佛說四人出現世間經

Thus have I heard. At one time the Bhagavān was dwelling in the city of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time King Prasenajit, riding a chariot adorned with feathers (a carriage ornamented with the plumage of birds) and surrounded by his retinue of great ministers, went out from the city of Śrāvastī and proceeded to the place where the World-Honored One was dwelling in the garden. Bowing his head to the ground, he paid homage at the feet of the Buddha and then sat to one side, wishing to hear the Dharma expounded.

Then the World-Honored One said to King Prasenajit: There are four kinds of people who appear in the world. What are the four? There may be a person who is base at first and fair afterward. There may be a person who is fair at first and base afterward. There may be a person who is base at first and base afterward. There may be a person who is fair at first and fair afterward.

What is meant by base at first and fair afterward? There may be a person born into a lowly family, such as the family of a Caṇḍāla (the lowest caste in ancient India), or the family of an executioner (one whose office is to behead, to inflict torture, or whose trade is the slaughter of living beings), or a family of skilled artisans, or a poor and destitute family of barbers. Dwelling in a place without rice or grain, never eating their fill, and though they may get food, it is foul, rotten, and of poor quality—being born into such a family, the complexion of the face and the bodily form are ugly and mean, such that no one wishes to look upon them, and they are often slighted and despised.

Yet this person practices good with the body, practices good with speech, and practices good with the mind. Having cultivated good conduct with the body, cultivated good conduct with speech, and cultivated good conduct with the mind, when this person encounters a śramaṇa or a brāhmaṇa, there immediately arises in them a humble and deferential mind. They render service with reverence at all times; and when they encounter one who is worthy of offerings, they immediately become joyful and zealous.

When their life comes to an end, they are born in a good and wholesome heaven. It is just as if one rose from the ground onto a small couch, from the small couch onto a large couch, from the large couch onto a horse, from the horse onto an elephant, and from the elephant up into a great lecture hall. For this reason I say that this person is base at first and fair afterward—thus this person is base at first and fair afterward.

What is meant by fair at first and base afterward? There may be a person born into a wealthy, noble, and honored family—whether a great clan of the Kṣatriyas, a great clan of the brāhmaṇas, a great clan of the elders, or the house of a king, the house of a crown prince, the house of a great minister, or the various great clans. Their countenance is upright and incomparable, their color like the peach blossom.

Yet this person practices evil with the body, practices evil with speech, and practices evil with the mind. When this person encounters a śramaṇa, a brāhmaṇa, or the elders, having met them, they have no mind of reverence, nor do they greet them, nor do they converse with one another. When this person sees one who is making offerings, there immediately arises in them a mind of envy and jealousy.

This is wrong view. Hesitant and doubtful when seeing all things received in this way, there immediately arises wrong view. This person does not give, nor do they make merit, nor do they receive, nor do they practice the recompense of good and evil deeds.

They hold that there is no present life and no life to come, no father and no mother, and that in the world there is no one who, cultivating sublime conduct, becomes an Arhat who swiftly attains realization and penetration and dwells joyful and at ease. Because they have accumulated evil wrong views such as these, when their life comes to an end they are born in the prison of the three evil destinies. It is just as if this person descended from the lecture hall down onto the neck of an elephant, from the elephant onto a horse, from the horse onto a large couch, from the large couch onto a small couch, and from the small couch fell headlong to the ground.

For this reason I say that this person is fair at first and base afterward—thus this person is fair at first and base afterward.

What kind of person is base at first and base afterward? There may be a person born into a lowly house—whether the house of a Caṇḍāla, the house of an executioner, a house of skilled artisans, or a house of barbers—together with others of low and humble station who have nothing to eat or drink, and though they may get food, it is foul, rotten, and hard to bear the smell of. Being born into such a family, this person practices evil with the body, practices evil with speech, and practices evil with the mind.

Having practiced evil with the body, practiced evil with speech, and practiced evil with the mind, when they encounter a śramaṇa, a brāhmaṇa, or the venerable elders, they do not revere them, nor do they perform any rite of homage, nor do they delight in conversing with one another. This is wrong view, corresponding with hesitating, doubtful view. This person holds such views: there is no giving, no merit, and no receiving; there is no recompense for good and evil deeds; there is no present life and no life to come, no father and no mother; in the world there is no one who practices the work of the śramaṇa or the brāhmaṇa, and there is no Arhat who in the present life or the life to come swiftly attains realization and penetration and dwells joyful and at ease.

This person corresponds with evil views, and when their life comes to an end they are born in the hell of the three destinies. It is just as if a person went from gloom to gloom, from darkness to darkness. For this reason I say that this person is base at first and base afterward—thus this person is base at first and base afterward.

What kind of person is fair at first and fair afterward? There may be a person born into a family of great clan and noble rank—born into a great clan of the Kṣatriyas, or a great clan of the brāhmaṇas, or a great clan of the elders, or the house of a king, or the house of a crown prince, or the house of a great minister—truly wealthy, with abundant money and treasures. This person is most upright, beyond compare, their color like the peach blossom.

This person cultivates goodness with the body, cultivates goodness with speech, and cultivates goodness with the mind. Having cultivated goodness with the body, having cultivated goodness with speech, and having cultivated goodness with the mind, when this person encounters a śramaṇa, a brāhmaṇa, or the venerable elders, upon meeting them they revere them, perform rites of homage, make offerings, and supply their needs.

And when they see someone coming to make offerings, to render service, and to pay reverent homage, they are greatly delighted. This person corresponds with right view, free from the marks of perversion. This person holds such views as these: there is giving, there is merit, and there is receiving; there are good and evil deeds; there is a present life and a life to come; there is a father and a mother; in the world there are those śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who cultivate the holy life, and there are Arhats who in the present life and the life to come swiftly attain realization and penetration and dwell joyful and at ease.

This person has accumulated wholesome views, and when their life comes to an end they are at once born up into the heavens. It is just as if a person went from this lecture hall to that lecture hall, from this hall to that hall, roaming for delight from one palace to another palace. Therefore I say that this person is fair at first and fair afterward—thus this person is fair at first and fair afterward.

Thus it is, Great King: there are four kinds of people who appear in the world.

Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse, saying:

They are born in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three—
Base at first, yet fair afterward.

They are born in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three—
Fair at first, and fair afterward.

Therefore, Great King, you should train in accordance with this. Thus, Great King, you should train in accordance with this: be fair at first and fair afterward; do not train to be base at first and base afterward. Thus, Great King, you should train in accordance with this.

Then King Prasenajit, having heard these words spoken by the Buddha, rejoiced and respectfully put them into practice.

The Buddha Speaks the Sūtra of the Four Kinds of People Who Appear in the World