English
For if the insight of the three higher paths is strong, it is called "one-seeder"; if somewhat weaker, "clan-to-clan"; if still weaker, "seven-times-at-most." For a certain stream-enterer is inclined to the round, delighted in the round, repeatedly wanders and lingers in the round itself. The householder Anāthapiṇḍika, the female lay disciple Visākhā, the lesser chariot and greater chariot deities, the deity Anekavaṇṇa, Sakka the king of the gods, the deity Nāgadatta—these many people, inclined to the round, delighted in the round, having purified the six heavens starting from the beginning, will remain in Akaniṭṭha and attain final Nibbāna; these are not included here. And not only these; whoever, having transmigrated seven times in the human realm itself, attains arahantship, whoever, having been reborn in the heavenly realm, transmigrates again and again seven times among the gods themselves and attains arahantship, these too are not included here. But here, only those "seven-times-at-most" and "clan-to-clan" are to be understood as arising due to mixed existence, and the "one-seeder" as arising only in human existence. There, each one attains a fourfold state according to whether it is difficult or easy to practice, and so on. There are four "seven-times-at-most" who are faith-led. Four are kolaṃkolā, Four are ekabījin, Thus twelve are in total. If it is possible to produce with wisdom, "I will produce the supramundane Dhamma," Thus, having made wisdom one's burden, Even those who attain the state of being at most seven times more, Are only twelve according to the path. These twenty-four Stream-enterers, Are said to be spoken of in this place, Only in terms of those with fixed destinations. 34. In the exposition of the Once-returner: One who comes once by way of rebirth is a Once-returner. "Once only" means just one time. "Having come to this world" means that, Out of the five Once-returners, Four are excluded, and only one is taken. For one attains the fruit of Once-returning here, And attains final Nibbāna right here; One attains it here and attains final Nibbāna in the deva-world; One attains it in the deva-world and attains final Nibbāna there; One attains it in the deva-world and, Having been reborn here, attains final Nibbāna – These four are not included here. But the one who, having attained it here, Lives in the deva-world for as long as life lasts, And then, having been reborn here, attains final Nibbāna – This one alone is to be understood as included here. Whatever else there might be to say here, All that has already been said below, In the exposition of supramundane wholesome qualities, In the commentary on the Dhammasaṅgaṇi. But what is the distinction of this Once-returner, From the one with a single seed? For the one with a single seed, there is only one rebirth, For the Once-returner, there are two rebirths – This is their distinction. 35. In the exposition of the Non-returner: "Of the fetters pertaining to the lower realm" means, "Lower" is said of the realm of desire. For one whose five bonds are not yet abandoned, Even if reborn in the peak of existence, Like a fish with a swallowed hook, Like a crow tied by the foot with a long string, Being pulled by those bonds, Continues in the realm of desire itself. Therefore, the five bonds are called pertaining to the lower realm. "Pertaining to the lower part" means pertaining to the lower section. "By the destruction" means by the destruction of those bonds. "Of spontaneous birth" means of the womb of spontaneous birth. By this, his lying in a womb is rejected. "There he attains final Nibbāna" means in that Suddhāvāsa world he attains final Nibbāna. He is one of stable virtue, Not returning from that world, Because of grasping rebirth there, His nature is not to return here. But his coming for the sake of seeing the Buddha, Or the Elder, or hearing the Dhamma, is not prevented. This is said to be, This kind of person, Because of not coming again by way of rebirth, Is called an Anāgāmī. 36. In the explanation of Antarāparinibbāyī – Having arisen or immediately after arising, Or without reaching the middle of the life-span, Meaning, without reaching the middle of the life-span, He generates the Noble Path. But according to the option of "or," It should also be understood as having reached the middle. Thus, the three Antarāparinibbāyīs are established. For the destruction of the higher fetters, Meaning, for the sake of abandoning the five higher fetters, Or the eight defilements, He generates the Path. This is said to be, This kind of person, Because of attaining final Nibbāna in the interval of the life-span, Is called an Antarāparinibbāyī. 