1“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of tree. What four?

1. One is a softwood surrounded by softwoods,
2. one is a softwood surrounded by hardwoods,
3. one is a hardwood surrounded by softwoods, and
4. one is a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods.

These are the four kinds of tree. In the same way, these four people similar to trees are found in the world. What four?

1. One is a softwood surrounded by softwoods,
2. one is a softwood surrounded by hardwoods,
3. one is a hardwood surrounded by softwoods, and
4. one is a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods.

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2And how is a person a softwood surrounded by softwoods? It’s when a person is unethical, of bad character, and their followers are the same. That’s how a person is a softwood surrounded by softwoods. That person is like a softwood tree that’s surrounded by softwoods, I say.

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3And how is a person a softwood surrounded by hardwoods? It’s when a person is unethical, of bad character, but their followers are ethical, of good character. …

4And how is a person a hardwood surrounded by softwoods? It’s when someone is ethical, of good qualities. but their followers are unethical, of bad character. …

5And how is a person a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods? It’s when someone is ethical, of good qualities, and their followers are the same.

These four people similar to trees are found in the world.”

1"Cattārome, bhikkhave, rukkhā. Katame cattāro?

Pheggu phegguparivāro,

pheggu sāraparivāro,

sāro phegguparivāro,

sāro sāraparivāro – 

ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro rukkhā. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro rukkhūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro?

Pheggu phegguparivāro,

pheggu sāraparivāro,

sāro phegguparivāro,

sāro sāraparivāro.

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2Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti phegguparivāro? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo; parisāpissa hoti dussīlā pāpadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti phegguparivāro. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, rukkho pheggu phegguparivāro; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

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3Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti sāraparivāro? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo; parisā ca khvassa hoti sīlavatī kalyāṇadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti sāraparivāro. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, rukkho pheggu sāraparivāro; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo sāro hoti phegguparivāro? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sīlavā hoti kalyāṇadhammo; parisā ca khvassa hoti dussīlā pāpadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo sāro hoti phegguparivāro. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, rukkho sāro phegguparivāro; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

5Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo sāro hoti sāraparivāro? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sīlavā hoti kalyāṇadhammo; parisāpissa hoti sīlavatī kalyāṇadhammā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo sāro hoti sāraparivāro. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, rukkho sāro sāraparivāro; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

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Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro rukkhūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin"ti.

Navamaṁ.