Anguttra nikaya book of fours
169 (9) Through Exertion
"Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing
in the world. W hat four?(1) "Here, some person attains nibbana through exertion
in this very life.
(2) A nother perso n attains nibbana throughexertion with the breakup of the b od y .855
(3) Still another per-
son attains nibbana w ithout exertion in this very life.
(4) Andstill another person attains nibbana without exertion with the
breakup of the body.856
(1) "A nd how, bhikkhus, does a person attain nibbana through
exertion in this very life? Here, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating
the unattractiveness of the body, perceiving the repulsivenessof food, perceiving non-delight in the entire world, contem plat-
ing impermanence in all conditioned phenom ena; and he hasthe perception of death [156] well established internally. He
dwells depending upon these five trainee powers: the power
of faith, the power of moral sham e, the power of moral dread,the power of energy, and the power of wisdom . These five fac-
ulties arise iri him prom inently: the faculties of faith, energy,mindfulness, concentration, an d w isd o m . Because these five
faculties are prom inent, he attains nibbana through exertion
in this very life. This is how a p erson attains nibbana through
exertion in this very life.(2) "A n d how does a p erso n attain nibbana through exer-
tion w ith the breakup of the b od y? H ere, a bhikkhu dwellscontem plating the unattractiveness of the b o d y … and he has
the perception of death w ell established internally. He dwells
depending upon these five train ee p ow ers: the pow ers of
fa ith . . . and w isdom . These five faculties arise in him feebly:
the faculties of faith. . . and w isdom . B ecause these five faculties
are feeble, he attains nibbana throu gh exertion w ith the breakupof the body. This is how a person attains nibbana through exer-
tion w ith the breakup of the body.(3) "A n d how does a p erson attain nibbana w ithout exer-
tion in this very life? H ere, seclu d ed from sensual pleasures,secluded from unw holesom e sta te s, a bhikkhu enters and
dwells in the first jh an a. . . the fourth jhana. He dwells depend-
ing upon these five trainee p ow ers: the pow ers of faith. . . andw isdom . These five faculties arise in h im prom inently: the fac-
ulties of faith . . . and w isdom . B ecause these five faculties areprom inent, he attains nibbana w ith ou t exertion in this very life.
This is how a person attains nibbana w ithout exertion in this
v ery life. •
(4) "A nd how does a p erson attain nibbana w ithout exertionwith the breakup of the body? H ere, secluded from sensual plea-
sures, secluded from unw holesom e states, a bhikkhu enters anddwells in the first jhana . . . the fourth jhana. H e dwells depend-
ing upon these five trainee p ow ers: the pow ers of faith … . andw isdom . These five faculties arise in him feebly: the faculties of
faith . . . and wisdom. Becausie these five faculties are feeble, he
attains nibbana without exertion w ith the breakup of the body.
This is how a person attains nibbana w ithout exertion with the
breakup of the body.“These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found exist-
ing in the w orld.”
bodhi note
856 According to this sutta, the distinction between the use of repug-
nant objects and the jhanas determines whether one attainsnibbana through exertion (sasankharaparinibbayi) or without
exertion (asahkharaparinibbayi). The distinction between promi-
nent faculties and feeble faculties determines whether one■ attains nibbana in this very life (ditth’eva dhamme) or with the
breakup of the body (kayassa bheda), Mp says that the first and
second persons are dry-insight meditators (sukkhavipassaka) who
attend to conditioned phenomena as their meditation object
** (sankharanimittam upatthapehti}.** Sasankharena is glossed with
sappayogena, which supports my rendering “through exertion.”
The third and fourth persons are those who take serenity as their
vehicle (samathayanika).