“Mendicants, someone with four qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there. What four? Hurtful deeds by way of body, speech, and mind, and hurtful view. Someone with these four qualities is placed in hell as if delivered there.
Someone with four qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there. What four? Pleasing deeds by way of body, speech, and mind, and pleasing view. Someone with these four qualities is placed in heaven as if delivered there.”
Numbered Discourses 4.241 24. Deeds Ascetics
“
‘Only here is there a first ascetic, here a second ascetic, here a third ascetic, and here a fourth ascetic. Other sects are empty of ascetics.’ This, mendicants, is how you should rightly roar your lion’s roar.
And who is the first ascetic? It’s a mendicant who—with the ending of three fetters—is a stream-enterer, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, assured, destined for awakening. This is the first ascetic.
And who is the second ascetic? It’s a mendicant who—with the ending of three fetters, and the weakening of greed, hate, and delusion—is a once-returner. They come back to this world once only, then make an end of suffering. This is the second ascetic.
And who is the third ascetic? It’s a mendicant who—with the ending of the five lower fetters—is reborn spontaneously. They’re extinguished there, and are not liable to return from that world. This is the third ascetic.