an.5.142 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

Transgression

“Mendicants, these five people are found in the world.
What five?
One person transgresses and regrets it.
And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.
One person transgresses and doesn’t regret it.
And they don’t understand …
One person doesn’t transgress yet still feels regret.
And they don’t understand …
One person neither transgresses nor regrets.
But they don’t understand …
One person neither transgresses nor regrets.
And they do understand where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.
Take the case of the person who transgresses and regrets it.
And they don’t truly understand the freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom where those arisen bad, unskillful qualities cease without anything left over.
They should be told:
‘Venerable, the defilements born of transgression are found in you, and the defilements born of regret grow. You would do well to give up the defilements born of transgression and get rid of the defilements born of regret, and then develop the mind and wisdom.
In this way you’ll become just like the fifth person.’
Take the case of the person who transgresses and doesn’t regret it.
And they don’t understand…
They should be told:
‘Venerable, the defilements born of transgression are found in you, but the defilements born of regret don’t grow. You would do well to give up the defilements born of transgression, and then develop the mind and wisdom.
In this way you’ll become just like the fifth person.’
Take the case of the person who doesn’t transgress yet feels regret.
And they don’t understand…
They should be told:
‘Venerable, the defilements born of transgression are not found in you, yet the defilements born of regret grow. You would do well to get rid of the defilements born of regret, and then develop the mind and wisdom.
In this way you’ll become just like the fifth person.’
Take the case of the person who neither transgresses nor regrets.
But they don’t understand…
They should be told:
‘Venerable, the defilements born of transgression are not found in you, and the defilements born of regret don’t grow. You would do well to develop the mind and wisdom.
In this way you’ll become just like the fifth person.’
And so, mendicants, when these four people are advised and instructed by comparison with the fifth person, they gradually attain the ending of defilements.”