Seven Persons
The Both-ways freed
The Wisdom-freed
The Body-knower,
The View-secured,
The Faith-freed,
The Dhamma-follower,
The Faith-follower.
'Freed' in this set means not necessarily that such a one is freed, but that such a one is working at being freed in this way. It might be better to understand this in the sense of 'freed or partially freed'.
The Both-ways freed: One who has attained arahantship by having both attained in body The Eight Releases [see below 'releases'] and who has also seen with wisdom that he has destroyed the Corrupting Influences [āsavas].
This individual has nothing more to do in that he has secured unshakable freedom.
The Wisdom-freed: One who has attained arahantship only having seen with wisdom that he has destroyed the Corrupting Influences.
This individual has nothing more to do in that he has secured unshakable freedom.
The distinction here is between freedom attained through experience of having trained with the body — the individual who sits down to attain freedom without necessarily understanding the details for attaining such, so that it is said that 'his body knows' — and freedom attained by having destroyed the corrupting influences by way of insight gained working through knowledge and seeing things as they really are. Today [Sunday, April 24, 2016 6:39 AM] modern science recognizes something called "muscle-memory". Having performed an action enough times it becomes such as can be performed almost without use of conscious thought. If this is not the same thing it is closely related.
Body-knower [aka: witness; Ms. Horner 'mental realizer' (which translation is inexplicable)] One who has attained temporary release through experience of having attained in body The Eight Releases, but who has not yet completely destroyed the Corrupting Influences.
This individual has more to do in that he has not yet secured unshakable freedom.
The View-secured: One who is essentially on the same path as the Wisdom-freed, but whose wisdom has got only as far as a comprehension of The Four Truths and who has by this much partly destroyed the Corrupting Influences.
This individual has more to do in that he has not yet secured unshakable freedom.
The Faith-freed: One who has faith that the Buddha was an Arahant, a fully self-awakened one, one who got what was to be got, a seer of this world and the worlds beyond, who understood the way to the end of pain and whose teaching of that way was consummately done, and who also by this faith has partly destroyed the Corrupting Influences.
This individual has more to do in that he has not yet secured unshakable freedom.
Dhamma-follower: One who is able to see that the Corrupting Influences are not destroyed in him; in whose wisdom there is moderate approval of the Buddha's Dhamma; and in whom there are the forces of faith, energy, memory, serenity and wisdom.
This individual has more to do in that he has not yet secured unshakable freedom.
Faith-follwer: One who is able to see that the Corrupting Influences are not destroyed in him; but who has sufficient faith and respect for the Buddha; and in whom there are the forces of faith, energy, memory, serenity and wisdom.
This individual has more to do in that he has not yet secured unshakable freedom.
