“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of tree. What four? One is a softwood surrounded by softwoods, one is a softwood surrounded by hardwoods, one is a hardwood surrounded by softwoods, and one is a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods.

These are the four kinds of tree. In the same way, these four people similar to trees are found in the world. What four? One is a softwood surrounded by softwoods, one is a softwood surrounded by hardwoods, one is a hardwood surrounded by softwoods, and one is a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods.

And how is a person a softwood surrounded by softwoods? It’s when a person is unethical, of bad character, and their followers are the same. That’s how a person is a softwood surrounded by softwoods. That person is like a softwood tree that’s surrounded by softwoods, I say.

And how is a person a softwood surrounded by hardwoods? It’s when a person is unethical, of bad character, but their followers are ethical, of good character. …

And how is a person a hardwood surrounded by softwoods? It’s when someone is ethical, of good character, but their followers are unethical, of bad character. …

And how is a person a hardwood surrounded by hardwoods? It’s when someone is ethical, of good character, and their followers are the same.

These four people similar to trees are found in the world.”