So I have heard. Evaṁ me sutaṁ—At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Then Venerable Saviṭṭha and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him. Atha kho āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā sāriputtena saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side and Venerable Sāriputta said to Venerable Saviṭṭha, Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ samiddhaṁ āyasmā sāriputto etadavoca: “Reverend Saviṭṭha, these three individuals are found in the world. “Tayome, āvuso samiddha, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What three? Katame tayo? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. These are the three individuals found in the world. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Of these three individuals, who do you believe to be the finest?” Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?

“Reverend Sāriputta, these three individuals are found in the world. “Tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What three? Katame tayo? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. These are the three individuals found in the world. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Of these three individuals, I believe the individual freed by faith to be finest. Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo saddhāvimutto, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca. Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? Because this individual’s faculty of faith is extraordinary.” Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa saddhindriyaṁ adhimattan”ti.

Then Sāriputta said to Mahākoṭṭhita, Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantaṁ mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca: “Reverend Koṭṭhika, these three individuals are found in the world. “tayome, āvuso koṭṭhika, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What three? Katame tayo? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. These are the three individuals found in the world. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Of these three individuals, who do you believe to be the finest?” Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?

“Reverend Sāriputta, these three individuals are found in the world. “Tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What three? Katame tayo? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. These are the three individuals found in the world. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Of these three individuals, I believe the direct witness to be finest. Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo kāyasakkhī, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca. Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? Because this individuals’s faculty of immersion is extraordinary.” Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa samādhindriyaṁ adhimattan”ti.

Then Mahākoṭṭhita said to Sāriputta, Atha kho āyasmā mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: “Reverend Sāriputta, these three individuals are found in the world. “tayome, āvuso sāriputta, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What three? Katame tayo? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. These are the three individuals found in the world. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Of these three individuals, who do you believe to be the finest?” Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ katamo te puggalo khamati abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti?

“Reverend Koṭṭhika, these three individuals are found in the world. “Tayome, āvuso koṭṭhika, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What three? Katame tayo? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. Kāyasakkhī, diṭṭhippatto, saddhāvimutto. These are the three individuals found in the world. Ime kho, āvuso, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Of these three individuals, I believe the individual attained to view to be finest. Imesaṁ, āvuso, tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ yvāyaṁ puggalo diṭṭhippatto, ayaṁ me puggalo khamati imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca. Why is that? Taṁ kissa hetu? Because this individual’s faculty of wisdom is extraordinary.” Imassa, āvuso, puggalassa paññindriyaṁ adhimattan”ti.

Then Sāriputta said to Saviṭṭha and Mahākoṭṭhita, Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto āyasmantañca samiddhaṁ āyasmantañca mahākoṭṭhikaṁ etadavoca: “Each of us has spoken from the heart. “byākataṁ kho, āvuso, amhehi sabbeheva yathāsakaṁ paṭibhānaṁ. Come, reverends, let’s go to the Buddha, and tell him about this. Āyāmāvuso, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocessāma. As he answers, so we’ll remember it.” Yathā no bhagavā byākarissati tathā naṁ dhāressāmā”ti.

“Yes, reverend,” they replied. “Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko āyasmato sāriputtassa paccassosuṁ. Then Sāriputta, Saviṭṭha, and Mahākoṭṭhita went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Atha kho āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca samiddho āyasmā ca mahākoṭṭhiko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Then Sāriputta told the Buddha of all they had discussed. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā sāriputto yāvatako ahosi āyasmatā ca samiddhena āyasmatā ca mahākoṭṭhikena saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesi.

“In this matter, Sāriputta, it’s not easy to categorically declare that “Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: one of these three individuals is finest. ‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti. In some cases, an individual freed by faith is practicing for perfection, while the direct witness and the one attained to view are once-returners or non-returners. 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.

In this matter, it’s not easy to categorically declare that Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: one of these three individuals is finest. ‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti. In some cases, a direct witness is practicing for perfection, while the one freed by faith and the one attained to view are once-returners or non-returners. 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.

In this matter, it’s not easy to categorically declare that Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: one of these three individuals is finest. ‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’ti. In some cases, one attained to view is practicing for perfection, while the one freed by faith and the direct witness are once-returners or non-returners. 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.

In this matter, it’s not easy to categorically declare that Na khvettha, sāriputta, sukaraṁ ekaṁsena byākātuṁ: one of these three individuals is finest.” ‘ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā’”ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.