4.
The Chapter on Persons
1.
Commentary on the Mental Fetter Discourse
131. In the first discourse of the fourth, "leading to the obtaining of rebirth" means by which one obtains rebirth immediately after. "Leading to the obtaining of existence" means conditions for the obtaining of the becoming of rebirth. "For a once-returner" - this is taken at the upper limit among the noble ones whose mental fetters are not abandoned. But since for the attainer of final nibbāna in the interval there is no rebirth in the interval, whatever meditative absorption he attains there, that, being wholesome, is reckoned as "a condition for the becoming of rebirth." Therefore it was said of him "the mental fetters leading to rebirth have been abandoned, the mental fetters leading to existence are not abandoned." And with reference to what is not abandoned among the lower mental fetters, it was said of the once-returner without distinction "the lower mental fetters are not abandoned." The remainder here is clear in itself.
2.
Commentary on the Discernment Discourse
132. In the second, "one with proper discernment, not with fluent discernment" means when explaining a question he speaks only what is proper, but does not speak quickly, he speaks only slowly - this is the meaning. By this method all the terms should be understood.
3.
Commentary on the Discourse on One Who Understands Quickly
133. In the third, the distinction of all four persons should be known by this discourse -
"And what person understands quickly? Whatever person for whom there is full realization of the teaching as soon as it is uttered, this is called a person who understands quickly. And what person understands through elaboration? Whatever person for whom, when the meaning is being analysed in detail, there is full realization of the teaching, this is called a person who understands through elaboration. And what person needs to be guided? Whatever person for whom, through recitation, through interrogation, through wise attention, through associating with, keeping company with, and attending on good friends, there is gradually full realization of the teaching, this is called a person who needs to be guided. And what person is one for whom the word is the maximum? Whatever person for whom, even though hearing much, even though reciting much, even though remembering much, even though teaching much, there is no full realization of the teaching in that birth, this is called a person for whom the word is the maximum."
4.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Fruit of Industriousness
134. In the fourth, having spent the day solely through industriousness and energy, having obtained only something that is merely the resultant fruit of that, he gets his living, but owing to that work he does not obtain any fruit of merit - this one is called one who lives on the fruit of work but not on the fruit of action. But all the gods, beginning with the gods of the realm of the Four Great Kings, since they live only on the fruit of merit without industriousness and energy, are called those who live on the fruit of action but not on the fruit of work. Kings, viceroys, chief ministers and so on are both those who live on the fruit of work and those who live on the fruit of action. Beings doomed to Niraya Hell live on neither the fruit of work nor the fruit of action. In this discourse, the fruit of merit alone is intended as the fruit of action, and that does not exist for them.
5.
Commentary on the Blameable Discourse
135. In the fifth, the first is the blind, foolish worldling, the second is the mundane worldling who occasionally does wholesome deeds, the third is the stream-enterer, and the once-returner and non-returner are also included by this very same. The fourth is one who has eliminated the mental corruptions. For he is exclusively faultless.
6-7.
Commentary on the Morality Discourse and Others
136-137. In the sixth, the first is the mundane public, the second is the dry insight practitioner and the stream-enterer and the once-returner, the third is the non-returner. For because he obtains even a momentary meditative absorption with a rebirth sign, therefore even the dry insight practitioner is indeed one who fulfils concentration. The fourth is just one who has eliminated the mental corruptions. For because all the adversaries of morality and so on have been abandoned, he is called one who fulfils everywhere. In the seventh too, the determination of persons should be understood by the method already stated in the sixth.
8.
Commentary on the Neighbourhood Discourse
138. In the eighth, "with body near" means with body gone out. "With mind not near" means with mind entered in. What is meant is that though having gone out from the village by body alone, even while dwelling in the forest, by mind he has entered the village itself. By this method the meaning should be understood everywhere.
9.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Dhamma Preacher
139. In the ninth, "not connected with meaning" means not connected with meaning. "Is not skilled" means is not clever. "In what is connected with meaning and what is not connected with meaning" means in what is based upon meaning or not based upon meaning. Thus the meaning should be understood everywhere.
10.
Commentary on the Discourse on the Disputant
140. In the tenth, "goes to exhaustion in meaning" means when asked about the commentary, he goes to exhaustion, to utter elimination, and is unable to speak. "But not in phrasing" means phrasing, however, proceeds for him and is not exhausted. The same method applies everywhere.
The Person Chapter is the fourth.