English
"There, what a doer of good experiences as good, this is gratification. What a doer of evil experiences as evil, this is danger. "These, monks, are the eight worldly conditions. Which eight? 'Gain,' etc. (A.N. 8.6). There, gain, fame, happiness, praise—this is gratification. Loss, disrepute, suffering, dis Inda, this is the drawback. Among these, what is the gratification and the escape? Pleasant is the result of merits, And the intention is fulfilled; And quickly one attains the supreme peace, Nibbāna. This is the gratification and the escape. Monks, these are the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, endowed with which a Great Man has only two destinies... 'with uncovered roof' – the entire Lakkhaṇa Sutta – this is the gratification and the escape. Among these, what is the drawback and the escape? Burdens indeed are the five aggregates, And the person is the burden-bearer; Taking up burdens is suffering in the world, Laying down burdens is happiness. Having laid down the heavy burden, And not taking up another burden; Having uprooted craving with its root, One is quenched, completely unbound. This is the drawback and the escape. Among these, what is the gratification, the drawback, and the escape? Sensual pleasures are indeed varied, sweet, delightful, But in their diverse forms they torment the mind; Therefore, O king, I have gone forth, The certain recluseship is better. This is the gratification, the drawback, and the escape. Thus it is said, therefore these methods should be ascertained and understood here. This method is also found in fruits and so on. Since in the Piṭaka it is said: "Among these, what is the fruit and the means? The verse 'A wise person, established in virtue' – this is the fruit and the means." Among these, what is the fruit and the command? If you fear suffering, If suffering is displeasing to you; Do not do evil deeds, Whether openly or in secret. This is the fruit and the command. Among these, what is the means and the command? Having known this body to be like a jar, And having established this mind like a city; Fight Māra with the weapon of wisdom, And guard what is won, without attachment. This is the means and the command. It has been said, therefore, in this way, examples of fruits and so on should be understood also in terms of suffering. For the three types of individuals, such as the 'one who understands immediately' (ugghaṭitaññu), 'to this person he teaches this, to that person he teaches that' – by which individuals the enjoyments and so on were appropriately distinguished by the teacher, and by which paths those individuals are differentiated, how many such paths are there, and how many individuals are differentiated by them – since such an inquiry is possible, to show by enumeration that those paths are so many and those individuals are so many, the section beginning 'there are four paths' was commenced. Therein, 'therein' refers to those individuals such as the 'one who understands immediately'. The connection should be made thus: the individuals who are differentiated by certain paths, those paths are four, and those individuals are four. Which are the four? The path of suffering with slow comprehension, the path of suffering with swift comprehension, the path of ease with slow comprehension, and the path of ease with swift comprehension – these are the four. Which are the four (individuals)? The individual whose conduct is craving, who is dull; the individual whose conduct is craving, who is exalted; the individual whose conduct is views, who is dull; and the individual whose conduct is views, who is exalted – these are the four. Considering that a division made by paths and comprehensions is also a division made by paths due to their inseparability, it was said 'four paths' instead of 'four paths and comprehensions'. These, moreover, are differentiated by way of tranquility (samatha) and also by way of insight (vipassanā). How by way of tranquility? In earth-kasina and so on, from the very first mental engagement beginning with 'earth, earth,' up to the arising of access concentration, the wisdom that proceeds is called 'path' in tranquility development. From access concentration up to absorption, the wisdom that proceeds is called 'comprehension', because it is a wisdom attained beyond the lower wisdom. And that path is for some painful and difficult, due to the prevalence and grasp of opposing defilements like hindrances; for others, due to their absence, it is pleasant and not difficult. Comprehension too is for some slow, not swift in arising. due to unclear knowledge, for some, there is quick, swift progress due to clear knowledge. How by way of insight? He who, entering into insight by way of form and formless, having comprehended the four great elements, comprehends derived form, comprehends the formless, but comprehending form and formless, with difficulty, with hardship, toiling, is able to comprehend, for him, it is called the difficult path. For one who has comprehended form and formless, in the course of insight, due to the slowness of the path's manifestation, it is called slow comprehension. By its opposite, the other two occur. But by way of insight, the distinct paths and comprehensions are to be seen here, because of the context of realization. But in the commentary, it is said: "Thus, the division of teaching shown by way of these individuals, to show those individuals divided by the division of paths, 'the four paths' and so on, was said" (Netti. Aṭṭha. 