Numbered Discourses 4.91

10. Titans

Titans

“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.”