English
They understand as it really is: ‘This is suffering’. They understand as it really is: ‘This is the origin of suffering’. They understand as it really is: ‘This is the cessation of suffering’. They understand as it really is: ‘This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering’. Thus, monks, is a person deep, with a deep appearance. Just as, monks, a pond is deep, with a deep appearance; so too, monks, I say this person is like that. These, monks, are the four persons comparable to ponds, existing, found in the world. The Fourth. 5. The Discourse on Mangoes 105. These four, monks, are mangoes. Which four? Unripe but appearing ripe, Ripe but appearing unripe, Unripe and appearing unripe, Ripe and appearing ripe – These, monks, are the four mangoes. In the same way, monks, these four persons comparable to mangoes exist, found in the world. Which four? Unripe but appearing ripe, Ripe but appearing unripe, Unripe and appearing unripe, Ripe and appearing ripe. How, monks, is a person unripe but appearing ripe? Here, monks, for some person their going forth, coming back, This looking, this observing, this bending, this stretching, this wearing of the outer robe, bowl, and inner robe. He does not truly know 'This is suffering'... ...nor does he truly know 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering'. Thus, monks, a person is raw (inside) but ripe in appearance. Just as, monks, a mango is raw but ripe in appearance; so do I declare this person to be, monks. "And how, monks, is a person ripe (inside) but raw in appearance? Here, monks, for a certain person, his going forth, his returning, his looking forward, his looking around, his bending, his stretching, his wearing of the outer robe, bowl, and inner robe is not pleasing. He truly knows 'This is suffering'... ...and he truly knows 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering'. Thus, monks, a person is ripe (inside) but raw in appearance. Just as, monks, a mango is ripe but raw in appearance; so do I declare this person to be, monks. "And how, monks, is a person raw (inside) and raw in appearance? Here, monks, for a certain person, his going forth, his returning, his looking forward, his looking around, his bending, his stretching, his wearing of the outer robe, bowl, and inner robe is not pleasing. He does not truly know 'This is suffering'... ...nor does he truly know 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering'. Thus, monks, a person is raw (inside) and raw in appearance. Just as, monks, a mango is raw and raw in appearance; so do I declare this person to be, monks. "And how, monks, is a person ripe (inside) and ripe in appearance? Here, monks, for a certain person, his going forth, his returning, his looking forward, his looking around, his bending, his stretching, his wearing of the outer robe, bowl, and inner robe is pleasing. He truly knows 'This is suffering'... ...and he truly knows 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering'. Thus, monks, a person is ripe (inside) and ripe in appearance. Just as Just as, monks, a mango ripe, of ripe color; so do I, monks, declare this person to be. These, monks, are the four mango-like persons existing, found in the world. The Fifth. 6. The Second Mango Discourse (The sixth is shown in the commentary to be of obvious meaning, but is not seen anywhere in Pāli manuscripts. A reading like "...raw appearing ripe, ripe appearing raw..." might exist.) 7. The Mouse Discourse 107. "These four, monks, are mice. Which four? One who digs a burrow but does not dwell in it, one who dwells but does not dig a burrow, one who neither digs a burrow nor dwells in it, and one who both digs a burrow and dwells in it – these, monks, are the four mice. Just so, monks, are these four mouse-like persons existing, found in the world. Which four? One who digs a burrow but does not dwell in it, one who dwells but does not dig a burrow, one who neither digs a burrow nor dwells in it, and one who both digs a burrow and dwells in it. "And how, monks, is a person one who digs a burrow but does not dwell in it? Here, monks, a certain person learns the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'as it was said' texts, birth stories, wonderful phenomena, question and answer texts. He does not understand 'this is suffering' as it really is... and so on... he does not understand 'this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering' as it really is. Thus, monks, is a person one who digs a burrow but does not dwell in it. Just as that mouse, monks, digs a burrow but does not dwell in it; so do I, monks, declare this person to be. "And how, monks, is a person one who dwells but does not dig a burrow? Here, monks, a certain person does not learn the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'as it was said' texts, birth stories, wonderful phenomena, question and answer texts. He 'this is suffering' ...he understands as it really is... ...this is the path leading to the cessation of suffering,' he understands as it really is. Thus, bhikkhus, a person is skilled, but not one who digs deep. Just as, bhikkhus, a mouse is skilled, but not one who digs deep; so do I declare, bhikkhus, this person to be like that. "And how, bhikkhus, is a person neither one who digs deep nor skilled? