, monks, the Dhamma should be taught to others as well. 'These, monks, are the three persons comparable to the sick, existing and found in the world.'" The second. 3. The Discourse on Formations "Monks, these three persons exist and are found in the world. Which three? Here, monks, a certain person forms an afflicted bodily formation, forms an afflicted verbal formation, forms an afflicted mental formation. Having formed an afflicted bodily formation, having formed an afflicted verbal formation, having formed an afflicted mental formation, he is reborn in an afflicted world. Having been reborn in that afflicted world, afflicted contacts touch him. Being touched by afflicted contacts, he experiences an afflicted feeling, exclusively painful, just like beings in hell. "Here again, monks, a certain person forms an unafflicted bodily formation, forms an unafflicted verbal formation, forms an unafflicted mental formation. Having formed an unafflicted bodily formation, having formed an unafflicted verbal formation, having formed an unafflicted mental formation, he is reborn in an unafflicted world. attains. Having attained that world of non-affliction, non-afflicting contacts touch him. Touched by non-afflicting contacts, he experiences a non-afflicting feeling, exclusively pleasant, just like the Devas of Refulgent Glory. Here, monks, some individual fabricates both afflicting and non-afflicting bodily volitions, fabricates both afflicting and non-afflicting verbal volitions, fabricates both afflicting and non-afflicting mental volitions. Having fabricated both afflicting and non-afflicting bodily volitions, having fabricated both afflicting and non-afflicting verbal volitions, having fabricated both afflicting and non-afflicting mental volitions, he attains a world of both affliction and non-affliction.