Puggalasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “cattārome, mahārāja puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro? Tamotamaparāyano, tamojotiparāyano, jotitamaparāyano, jotijotiparāyano.

At Sāvatthī. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him: “Great king, these four individuals are found in the world. What four? The dark bound for darkness, the dark bound for light, the light bound for darkness, and the light bound for light.

Kathañca, mahārāja puggalo tamotamaparāyano hoti? Idha, mahārāja, ekacco puggalo nīce kule paccājāto hoti, caṇḍālakule vā venakule vā nesādakule vā rathakārakule vā pukkusakule vā dalidde appannapānabhojane kasiravuttike, yattha kasirena ghāsacchādo labbhati. So ca hoti dubbaṇṇo duddasiko okoṭimako bavhābādho kāṇo vā kuṇī vā khañjo vā pakkhahato vā, na lābhī annassa pānassa vatthassa yānassa mālāgandhavilepanassa seyyāvasathapadīpeyyassa. So kāyena duccaritaṁ carati, vācāya duccaritaṁ carati, manasā duccaritaṁ carati. So kāyena duccaritaṁ caritvā vācāya duccaritaṁ caritvā manasā duccaritaṁ caritvā, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.

And how is an individual dark and bound for darkness? It’s when an individual is reborn in a low family—a family of corpse-workers, bamboo-workers, hunters, chariot-makers, or scavengers—poor, with little to eat or drink, where life is tough, and food and shelter are hard to find. And they’re ugly, unsightly, deformed, sickly—one-eyed, crippled, lame, or half-paralyzed. They don’t get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; or bed, house, and lighting. And they do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, puriso andhakārā vā andhakāraṁ gaccheyya, tamā vā tamaṁ gaccheyya, lohitamalā vā lohitamalaṁ gaccheyya. Tathūpamāhaṁ, mahārāja, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi. Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, puggalo tamotamaparāyano hoti.

This individual is like someone who goes from darkness to darkness, from blackness to blackness, from bloodstain to bloodstain. That’s how an individual is dark and bound for darkness.

Kathañca, mahārāja, puggalo tamojotiparāyano hoti? Idha, mahārāja, ekacco puggalo nīce kule paccājāto hoti, caṇḍālakule vā venakule vā nesādakule vā rathakārakule vā pukkusakule vā dalidde appannapānabhojane kasiravuttike, yattha kasirena ghāsacchādo labbhati. So ca kho hoti dubbaṇṇo duddasiko okoṭimako bavhābādho, kāṇo vā kuṇī vā khañjo vā pakkhahato vā, na lābhī annassa pānassa vatthassa yānassa mālāgandhavilepanassa seyyāvasathapadīpeyyassa. So kāyena sucaritaṁ carati, vācāya sucaritaṁ carati, manasā sucaritaṁ carati. So kāyena sucaritaṁ caritvā vācāya sucaritaṁ caritvā manasā sucaritaṁ caritvā, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.

And how is an individual dark and bound for light? It’s when an individual is reborn in a low family—a family of corpse-workers, bamboo-workers, hunters, chariot-makers, or scavengers—poor, with little to eat or drink, where life is tough, and food and shelter are hard to find. And they’re ugly, unsightly, deformed, sickly—one-eyed, crippled, lame, or half-paralyzed. They don’t get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; or bed, house, and lighting. But they do good things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.

Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, puriso pathaviyā vā pallaṅkaṁ āroheyya, pallaṅkā vā assapiṭṭhiṁ āroheyya, assapiṭṭhiyā vā hatthikkhandhaṁ āroheyya, hatthikkhandhā vā pāsādaṁ āroheyya. Tathūpamāhaṁ, mahārāja, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi. Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, puggalo tamojotiparāyano hoti.

This individual is like someone who ascends from the ground to a couch; from a couch to horseback; from horseback to an elephant; and from an elephant to a stilt longhouse. That’s how an individual is dark and bound for light.

Kathañca, mahārāja, puggalo jotitamaparāyano hoti? Idha, mahārāja, ekacco puggalo ucce kule paccājāto hoti, khattiyamahāsālakule vā brāhmaṇamahāsālakule vā gahapatimahāsālakule vā, aḍḍhe mahaddhane mahābhoge pahūtajātarūparajate pahūtavittūpakaraṇe pahūtadhanadhaññe. So ca hoti abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko, paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato, lābhī annassa pānassa vatthassa yānassa mālāgandhavilepanassa seyyāvasathapadīpeyyassa. So kāyena duccaritaṁ carati, vācāya duccaritaṁ carati, manasā duccaritaṁ carati. So kāyena duccaritaṁ caritvā vācāya duccaritaṁ caritvā manasā duccaritaṁ caritvā, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati.

And how is an individual light and bound for darkness? It’s when an individual is reborn in an eminent family—a well-to-do family of aristocrats, brahmins, or householders—rich, affluent, and wealthy, with lots of gold and silver, lots of property and assets, and lots of money and grain. And they’re attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty. They get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting. But they do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.

Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, puriso pāsādā vā hatthikkhandhaṁ oroheyya, hatthikkhandhā vā assapiṭṭhiṁ oroheyya, assapiṭṭhiyā vā pallaṅkaṁ oroheyya, pallaṅkā vā pathaviṁ oroheyya, pathaviyā vā andhakāraṁ paviseyya. Tathūpamāhaṁ, mahārāja, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi. Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, puggalo jotitamaparāyano hoti.

