AN4.85 — Tamotama Sutta
Disciples, there are these four types of individuals existing in the world. What are the four? One who is in darkness and bound for darkness, one who is in darkness and bound for light, one who is in light and bound for darkness, and one who is in light and bound for light.
And how is an individual in darkness and bound for darkness? Here, a certain individual is born into a lowly family: such as a family of outcasts, hunters, bamboo workers, cartwrights, or scavengers: poor, with little food and drink, living with difficulty, where food and clothing are obtained with hardship. He is ugly, unpleasant to look at, deformed, often sick, blind, crippled, lame, or paralyzed, and does not obtain food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, scents, ointments, beds, dwellings, or lighting. He engages in misconduct by body, speech, and mind. Having engaged in misconduct by body, speech, and mind, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a state of misery, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell. Thus an individual is in darkness and bound for darkness.
And how is an individual in darkness and bound for light? Here, a certain individual is born into a lowly family: such as a family of outcasts, hunters, bamboo workers, cartwrights, or scavengers: poor, with little food and drink, living with difficulty, where food and clothing are obtained with hardship. He is ugly, unpleasant to look at, deformed, often sick, blind, crippled, lame, or paralyzed, and does not obtain food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, scents, ointments, beds, dwellings, or lighting. He engages in good conduct by body, speech, and mind. Having engaged in good conduct by body, speech, and mind, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. Thus an individual is in darkness and bound for light.
And how is an individual in light and bound for darkness? Here, a certain individual is born into a high family: such as a family of wealthy nobles, wealthy brahmins, or wealthy householders: rich, with great wealth and property, abundant in gold and silver, abundant in possessions and resources, abundant in wealth and grain. He is handsome, attractive, charming, endowed with the highest beauty and complexion, and obtains food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, scents, ointments, beds, dwellings, and lighting.
He engages in misconduct by body, misconduct by speech, and misconduct by mind. Having engaged in misconduct by body, speech, and mind, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, he arises in a state of woe, a bad destination, a realm of suffering, in hell. Thus a person is a light with darkness as his destination.
And how is a person a light with light as his destination? Here a certain person is born into a high family: either a noble family, a brahmin family, or a wealthy householder family, affluent, with great wealth and possessions, abundant in gold and silver, rich in resources and grain. He is handsome, attractive, and pleasing, endowed with supreme beauty of complexion, and he receives food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, scents, and ointments, as well as beds, dwellings, and lighting.
He engages in good conduct by body, good conduct by speech, and good conduct by mind. Having engaged in good conduct by body, speech, and mind, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, he arises in a good destination, in a heavenly world. Thus a person is a light with light as his destination.
These are the four types of persons existing in the world.