6). The method of explanation is to be understood according to the stated method. By the four paths and comprehensions, do all four individuals without exception escape from the suffering of the cycle of existence? Or rather, "by this path and comprehension, this individual escapes, by this path and comprehension, this individual escapes," do they escape with certainty? Since such an inquiry is possible, to show by specifying: "this individual, having obtained supporting conditions through these foundations, escapes from the suffering of the cycle of existence by this path and comprehension," "the craving-natured dull one" and so on, was said. Therein, the craving-natured dull individual, having obtained supporting conditions through the foundations of mindfulness, by the noble path, with the faculty of mindfulness, with mindfulness as predominant, escapes from the suffering of the cycle of existence by the difficult path and slow comprehension. The craving-natured exalted individual, having obtained supporting conditions through the jhānas, by the noble path, with the faculty of concentration, with concentration as predominant, escapes from the suffering of the cycle of existence by the difficult path and quick comprehension. The view-natured dull individual, having obtained supporting conditions through the right efforts... Having pierced with the faculty of energy, with the faculty of energy predominant, by the noble path, by the pleasant practice with slow direct knowledge, he escapes from the suffering of the cycle. A person whose conduct is view-based, of lofty wisdom, having obtained the supporting condition of decisive support through the truths and dependencies, with the faculty of wisdom, with the faculty of wisdom predominant, by the noble path, by the pleasant practice with swift direct knowledge, he escapes from the suffering of the cycle— such an explanation should be made. But in the Commentary— “'Four persons' means just the four practitioners according to the division of practices as stated. But to show that division of practices together with their causes, means, and results, 'one whose conduct is craving-based,' etc., was said.” (Netti. Aṭṭha. 6) It was said. There, "taṇhācarito" (craving-based conduct) means the conduct of this person is born of craving, thus "taṇhācarito." "Mando" (dull) means endowed with dullness and ignorance, thus "mando," a person predominant in delusion. "Udattoti" (lofty) means lofty, meaning possessing exalted wisdom. "Udo" gives an exalted result, what is that? Discrimination. "Atto" is born in oneself. The meaning of the word "udatto" should be made as: one for whom "udo" (discrimination) is "atto" (born in oneself). For the first practice, the causes are craving-based conduct and dull wisdom. The means is the faculty of mindfulness. The result for all of them is indeed escape. For the second practice, the causes are craving-based conduct and lofty wisdom. The means is the faculty of energy. For the third practice, the causes are view-based conduct and dull wisdom. The means is the faculty of concentration. For the fourth practice, the causes are view-based conduct and lofty wisdom. The means is the faculty of wisdom. Thus, the causes, means, and results should be seen. And here, the person whose conduct is view-based and of lofty wisdom is called "ugghaṭitaññū" (one who understands immediately). And the person whose conduct is view-based and dull, and the person whose conduct is craving-based and of lofty wisdom, are called "vipaсcitaññū" (one who understands after elaboration). The person whose conduct is craving-based and dull is called "neyyo" (one who needs guidance). Therefore, in the manner of "there the Blessed One teaches escape to the ugghaṭitaññū person," etc., by showing the distinction of the three types of trainees, starting with ugghaṭitaññū, he teaches escape. "He teaches the danger and the escape, the gratification and the danger and the escape..." the division of teaching is shown. "There are four paths" and so on, by showing the divisions of paths, it should be understood that the fourfold group of individuals, divided into "the greedy-natured dull person, the greedy-natured keen person, the speculative-natured dull person, the speculative-natured keen person," has been shown. Now, to show the fourfold group of greedy-natured dull individuals, divided by the four paths of insight,