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## [23 First Understanding: Approach to the World-Bound Soul]
Those who have attained the state of liberation, who are known as the "Three-Time-Liberated" and "Secondless-Time-Liberated" should be understood. Similarly, one should understand further. This is the statement of the approach to the world-bound soul.
What is the approach to the world-bound soul? In the world-bound souls, these nine understandings are stated as follows:
1. Some say that there are two types of world-bound souls.
2. Some say that there are three types of world-bound souls.
3. Some say that there are four types of world-bound souls.
4. Some say that there are five types of world-bound souls.
5-10. In this way, one should continue to state until some say that there are ten types of world-bound souls.
**Explanation:**
This sutra presents a question and answer regarding world-bound souls. The question is: What is the nature of the world-bound soul? The answer is given by explaining the different types of world-bound souls. By stating the different types, the nature of the object becomes clear.
Here, nine understandings are presented regarding the types of world-bound souls. The meaning of "understanding" is "statement" or "proposition." There are nine types of propositions in this regard. For example, some teachers say that there are two types of world-bound souls, while others say there are three types. In this way, some teachers say that there are ten types of world-bound souls.
From two to ten types of world-bound souls - these are nine types of statements or propositions. It should be noted that these nine types of statements, while different from each other, are not contradictory. The teachers who say that there are two types of world-bound souls, also say, with a different intention, that there are three types of world-bound souls, and with another intention, four types, and so on, until, with a different intention, they say that there are ten types.