Four kinds of people

Summary: 

          Lotus is considered as the most beautiful and pure flower in many Asian countries because
although lotus roots are under the mud, they always try to grow up, and out of the mud before
they blossom to offer their beauty to nature. Compared to lotus flowers, Buddha gave examples
about people based on their characteristics and qualities. This article aims (1) to illustrate and
explain four kinds of people compared with four kinds of lotus flowers, (2) also to give a slight
comparison about the practiced manners of people on the way of practicing Dharma.

Introduction

Historically, after achieving enlightenment, Buddha spent 45 years teaching people how
to practice three actions, body, speech, and mind. It is believed that there are more than 84,000
teachings and methods given by Buddha; however, in summary, the main purpose of Buddha
was to help sentient beings to free from suffering and to live in ultimate happiness or at least, to
stay  with conventional happiness as much as possible. Moreover, Buddha repeatedly stated that
being reborn again and again is the main cause of suffering, and three poisons are the main
causes of rebirth. Thus, in almost all his teachings, Buddha mostly showed sentient beings the
ways how to cultivate morality, concentration and wisdom; on the other hand, Buddha guided us
how to restrain and stop three poisons.

Moreover, Buddha said that to be reborn as a human is really difficult, and Buddha
metaphorically compared the rebirth again in the human realm as lucky as the blind tortoise
accidentally encountering the floating wood when it goes up to the surface of the ocean.
Although the population of humans is extremely great with more than 7 billion, it is a very small
number compared with other creatures. For example, just comparing human population with ants
and insects in the world, we know that there is a ratio of incompatibilities. Moreover, based on
ordinary perspectives, there are many types if we separate seven billion people into groups,
based on their characteristics and behaviors. However, when Buddha was alive he often
separated people into four groups, basing on their qualities of mind or their behaviors. Thus,
there are many four groups of people in the world according to Buddha’s views, and Buddha
named those groups on the purpose to help us to clarify between good and bad, right view and
wrong view.

Among the four groups of people taught by the Buddha, the teaching of about four kinds
of people which are compared with lotus flowers is very popular in Thailand. This result may
come from the characteristics of Thailand with lotus flowers as the symbol of beauty and purity.
Because I am a Thai, I would prefer to elaborate about the teachings of Buddha.

Four kinds of lotus flower:

People often consider lotus flowers as the pure flowers because of their special
characteristics, although their roots are under the mud, their flowers always rise up out of mud.
Buddhists in many countries have considered lotus flower as the symbol of Buddhism in their
country because they consider lotus as the pure flower. Especially, in Mahayana, lotus is the
symbol of wisdom, the wisdom of clearly understanding about the Karma or death and rebirth. It
is really complicated to understand, so let me explain. If we carefully look at a lotus flower, we
will see that the sepal which contains the flower is also the flower. It means that there is only
one. To compare ‘’ seek’ as the ‘cause’’ and ‘flower’ as the ‘effect’, Mahayanists consider that
for enlightened ones, seek and effect just are one. 

For ordinary people lotus flower has very distinct meanings, depending on the concepts
of people in communities. For example, In Hinduism, lotus is considered a sacred flower as well.
It held that the lotus plant is the first to be born on earth. The flowers of the benefactor. Legend
has it that the lotus has sprung from the forehead of Lord Vishnu, so we can see that the
legendary gods in Hinduism also engage with lotus flowers. For Chinese lotus flower is
considered as the symbol of prosperity and nobility. The ancient Chinese used the painting of a
lotus as a gift to prosperity. Ancient Egyptians also considered lotus as the most pure and
beautiful flower. Therefore, it is believed that Lotus has been cleansed and purified and then seen
from the pictures on the wall engraved with lotus always involved. In addition, Egyptian
mummies to be placed at the lotus are there for the dead to be reborn soon. In Thailand, people
often use lotus flowers to decorate Buddha’s statues. 

Turn back to the involvement of lotus flowers and Buddhism, because a lotus flower is
pure and it always tries to get out of the mud to blossom its scented smell and elegant beauty to
people, lotus flower is considered as a diligent person, always trying to get out of mundane
pleasures and pursuits to achieve perfect wisdom.

