sutta » an » an4 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.109

Rukkhasutta

Trees

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, rukkhā.
“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of tree.

Katame cattāro?
What four?

Pheggu phegguparivāro,
One is a softwood surrounded by softwoods,

pheggu sāraparivāro,
one is a softwood surrounded by hardwoods,

sāro phegguparivāro,
one is a hardwood surrounded by softwoods, and

sāro sāraparivāro—
one is a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro rukkhā.
These are the four kinds of tree.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro rukkhūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
In the same way, these four people similar to trees are found in the world.

Katame cattāro?
What four?

Pheggu phegguparivāro,
One is a softwood surrounded by softwoods,

pheggu sāraparivāro,
one is a softwood surrounded by hardwoods,

sāro phegguparivāro,
one is a hardwood surrounded by softwoods, and

sāro sāraparivāro.
one is a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti phegguparivāro?
And how is a person a softwood surrounded by softwoods?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo;
It’s when a person is unethical, of bad character,

parisāpissa hoti dussīlā pāpadhammā.
and their followers are the same.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti phegguparivāro.
That’s how a person is a softwood surrounded by softwoods.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, rukkho pheggu phegguparivāro;
That person is like a softwood tree that’s surrounded by softwoods, I say.

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti sāraparivāro?
And how is a person a softwood surrounded by hardwoods?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dussīlo hoti pāpadhammo;
It’s when a person is unethical, of bad character,

parisā ca khvassa hoti sīlavatī kalyāṇadhammā.
but their followers are ethical, of good character. …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo pheggu hoti sāraparivāro.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, rukkho pheggu sāraparivāro;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo sāro hoti phegguparivāro?
And how is a person a hardwood surrounded by softwoods?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sīlavā hoti kalyāṇadhammo;
It’s when a person is ethical, of good character,

parisā ca khvassa hoti dussīlā pāpadhammā.
but their followers are unethical, of bad character. …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo sāro hoti phegguparivāro.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, rukkho sāro phegguparivāro;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo sāro hoti sāraparivāro?
And how is a person a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sīlavā hoti kalyāṇadhammo;
It’s when a person is ethical, of good character,

parisāpissa hoti sīlavatī kalyāṇadhammā.
and their followers are the same.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo sāro hoti sāraparivāro.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, rukkho sāro sāraparivāro;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

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

Navamaṁ.