“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of tree. What four?

1. One is a softwood surrounded by softwoods,
2. one is a softwood surrounded by hardwoods,
3. one is a hardwood surrounded by softwoods, and
4. 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?

1. One is a softwood surrounded by softwoods,
2. one is a softwood surrounded by hardwoods,
3. one is a hardwood surrounded by softwoods, and
4. 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 a person 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 a person is ethical, of good character, and their followers are the same.

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