The Seven Kinds of Noble Persons

74. It was said above, “It becomes a condition for the classification of noble persons into seven kinds.” (§66)

Herein, there are firstly these seven kinds of noble person:

1. the faith devotee,
2. one liberated by faith,
3. the body witness,
4. the both-ways liberated,
5. the Dhamma devotee,
6. one attained to vision, and
7. one liberated by understanding.

This knowledge of equanimity about formations is a condition for their being placed as these seven classes.

75. When a man brings [formations] to mind as impermanent and, having great resolution, acquires the faith faculty, (1) he becomes a faith devotee at the moment of the stream-entry path; and in the other seven instances [that is, in the three higher paths and the four fruitions] he becomes (2) one liberated by faith. When a man brings [them] to mind as painful and, having great tranquillity, acquires the faculty of concentration, (3) he is called a body witness in all eight instances. (4) He is called both-ways liberated when he has reached the highest fruition after also reaching the immaterial jhānas. When a man brings [them] to mind as not-self and, having great wisdom, acquires the faculty of understanding, he becomes (5) a Dhamma devotee at the moment of the stream-entry path; (6) in the next six instances he becomes one attained to vision; and (7) in the case of the highest fruition he becomes one liberated by understanding.

76. (1) This is said: “When he brings [formations] to mind as impermanent, the faith faculty is in excess in him. With the faith faculty in excess he acquires the stream-entry path. Hence he is called a’faith devotee’” (Paṭis II 53). [660] Likewise, (2) “When he brings [formations] to mind as impermanent, the faith faculty is in excess in him. With the faith faculty in excess the fruition of streamentry is realized. Hence he is called ‘one liberated by faith’” (Paṭis II 53).

77. It is said further: “[At the moment of the first path:] (2) he has been liberated by having faith (saddahanto vimutto), thus he is one liberated by faith; (3) he has realized [Nibbāna] by experiencing, thus he is a body witness; (6) he has attained [Nibbāna] by vision, thus he is one attained to vision. [At the moments of the three remaining paths:] (2) he is liberated by faith (saddahanto vimuccati), thus he is one liberated by faith; (3) he first experiences the experience of jhāna and afterwards realizes cessation, Nibbāna, thus he is a body witness; (6) it is known, seen, recognized, realized, and experienced with understanding, that formations are painful and cessation is bliss, thus he is one attained to vision” (Paṭis II 52).

78. As to the remaining four, however, the word meaning should be understood thus: (1) he follows (anusarati) faith, thus he is a faith devotee (saddhānusāri); or he follows, he goes, by means of faith, thus he is a faith devotee. (5) Likewise, he follows the Dhamma called understanding, or he follows by means of the Dhamma, thus he is a Dhamma devotee. (4) He is liberated in both ways, by immaterial jhāna and the noble path, thus he is both-ways liberated. (7) Understanding, he is liberated, thus he is one liberated by understanding.