Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.21 3.

Puggala Sutta

Thus have I heard.

Puggalavagga Samiddhasutta Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

Atha kho āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.

Then, Venerable Samiddha and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika approached Venerable Sāriputta. Having approached, they exchanged greetings with Venerable Sāriputta and, after exchanging courteous and friendly talk, sat down to one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ samiddhaṁ āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca: “Tayome, āvuso samiddha, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

While seated to one side, Venerable Sāriputta addressed Venerable Samiddha: There are, friend Samiddha, three types of individuals existing in the world.

Katame tayo?

Which three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.

The body-witness, the view-attainer, and the faith-liberated.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

These, friend, are the three types of individuals existing in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?

Of these three individuals, which one do you consider the most admirable and superior?

“Tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

Venerable Samiddha replied: Friend Sāriputta, there are three types of individuals existing in the world.

Katame tayo?

Which three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.

The body-witness, the view-attainer, and the faith-liberated.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

These, friend, are the three types of individuals existing in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca.

Of these three individuals, the one who is faith-liberated is the one I consider the most admirable and superior.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

And why is that?

Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa saddhindriyaṁ adhimattan”ti.

Because, friend, this individual has the faculty of faith developed to a higher degree.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca: “tayome, āvuso koṭṭhika, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

Then Venerable Sāriputta addressed Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika: There are, friend Koṭṭhika, three types of individuals existing in the world.

Katame tayo?

Which three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.

The body-witness, the view-attainer, and the faith-liberated.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

These, friend, are the three types of individuals existing in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?

Of these three individuals, which one do you consider the most admirable and superior?

“Tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika replied: Friend Sāriputta, there are three types of individuals existing in the world.

Katame tayo?

Which three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.

The body-witness, the view-attainer, and the faith-liberated.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

These, friend, are the three types of individuals existing in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca.

Of these three individuals, the one who is a body-witness is the one I consider the most admirable and superior.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

And why is that?

Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa samādhindriyaṁ adhimattan”ti.

Because, friend, this individual has the faculty of concentration developed to a higher degree.

Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: “tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

Then Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika addressed Venerable Sāriputta: Friend Sāriputta, there are three types of individuals existing in the world.

Katame tayo?

Which three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.

The body-witness, the view-attainer, and the faith-liberated.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

These, friend, are the three types of individuals existing in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?

Of these three individuals, which one do you consider the most admirable and superior?

“Tayome, āvuso koṭṭhika, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

Venerable Sāriputta replied: There are, friend Koṭṭhika, three types of individuals existing in the world.

Katame tayo?

Which three?

Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto.

The bodily witness, the one attained to view, and the one liberated by faith.

Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

These, friend, are the three types of individuals existing in the world.

Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca.

Among these three individuals, the one who is attained to view is the one I consider the most excellent and superior.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa paññindriyaṁ adhimattan”ti.

Because, friend, this individual has the faculty of wisdom developed to a higher degree.

Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantañca samiddhaṁ āyasmantañca mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca: “byākataṁ kho, āvuso, amhehi sabbeheva yathāsakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ.

Then Venerable Sāriputta addressed Venerable Samiddha and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika: We have all expressed our knowing according to our own insight.

Āyāmāvuso, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocessāma.

Let us, friends, go to the Blessed One and report this matter to him.

Yathā no bhagavā byākarissati tathā naṁ dhāressāmā”ti.

We will remember it as the Blessed One explains it to us.

“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ.

Yes, friend, Venerable Samiddha and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika agreed with Venerable Sāriputta.

Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.

Then Venerable Sāriputta, Venerable Samiddha, and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto yāvatako ahosi āyasmatā ca samiddhena āyasmatā ca mahākoṭṭhikena saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesi.

Seated to one side, Venerable Sāriputta reported to the Blessed One the entire conversation he had with Venerable Samiddha and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika.

“Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: ‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti.

The Blessed One replied: It is not easy, Sāriputta, to declare unequivocally, This one is the most excellent and superior among these three individuals.

Ṭhānañhetaṁ, sāriputta, vijjati yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto svāssa arahattāya paṭipanno, yvāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī svāssa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā, yo cāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto sopassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā.

There is a possibility, Sāriputta, that the one liberated by faith is on the path to arahantship, the bodily witness may be a once-returner or a non-returner, and the one attained to view may also be a once-returner or a non-returner.

Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: ‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti.

It is not easy, Sāriputta, to declare unequivocally, This one is the most excellent and superior among these three individuals.

Ṭhānañhetaṁ, sāriputta, vijjati yvāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī svāssa arahattāya paṭipanno, yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto svāssa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā, yo cāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto sopassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā.

There is a possibility, Sāriputta, that the bodily witness is on the path to arahantship, the one liberated by faith may be a once-returner or a non-returner, and the one attained to view may also be a once-returner or a non-returner.

Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: ‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti.

It is not easy, Sāriputta, to declare unequivocally, This one is the most excellent and superior among these three individuals.

Ṭhānañhetaṁ, sāriputta, vijjati yvāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto svāssa arahattāya paṭipanno, yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto svāssa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā, yo cāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī sopassa sakadāgāmī vā anāgāmī vā.

There is a possibility, Sāriputta, that the one attained to view is on the path to arahantship, the one liberated by faith may be a once-returner or a non-returner, and the bodily witness may also be a once-returner or a non-returner.

Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: ‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’”ti. Paṭhamaṁ.

The Blessed One continued: It is not easy, Sāriputta, to declare definitively, This one is the most excellent and superior among these three individuals.