The Chapter on Demons
AN 4.91 Titans Asurasutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
A titan surrounded by titans,
a titan surrounded by gods,
a god surrounded by titans, and
a god surrounded by gods.
And how is a person a titan surrounded by titans? It's when a person is unethical, of bad character, and their followers are the same. That's how a person is a titan surrounded by titans.
And how is a person a titan surrounded by gods? It's when a person is unethical, of bad character, but their followers are ethical, of good character. That's how a person is a titan surrounded by gods.
And how is a person a god surrounded by titans? It's when a person is ethical, of good character, but their followers are unethical, of bad character. That's how a person is a god surrounded by titans.
And how is a person a god surrounded by gods? It's when a person is ethical, of good character, and their followers are the same. That's how a person is a god surrounded by gods.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.92 Immersion (1st) Paṭhamasamādhisutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
One person has internal serenity of heart, but not the higher wisdom of discernment of principles.
One person has the higher wisdom of discernment of principles, but not internal serenity of heart.
One person has neither internal serenity of heart, nor the higher wisdom of discernment of principles.
One person has both internal serenity of heart, and the higher wisdom of discernment of principles.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.93 Immersion (2nd) Dutiyasamādhisutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
One person has internal serenity of heart, but not the higher wisdom of discernment of principles.
One person has the higher wisdom of discernment of principles, but not internal serenity of heart.
One person has neither internal serenity of heart, nor the higher wisdom of discernment of principles.
One person has both internal serenity of heart, and the higher wisdom of discernment of principles.
As for the person who has serenity but not discernment: grounded on serenity, they should practice meditation to get discernment. After some time they have both serenity and discernment.
As for the person who has discernment but not serenity: grounded on discernment, they should practice meditation to get serenity. After some time they have both discernment and serenity.
As for the person who has neither serenity nor discernment: in order to get those skillful qualities, they should apply intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. Suppose your clothes or head were on fire. In order to extinguish it, you'd apply intense enthusiasm, effort, zeal, vigor, perseverance, mindfulness, and situational awareness. In the same way, in order to get those skillful qualities, that person should apply intense enthusiasm ... After some time they have both serenity and discernment.
As for the person who has both serenity and discernment: grounded on those skillful qualities, they should practice meditation further to end the defilements.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.94 Immersion (3rd) Tatiyasamādhisutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
One person has internal serenity of heart, but not the higher wisdom of discernment of principles. One person has the higher wisdom of discernment of principles, but not internal serenity of heart. One person has neither internal serenity of heart, nor the higher wisdom of discernment of principles. One person has both internal serenity of heart, and the higher wisdom of discernment of principles.
As for the person who has serenity but not discernment: they should approach someone who has discernment and ask: 'Reverend, how should conditions be seen? How should they be comprehended? How should they be discerned?' That person would answer from their own experience: 'This is how conditions should be seen, comprehended, and discerned.' After some time they have both serenity and discernment.
As for the person who has discernment but not serenity: they should approach someone who has serenity and ask: 'Reverend, how should the mind be stilled? How should it be settled? How should it be unified? How should it be immersed in samādhi?' That person would answer from their own experience: 'Reverend, this is how the mind should be stilled, settled, unified, and immersed in samādhi.' After some time they have both discernment and serenity.
As for the person who has neither serenity nor discernment: they should approach someone who has serenity and discernment and ask: 'Reverend, how should the mind be stilled? How should it be settled? How should it be unified? How should it be immersed in samādhi?' How should conditions be seen? How should they be comprehended? How should they be discerned?' That person would answer as they've seen and known: 'Reverend, this is how the mind should be stilled, settled, unified, and immersed in samādhi. And this is how conditions should be seen, comprehended, and discerned.' After some time they have both serenity and discernment.
As for the person who has both serenity and discernment: grounded on those skillful qualities, they should practice meditation further to end the defilements.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.95 A Firebrand Chavālātasutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
One who practices to benefit neither themselves nor others;
one who practices to benefit others, but not themselves;
one who practices to benefit themselves, but not others; and
one who practices to benefit both themselves and others.
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. The person who practices to benefit neither themselves nor others is like this, I say.
The person who practices to benefit others, but not themselves, is better than that. The person who practices to benefit themselves, but not others, is better than both of those. But the person who practices to benefit both themselves and others is the foremost, best, chief, highest, and finest of the four.
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. 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.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.96 Removing Greed Rāgavinayasutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
One who practices to benefit themselves, but not others;
one who practices to benefit others, but not themselves;
one who practices to benefit neither themselves nor others; and
one who practices to benefit both themselves and others.
