Background: The setting is in Shravasti. At that time, King Pasenadi of Kosala came to the Buddha. Upon arrival, he paid homage to the Buddha and sat to one side. The Buddha spoke to King Pasenadi of Kosala, who was sitting to one side:

"Great King, there are four types of people existing in the world. Which four? Those who go from darkness to darkness, those who go from darkness to light, those who go from light to darkness, and those who go from light to light."

"Great King, what kind of person goes from darkness to darkness? Here, Great King, a person is born into a low-class family, such as a family of outcastes, bamboo workers, hunters, chariot-makers, or street-sweepers. They are poor, lacking in food and drink, living a hard life, struggling to obtain food and clothing. They are ugly, unpleasant to look at, short, sickly, blind, lame, one-armed, or crippled. They do not receive food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, beds, dwellings, or lighting. They commit evil deeds with body, speech, and mind. After death, they are reborn in a state of misery, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.

Great King, it's like a person going from one dark place to another, or from one shaded area to another, or from one dirty place to another. Great King, I say this person is like that. Great King, this is a person who goes from darkness to darkness."

"Great King, what kind of person goes from darkness to light? Here, Great King, a person is born into a low-class family [same description as above]. However, they commit good deeds with body, speech, and mind. After death, they are reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world.

Great King, it's like a person climbing from the ground to a high seat, or from a high seat to horseback, or from horseback to an elephant's back, or from an elephant's back to a palace. Great King, I say this person is like that. Great King, this is a person who goes from darkness to light."

"Great King, what kind of person goes from light to darkness? Here, Great King, a person is born into a high-class family, such as a wealthy Kshatriya family, a wealthy Brahmin family, or a wealthy householder family. They are rich, very wealthy, with abundant gold and silver, plenty of possessions and grain. They are handsome, pleasing to look at, graceful, of supreme complexion. They receive food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, beds, dwellings, and lighting. However, they commit evil deeds with body, speech, and mind. After death, they are reborn in a state of misery, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell.

Great King, it's like a person descending from a palace to an elephant's back, or from an elephant's back to horseback, or from horseback to a high seat, or from a high seat to the ground, or from the ground into darkness. Great King, I say this person is like that. Great King, this is a person who goes from light to darkness."

"Great King, what kind of person goes from light to light? Here, Great King, a person is born into a high-class family [same description as above]. They commit good deeds with body, speech, and mind. After death, they are reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world.

Great King, it's like a person moving from one high seat to another, or from one horse's back to another, or from one elephant's back to another, or from one palace to another. Great King, I say this person is like that. Great King, this is a person who goes from light to light.

Great King, these are the four types of people existing in the world."

After speaking thus, the Buddha further uttered these verses:

"Great King, a poor person without faith, miserly,

Greedy, ill-willed, of wrong views, disrespectful.

He insults and blames ascetics and brahmins,

Or other alms-seekers, faithless and irritable.

He prevents others from giving, doesn't give food to beggars.

Great King, leader of the people, such a person after death,

Will fall into a terrible hell, going from darkness to darkness.

Great King, a poor person with faith, not miserly,

Generous, well-intentioned, with an untroubled mind.

He rises to greet ascetics and brahmins,

Or other alms-seekers, learning proper conduct.

He doesn't prevent others from giving, gives food to beggars.

Great King, leader of the people, such a person after death,

Will be reborn in the heaven of the Thirty-Three, going from darkness to light.

Great King, a wealthy person without faith, miserly,

Greedy, ill-willed, of wrong views, disrespectful.

He insults and blames ascetics and brahmins,

Or other alms-seekers, faithless and irritable.

He prevents others from giving, doesn't give food to beggars.

Great King, leader of the people, such a person after death,

Will fall into a terrible hell, going from light to darkness.

Great King, a wealthy person with faith, not miserly,

Generous, well-intentioned, with an untroubled mind.

He rises to greet ascetics and brahmins,

Or other alms-seekers, learning proper conduct.

He doesn't prevent others from giving, gives food to beggars.

Great King, leader of the people, such a person after death,

Will be reborn in the heaven of the Thirty-Three, going from light to light."

This sutra profoundly expounds on four types of life circumstances and destinies, revealing an important Buddhist viewpoint: a person's fortune and future depend on their actions, not their birth or current status. Let's analyze it in detail:

1. Classification of four types of people:

   - From darkness to darkness: humble origin, evil deeds, future downfall

   - From darkness to light: humble origin, good deeds, future elevation

   - From light to darkness: noble origin, evil deeds, future downfall

   - From light to light: noble origin, good deeds, continued good fortune

2. Dual meanings of "darkness" and "light":

   - Current life circumstances: poor vs. rich, ugly vs. handsome, low-born vs. noble

   - Future rebirth destinations: evil realms vs. good realms, hell vs. heaven

3. Decisive role of actions:

   Regardless of current circumstances, future destiny depends on present actions. This reflects Buddhist views on cause and effect and karma.

4. Vivid metaphors:

   The Buddha uses metaphors like ascending from ground to palace, or descending from palace to darkness, to vividly describe the changes in circumstances for the four types of people.

5. Specific manifestations of good and evil deeds:

   The verses detail characteristics of good and evil people, such as generosity and respect vs. miserliness and insults.

6. Equality perspective:

   The sutra implies that regardless of wealth or status, everyone has the opportunity and possibility to do good.

This sutra prompts us to think deeply:

1. Mastery of fate:

   We often complain about unfair fate, but the sutra reminds us that our actions, not our birth or current status, truly determine our destiny. This gives us great hope and motivation.

2. Importance of the present:

   Regardless of the past, present actions are most crucial. This inspires us to cherish the present and maintain mindfulness at all times.

3. True meaning of wealth:

   The sutra reveals that true wealth is not material, but the quality of one's heart. A poor but kind person is more valuable than a rich but miserly one.

4. Continuity of actions:

   The concepts of "light to light" and "darkness to darkness" remind us that good and evil actions have cumulative effects. A small good or evil thought can have long-term impacts.

5. Looking beyond appearances:

   The sutra teaches us not to be deceived by external appearances or status. A seemingly humble person may be noble at heart, while a seemingly glorious person may be internally ugly.

6. Social responsibility:

   For rulers (like kings), this sutra provides wisdom for governance - encouraging people to do good, rather than merely pursuing material prosperity.

7. Importance of self-reflection:

   The sutra encourages us to frequently reflect on our actions, whether we are leading our lives towards light or darkness.

In conclusion, this sutra reveals the essence and direction of human life through simple yet profound classifications. It tells us that regardless of our current position, we have the ability to change our destiny through our actions. This idea not only gives hope but also bestows upon each person the great responsibility to change themselves and influence others. It encourages us to transcend the limitations of our current situation and create a better future for ourselves and others through good deeds. This wisdom, transcending time and space, still has profound implications for modern society.