Exploring the Path - Pāli Course

“There are, Bhikkhus, four kinds of persons to be found in this world. What are the four?

There is one kind that is heading from darkness to darkness, another kind is heading from darkness towards brightness, the next kind is heading from brightness towards darkness and the other from brightness towards brightness.

How, Bhikkhus, is a person heading from darkness towards darkness?

Here someone is reborn in a low clan—an outcaste or a family of bamboo workers, a family of hunters, a family of chariot makers or a family of refuse cleaners—a poor family in which there is little food and drink and which finds it difficult to support themselves, where food and garments are obtained with difficulty. And one is ugly, unpleasant to look at, deformed, unhealthy, blind, crooked, lame or crippled. One cannot acquire food, drink, clothing and vehicles; garlands, ointments or perfume; nor bedding, housing or lighting. One engages in misconduct of body, speech and mind. Having thus engaged in misconduct of body, speech and mind, with the break-up of the body, after death, one is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in a lower world, in hell. In this way, Bhikkhus, is a person heading from darkness towards darkness.

And how, Bhikkhus, is a person heading from darkness to brightness?

Here someone is reborn in a low clan—an outcaste or a family of bamboo workers, a family of hunters, a family of chariot makers or a family of refuse cleaners—a poor family in which there is little food and drink and which finds it difficult to support themselves, where food and garments are obtained with difficulty. And one is ugly, unpleasant to look at, deformed, unhealthy, blind, crooked, lame or crippled. One cannot acquire food, drink, clothing and vehicles; garlands, ointments or perfume; nor bedding, housing or lighting. One engages in good conduct of body, speech and mind. Having thus engaged in good conduct of body, speech and mind, with the break-up of the body, after death, one is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world. In this way, Bhikkhus, is a person heading from darkness to brightness.

And how, Bhikkhus, is a person heading from brightness to darkness? Here someone is reborn in a high clan—amongst a wealthy family of nobles, Brahmins or householders. One is rich, owns great wealth and property, with abundant gold and silver, abundant treasures and commodities, affluent in prosperity and means of existence. Further one is handsome, attractive, graceful, possessing supreme beauty of appearance. One gains food, drink, clothing and vehicles; garlands, ointments or perfume; bedding, housing or lighting. One engages in misconduct of body, speech and mind. Having thus engaged in misconduct of body, speech and mind, with the break-up of the body, after death, one is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in a lower world, in hell. In this way, Bhikkhus, is a person heading from brightness to darkness.

And how, Bhikkhus, is a person heading from brightness towards brightness?

Here someone is reborn in a high clan—amongst a wealthy family of nobles, Brahmins or householders. One is rich, owns great wealth and property, with abundant gold and silver, abundant treasures and commodities, affluent in prosperity and means of existence. Further one is handsome, attractive, graceful, possessing supreme beauty of appearance. One gains food, drink, clothing and vehicles; garlands, ointments or perfume; bedding, housing or lighting. One engages in good conduct of body, speech and mind. Having thus engaged in good conduct of body, speech and mind, with the break-up of the body, after death, one is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world. In this way, Bhikkhus, is a person heading from brightness to brightness.

These, Bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.”

^*Tamotamasuttaṃ: tamo + tama — darkness + darkness (from one field of misery to another)