Hoa Vo Uu (Buddha Dharma Education Association)
Venerable Shravasti Dhammika
The Buddha’s Words of Wisdom
There are these four types of persons found in the world. What four? He who is concerned neither with his own good nor the good of others, he who is concerned with the good of others but not his own, he who is concerned with his own good but not the good of others, and he who is concerned with both his own good and the good of others.
Just as s stick from a funeral pyre, burning at both end and smeared with dung in the middle, can serve no useful purpose as fuel in the village or as timber in the forest—using such a simile do I speak of the person who is concerned neither with his own good nor the good of others.
The person who is concerned with the good of others but not his own is more excellent and higher than this. The person who is concerned with his own good but not the good of others is more excellent and higher still. And he who is concerned with both his o wn good and the good of others—he is of these four persons the chief, the best, the topmost, the highest, the supreme.
Just as from a cow comes milk, from milk cream, from cream butter, from butter ghee, and from ghee the skimmings of ghee, and that is said to be the best—even so, the person who is concerned with his own good and the good of others is of these four persons the chief, the best, the topmost, the highest, the supreme.
