Puggalo Sutta

Translation by Bhikkhuni Uppalavanna

1. In Sàvatthi.

2. King Pasenadi of Kosala, approached the Blessed One, worshipped and sat on a side. Then the Blessed One said to him: "Great king, there are four persons evident in the world.

3. "What four? A certain person goes from dark to dark, another person from dark to light, another from light to dark and another person from light to light.

4. Great king, who is the person going from dark to dark? Here great king, a certain person is born in a low clan, either in an outcaste clan, a bamboo workers clan, a hunter's clan, a chariot maker's clan, or a clan of refuse collectors. He is born poor and collects eatables and drinks with difficulty. Further, with deformed shapes is not attractive and handsome. He is born with disabilities like blindness, or lameness in one or both limbs. He is not the quick gainer of eatables, drinks, clothes, conveyances, flowers, scents, ointments, beds, seats, dwellings and lights. He misbehaves by body, speech and mind and after death is born in hell. Great king, it is like a man in the dark, going towards the darkness, like a man with blood stains going for blood stains. Great king, I give this comparison to the man going from dark to dark.

5. "Great king, who is the person going from dark to light? Here great king, a certain person is born in a low clan, either in an outcaste clan, a bamboo workers clan, a hunter's clan, a chariot maker's clan, or a clan of refuse collectors. He is born poor and collects eatables and drinks with difficulty. Further, with deformed shapes is not attractive and handsome. He is born with disabilities like blindness, or lameness in one or both limbs. He is not the quick gainer of eatables, drinks, clothes, conveyances, flowers, scents, ointments, beds, seats, dwellings and lights. He conducts himself well, by body, speech and mind and after death is born in heaven. Great king, he is like a man on the ground, getting on to a cushion, from the cushion climbing to horse back, from the horse back climbing on the elephant and from the back of the elephant climbing to a palace. Great king, I give this comparison to the man going from dark to light.

6. "Great king, who is the person going from light to dark? Here, great king a certain person is born in a high clan either in a Brahmin, a warrior or a householder clan with great halls much wealth and resources, with much gold and silver, with much grains. He is born handsome, endowed with the highest attractiveness. He is the gainer of eatables, drinks, clothes, conveyances, flowers, scents, ointments, beds, seats, dwellings and lights. He misbehaves by body, speech and mind and after death is born in hell. Great king, he is like a man in a palace, who descends to an elephant's back, From the elephant's back, descends to the horse back From the back of the horse descends to a cushion. From the cushion he descends to earth and from earth descends to darkness. Great king, I give this comparison to the man going from light to dark.

7. "Great king, who is the person going from light to light? Here, great king a certain person is born in a high clan either in a Brahmin, a warrior or a householder clan with great halls much wealth and resources, with much gold and silver, with much grains. He is born handsome, endowed with the highest attractiveness. He is the gainer of eatables, drinks, clothes, conveyances, flowers, scents, ointments, beds, seats, dwellings and lights. He conducts himself well in body, speech and mind and after death, he is born in heaven. He is like a man who moves from one cushion to the other, from one horse back to the other, from one elephant's back to the other elephant's back and from one mansion to the other. Great king, I compare this person to one going from light to light.

8. "Great king, these persons are evident in the world.

9. "A miserly man without faith and means, in view gone wrong,
 * With evil thoughts, greedy and without compassion,
 * Angry without a reason, he rebukes and debases, recluses,
 * Brahmins, or wayfarers and prevents them from getting gifts.
 * Leader of men, such a man gets his rewards,
 * Going from dark to dark he is born in hell.
 * 10. Great king, a poor, benevolent man, has faith,
 * He offers gifts with pure, undistracted thoughts,
 * Gets up from his seat, worships, honoring the quiet livelihood
 * Of recluses, Brahmins, or wayfarers
 * He does not prevent them, from getting gifts.
 * Leader of men, such a man gets his rewards,
 * Going from dark to light he is born in heaven

11. Great king, a miserly rich man without faith and view gone wrong,
 * With evil thoughts, greedy and without compassion,
 * Angry, without a reason, he rebukes and debases, recluses,
 * Brahmins, or wayfarers and prevents them from getting gifts.
 * Leader of men, such a man gets his rewards,
 * Going from light to dark he is born in hell.

12. Great king, a rich, benevolent, man, has faith,
 * He offers gifts with pure, undistracted thoughts,
 * Gets up from his seat, worships, honoring the quiet livelihood
 * Of recluses, Brahmins, or wayfarers
 * He does not prevent them, from getting gifts.
 * Leader of men, such a man gets his rewards,
 * Going from light to light he is born in heaven"