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person does not learn the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'thus-saids,' birth stories, amazing phenomena, question-and-answer discourses. He does not understand as it really is, 'This is suffering'... ...he does not understand as it really is, 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.' Thus, bhikkhus, a person is neither one who digs deep nor skilled. Just as, bhikkhus, a mouse is neither one who digs deep nor skilled; so do I declare, bhikkhus, this person to be like that. "And how, bhikkhus, is a person both one who digs deep and skilled? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person learns the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'thus-saids,' birth stories, amazing phenomena, question-and-answer discourses. He understands as it really is, 'This is suffering'... ...he understands as it really is, 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.' Thus, bhikkhus, a person is both one who digs deep and skilled. Just as, bhikkhus, a mouse is both one who digs deep and skilled; so do I declare, bhikkhus, this person to be like that. These, bhikkhus, are the four persons likened to mice, existing and found in the world." The Seventh. 8. The Discourse on the Oxen 108. "There are these four, bhikkhus, oxen. Which four? One fierce towards his own herd, but not towards another's herd; one fierce towards another's herd, but not towards his own herd; one fierce towards both his own herd and another's herd; one fierce neither towards his own herd nor Fierce towards other cows – Indeed, monks, these are four oxen. Just so, monks, four persons like oxen exist, are found in the world. Which four? Fierce towards its own cows, not fierce towards other cows, Fierce towards other cows, not fierce towards its own cows, Fierce towards its own cows and fierce towards other cows, Neither fierce towards its own cows nor fierce towards other cows. And how, monks, is a person fierce towards its own cows, not fierce towards other cows? Here, monks, a certain person is one who agitates his own assembly, not another's assembly. Thus, monks, a person is fierce towards its own cows, not fierce towards other cows. Just as that ox, monks, is fierce towards its own cows, not fierce towards other cows; So I declare this person to be like that. And how, monks, is a person fierce towards other cows, not fierce towards its own cows? Here, monks, a certain person is one who agitates another's assembly, not his own assembly. Thus, monks, a person is fierce towards other cows, not fierce towards its own cows. Just as that ox, monks, is fierce towards other cows, not fierce towards its own cows; So I declare this person to be like that. And how, monks, is a person fierce towards its own cows and fierce towards other cows? Here, monks, a certain person is one who agitates his own assembly and another's assembly. Thus, monks, a person is fierce towards its own cows and fierce towards other cows. Just as that ox, monks, is fierce towards its own cows and fierce towards other cows; So I declare this person to be like that. And how, monks, is a person neither fierce towards its own cows nor fierce towards other cows? Here, monks, a certain person is one who agitates neither his own assembly nor another's assembly. Thus, monks, a person is neither fierce towards its own cows nor fierce towards other cows. Just as that ox, monks, is neither fierce towards its own cows nor fierce towards other cows; So I declare this person to be like that. Indeed, monks, these four persons like oxen exist, are found in the world. The Eighth. 9. The Discourse on Trees 109. These four, monks, are trees. Which four? A tree with weak wood and a weak retinue, a tree with weak wood and a strong retinue, a tree with strong wood and a weak retinue, a tree with strong wood and a strong retinue— these, monks, are the four trees. Even so, monks, there are four persons like trees who exist, are found in the world. Which four? A person with a weak core and a weak retinue, a person with a weak core and a strong retinue, a person with a strong core and a weak retinue, a person with a strong core and a strong retinue. And how, monks, is a person with a weak core and a weak retinue? Here, monks, a certain person is immoral, of bad character; and their retinue is immoral, of bad character. Thus, monks, a person is with a weak core and a weak retinue. Just as, monks, that tree is with weak wood and a weak retinue; so, monks, I say this person is like that.