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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.
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