Light/Dark

Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

3: The Book of the Threes

III. Persons — AN 3.29: Blind

1“These three kinds of people are found in the world. What three? The blind, the one-eyed, and the two-eyed.

Who is the blind person? It’s someone who doesn’t have the kind of vision that’s needed to acquire more wealth or to increase the wealth they’ve already acquired. Nor do they have the kind of vision that’s needed to know the difference between qualities that are skillful and unskillful, blameworthy and blameless, inferior and superior, and those on the side of dark and bright. This is called a blind person.

2Who is the person with one eye? It’s someone who has the kind of vision that’s needed to acquire more wealth and to increase the wealth they’ve already acquired. But they don’t have the kind of vision that’s needed to know the difference between qualities that are skillful and unskillful, blameworthy and blameless, inferior and superior, and those on the side of dark and bright. This is called a one-eyed person.

3Who is the person with two eyes? It’s someone who has the kind of vision that’s needed to acquire more wealth and to increase the wealth they’ve already acquired. And they have the kind of vision that’s needed to know the difference between skillful and unskillful, blameworthy and blameless, inferior and superior, or qualities on the side of dark and bright. This is called a two-eyed person.


These are the three people found in the world.

4Neither suitable wealth,
nor merit do they make.
They lose on both counts,
those who are blind, with ruined eyes.

5And now the one-eyed
person is explained.
By methods good and bad,
that devious person seeks wealth.

6Both by fraudulent, thieving deeds,
and also by lies,
the young man’s skilled at piling up money,
and enjoying sensual pleasures.
From here they go to hell—
the one-eyed person is ruined.

7And now the two-eyed is explained,
the best individual.
Their wealth is earned legitimately,
money acquired by their own hard work.

8They give with best of intentions,
that peaceful-hearted person.
They go to a good place,
where there is no sorrow.

9The blind and the one-eyed,
you should avoid from afar.
But you should keep the two-eyed close,
the best individual.”

1"Tayome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame tayo? Andho, ekacakkhu, dvicakkhu.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo andho? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa tathārūpaṁ cakkhu na hoti yathārūpena cakkhunā anadhigataṁ vā bhogaṁ adhigaccheyya adhigataṁ vā bhogaṁ phātiṁ kareyya; tathārūpampissa cakkhu na hoti yathārūpena cakkhunā kusalākusale dhamme jāneyya, sāvajjānavajje dhamme jāneyya, hīnappaṇīte dhamme jāneyya, kaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāge dhamme jāneyya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo andho.

2Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo ekacakkhu? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa tathārūpaṁ cakkhu hoti yathārūpena cakkhunā anadhigataṁ vā bhogaṁ adhigaccheyya adhigataṁ vā bhogaṁ phātiṁ kareyya; tathārūpaṁ panassa cakkhu na hoti yathārūpena cakkhunā kusalākusale dhamme jāneyya, sāvajjānavajje dhamme jāneyya, hīnappaṇīte dhamme jāneyya, kaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāge dhamme jāneyya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo ekacakkhu.

3Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo dvicakkhu? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa tathārūpaṁ cakkhu hoti yathārūpena cakkhunā anadhigataṁ vā bhogaṁ adhigaccheyya, adhigataṁ vā bhogaṁ phātiṁ kareyya; tathārūpampissa cakkhu hoti yathārūpena cakkhunā kusalākusale dhamme jāneyya; sāvajjānavajje dhamme jāneyya, hīnappaṇīte dhamme jāneyya, kaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāge dhamme jāneyya. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo dvicakkhu.


Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasminti.

4Na ceva bhogā tathārūpā,
na ca puññāni kubbati;
Ubhayattha kaliggāho,
andhassa hatacakkhuno.

5Athāparāyaṁ akkhāto,
Ekacakkhu ca puggalo;
Dhammādhammena saṭhoso,
Bhogāni pariyesati.

6Theyyena kūṭakammena,
musāvādena cūbhayaṁ;
Kusalo hoti saṅghātuṁ,
kāmabhogī ca mānavo;
Ito so nirayaṁ gantvā,
ekacakkhu vihaññati.

7Dvicakkhu pana akkhāto,
seṭṭho purisapuggalo;
Dhammaladdhehi bhogehi,
uṭṭhānādhigataṁ dhanaṁ.

8Dadāti seṭṭhasaṅkappo,
abyaggamānaso naro;
Upeti bhaddakaṁ ṭhānaṁ,
yattha gantvā na socati.

9Andhañca ekacakkhuñca,
ārakā parivajjaye;
Dvicakkhuṁ pana sevetha,
seṭṭhaṁ purisapuggalan"ti.

Navamaṁ.