And how does a person practice to benefit themselves, but not others? It's when a person practices to remove their own greed, hate, and delusion, but doesn't encourage others to do the same. That's how a person practices to benefit themselves, but not others.
And how does a person practice to benefit others, but not themselves? It's when a person doesn't practice to remove their own greed, hate, and delusion, but encourages others to remove theirs. That's how a person practices to benefit others, but not themselves.
And how does a person practice to benefit neither themselves nor others? It's when a person doesn't practice to remove their own greed, hate, and delusion, nor do they encourage others to remove theirs. That's how a person practices to benefit neither themselves nor others.
And how does a person practice to benefit both themselves and others? It's when a person practices to remove their own greed, hate, and delusion, and encourages others to remove theirs. That's how a person practices to benefit both themselves and others.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.97 Quick-witted Khippanisantisutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
One who practices to benefit themselves, but not others;
one who practices to benefit others, but not themselves;
one who practices to benefit neither themselves nor others; and
one who practices to benefit both themselves and others.
And how does a person practice to benefit themselves, but not others? It's when a person is quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. They readily memorize the teachings they've heard. They examine the meaning of teachings they've memorized. Understanding the meaning and the teaching, they practice accordingly. But they're not a good speaker and do not enunciate well. Their voice isn't polished, clear, articulate, and doesn't express the meaning. They don't educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire their spiritual companions. That's how a person practices to benefit themselves, but not others.
And how does a person practice to benefit others, but not themselves? It's when a person is not quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. ... But they're a good speaker. ... That's how a person practices to benefit others, but not themselves.
And how does a person practice to benefit neither themselves nor others? It's when a person is not quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. ... Nor are they a good speaker. ... That's how a person practices to benefit neither themselves nor others.
And how does a person practice to benefit both themselves and others? It's when a person is quick-witted when it comes to skillful teachings. ... And they're a good speaker. ... That's how a person practices to benefit both themselves and others.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.98 To Benefit Oneself Attahitasutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
One who practices to benefit themselves, but not others;
one who practices to benefit others, but not themselves;
one who practices to benefit neither themselves nor others; and
one who practices to benefit both themselves and others.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.99 Training Rules Sikkhāpadasutta
"Mendicants, these four people are found in the world. What four?
One who practices to benefit themselves, but not others;
one who practices to benefit others, but not themselves;
one who practices to benefit neither themselves nor others; and
one who practices to benefit both themselves and others.
And how does a person practice to benefit themselves, but not others? It's when a person doesn't kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. But they don't encourage others to do the same. That's how a person practices to benefit themselves, but not others.
And how does a person practice to benefit others, but not themselves? It's when a person kills living creatures, steals, commits sexual misconduct, lies, and consumes beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants. But they encourage others to not do these things. That's how a person practices to benefit others, but not themselves.
And how does a person practice to benefit neither themselves nor others? It's when a person kills, etc. ... and doesn't encourage others to not do these things. That's how a person practices to benefit neither themselves nor others.
And how does a person practice to benefit both themselves and others? It's when a person doesn't kill, etc. ... and encourages others to do the same. That's how a person practices to benefit both themselves and others.
These are the four people found in the world."
AN 4.100 With Potaliya the Wanderer Potaliyasutta
Then the wanderer Potaliya went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and the Buddha said to him:
"Potaliya, these four people are found in the world. What four?
One person criticizes those deserving of criticism at the right time, truthfully and correctly. But they don't praise those deserving of praise at the right time, truthfully and correctly.
Another person praises those deserving of praise ... But they don't criticize those deserving of criticism ...
Another person doesn't praise those deserving of praise ... Nor do they criticize those deserving of criticism ...
Another person criticizes those deserving of criticism at the right time, truthfully and correctly. And they praise those deserving of praise at the right time, truthfully and correctly.
These are the four people found in the world. Of these four people, who do you believe to be the finest?"
"Mister Gotama, of these four people, it is the person who neither praises those deserving of praise at the right time, truthfully and correctly; nor criticizes those deserving of criticism at the right time, truthfully and correctly. That is the person I believe to be the finest. Why is that? Because, Mister Gotama, equanimity is the best."
"Potaliya, of these four people, it is the person who criticizes those deserving of criticism at the right time, truthfully and correctly; and praises those deserving of praise at the right time, truthfully and correctly. That is the person I consider to be the finest. Why is that? Because, Potaliya, understanding of time and context is the best."
"Mister Gotama, of these four people, it is the person who criticizes those deserving of criticism at the right time, truthfully and correctly; and praises those deserving of praise at the right time, truthfully and correctly. That is the person I believe to be the finest. Why is that? Because, Mister Gotama, understanding of time and context is the best.
Excellent, Mister Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what's there, Mister Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to Mister Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may Mister Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life."