Four Types
People
Today's Dhamma Talk is about "Four Types of People" as expounded by
Lord Buddha to King Pasenadi Kosala of Savatthi, a province in
India. Lord Buddha in his discourse explained that there are
persons who go -
(1) To darkness from darkness.
(2) To brightness from darkness.
(3) To darkness from brightness.
(4) To brightness from brightness
Lord Buddha further elaborated that:
Firstly a person is born in
the lower strata of life, with ugly appearance, poor health, with
bodily defects such as blindness, deafness, inarticulateness,
deformation, etc., and has no food to eat, no clothes to wear, no
house to dwell and no medicine for health. Though born in such a
miserable state he has no repentance, but indulges in unwholesome
activities such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and
taking intoxicants. He fails to observe moral purification.
Committing such unwholesome deeds without repentance, he is no
doubt likely to be reborn in the nether worlds as in hell, in the
animal world or in the ghost worlds. Such type of a person is
categorized as one who goes to darkness from darkness.
Secondly, a person is born
poor with bodily defects as above. Though born miserable he felt
repentant and realised that due to his unwholesome activities done
in the past existence, he was consequently born in such miserable
state and mended his mental attitudes. He observes morality
unbroken, does all wholesome activities utmost to his ability,
giving meritorious danas (generosity), etc. Moreover, he practises
wholesome thought, speech and actions and totally abstains from
killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and taking intoxicants.
His status gradually rises or ascends higher and higher as one
living on the ground to sitting on a chair, to riding on a horse to
riding on an ornamented elephant and then on to residing in a fully
decorated house. Thus a person who mends his ways understandingly
is sure to achieve a better kind of existence with healthy and
wealthy 00 and even may land it the deva worlds. Such type of a
person is categorized as one who goes to brightness from
darkness.
Thirdly, a person born high
of rich parents, endowed with good appearance, health and wealth
without having to worry about food, clothing, dwelling and medicine
and leads a luxurious life. Though born fortunate, he lacks
morality, does not understand the benefits of wholesome thoughts,
speech and actions and enjoys doing mischievous deeds such as
killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and taking intoxicants.
Moreover, he is inconsiderate towards others and never cultivates
sympathetic feelings. Committing such unwholesome activities
throughout his life his status falls or descends gradually, from
the dwelling in the fully decorated house to riding on an
ornamented elephant, to riding on a horse, to sitting on a chair
and then fallen to the ground level. Such type of a person is
categorized as one who goes to darkness from brightness. He is
likely to be reborn in the nether world after death.
Fourthly, a person is born
high of rich parents fully endowed with all necessary requisites of
life as above. Though he enjoys the higher standard of living, he
is far-sighted, intelligent and realises that his present status of
richness and amenities of good life is due to his wholesome
activities of his previous existence. So he carries on the
meritorious way of giving charity to the needy, practising
wholesome thoughts, speech and actions observing morality, etc. He
abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and
taking intoxicants, is considerate to others and always cultivates
sympathetic feeling towards others. Leading such a puritanic way of
life, his status ascends or rises higher and higher as one living
on the ground to sitting on a chair, to riding on a horse, to
riding on an ornamented elephant and then on to residing in a fully
decorated house and thus he is sure to reborn in the higher deva
worlds or at least in the human world at a higher influential
position. Such type of a person is categorized as one who goes to
brightness from brightness.