5.
The Discourse on From Darkness to Darkness
85.
"Monks, there are these four persons existing and found in the world.
Which four?
One heading from darkness to darkness, one heading from darkness to light, one heading from light to darkness, one heading from light to light.
And how, monks, is a person one in darkness heading for darkness? Here, monks, a certain person is reborn in a low family - in an outcast family or a basket-maker's family or a hunter's family or a chariot-maker's family or a refuse-scavenger's family, poor, with little food and drink, with a difficult livelihood, where food and clothing are obtained with difficulty. And he is ugly, unsightly, dwarfish, sickly, blind or crippled or lame or paralysed, not an obtainer of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes and ointments, bedding, lodging and lighting. He practises misconduct by body, he practises misconduct by speech, he practises misconduct by mind. He, having practised misconduct by body, having practised misconduct by speech, having practised misconduct by mind, upon the body's collapse at death, is reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell. Thus, monks, a person is one in darkness heading for darkness.
And how, monks, is a person one in darkness heading for light? Here, monks, a certain person is reborn in a low family - in an outcast family or a basket-maker's family or a hunter's family or a chariot-maker's family or a refuse-scavenger's family, poor, with little food and drink, with a difficult livelihood, where food and clothing are obtained with difficulty; and he is ugly, unsightly, dwarfish, sickly, blind or crippled or lame or paralysed, not an obtainer of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes and ointments, bedding, lodging and lighting. He practises good conduct by body, he practises good conduct by speech, he practises good conduct by mind. He, having practised good conduct by body, having practised good conduct by speech, having practised good conduct by mind, upon the body's collapse at death, is reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world. Thus, monks, a person is one in darkness heading for light.
And how, monks, is a person one in light heading for darkness? Here, monks, a certain person is reborn in a high family - in a wealthy warrior family or a wealthy brahmin family or a wealthy householder family, rich, of great wealth, of great possessions, with abundant gold and silver, with abundant means and provisions, with abundant wealth and grain; and he is handsome, good-looking, pleasing, endowed with the highest beauty of complexion, an obtainer of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes and ointments, bedding, lodging and lighting. He practises misconduct by body, he practises misconduct by speech, he practises misconduct by mind. He, having practised misconduct by body, having practised misconduct by speech, having practised misconduct by mind, upon the body's collapse at death, is reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell. Thus, monks, a person is one in light heading for darkness.
And how, monks, is a person one in light heading for light? Here, monks, a certain person is reborn in a high family - in a wealthy warrior family or a wealthy brahmin family or a wealthy householder family, rich, of great wealth, of great possessions, with abundant gold and silver, with abundant means and provisions, with abundant wealth and grain; and he is handsome, good-looking, pleasing, endowed with the highest beauty of complexion, an obtainer of food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes and ointments, bedding, lodging and lighting. He practises good conduct by body, he practises good conduct by speech, he practises good conduct by mind. He, having practised good conduct by body, having practised good conduct by speech, having practised good conduct by mind, upon the body's collapse at death, is reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world. Thus, monks, a person is one in light heading for light. These, monks, are the four persons existing and found in the world." The fifth.