Compare lotus flower and four kinds of people

After achieving ultimate awareness, Buddha was reluctant to teach Dharma to others since he
thought that what he understood was very profound, and many others could not understand.
Fortunately, a god requested Buddha to teach Dharma and he persuaded Buddha to teach Dharma
to those with little dust in their eyes. Buddha then contemplated for a while and then he realized
that there were many kinds of people in the world, and some were ready to study with him. And
to make others easy to understand, Buddha categorized people into four groups based on their
characteristics. On the purpose of comparing lotus flowers with people, in this writing I am going
to illustrate the Buddha’s teachings about four kinds of people by comparing four kinds of people
with lotus flowers.

a.  Lotus on the water ready to bloom when touched by sunlight compared to very intelligent
people who are able to understand Buddha’s teachings when they first encounter Dharma.
This kind of person is very clever because they can remember and understand what they
study immediately like lotus flowers blossom which are ready to blossom when sunlight
arises. I believe that karma is real, so this kind of people, is believed, had cultivated merit
and wisdom for several previous lives, so in the present life, if they have opportunity to
listen to Dharma, they will soon restore their wisdom. The ability which they possess in
this life had been built in definite lives in the past.

It is not to say that those who are not clever and wise are not able to get success in
practice in this life. In the world, every successful thing needs patience to blossom. So it
is not a big matter for those who cannot understand Buddha’s teaching when they first
hear Dharma. Think about the lotus when it is under mud until it comes out, and rises up
 out of water. All these stages need time and patience, lotus has to gradually bolster itself.
Similarly, a practitioner also has to persist in studying and practicing Buddha’ teaching.
Although, he/she may not be able to understand at the first hearing.

Moreover, this kind of people can be considered as noble beings because they always
bring benefits to others like lotus flowers offer their beauty to nature. Based on Buddha’s
teaching, this kind of people are ready to get aware even though they just listen to
Dharma for only one time. As being mentioned above, this ability is the result of their
cultivation in the previous lives, specifically cultivating wisdom and merit. By wisdom,
they understand what is bad; what is wrong; what should be done; what should not be
done. And by the wish of accumulation of merit, they always are compassionate to
others. By those meanings, those people who belong to this class are really harmless to
others.

Moreover, Buddha also argued that people belonging to this class are able to attain
Nirvana in the present time. By previous habituation, this kind of people are not only
wise, but they also are very diligent in proceeding with their practice which they may
have cultivated for so many years in the past. And by diligence, they are bound to
achieve enlightenment in the present life.

b.  Second kind of lotus is lotuses which still stay under the water; however, they are soon to
blossom because they are going to come out of the water. This kind of lotuses are
compared for those who are quite intelligent, but not so intelligent. And according to
Buddha’s teaching, those people who belong to this class also are high level people
because although they cannot understand clearly what they study just for one time, they
can understand a little bit what they just listen or study only for one time.

The second lotus is under water; however it is out of mud already, just waiting to get out
of water and start to blossom when the sun rises. Similarly, according to Buddha’s
teaching, those people who belong to this class can still clearly understand Dharma if
they try to study again and again. 
 People belonging to this class also can achieve enlightenment in the present life if they
practice hard. ‘Diligence can replace intelligence’ has been a popular proverb which has
been used in many countries.  So intelligence is not the only factor that decides the
success of people, but working hard is also the main factor for success. Thus, although
people belonging to this class are not able to understand the Dharma immediately when
they first hear it, they can understand clearly if they try to work hard, and finally they are
able to give up all disturbing emotions and achieve enlightenment.

c.   The third kind of lotus flower is under-water lotus. This kind of lotus is still under the
water although it is free from mud already, and it has to come out of the water before it is
going to blossom. This kind of lotus is the symbol of the kind of people who have an
interest in Dharma; however, they neither understand Buddha’s teachings for the first
time nor understand Dharma with a little bit of effort. According to Buddha’s teaching,
people who belong to this kind of people have to try hard if they want to understand
Dharma correctly as well as achieving enlightenment. 

To be able to blossom, the under-water lotus needs more nutrition; when they get enough
nutrition, they are able to grow up and have themselves out of the water; then they
blossom with beauty and scented smelling. The third class of people should try their best
if they want to understand Dharma correctly, and after having correct understanding
about Dharma, they have to practice hard to be able to achieve enlightenment.

According to Buddhist view, people belonging to this class need masters to guide them to
practice because they had not cultivated wisdom and merit in previous lives, and also
they cannot keep on the right track of their practices. By lack of cultivation of wisdom
and merit in the past lives, people cannot know what is wrong, what is correct; hence,
they tend to behave in the habitual manners which have originated from ignorance. Thus,
they are bound to harm either others or themselves and to do something immorally or
incorrectly if they are not guided by good masters. 

