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Pitaka » Anguttara Nikaya » Context
of this sutta
- Anguttara Nikaya IV.85
- Tamonata Sutta
- Darkness
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
"There are these four types of people to be found existing in the world. Which
four? One in darkness who is headed for darkness, one in darkness who is headed for light,
one in light who is headed for darkness, and one in light who is headed for light.
"And how is one the type of person in darkness who is headed for darkness? There
is the case where a person is born into a lowly family -- the family of a scavenger, a
hunter, a basket-weaver, a wheelwright, or a sweeper -- a family that is poor, with little
food or drink, living in hardship, where food & clothing are hard to come by. And he
is ugly, misshapen, stunted, & sickly: half-blind or deformed or lame or crippled. He
doesn't receive any [gifts of] food, drink, clothing, or vehicles; garlands, perfumes, or
ointments; bedding, shelter, or lamps. He engages in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct,
& mental misconduct. Having engaged in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, &
mental misconduct, he -- on the break-up of the body, after death -- reappears in the
plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. This is the type of
person in darkness who is headed for darkness.
"And how is one the type of person in darkness who is headed for light? There is
the case where a person is born into a lower class family -- the family of a scavenger, a
hunter, a basket-weaver, a wheelwright, or a sweeper -- a family that is poor, with little
food or drink, living in hardship, where food & clothing are hard to come by. And he
is ugly, misshapen, stunted, & sickly: half-blind or deformed or lame or crippled. He
doesn't receive any [gifts of] food, drink, clothing, or vehicles; garlands, perfumes, or
ointments; bedding, shelter, or lamps. He engages in good bodily conduct, good verbal
conduct, & good mental conduct. Having engaged in good bodily conduct, good verbal
conduct, & good mental conduct, he -- on the break-up of the body, after death --
reappears in the good destination, the heavenly world. This is the type of person in
darkness who is headed for light.
"And how is one the type of person in light who is headed for darkness? There is
the case where a person is born into an upper class family -- a noble warrior family, a
priestly family, a prosperous householder family -- a family that is rich, with much
wealth, with many possessions, with a great deal of money, a great many accoutrements of
wealth, a great many commodities. And he is well-built, handsome, extremely inspiring,
endowed with a lotus-like complexion. He receives [gifts of] food, drink, clothing, &
vehicles; garlands, perfumes, & ointments; bedding, shelter, & lamps. He engages
in bodily misconduct, verbal misconduct, & mental misconduct. Having engaged in bodily
misconduct, verbal misconduct, & mental misconduct, he -- on the break-up of the body,
after death -- reappears in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower
realms, in hell. This is the type of person in light who is headed for darkness.
"And how is one the type of person in light who is headed for light? There is the
case where a person is born into an upper class family -- a noble warrior family, a
priestly family, a prosperous householder family -- a family that is rich, with much
wealth, with many possessions, with a great deal of money, a great many accoutrements of
wealth, a great many commodities. And he is well-built, handsome, extremely inspiring,
endowed with a lotus-like complexion. He receives [gifts of] food, drink, clothing, &
vehicles; garlands, perfumes, & ointments; bedding, shelter, & lamps. He engages
in good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, & good mental conduct. Having engaged in
good bodily conduct, good verbal conduct, & good mental conduct, he -- on the break-up
of the body, after death -- reappears in the good destination, the heavenly world. This is
the type of person in light who is headed for light.
"These are the four types of people to be found existing in the world."