1“These three kinds of people are found in the world. What three? The hopeless, the hopeful, and the one who has done away with hope.

And what, mendicants, is a hopeless person? It’s when some person is reborn in a low family — a family of outcastes, bamboo-workers, hunters, chariot-makers, or waste-collectors — poor, with little to eat or drink, where life is tough, and food and shelter are hard to find. And they’re ugly, unsightly, deformed, chronically ill — one-eyed, crippled, lame, or half-paralyzed. They don’t get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, fragrances, and makeup; or bed, house, and lighting. They hear this: ‘They say the aristocrats have anointed the aristocrat named so-and-so as king.’ It never occurs to them: ‘Oh, when will the aristocrats anoint me too as king?’ This is called a hopeless person.

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2And what, mendicants, is a hopeful person? It’s when some person is the eldest son of an anointed king. He has not yet been anointed, but is eligible, and has been confirmed in the succession. He hears this: ‘They say that the aristocrats have anointed the aristocrat named so-and-so as king.’ It occurs to him: ‘Oh, when will the aristocrats anoint me too as king?’ This is called a hopeful person.

3And what, mendicants, is a person who has done away with hope? It’s when a king has been anointed. He hears this: ‘They say that the aristocrats have anointed the aristocrat named so-and-so as king.’ It never occurs to him: ‘Oh, when will the aristocrats anoint me too as king?’ Why is that? Because the former hope he had to be anointed has now died down. This is called a person who has done away with hope.

These are the three kinds of people found in the world.

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4In the same way, these three kinds of people are found among the mendicants. What three? The hopeless, the hopeful, and the one who has done away with hope.

And what, mendicants, is a hopeless person? It’s when some person is unethical, of bad qualities, filthy, with suspicious behavior, underhand, no true ascetic or spiritual practitioner — though claiming to be one — rotten inside, corrupt, and depraved. They hear this: ‘They say that the mendicant named so-and-so has realized 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.’ It never occurs to them: ‘Oh, when will I too realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with my own insight due to the ending of defilements.’ This is called a hopeless person.

5And what, mendicants, is a hopeful person? It’s when a mendicant is ethical, of good character. They hear this: ‘They say that the mendicant named so-and-so has realized 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.’ It occurs to them: ‘Oh, when will I too realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with my own insight due to the ending of defilements.’ This is called a hopeful person.

6And what, mendicants, is a person who has done away with hope? It’s when a mendicant is a perfected one, who has ended all defilements. They hear this: ‘They say that the mendicant named so-and-so has realized 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.’ It never occurs to them: ‘Oh, when will I too realize the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life, and live having realized it with my own insight due to the ending of defilements.’ Why is that? Because the former hope they had to be freed has now died down. This is called a person who has done away with hope.

These are the three people found among the mendicants.”

1"Tayome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame tayo? Nirāso, āsaṁso, vigatāso.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave puggalo nirāso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo nīce kule paccājāto hoti, caṇḍālakule vā venakule vā nesādakule vā rathakārakule vā pukkusakule vā dalidde appannapānabhojane kasiravuttike, yattha kasirena ghāsacchādo labbhati. So ca hoti dubbaṇṇo duddasiko okoṭimako bavhābādho kāṇo vā kuṇī vā khañjo vā pakkhahato vā, na lābhī annassa pānassa vatthassa yānassa mālāgandhavilepanassa seyyāvasathapadīpeyyassa. So suṇāti:  ‘itthannāmo kira khattiyo khattiyehi khattiyābhisekena abhisitto’ti. Tassa na evaṁ hoti:  ‘kudāssu nāma mampi khattiyā khattiyābhisekena abhisiñcissantī’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo nirāso.

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2Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo āsaṁso? Idha, bhikkhave, rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa jeṭṭho putto hoti ābhiseko anabhisitto acalappatto. So suṇāti:  ‘itthannāmo kira khattiyo khattiyehi khattiyābhisekena abhisitto’ti. Tassa evaṁ hoti:  ‘kudāssu nāma mampi khattiyā khattiyābhisekena abhisiñcissantī’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo āsaṁso.

3Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo vigatāso? Idha, bhikkhave, rājā hoti khattiyo muddhāvasitto. So suṇāti:  ‘itthannāmo kira khattiyo khattiyehi khattiyābhisekena abhisitto’ti. Tassa na evaṁ hoti:  ‘kudāssu nāma mampi khattiyā khattiyābhisekena abhisiñcissantī’ti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yā hissa, bhikkhave, pubbe anabhisittassa abhisekāsā sā paṭippassaddhā. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo vigatāso.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

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4Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā bhikkhūsu. Katame tayo? Nirāso, āsaṁso, vigatāso.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo nirāso? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo asuci saṅkassarasamācāro paṭicchannakammanto assamaṇo samaṇapaṭiñño abrahmacārī brahmacāripaṭiñño antopūti avassuto kasambujāto. So suṇāti:  ‘itthannāmo kira bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. Tassa na evaṁ hoti:  ‘kudāssu nāma ahampi āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissāmī’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo nirāso.

5Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo āsaṁso? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sīlavā hoti kalyāṇadhammo. So suṇāti:  ‘itthannāmo kira bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. Tassa evaṁ hoti:  ‘kudāssu nāma ahampi āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissāmī’ti. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo āsaṁso.

6Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo vigatāso? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu arahaṁ hoti khīṇāsavo. So suṇāti:  ‘itthannāmo kira bhikkhu āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. Tassa na evaṁ hoti:  ‘kudāssu nāma ahampi āsavānaṁ khayā … pe … sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissāmī’ti. Taṁ kissa hetu? Yā hissa, bhikkhave, pubbe avimuttassa vimuttāsā sā paṭippassaddhā. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo vigatāso.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā bhikkhūsū"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.