Sutta Nipāta 1-5: Cundasutta

1. ‘I ask the Muni of great understanding,’—so said Cunda, the smith,—‘Buddha, the lord of the Dhamma, who is free from desire, the best of bipeds, the most excellent of charioteers, how many (kinds of) Samaṇas are there in the world; pray tell me that?’ (82)

2. ‘There are four (kinds of) Samaṇas, (there is) not a fifth, O Cunda,’—so said Bhagavat,—‘these I will reveal to thee, being asked in person; (they are) Maggajinas and Maggadesakas, Maggajīvins and Maggadūsins.’ (83)

3. ‘Whom do the Buddhas call a Maggajina?’—so said Cunda, the smith,—‘How is a Maggajjhāyin unequalled? Being asked, describe to me a Maggajīvin, and reveal to me a Maggadūsin.’ (84)

4. Bhagavat said: ‘He who has overcome doubt, is without pain, delights in Nibbāna, is free from greed, a leader of the world of men and gods, such a one the Buddhas call a maggajina (that is, victorious by the way). (85)

5. ‘He who in this world having known the best (i.e. Nibbāna) as the best, expounds and explains here the Dhamma, him, the doubt-cutting Muni, without desire, the second of the Bhikkhus they call a maggadesin (that is, teaching the way). (86)

6. ‘He who lives in the way that has so well been taught in the Dhammapada, and is restrained, attentive, cultivating blameless words, him the third of the Bhikshus they call a maggajīvin (that is, living in the way ). (87)

7. ‘He who although counterfeiting the virtuous is forward, disgraces families, is impudent, deceitful, unrestrained, a babbler, walking in disguise, such a one is a maggadūsin (that is, defiling the way). (88)

8. ‘He who has penetrated these (four Samaṇas), who is a householder, possessed of knowledge, a pupil of the venerable ones, wise, having known that they all are such,—having seen so, his faith is not lost; for how could he make the undepraved equal to the depraved and the pure equal to the impure?’ (89)

Cundasutta is ended.