An eight-level scale alternating each attained fruit with the stage of practicing toward it, closing with a new statement about those entirely lacking the five faculties
Length
<1 minute to read
Northern parallel
No individual parallel confirmed by this project's own check
Significance
★★★★☆ — a genuinely new structure, distinct from both the “brief” and “detailed” scales already met, introducing the ordinary person (puthujjana) as standing outside entirely
Why this discourse
This discourse introduces a genuinely new structure, distinct from the six-discourse mirror set just completed (SN 48.12-17): rather than a single descending scale, it INTERLEAVES each of the four fruits (arahantship, non-return, once-return, stream-entry) with the stage of PRACTICING toward that same fruit, doubling four levels into eight — then closes with a wholly new statement, naming those who totally and utterly lack the five faculties as standing OUTSIDE this entire scale, among ordinary persons (puthujjana).
Reading guide
Fruit and path-to-fruit, alternating
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse's own scale alternates each attained fruit with the corresponding PRACTICE toward it: arahant, then one practicing to realize the fruit of arahantship; non-returner, then one practicing for that fruit; and so on through once-return and stream-entry — a structure this project has not met in this exact form among the earlier discourses of this vagga.
A shorter scale, stopping at stream-entry
This project's own direct comparison confirms this discourse's own scale is SHORTER than the six- and nine-level scales already met — it stops at “practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry,” without descending further to follower of teachings or follower by faith.
The ordinary person, standing entirely outside
Confirmed by direct reading, this discourse's own closing statement is genuinely new: someone who TOTALLY AND UTTERLY (sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ) lacks the five faculties is said to stand OUTSIDE (bāhira), in the faction of ordinary persons (puthujjanapakkha) — a category this discourse's own scale does not otherwise measure, since the scale itself only describes degrees of possessing the faculties, not their total absence.
Key terms
arahattaphalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno — “practicing to realize the fruit of perfection” — the stage interleaved directly after the arahant in this discourse's own scale
...phalasacchikiriyāya paṭipanno — the same “practicing to realize the fruit of...” pattern repeated for non-return, once-return, and stream-entry
sabbena sabbaṁ sabbathā sabbaṁ natthi — “totally and utterly lacks” — the discourse's own emphatic phrase describing complete absence of the five faculties
bāhiro puthujjanapakkhe ṭhito — “standing outside, in the faction of ordinary persons” — this discourse's own new category, outside the scale of practicing toward or attaining any fruit
puthujjana — “ordinary person, worldling” — a term for one who has not entered any stage of awakening, here named as standing entirely outside this discourse's own scale
The text
The complete discourse. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1“Mendicants, there are these five faculties. What five? The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. These are the five faculties. Someone who has completed and fulfilled these five faculties is a perfected one. If they are weaker than that, they’re practicing to realize the fruit of perfection … a non-returner … practicing to realize the fruit of non-return … a once-returner … practicing to realize the fruit of once-return … a stream-enterer … practicing to realize the fruit of stream-entry. Someone who totally and utterly lacks these five faculties stands outside in the faction of ordinary persons, I say.”
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Self-check quiz
3 questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 3
How does this discourse's own scale differ structurally from SN 48.12-17's own scales?
Correct: A. A genuinely new structure this project has not met in this exact form among the earlier discourses.
Question 2 of 3
Where does this discourse's own scale stop, compared to the earlier six-level scale?
Correct: A. Confirmed by direct comparison to be shorter than the scales already met.
Question 3 of 3
What new category does this discourse's own closing statement introduce?
Correct: A. A category the scale itself does not otherwise measure, since it only describes degrees of possessing the faculties.
