So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.
Then Venerable Saviṭṭha and Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita went up to Venerable Sāriputta, and exchanged greetings with him.
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side and Venerable Sāriputta said to Venerable Saviṭṭha, “Reverend Saviṭṭha, these three individuals are found in the world. What three? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. These are the three individuals found in the world. Of these three individuals, who do you believe to be the finest?”
“Reverend Sāriputta, these three individuals are found in the world. What three? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. These are the three individuals found in the world. Of these three individuals, I believe the individual freed by faith to be finest. Why is that? Because this individual’s faculty of faith is extraordinary.”
Then Sāriputta said to Mahākoṭṭhita, “Reverend Koṭṭhita, these three people are found in the world. What three? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. These are the three individuals found in the world. Of these three individuals, who do you believe to be the finest?”
“Reverend Sāriputta, these three individuals are found in the world. What three? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. These are the three individuals found in the world. Of these three individuals, I believe the direct witness to be finest. Why is that? Because this individual’s faculty of immersion is extraordinary.”
Then Mahākoṭṭhita said to Sāriputta, “Reverend Sāriputta, these three individuals are found in the world. What three? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. These are the three individuals found in the world. Of these three individuals, who do you believe to be the finest?”
“Reverend Koṭṭhita, these three people are found in the world. What three? The direct witness, the one attained to view, and the one freed by faith. These are the three individuals found in the world. Of these three individuals, I believe the individual attained to view to be finest. Why is that? Because this individual’s faculty of wisdom is extraordinary.”
Then Sāriputta said to Saviṭṭha and Mahākoṭṭhita, “Each of us has spoken from the heart. Come, reverends, let’s go to the Buddha, and tell him about this. As he answers, so we’ll remember it.”
“Yes, reverend,” they replied. Then Sāriputta, Saviṭṭha, and Mahākoṭṭhita went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. Then Sāriputta told the Buddha of all they had discussed.
“In this matter, Sāriputta, it’s not easy to categorically declare that one of these three individuals is finest. In some cases, an individual freed by faith is practicing for perfection, while the direct witness and the one attained to view are once-returners or non-returners.
In this matter, it’s not easy to categorically declare that one of these three individuals is finest. In some cases, a direct witness is practicing for perfection, while the one freed by faith and the one attained to view are once-returners or non-returners.
In this matter, it’s not easy to categorically declare that one of these three individuals is finest. In some cases, one attained to view is practicing for perfection, while the one freed by faith and the direct witness are once-returners or non-returners.
In this matter, it’s not easy to categorically declare that one of these three individuals is finest.”