AN 4.85 From Darkness to Darkness

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Mendicants, 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.

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.

That’s how an individual is dark and bound for darkness.

And how is an individual dark and bound for light?

It’s when an individual is reborn in a low family …

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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.

That’s how an individual is dark and bound for light.

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.

That’s how an individual is light and bound for darkness.

And how is an individual light and bound for light?

It’s when an individual is reborn in an eminent family …

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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.

That’s how an individual is light and bound for light.

These are the four individuals found in the world.”

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“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

Katame cattāro?

Tamo tamaparāyaṇo,

tamo jotiparāyaṇo,

joti tamaparāyaṇo,

joti jotiparāyaṇo.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo tamo hoti tamaparāyaṇo?

Idha, bhikkhave, 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.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo tamo hoti tamaparāyaṇo.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo tamo hoti jotiparāyaṇo?

Idha, bhikkhave, 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 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.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo tamo hoti jotiparāyaṇo.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo joti hoti tamaparāyaṇo?

Idha, bhikkhave, 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.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo joti hoti tamaparāyaṇo.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo joti hoti jotiparāyaṇo?

Idha, bhikkhave, 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.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo joti hoti jotiparāyaṇo.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

Pañcamaṁ.