3.
The Discourse on Expectation
13.
"Monks, there are these three persons found existing in the world.
Which three?
The desireless, the hopeful, and the one free from desire.
And what, monks, is the desireless person?
Here, monks, a certain person is reborn in a low family, in an outcast family or a basket-maker's family or a hunter's family or a chariot-maker's family or a refuse-scavenger's family, poor, with little food and drink, with a difficult livelihood, where food and clothing are obtained with difficulty.
And he is ugly, unsightly, dwarfish, sickly, blind or crippled or lame or paralysed, not an obtainer of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes and ointments, bedding, lodging and lighting.
He hears -
'The noble of such and such a name, it is said, has been consecrated by the nobles with the consecration of the ruling caste.'
He does not think thus -
'When indeed will the nobles consecrate me too with the consecration of the ruling caste!'
This is called, monks, the desireless person.
"And what, monks, is the hopeful person? Here, monks, the eldest son of a head-anointed king of the ruling caste, is fit for consecration, unconsecrated, having attained stability. He hears - 'The noble of such and such a name, it is said, has been consecrated by the nobles with the consecration of the ruling caste.' He thinks thus: 'When indeed will the nobles consecrate me too with the consecration of the ruling caste!' This is called, monks, the hopeful person.
"And what, monks, is the person free from desire? Here, monks, there is a head-anointed king of the ruling caste. He hears - 'The noble of such and such a name, it is said, has been consecrated by the nobles with the consecration of the ruling caste.' He does not think thus - 'When indeed will the nobles consecrate me too with the consecration of the ruling caste!' What is the reason for this? Whatever desire for consecration he had formerly when unconsecrated, that has been subsided. This is called, monks, the person free from desire. These, monks, are the three persons found existing in the world.
"So too, monks, there are three persons found existing among monks. Which three? The desireless, the hopeful, and the one free from desire. And what, monks, is the desireless person? Here, monks, a certain person is immoral, of bad character, impure, of suspicious conduct, of concealed actions, not a recluse though claiming to be a recluse, not a practitioner of the holy life though claiming to be a practitioner of the holy life, rotten inside, filled with desire, rubbish-born. He hears - 'The monk of such and such a name, it is said, through the elimination of the mental corruptions, realised by his own direct knowledge, in this very life, the liberation of mind and the liberation by wisdom that are free from mental corruptions and, having entered upon them, dwells in them.' He does not think thus - 'When indeed will I too, through the elimination of the mental corruptions, realise by my own direct knowledge, in this very life, the liberation of mind and the liberation by wisdom that are free from mental corruptions and, having entered upon them, dwell in them!' This is called, monks, the desireless person.
"And what, monks, is the hopeful person? Here, monks, a monk is moral, of good character. He hears: 'Through the elimination of the mental corruptions, one realised by his own direct knowledge, in this very life, the liberation of mind and the liberation by wisdom that are free from mental corruptions and, having entered upon them, dwells in them.' He thinks thus: 'When indeed will I too, through the elimination of the mental corruptions, realise by my own direct knowledge, in this very life, the liberation of mind and the liberation by wisdom that are free from mental corruptions and, having entered upon them, dwell in them!' This is called, monks, the hopeful person.
"And what, monks, is the person free from desire? Here, monks, a monk is a Worthy One, one who has eliminated the mental corruptions. He hears - 'The monk of such and such a name, it is said, through the elimination of the mental corruptions, realised by his own direct knowledge, in this very life, the liberation of mind and the liberation by wisdom that are free from mental corruptions and, having entered upon them, dwells in them.' He does not think thus - 'When indeed will I too, through the elimination of the mental corruptions, realise ... and, having entered upon them, dwell in them!' What is the reason for this? Because, monks, whatever hope for liberation he formerly had when unliberated, that has been subsided. This is called, monks, the person free from desire. These, monks, are the three persons found existing among monks." The third.