The Chapter on Confirmed
AN 4.81 Killing Living Creatures Pāṇātipātasutta
"Mendicants, someone with four qualities is cast down to hell. What four? They kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, and lie. Someone with these four qualities is cast down to hell.
Someone with four qualities is raised up to heaven. What four? They don't kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, or lie. Someone with these four qualities is raised up to heaven."
AN 4.82 Lying Musāvādasutta
"Mendicants, someone with four qualities is cast down to hell. What four? They use speech that's false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical. Someone with these four qualities is cast down to hell.
Someone with four qualities is raised up to heaven. What four? They don't use speech that's false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical. Someone with these four qualities is raised up to heaven."
AN 4.83 Where Criticism Takes You Avaṇṇārahasutta
"Mendicants, someone with four qualities is cast down to hell. What four? Without examining or scrutinizing, they praise those deserving of criticism, and they criticize those deserving of praise. They arouse faith in things that are dubious, and they don't arouse faith in things that are inspiring. Someone with these four qualities is cast down to hell.
Someone with four qualities is raised up to heaven. What four? After examining and scrutinizing, they criticize those deserving of criticism, and they praise those deserving of praise. They don't arouse faith in things that are dubious, and they do arouse faith in things that are inspiring. Someone with these four qualities is raised up to heaven."
AN 4.84 Valuing Anger Kodhagarusutta
"Mendicants, someone with four qualities is cast down to hell. What four? They value anger, or denigration, or material things, or honor rather than the true teaching. Someone with these four qualities is cast down to hell.
Someone with four qualities is raised up to heaven. What four? They value the true teaching rather than anger, or denigration, or material things, or honor. Someone with these four qualities is raised up to heaven."
AN 4.85 From Darkness to Darkness Tamotamasutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
The dark bound for darkness,
the dark bound for light,
the light bound for darkness, and
the light bound for light.
And how is a person dark and bound for darkness? It's when a person is reborn in a low family---a family of corpse-workers, bamboo-workers, hunters, chariot-makers, or scavengers---poor, with little to eat or drink, where life is tough, and food and shelter are hard to find. And they're ugly, unsightly, deformed, sickly---one-eyed, crippled, lame, or half-paralyzed. They don't get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; or bed, house, and lighting. And they do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they're reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. That's how a person is dark and bound for darkness.
And how is a person dark and bound for light? It's when a person is reborn in a low family ... But they do good things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they're reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. That's how a person is dark and bound for light.
And how is a person light and bound for darkness? It's when a person is reborn in an eminent family---a well-to-do family of aristocrats, brahmins, or householders---rich, affluent, and wealthy, with lots of gold and silver, lots of property and assets, and lots of money and grain. And they're attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty. They get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting. But they do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they're reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. That's how a person is light and bound for darkness.
And how is a person light and bound for light? It's when a person is reborn in an eminent family ... And they do good things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they're reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. That's how a person is light and bound for light.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.86 Sunk Low Oṇatoṇatasutta
"These four people are found in the world. What four?
One sunk low who sinks lower,
one sunk low who rises high,
one risen high who sinks low, and
one risen high who rises higher.
... These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.87 The Son Puttasutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four? The confirmed ascetic, the white lotus ascetic, the pink lotus ascetic, and the exquisite ascetic of ascetics.
And how is a person a confirmed ascetic? It's when a mendicant is a practicing trainee, who lives aspiring to the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. 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. In the same way, a mendicant is a practicing trainee, who lives aspiring to the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. That's how a person is a confirmed ascetic.
And how is a person a white lotus ascetic? 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. That's how a person is a white lotus ascetic.
And how is a person a pink lotus ascetic? 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. That's how a person is a pink lotus ascetic.
And how is a person an exquisite ascetic of ascetics? 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. When living with other spiritual practitioners, they usually find themselves treated agreeably by them by way of body, speech, and mind, and rarely disagreeably. And they are usually presented with agreeable things by them, rarely with disagreeable ones. 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. They get the four absorptions---blissful meditations in this life that belong to the higher mind---when they want, without trouble or difficulty. And they realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. ... That's how a person is an exquisite ascetic of ascetics.
And if anyone should be rightly called an exquisite ascetic of ascetics, it's me. For I usually use only what I've been invited to accept ... When living with other mendicants, I am usually treated agreeably by them. ... I'm healthy ... I get the four absorptions when I want, without trouble or difficulty. And I've realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. ... So if anyone should be rightly called an exquisite ascetic of ascetics, it's me.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.88 Fetters Saṁyojanasutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four? The confirmed ascetic, the white lotus ascetic, the pink lotus ascetic, and the exquisite ascetic of ascetics.
And how is a person a confirmed ascetic? It's when a mendicant---with the ending of three fetters---is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening. That's how a person is a confirmed ascetic.
And how is a person a white lotus ascetic? It's when a mendicant---with the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion---is a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. That's how a person is a white lotus ascetic.
And how is a person a pink lotus ascetic? It's when a mendicant---with the ending of the five lower fetters---is reborn spontaneously. They're extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. That's how a person is a pink lotus ascetic.
And how is a person an exquisite ascetic of ascetics? 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. That's how a person is an exquisite ascetic of ascetics.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.89 Right View Sammādiṭṭhisutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four? The confirmed ascetic, the white lotus ascetic, the pink lotus ascetic, and the exquisite ascetic of ascetics.
And how is a person a confirmed ascetic? It's when a mendicant has right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. That's how a person is a confirmed ascetic.
And how is a person a white lotus ascetic? It's when they have right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right immersion, right knowledge, and right freedom. But they don't have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations. That's how a person is a white lotus ascetic.
And how is a person a pink lotus ascetic? It's when they have right view ... and right freedom. And they do have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations. That's how a person is a pink lotus ascetic.
And how is a person an exquisite ascetic of ascetics? It's when a mendicant usually uses only what they've been invited to accept ... And if anyone should be rightly called an exquisite ascetic of ascetics, it's me.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.90 Aggregates Khandhasutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four? The confirmed ascetic, the white lotus ascetic, the pink lotus ascetic, and the exquisite ascetic of ascetics.
And how is a person a confirmed ascetic? It's when a mendicant is a trainee who hasn't achieved their heart's desire, but lives aspiring to the supreme sanctuary from the yoke. That's how a person is a confirmed ascetic.
And how is a person a white lotus ascetic? It's when a mendicant meditates observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates. 'Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Such is feeling ... Such is perception ... Such are choices ... Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.' But they don't have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations. That's how a person is a white lotus ascetic.
And how is a person a pink lotus ascetic? It's when a mendicant meditates observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates. 'Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Such is feeling ... Such is perception ... Such are choices ... Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.' And they have direct meditative experience of the eight liberations. That's how a person is a pink lotus ascetic.
And how is a person an exquisite ascetic of ascetics? It's when a mendicant usually uses only what they've been invited to accept ... And if anyone should be rightly called an exquisite ascetic of ascetics, it's me.
These are the four people found in the world."