AN 4 The Book of the Fours – Catukkanipāta > AN 4.95 A Firebrand

Numbered Discourses 4.95 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.95

10. Demons – 10. Asuravagga

AN 4.95 A Firebrand – Chavālātasutta

1.1

“Bhikkhū, these four people are found in the world.

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

1.2

What four?

Katame cattāro?

1.3

One who practices to benefit neither themselves nor others;

Nevattahitāya paṭipanno no parahitāya,

1.4

one who practices to benefit others, but not themselves;

parahitāya paṭipanno no attahitāya,

1.5

one who practices to benefit themselves, but not others; and

attahitāya paṭipanno no parahitāya,

1.6

one who practices to benefit both themselves and others.

attahitāya ceva paṭipanno parahitāya ca.

2.1

Suppose there was a firebrand for lighting a funeral pyre, burning at both ends, and smeared with dung in the middle. It couldn’t be used as timber either in the village or the wilderness.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, chavālātaṁ ubhato padittaṁ, majjhe gūthagataṁ, neva gāme kaṭṭhatthaṁ pharati na araññe (…);

2.2

The person who practices to benefit neither themselves nor others is like this, I say.

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi yvāyaṁ puggalo nevattahitāya paṭipanno no parahitāya.

3.1

The person who practices to benefit others, but not themselves, is better than that.

Tatra, bhikkhave, yvāyaṁ puggalo parahitāya paṭipanno no attahitāya, ayaṁ imesaṁ dvinnaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca.

3.2

The person who practices to benefit themselves, but not others, is better than both of those.

Tatra, bhikkhave, yvāyaṁ puggalo attahitāya paṭipanno no parahitāya, ayaṁ imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ puggalānaṁ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro ca.

3.3

But the person who practices to benefit both themselves and others is the foremost, best, chief, highest, and finest of the four.

Tatra, bhikkhave, yvāyaṁ puggalo attahitāya ceva paṭipanno parahitāya ca, ayaṁ imesaṁ catunnaṁ puggalānaṁ aggo ca seṭṭho ca pāmokkho ca uttamo ca pavaro ca.

4.1

From a cow comes milk, from milk comes curds, from curds come butter, from butter comes ghee, and from ghee comes cream of ghee. And the cream of ghee is said to be the best of these.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, gavā khīraṁ, khīramhā dadhi, dadhimhā navanītaṁ, navanītamhā sappi, sappimhā sappimaṇḍo, sappimaṇḍo tattha aggamakkhāyati;

4.2

In the same way, the person who practices to benefit both themselves and others is the foremost, best, chief, highest, and finest of the four.

evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yvāyaṁ puggalo attahitāya ceva paṭipanno parahitāya ca, ayaṁ imesaṁ catunnaṁ puggalānaṁ aggo ca seṭṭho ca pāmokkho ca uttamo ca pavaro ca.

4.3

These are the four people found in the world.”

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

4.4

Pañcamaṁ.