“Mendicants, these four individuals are found in the world. “Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What four? Katame cattāro? The confirmed ascetic, the white lotus ascetic, the pink lotus ascetic, and the delicate ascetic of ascetics. Samaṇamacalo, samaṇapuṇḍarīko, samaṇapadumo, samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo.

And how is an individual a confirmed ascetic? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇamacalo hoti? It’s when a mendicant is a practicing trainee, Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sekho hoti pāṭipado; who lives aspiring to the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ patthayamāno viharati. It’s like the eldest son of an anointed aristocratic king. He has not yet been anointed, but is eligible, and has been confirmed in the succession. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto ābhiseko anabhisitto macalappatto; In the same way, a mendicant is a practicing trainee, who lives aspiring to the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sekho hoti pāṭipado, anuttaraṁ yogakkhemaṁ patthayamāno viharati. That’s how an individual is a confirmed ascetic. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇamacalo hoti.

And how is an individual a white lotus ascetic? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapuṇḍarīko hoti? It’s when a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And they live having realized it with their own insight due to the ending of defilements. But they don’t have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati, no ca kho aṭṭha vimokkhe kāyena phusitvā viharati. That’s how an individual is a white lotus ascetic. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapuṇḍarīko hoti.

And how is an individual a pink lotus ascetic? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapadumo hoti? It’s when a mendicant realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. … And they have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati, aṭṭha ca vimokkhe kāyena phusitvā viharati. That’s how an individual is a pink lotus ascetic. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇapadumo hoti.

And how is an individual a delicate ascetic of ascetics? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti? It’s when a mendicant usually uses only what they’ve been invited to accept—robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick—rarely using them without invitation. Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yācitova bahulaṁ cīvaraṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ senāsanaṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ gilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjati, appaṁ ayācito. When living with other spiritual practitioners, they usually find themselves treated agreeably by them by way of body, speech, and mind, and rarely disagreeably. Yehi kho pana sabrahmacārīhi saddhiṁ viharati, tyassa manāpeneva bahulaṁ kāyakammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ vacīkammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ manokammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; And they are usually presented with agreeable things by them, rarely with disagreeable ones. manāpaṁyeva bahulaṁ upahāraṁ upaharanti, appaṁ amanāpaṁ. They’re healthy, so the various unpleasant feelings—stemming from disorders of bile, phlegm, wind, or their conjunction; or caused by change in weather, by not taking care of yourself, by overexertion, or as the result of past deeds—usually don’t come up. Yāni kho pana tāni vedayitāni pittasamuṭṭhānāni vā semhasamuṭṭhānāni vā vātasamuṭṭhānāni vā sannipātikāni vā utupariṇāmajāni vā visamaparihārajāni vā opakkamikāni vā kammavipākajāni vā, tāni panassa na bahudeva uppajjanti. Appābādho hoti. They get the four absorptions—blissful meditations in this life that belong to the higher mind—when they want, without trouble or difficulty. Catunnaṁ jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī hoti akicchalābhī akasiralābhī, And they realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. … āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati. That’s how an individual is a delicate ascetic of ascetics. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo samaṇesu samaṇasukhumālo hoti.

And if anyone should be rightly called a delicate ascetic of ascetics, it’s me. Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya samaṇesu samaṇasukhumāloti, mameva taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya samaṇesu samaṇasukhumāloti. For I usually use only what I’ve been invited to accept … Ahañhi, bhikkhave, yācitova bahulaṁ cīvaraṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ senāsanaṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito; yācitova bahulaṁ gilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjāmi, appaṁ ayācito. When living with other mendicants, I am usually treated agreeably by them. … Yehi kho pana bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ viharāmi te me manāpeneva bahulaṁ kāyakammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ vacīkammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpeneva bahulaṁ manokammena samudācaranti, appaṁ amanāpena; manāpaṁyeva bahulaṁ upahāraṁ upaharanti, appaṁ amanāpaṁ. I’m healthy … Yāni kho pana tāni vedayitāni pittasamuṭṭhānāni vā semhasamuṭṭhānāni vā vātasamuṭṭhānāni vā sannipātikāni vā utupariṇāmajāni vā visamaparihārajāni vā opakkamikāni vā kammavipākajāni vā, tāni me na bahudeva uppajjanti. Appābādhohamasmi. I get the four absorptions when I want, without trouble or difficulty. Catunnaṁ kho panasmi jhānānaṁ ābhicetasikānaṁ diṭṭhadhammasukhavihārānaṁ nikāmalābhī akicchalābhī akasiralābhī, And I’ve realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. … āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharāmi. So if anyone should be rightly called a delicate ascetic of ascetics, it’s me. Yañhi taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya samaṇesu samaṇasukhumāloti, mameva taṁ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya samaṇesu samaṇasukhumāloti.

These are the four individuals found in the world.” Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

Sattamaṁ.