Aṅguttara Nikāya — Discursos Numerados — 9.12 — With Residue

1At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

2Then Venerable Sāriputta robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then it occurred to him, “It’s too early to wander for alms in Sāvatthī. Why don’t I visit the monastery for the wanderers of other religions?” Then he went to the monastery for the wanderers of other religions and exchanged greetings with the wanderers there. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side.

3Now at that time while those wanderers of other religions were sitting together this discussion came up among them:

4“Reverends, no one who dies with residue is exempt from hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm. They’re not exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.”

5Sāriputta neither approved nor rejected that statement of the wanderers of other religions. He rose from his seat, thinking, “I will learn the meaning of this statement from the Buddha himself.”

6Then Sāriputta wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

8“Sāriputta, these foolish, incompetent wanderers following other religions: who are they to know whether someone has residue or not?

9There are these nine individuals who, dying with residue, are exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld. What nine?

10There’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics and immersion, but has limited wisdom. With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished between one life and the next. This is the first individual …

11Furthermore, there’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics and immersion, but has limited wisdom. With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished upon landing. This is the second individual …

12With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished without extra effort. This is the third individual …

13With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re extinguished with extra effort. This is the fourth individual …

14With the ending of the five lower fetters they head upstream, going to the Akaniṭṭha realm. This is the fifth individual …

15Furthermore, there’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion, they’re a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. This is the sixth individual …

16Furthermore, there’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, they’re a one-seeder. They will be reborn just one time in a human existence, then make an end of suffering. This is the seventh individual …

17Furthermore, there’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, they go from family to family. They will transmigrate between two or three families and then make an end of suffering. This is the eighth individual …

18Furthermore, there’s an individual who has fulfilled ethics, but has limited immersion and wisdom. With the ending of three fetters, they have at most seven rebirths. They will transmigrate at most seven times among gods and humans and then make an end of suffering. This is the ninth individual …

19These foolish, incompetent wanderers following other religions: who are they to know whether someone has residue or not? These are the nine individuals who, dying with residue, are exempt from hell, the animal realm, and the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld.

20Up until now, Sāriputta, I have not felt the need to give this exposition of the teaching to the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. Why is that? For I didn’t want those who heard it to introduce negligence. However, I have spoken it in order to answer your question.”