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The Discourse on Samiddha
21. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. Then the Venerable Samiddha and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika approached the Venerable Sāriputta; having approached, they exchanged friendly greetings with the Venerable Sāriputta. Having concluded the pleasant and memorable talk, they sat down to one side. To the Venerable Samiddha seated to one side, the Venerable Sāriputta said this -
"There are these three persons, friend Samiddha, existing and found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one attained to right view, one liberated by faith. These, friend, are the three persons existing and found in the world. Of these three persons, friend, which person do you prefer as more brilliant and more sublime?"
"There are these three persons, friend Sāriputta, existing and found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one attained to right view, one liberated by faith. These, friend, are the three persons existing and found in the world. Of these three persons, friend, that person who is liberated by faith, this person I prefer of these three persons as more brilliant and more sublime. What is the reason for this? This person's, friend, faith faculty is exceeding."
Then the Venerable Sāriputta said this to the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika - "There are these three persons, friend Koṭṭhika, existing and found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one attained to right view, one liberated by faith. These, friend, are the three persons existing and found in the world. Of these three persons, friend, which person do you prefer as more brilliant and more sublime?"
"There are these three persons, friend Sāriputta, existing and found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one attained to right view, one liberated by faith. These, friend, are the three persons existing and found in the world. Of these three persons, friend, that person who is a body-witness, this person I prefer of these three persons as more brilliant and more sublime. What is the reason for this? This person's, friend, concentration faculty is exceeding."
Then the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika said this to the Venerable Sāriputta - "There are these three persons, friend Sāriputta, existing and found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one attained to right view, one liberated by faith. These, friend, are the three persons existing and found in the world. Of these three persons, friend, which person do you prefer as more brilliant and more sublime?"
"There are these three persons, friend Koṭṭhika, existing and found in the world. Which three? A body-witness, one attained to right view, one liberated by faith. These, friend, are the three persons existing and found in the world. Of these three persons, friend, the person who is one attained to right view, this person I approve of as more brilliant and more sublime among these three persons. What is the reason for this? This person's wisdom faculty, friend, is exceeding."
Then the Venerable Sāriputta said this to the Venerable Samiddha and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika - "It has been answered indeed, friends, by all of us each according to his own discernment. Come, friends, let us go to where the Blessed One is; having approached, we will report this matter to the Blessed One. As the Blessed One answers us, so we will remember it." "Yes, friend," the Venerable Samiddha and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika assented to the Venerable Sāriputta. Then the Venerable Sāriputta and the Venerable Samiddha and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika approached the Blessed One; having approached, they paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Sāriputta reported to the Blessed One all the friendly conversation he had with the Venerable Samiddha and the Venerable Mahākoṭṭhika.
"It is not easy here, Sāriputta, to answer definitively - 'This one among these three persons is more brilliant and more sublime.' For there is this possibility, Sāriputta, that the person who is liberated-by-faith may be practising for arahantship, while the person who is a body-witness may be a once-returner or a non-returner, and the person who is one attained to right view may also be a once-returner or a non-returner.
"It is not easy here, Sāriputta, to answer definitively - 'This one among these three persons is more brilliant and more sublime.' For there is this possibility, Sāriputta, that the person who is a body-witness may be practising for arahantship, while the person who is liberated-by-faith may be a once-returner or a non-returner, and the person who is one attained to right view may also be a once-returner or a non-returner.
"It is not easy here, Sāriputta, to answer definitively - 'This one among these three persons is more brilliant and more sublime.' For there is this possibility, Sāriputta, that the person who is one attained to right view may be practising for arahantship, while the person who is liberated-by-faith may be a once-returner or a non-returner, and the person who is a body-witness may also be a once-returner or a non-returner.
"It is not easy here, Sāriputta, to answer definitively - 'This one among these three persons is more brilliant and more sublime.'" The first.