Light/Dark

Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

Vol 1:
Verses
SN1-11
Vol 2:
Causation
SN12-21
Vol 3:
Aggregates
SN22-34
Vol 4:
Sense Bases
SN35-44
Vol 5:
Great Book
SN45-56

3. Kosalasaṁyutta: With the Kosalan

III. Kosala — SN3.21: Persons

1At 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 people are found in the world. What four?

  1. The dark bound for darkness,
  2. the dark bound for light,
  3. the light bound for darkness, and
  4. the light bound for light.

2And how is a person dark and bound for darkness? It’s when some person is reborn in a low family — a family of outcastes, bamboo-workers, hunters, chariot-makers, or waste-collectors — 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, chronically ill — one-eyed, crippled, lame, or half-paralyzed. They don’t get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, perfumes, 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.

3This person is like someone who goes from darkness to darkness, from blackness to blackness, from bloodstain to bloodstain. That’s how a person is dark and bound for darkness.

4And how is a person dark and bound for light? It’s when some person is reborn in a low family — a family of outcastes, bamboo-workers, hunters, chariot-makers, or waste-collectors — 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, chronically ill — one-eyed, crippled, lame, or half-paralyzed. They don’t get to have food, drink, clothes, and vehicles; garlands, perfumes, 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.

5This person 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 a person is dark and bound for light.

6And how is a person light and bound for darkness? It’s when some person 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, perfumes, 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.


7This person 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 a person is light and bound for darkness.

8And how is a person light and bound for light? It’s when some person 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, perfumes, 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.


9This person 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 a person is light and bound for light. These are the four people found in the world.”


That is what the Buddha said. …


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

11They abuse and insult
ascetics and brahmins
and other renunciates.
They’re nihilists and bullies,

12who 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.


13O king, some people are poor,
but faithful and not stingy.
They give with best of intentions,
that peaceful-hearted person.

14They rise for and bow to
ascetics and brahmins
and other renunciates.
Training in moral conduct,


15they don’t prevent others from giving
food to beggars.
O king, ruler of the people:
when such people die
they go to the heaven of the Three and Thirty —
from darkness they’re bound for light.

16O king, some people are rich,
but faithless and stingy.
Miserly, with bad intentions,
they lack regard, they have wrong view.

17They abuse and insult
ascetics and brahmins
and other renunciates.
They’re nihilists and bullies,

18who 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.

19O king, some people are rich,
faithful and not stingy.
They give with best of intentions,
that peaceful-hearted person.

20They rise for and bow to
ascetics and brahmins
and other renunciates.
Training in moral conduct,

21they don’t prevent others from giving
food to beggars.
O king, ruler of the people:
when such people die
they go to the heaven of the Three and Thirty —
from light they’re bound for light.”

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

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?

  1. Tamotamaparāyano,
  2. tamojotiparāyano,
  3. jotitamaparāyano,
  4. jotijotiparāyano.

2Kathañca, 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.

3Seyyathāpi, 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.

4Kathañca, 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.

5Seyyathāpi, 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.

6Kathañca, 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.


7Seyyathāpi, 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.

8Kathañca, 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.


9Seyyathāpi, 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 …


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

11Samaṇe brāhmaṇe vāpi,
aññe vāpi vanibbake;
Akkosati paribhāsati,
natthiko hoti rosako.

12Dadamānaṁ nivāreti,
yācamānāna bhojanaṁ;
Tādiso puriso rāja,
mīyamāno janādhipa;
Upeti nirayaṁ ghoraṁ,
tamotamaparāyano.


13Daliddo puriso rāja,
saddho hoti amaccharī;
Dadāti seṭṭhasaṅkappo,
abyaggamanaso naro.

14Samaṇe brāhmaṇe vāpi,
aññe vāpi vanibbake;
Uṭṭhāya abhivādeti,
samacariyāya sikkhati.


15Dadamānaṁ na vāreti,
yācamānāna bhojanaṁ;
Tādiso puriso rāja,
mīyamāno janādhipa;
Upeti tidivaṁ ṭhānaṁ,
tamojotiparāyano.

16Aḍḍho ce puriso rāja,
assaddho hoti maccharī;
Kadariyo pāpasaṅkappo,
micchādiṭṭhi anādaro.

17Samaṇe brāhmaṇe vāpi,
aññe vāpi vanibbake;
Akkosati paribhāsati,
natthiko hoti rosako.

18Dadamānaṁ nivāreti,
yācamānāna bhojanaṁ;
Tādiso puriso rāja,
mīyamāno janādhipa;
Upeti nirayaṁ ghoraṁ,
jotitamaparāyano.

19Aḍḍho ce puriso rāja,
saddho hoti amaccharī;
Dadāti seṭṭhasaṅkappo,
abyaggamanaso naro.

20Samaṇe brāhmaṇe vāpi,
aññe vāpi vanibbake;
Uṭṭhāya abhivādeti,
samacariyāya sikkhati.

21Dadamānaṁ na vāreti,
yācamānāna bhojanaṁ;
Tādiso puriso rāja,
mīyamāno janādhipa;
Upeti tidivaṁ ṭhānaṁ,
jotijotiparāyano"ti.