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Numbered Discourses · AN 4.109

  • Numbered Discourses 4.109Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.109
  • 11. Clouds11. Valāhakavagga

TreesRukkhasutta

“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of tree.“Cattārome, bhikkhave, rukkhā. What four?Katame cattāro?

  1. One is a softwood surrounded by softwoods,Pheggu phegguparivāro,
  2. one is a softwood surrounded by hardwoods,pheggu sāraparivāro,
  3. one is a hardwood surrounded by softwoods, andsāro phegguparivāro,
  4. one is a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods.sāro sāraparivāro—

These are the four kinds of tree.Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro rukkhā. In the same way, these four individuals similar to trees are found in the world.Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro rukkhūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What four?Katame cattāro?

  1. One is a softwood surrounded by softwoods,Pheggu phegguparivāro,
  2. one is a softwood surrounded by hardwoods,pheggu sāraparivāro,
  3. one is a hardwood surrounded by softwoods, andsāro phegguparivāro,
  4. one is a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods.sāro sāraparivāro.

And how is an individual a softwood surrounded by softwoods?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti phegguparivāro? It’s when an individual is unethical, of bad character,Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo; and their followers are the same.parisāpissa hoti dussīlā pāpadhammā. That’s how an individual is a softwood surrounded by softwoods.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti phegguparivāro. That individual is like a softwood tree that’s surrounded by softwoods, I say.Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, rukkho pheggu phegguparivāro;

And how is an individual a softwood surrounded by hardwoods?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti sāraparivāro? It’s when an individual is unethical, of bad character,Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo; but their followers are ethical, of good character. …parisā ca khvassa hoti sīlavatī kalyāṇadhammā.

And how is an individual a hardwood surrounded by softwoods?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo sāro hoti phegguparivāro? It’s when an individual is ethical, of good character,Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sīlavā hoti kalyāṇadhammo; but their followers are unethical, of bad character. …parisā ca khvassa hoti dussīlā pāpadhammā.

And how is an individual a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo sāro hoti sāraparivāro? It’s when an individual is ethical, of good character,Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sīlavā hoti kalyāṇadhammo; and their followers are the same.parisāpissa hoti sīlavatī kalyāṇadhammā.

These four individuals similar to trees are found in the world.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro rukkhūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. AN 4.108 Oxen 0.54near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.108 11. Clouds Oxen “Mendicants, there are these four kinds of oxen. What four? One hostile to its own herd, not others; one hostile to other herds, not its own; one hostile to both its own herd and…
  2. AN 4.104 Lakes 0.54near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.104 11. Clouds Lakes “Mendicants, there are these four lakes. What four? One is shallow but appears deep, one is deep but appears shallow, one is shallow and appears shallow, and one is deep and app…
  3. AN 4.102 Clouds (2nd) 0.53near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.102 11. Clouds Clouds (2nd) “Mendicants, there are these four kinds of clouds. What four? One thunders but doesn’t rain, one rains but doesn’t thunder, one neither thunders nor rains, and one both r…
  4. AN 4.88 Fetters 0.51near 5.2That’s how an individual is a delicate ascetic of ascetics. These are the four individuals found in the world.”…
  5. AN 4.95 A Firebrand 0.50near 5.2These are the four individuals found in the world.”…
  6. AN 4.89 Right View 0.50near 5.2These are the four individuals found in the world.”…