Reading guide
The teaching in one sentence
Seven people are like seven positions in water: one sinks and stays under (exclusively unwholesome), one rises then sinks (fleeting faith that dwindles), one rises then stays put (stable but undeveloped faith), one rises then sees and discerns (stream-entry), one rises then crosses over (once-return), one rises then finds a foothold (non-return), and one has risen, crossed over, and stands on solid ground on the far shore (full awakening).
A genuinely different list from AN 7.14, sharing only the number seven
Checked term by term, this discourse's seven water-positions have nothing in common with AN 7.14's seven modes of liberation beyond both classifying spiritual progress into seven stages. Where AN 7.14 named technical categories (freed both ways, freed by wisdom, and so on), this discourse uses an extended, unified image, tracking one continuous scene of rising, sinking, and swimming rather than naming discrete types.
The middle five stages, defined by faith's fate
Types two through six all begin identically: “rising up,” the person thinks, “it's good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.” What distinguishes each stage is what happens to that faith afterward — whether it dwindles away (type 2), merely holds steady (type 3), or becomes the basis for progressively ending fetters through stream-entry, once-return, and non-return (types 4 through 6).
Types 6 and 7, the closing pair
Type 6, ending the five lower fetters, describes the non-returner, reborn spontaneously and never returning to this world. Type 7, the discourse's final and most complete image, describes one who has “risen up, crossed over, and gone to the far shore, a brahmin who stands on solid ground” — realizing the undefiled freedom of heart and wisdom, the arahant's full awakening.
Key terms
The text
The seven types, introduced
§1“Mendicants, these seven individuals found in the world are like those in water. What seven? One individual sinks under once and stays under. One individual rises up then sinks under. One individual rises up then stays put. One individual rises up then sees and discerns. One individual rises up then crosses over. One individual rises up then finds a foothold. One individual has risen up, crossed over, and gone to the far shore, a brahmin who stands on solid ground.
Type 1: sinks under once and stays under
§2And what kind of individual sinks under once and stays under? It’s the kind of individual who has exclusively dark, unskillful qualities. This kind of individual sinks under once and stays under.
Type 2: rises then sinks under
§3And what kind of individual rises up then sinks under? It’s the kind of individual who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ However their faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom don’t last or grow, but dwindle away. This kind of individual rises up then sinks under.
Type 3: rises then stays put
§4And what kind of individual rises up then stays put? It’s the kind of individual who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ And their faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom lasts, neither dwindling nor growing. This kind of individual rises up then stays put.
Type 4: rises then sees and discerns (stream-entry)
§5And what kind of individual rises up then sees and discerns? It’s the kind of individual who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ With the ending of three fetters they’re a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening. This kind of individual rises up then sees and discerns.
Type 5: rises then crosses over (once-return)
§6And what kind of individual rises up then crosses over? It’s the kind of individual who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ 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 kind of individual rises up then crosses over.
Type 6: rises then finds a foothold (non-return)
§7And what kind of individual rises up then finds a foothold? It’s the kind of individual who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ With the ending of the five lower fetters they’re reborn spontaneously. They are extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. This kind of individual rises up then finds a foothold.
Type 7: crosses to the far shore (full awakening)
§8And what kind of individual has risen up, crossed over, and gone to the far shore, a brahmin who stands on solid ground? It’s the kind of individual who, rising up, thinks: ‘It’s good to have faith, conscience, prudence, energy, and wisdom regarding skillful qualities.’ They realize 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. This kind of individual has risen up, crossed over, and gone to the far shore, a brahmin who stands on solid ground. These seven individuals found in the world are like those in water.”
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