This individual is like someone who descends from a stilt longhouse to an elephant; from an elephant to horseback; from horseback to a couch; and from a couch to the ground; and from the ground they enter darkness. That’s how an individual is light and bound for darkness.

Kathañca, mahārāja, puggalo jotijotiparāyano hoti? Idha, mahārāja, ekacco puggalo ucce kule paccājāto hoti, khattiyamahāsālakule vā brāhmaṇamahāsālakule vā gahapatimahāsālakule vā, aḍḍhe mahaddhane mahābhoge pahūtajātarūparajate pahūtavittūpakaraṇe pahūtadhanadhaññe. So ca hoti abhirūpo dassanīyo pāsādiko, paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgato, lābhī annassa pānassa vatthassa yānassa mālāgandhavilepanassa seyyāvasathapadīpeyyassa. So kāyena sucaritaṁ carati, vācāya sucaritaṁ carati, manasā sucaritaṁ carati. So kāyena sucaritaṁ caritvā vācāya sucaritaṁ caritvā manasā sucaritaṁ caritvā, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.

And how is an individual light and bound for light? It’s when an individual is reborn in an eminent family—a well-to-do family of aristocrats, brahmins, or householders—rich, affluent, and wealthy, with lots of gold and silver, lots of property and assets, and lots of money and grain. And they’re attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty. They get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, fragrance, and makeup; and bed, house, and lighting. And they do good things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.

Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, puriso pallaṅkā vā pallaṅkaṁ saṅkameyya, assapiṭṭhiyā vā assapiṭṭhiṁ saṅkameyya, hatthikkhandhā vā hatthikkhandhaṁ saṅkameyya, pāsādā vā pāsādaṁ saṅkameyya. Tathūpamāhaṁ, mahārāja, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi. Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, puggalo jotijotiparāyano hoti. Ime kho, mahārāja, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti. Idamavoca …pe…

This individual is like someone who shifts from one couch to another; from the back of one horse to another; from one elephant to another; or from one stilt longhouse to another. That’s how an individual is light and bound for light. These are the four individuals found in the world.” That is what the Buddha said. …

“Daliddo puriso rāja, assaddho hoti maccharī; Kadariyo pāpasaṅkappo, micchādiṭṭhi anādaro.

“O King, some people are poor, faithless and stingy. Miserly, with bad intentions, they lack regard, they have wrong view.

Samaṇe brāhmaṇe vāpi, aññe vāpi vanibbake; Akkosati paribhāsati, natthiko hoti rosako.

They abuse and insult ascetics and brahmins and other supplicants. They’re nihilists and bullies,

Dadamānaṁ nivāreti, yācamānāna bhojanaṁ; Tādiso puriso rāja, mīyamāno janādhipa; Upeti nirayaṁ ghoraṁ, tamotamaparāyano.

who prevent others from giving food to beggars. O King, ruler of the people: when such people die they fall into the terrible hell— from darkness they’re bound for darkness.

Daliddo puriso rāja, saddho hoti amaccharī; Dadāti seṭṭhasaṅkappo, abyaggamanaso naro.

O King, some people are poor, but faithful and not stingy. They give with best of intentions, that peaceful-hearted person.

Samaṇe brāhmaṇe vāpi, aññe vāpi vanibbake; Uṭṭhāya abhivādeti, samacariyāya sikkhati.

They rise for and bow to ascetics and brahmins and other supplicants. Training in moral conduct,

Dadamānaṁ na vāreti, yācamānāna bhojanaṁ; Tādiso puriso rāja, mīyamāno janādhipa; Upeti tidivaṁ ṭhānaṁ, tamojotiparāyano.

they don’t prevent others from giving food to beggars. O King, ruler of the people: when such people die they go to the Third Heaven— from darkness they’re bound for light.

Aḍḍho ce puriso rāja, assaddho hoti maccharī; Kadariyo pāpasaṅkappo, micchādiṭṭhi anādaro.

O King, some people are rich, but faithless and stingy. Miserly, with bad intentions, they lack regard, they have wrong view.

Samaṇe brāhmaṇe vāpi, aññe vāpi vanibbake; Akkosati paribhāsati, natthiko hoti rosako.

They abuse and insult ascetics and brahmins and other supplicants They’re nihilists and bullies,

Dadamānaṁ nivāreti, yācamānāna bhojanaṁ; Tādiso puriso rāja, mīyamāno janādhipa; Upeti nirayaṁ ghoraṁ, jotitamaparāyano.

who prevent others from giving food to beggars. O King, ruler of the people: when such people die they fall into the terrible hell— from light they’re bound for darkness.

Aḍḍho ce puriso rāja, saddho hoti amaccharī; Dadāti seṭṭhasaṅkappo, abyaggamanaso naro.

O King, some people are rich, faithful and not stingy. They give with best of intentions, that peaceful-hearted person.

Samaṇe brāhmaṇe vāpi, aññe vāpi vanibbake; Uṭṭhāya abhivādeti, samacariyāya sikkhati.

They rise for and bow to ascetics and brahmins and other supplicants. Training in moral conduct,

Dadamānaṁ na vāreti, yācamānāna bhojanaṁ; Tādiso puriso rāja, mīyamāno janādhipa; Upeti tidivaṁ ṭhānaṁ, jotijotiparāyano”ti.

they don’t prevent others from giving food to beggars. O King, ruler of the people: when such people die they go to the Third Heaven— from light they’re bound for light.”