[107] Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of mice. What four? One that makes a hole but does not live in it; one that lives in it but does not make a hole; one that neither makes a hole nor lives in it; and one that both makes a hole and lives in it. These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of mice. In just the same way, bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons comparable to mice existing in the world. What four? One who makes a hole but does not live in it; one who lives in it but does not make a hole; one who neither makes a hole nor lives in it; and one who both makes a hole and lives in it.
And how, bhikkhus, is a person one who makes a hole but does not live in it? Here, bhikkhus, some person masters the Dhamma — the discourses (sutta), the discourses mixed with verses (geyya), the prose-expositions (veyyākaraṇa), the verses (gāthā), the exclamations (udāna), the thus-said discourses (itivuttaka), the birth-stories (jātaka), the marvellous ideas (abbhūtadhamma), and the question-and-answer suttas (vedalla) — yet he does not understand as it really is (yathābhūta): 'This is suffering (dukkha)'; he does not understand as it really is: 'This is the origin of suffering'; he does not understand as it really is: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; he does not understand as it really is: 'This is the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a person is one who makes a hole but does not live in it. Just as that mouse, bhikkhus, makes a hole but does not live in it, so, bhikkhus, I say this person is comparable to it.
And how, bhikkhus, is a person one who lives in it but does not make a hole? Here, bhikkhus, some person does not master the Dhamma — the discourses, the discourses mixed with verses, the prose-expositions, the verses, the exclamations, the thus-said discourses, the birth-stories, the marvellous ideas, and the question-and-answer suttas — yet he understands as it really is: 'This is suffering'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the origin of suffering'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a person is one who lives in it but does not make a hole. Just as that mouse, bhikkhus, lives in it but does not make a hole, so, bhikkhus, I say this person is comparable to it.
And how, bhikkhus, is a person one who neither makes a hole nor lives in it? Here, bhikkhus, some person does not master the Dhamma — the discourses, the discourses mixed with verses, the prose-expositions, the verses, the exclamations, the thus-said discourses, the birth-stories, the marvellous ideas, and the question-and-answer suttas — and he does not understand as it really is: 'This is suffering'; he does not understand as it really is: 'This is the origin of suffering'; he does not understand as it really is: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; he does not understand as it really is: 'This is the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a person is one who neither makes a hole nor lives in it. Just as that mouse, bhikkhus, neither makes a hole nor lives in it, so, bhikkhus, I say this person is comparable to it.
And how, bhikkhus, is a person one who both makes a hole and lives in it? Here, bhikkhus, some person masters the Dhamma — the discourses, the discourses mixed with verses, the prose-expositions, the verses, the exclamations, the thus-said discourses, the birth-stories, the marvellous ideas, and the question-and-answer suttas — and he understands as it really is: 'This is suffering'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the origin of suffering'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the cessation of suffering'; he understands as it really is: 'This is the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering.' It is in this way, bhikkhus, that a person is one who both makes a hole and lives in it. Just as that mouse, bhikkhus, both makes a hole and lives in it, so, bhikkhus, I say this person is comparable to it.
These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons comparable to mice existing in the world.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.