37. In the explanation of Upahaccaparinibbāyī – Having passed beyond the middle of the life-span, Meaning, having passed beyond the middle of the life-span, Or having approached death, Meaning, standing near the exhaustion of life. This is said to be, This kind of person, Having passed beyond the middle, Consisting of five hundred Kappas, Of the life-span of a thousand Kappas in Aviha, And standing in the sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth hundred Kappas, Or in any one of the tenth hundred Kappas, Having attained Arahantship, Because of attaining final Nibbāna by the extinction of defilements, Is called an Upahaccaparinibbāyī. 38. In the explanations of Asaṅkhārasa and Sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī – Without effort, without suffering, Without making excessive exertion, He is one whose nature is to attain final Nibbāna by the extinction of defilements, An Asaṅkhāraparinibbāyī. With effort, with suffering, with difficulty, Having made excessive exertion, He is one whose nature is to attain final Nibbāna by the extinction of defilements, A Sasaṅkhāraparinibbāyī. 40. Uddhaṃs "Upward-flowing" means the stream of craving flows upward, the round of existence flows upward, it flows upward. "Upward-flowing" means the stream of the path flows upward, because it must be attained by going upward. "Going to Akaniṭṭha" means one who goes to Akaniṭṭha. Regarding "having passed away from Aviha, he goes to Atappa," etc., one dwells in Aviha for one thousand eons, and being unable to attain arahantship, he goes to Atappa. There too, dwelling for two thousand eons, and being unable to attain arahantship, he goes to Sudassa. There too, dwelling for four thousand eons, and being unable to attain arahantship, he goes to Sudassī. There too, dwelling for eight thousand eons, and being unable to attain arahantship, he goes to Akaniṭṭha. There, he generates the Noble Path, this is the meaning. Now, for the purpose of knowing the distinctions among these Non-returners, the fourfold "upward-flowing, going to Akaniṭṭha" should be understood. Therein, one who, starting from Aviha, purifies the four deva-worlds and goes to Akaniṭṭha and attains Nibbāna, this one is called "upward-flowing, going to Akaniṭṭha." But one who, having purified the lower three deva-worlds, remains in the Sudassī deva-world and attains Nibbāna – this one is called "upward-flowing," but not "going to Akaniṭṭha." But one who, from here, goes only to Akaniṭṭha and attains Nibbāna, this one is not "upward-flowing," but is called "going to Akaniṭṭha." But one who, in the lower four deva-worlds, attains Nibbāna right there in each place, this one is neither "upward-flowing" nor "going to Akaniṭṭha." Thus, these are forty-eight Non-returners. How so? In Aviha, there are three who attain Nibbāna in between, one who attains Nibbāna with effort, one upward-flowing; those who attain Nibbāna without effort are five, those who attain Nibbāna with effort are five, thus there are ten. Likewise, in Atappa, Sudassa, and Sudassī, there are four sets of ten, making forty. But in Akaniṭṭha, there is no upward-flowing one. However, there are three who attain Nibbāna in between, one who attains Nibbāna with effort. Those who attain Nibbāna without effort are four, those who attain Nibbāna with effort are four, thus there are eight. Thus, there are forty-eight. All of them are delayed. Kindled by anger, even for those tormented all day, like a blister arising and bursting when struck with an iron hammer, such is the first who attains Nibbāna between lives, why? Because they attain Nibbāna by the extinction of defilements immediately upon arising. Then, struck with a larger iron hammer, a blister leaps into the air and bursts, such is the second who attains Nibbāna between lives, why? Because they attain Nibbāna without reaching the midpoint. Then, struck with a larger iron hammer, a blister leaps into the air, returns, and falls on the earth, bursting without impact, such is the third who attains Nibbāna between lives, why? Because they attain Nibbāna having reached the midpoint without impact. Then, struck with a larger iron hammer, a blister leaps into the air, falls on the earth, and bursts with impact, such is one who attains Nibbāna with effort, why? Because they attain Nibbāna after undergoing death and exhausting their lifespan. Then, struck with a larger iron hammer, a blister falls on a small pile of grass and wood, burns it up, and bursts, such is one who attains Nibbāna without effort, why? Because they attain Nibbāna with little effort and quickly. Then, struck with a larger iron hammer, a blister falls on a large pile of grass and wood, burns it up, and bursts, such is one who attains Nibbāna with effort, why? Because they attain Nibbāna with effort and not quickly. Others fall on huge piles of grass and wood, and as these huge piles burn, a spark or flame leaps up, burns the blacksmith's shop, burns the village, town, city, and country, reaches the ocean, and bursts, such is one who goes upstream to Akaniṭṭha, why? Because they attain Nibbāna after touching and expanding the seed of many existences. But even a small iron pan, with distinctions such as the ārakaṇṭaka, is still an iron pan, whether small or large. Therefore, in the Sutta,