To sum up, people belonging to this class still can achieve higher levels of meditation,
but they are rarely able to achieve enlightenment. However, if they are diligent to
practice and study under the guidance of masters, they can become ideal people in
 society and may they be able to achieve ultimate enlightenment for just their next
afterlives. 

d.  The fourth kind of lotus is submerged- lotus. This kind of lotus is still under the mud, and
it is impure with mud covering. To be able to blossom, this kind of lotus needs a lot of
time and it also has to develop through many periods.  For example, at first it needs to
come out of the mud; then it should proceed to grow up to be able to come out of water;
finally, it is going to blossom when the sunlight heats it. 

Similarly, Buddha talked about the final kind of people as the most ignorant ones. Those
who belong to this class are not able to achieve enlightenment in this life or in the
afterlife, but they must spend many lives practicing hard if they want to pursue the
ultimate enlightenment. According to Buddhist view, people belonging to this class had
not accumulated both wisdom and merit at all.  

 In addition, there are also some groups of four kinds of people that are taught by Buddha.
Although Buddha separated many groups of four kinds of people with different purposes, they
still have connections with each other. Logically, based on teachings of Buddha about four kinds
of people comparing four kinds of lotus, the two first classes are noble beings because they never
engage in negative actions, and they always benefit others with wisdom and compassion and
loving kindness. On the other hand, the rest of the people are ordinary people because they are
deluded; thus, they often harm themselves and others. Concerning noble and ordinary beings,
Buddha, in Kandaraka sutra ( Majihima Nikaya 51), taught about four classes of people .

(1)   Those who torment themselves.

(2)   Those who torment others.
(3)   Those who torment both

(4)   Those who torment neither themselves nor others.

Comparing these four kinds of people to four kinds of people compared to lotus, the three first
can be put in ordinary people compared with noble beings because they either torment
themselves or others. For example, the first of those is the self-tormentor, that is, the one who
“who torments himself, intent on self-torment”. Such austerities are simply self-mortifying
rituals, whose sole purpose is to inflict pain upon the physical body, since it is regarded as
intrinsically evil. The physical body was regarded by the ancient Brahmins as the source and
manifestation of all desire. Secondly, those who torment others are defined as keeping the wrong
livelihood, that is, earning a living that breaches the five precepts, or harms self, others or the
environment. It is important to note here that it is not the person who is rejected, but the
unwholesome occupation or preoccupation with harmful activities that needs to be corrected. The
third is those who torment both; that is to say, habitually does troublesome or painful tasks,
which accumulates bad karma for himself, but also makes others experience the same thing. The
Kandaraka Sutta also mentions the case where a person performs a bloody sacrifice that involves
the killing of numerous animals, and forces many others to painfully join him in doing so. 

In a significant way, the kind of work we are employed in or habitually do, are shaped by our
past karma and present conditions. Yet, no matter how we are caught up with our work, if we are
determined enough, we can still find the occasion for doing wholesome deeds, such as spending
time meditating, or doing charitable works. However, as soon as we understand the
unwholesome nature or aspects of our occupation, we should take steps to free ourselves from
that situation and elevate ourselves to a more wholesome activity.

The last one is the kind of people that neither torment themselves nor others. People belonging to
this class are noble beings compared to ordinary people because they always behave morally and
they always benefit others by teaching or helping others. By the power of habituation, they know
what is wrong, what is right and they also are able to diminish their desire and anger. 

Conclusion

Buddha never forced others to believe him or his teachings, but he always advised others to
analyze and think twice before they apply to study or practice. However, it is really impossible to
understand the law of cause and effect clearly whenever we are still holding disturbing emotions.
Humble belief in which people believe noble beings are those who had cultivated wisdom and
merit for indefinite previous lives is unproved, but it is possible. Just to think about great masters
who are believed as enlightened ones or noble beings, we will know that to be able to be wise or
aware, those masters had spent a lot of time cultivating and training their actions. 

The teaching of Buddha about these four kinds of people illustrate vividly the distinct
characteristics and qualities of people in society with the bases of influence of karma. Some
people are very intelligent; some are quite intelligent; some are ignorant; some are extremely
ignorant.  The distinction is caused by behaviors that people have created in definite previous
lives. Hence, it is helpful to understand cases in which new- born children have great knowledge
although they have not studied everything at all.

Logically, Buddha differentiated people into four groups because Buddha wanted to stimulate
people to persist in practice, not to create races in the society. Based on Buddha’s teachings
about four classes of people compared with lotus, in my opinion, nobody thinks that they are
noble beings, so they have to practice hard to be able to understand Dharma correctly and
clearly. 

References:

Kandaraka sutra ( No 51 , Majihima Nikaya)