5.
The Discourse on the Water Simile
15.
"Monks, there are these seven persons like water existing and found in the world.
Which seven?
Here, monks, a certain person once submerged remains submerged;
here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, sinks down;
here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, remains standing;
here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, sees with insight and looks around;
here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, crosses over;
here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, has gained a foothold;
here again, monks, a certain person having emerged, has crossed over, gone beyond, the brahmin stands on dry ground.
And how, monks, is a person once submerged one who remains submerged? Here, monks, a certain person is endowed with exclusively dark unwholesome mental states. Thus, monks, a person once submerged remains submerged.
And how, monks, does a person having emerged sink down? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' That faith of his neither remains nor grows, it only diminishes; that shame of his, etc. that moral fear of his, that energy of his, that wisdom of his neither remains nor grows, it only diminishes. Thus, monks, a person having emerged sinks down.
And how, monks, does a person having emerged remain standing? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' That faith of his neither diminishes nor grows, it remains stable. That shame of his, etc. that moral fear of his, that energy of his, that wisdom of his neither diminishes nor grows, it remains stable. Thus, monks, a person having emerged remains standing.
And how, monks, does a person, having emerged, see with insight and survey? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' He, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters, becomes a stream-enterer, no longer subject to fall into lower realms, fixed in destiny, heading for the highest enlightenment. Thus, monks, a person, having emerged, sees with insight and surveys.
And how, monks, does a person, having emerged, swim across? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' He, with the utter elimination of the three mental fetters and with the reduction of lust, hate, and delusion, becomes a once-returner, who, having come to this world only once more, makes an end of suffering. Thus, monks, a person, having emerged, swims across.
And how, monks, does a person, having emerged, gain a foothold? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' He, with the utter elimination of the five lower mental fetters, becomes one of spontaneous birth, attaining final nibbāna there, not subject to return from that world. Thus, monks, a person, having emerged, gains a foothold.
And how, monks, does a person, having emerged, become one who has crossed over, gone beyond, the brahmin stands on dry ground? Here, monks, a certain person emerges: 'Good is faith in wholesome mental states, good is shame, etc. good is moral fear, good is energy, good is wisdom in wholesome mental states.' He, through the elimination of the mental corruptions, realises for himself, with direct knowledge, in this very life, the liberation of mind and liberation by wisdom that are free from mental corruptions, and, having entered upon them, he dwells in them. Thus, monks, a person, having emerged, becomes one who has crossed over, gone beyond, the brahmin stands on dry ground.
These, monks, are the seven persons like water existing and found in the world. The fifth.