English
"By element, monks, beings associate, they come together. Those of wrong view, with those of wrong view, they associate, they come together; those of wrong intention... those of wrong speech... those of wrong action... those of wrong livelihood... those of wrong effort... those of wrong mindfulness... those of wrong concentration, with those of wrong concentration, they associate, they come together. Those of right view, with those of right view, they associate, they come together. …they meet; Those with right intention, those with right speech, those with right action, those with right livelihood, those with right effort, those with right mindfulness, those with right concentration meet and come together with those with right concentration. The Sixth. 7. The Discourse on Ten Factors He dwells at Savatthi… Monks, beings meet and come together according to their elements. Those with wrong view meet and come together with those with wrong view; those with wrong intention, those with wrong speech, those with wrong action, those with wrong livelihood, those with wrong effort, those with wrong mindfulness, those with wrong concentration meet and come together with those with wrong concentration; those with wrong knowledge meet and come together with those with wrong knowledge; those with wrong liberation meet and come together with those with wrong liberation. Those with right view meet and come together with those with right view; those with right intention, those with right speech, those with right action, those with right livelihood, those with right effort, those with right mindfulness, those with right concentration, those with right knowledge meet and come together with those with right knowledge; those with right liberation meet and come together with those with right liberation. The Seventh. Summary of the seven discourses – The Undisciplined, the Immoral, and the Five Precepts; Seven courses of action were spoken, and by the ten courses of action; The sixth was called the eight-factored, and the seventh by the ten factors. The Chapter on Courses of Action, the Third. 4. The Fourth Chapter 1. The Discourse on the Four Elements At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's park… Monks, there are these four elements. Which four? The earth element, the water element, the fire element, the wind element – these, monks, are the four elements. The First. 2. The Discourse on Before Enlightenment He dwells at Savatthi… Before my enlightenment, monks, when I was not yet fully enlightened but still a Bodhisatta, this thought occurred to me: What is the gratification in the earth element, what is the danger, what is the escape? What is the gratification in the water element, what is the danger, what is the escape? What is the gratification in the fire element, what is the danger, what is the escape; what is the gratification in the air element, what is the danger, what is the escape? Then, bhikkhus, this thought occurred to me: Whatever pleasure and joy arises dependent on the earth element, this is the gratification in the earth element; that the earth element is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, this is the danger in the earth element; the removal of desire and lust for the earth element, the abandonment of desire and lust, this is the escape from the earth element. Whatever arises dependent on the water element… Whatever arises dependent on the fire element… Whatever pleasure and joy arises dependent on the air element, this is the gratification in the air element; that the air element is impermanent, suffering, subject to change, this is the danger in the air element; the removal of desire and lust for the air element, the abandonment of desire and lust, this is the escape from the air element. As long, bhikkhus, as I did not fully understand the gratification in these four elements as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape, so long, bhikkhus, I did not declare that I had attained unsurpassed perfect self-awakening in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans. But when, bhikkhus, I fully understood the gratification in these four elements as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape, then, bhikkhus, I declared that I had attained unsurpassed perfect self-awakening in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans. And knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My liberation is unshakeable; this is the last birth; there is now no more renewed existence.’ The Second. 3. Acariṃ Sutta Residing at Sāvatthī… “Bhikkhus, I sought for the gratification in the earth element, whatever gratification in the earth element Its gratification, I found that. As far as the gratification of the earth element, that was well seen by my wisdom. Monks, I sought out the danger in the earth element. What the danger of the earth element was, I found that. As far as the danger of the earth element, that was well seen by my wisdom. Monks, I sought out the escape from the earth element. What the escape from the earth element was, I found that. As far as the escape from the earth element, that was well seen by my wisdom. Monks, in the water element... Monks, in the fire element... Monks, in the air element, I sought out the gratification. What the gratification of the air element was, I found that. As far as the gratification of the air element, that was well seen by my wisdom. Monks, in the air element, I sought out the danger. What the danger of the air element was, I found that. As far as the danger of the air element, that was well seen by my wisdom. Monks, in the air element, I sought out the escape. What the escape from the air element was, I found that. As far as the escape from the air element, that was well seen by my wisdom. As long as, monks, for these four elements, I did not understand as it truly is the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, the escape as escape, so long, monks, I did not declare myself to have awakened to the unexcelled perfect enlightenment in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, devas and humans. But when, monks, for these four elements, I understood as it truly is the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, the escape as escape, then, monks, I declared myself to have awakened to the unexcelled perfect enlightenment in the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, among the generation of recluses and brahmins, devas and humans. And knowledge and vision arose in me: 'My liberation is unshakeable. This is my last birth. There is now no more renewed existence.' 4. The "If Not" Discourse 117. He was staying at Sāvatthī… and so on… "If, monks, there were no gratification in the earth element, beings would not be enamored of the earth element. But because, monks, there is gratification in the earth element, therefore beings are enamored of the earth element. If, monks, there were no danger in the earth element, beings would not be disenchanted with the earth element. But because, monks, there is danger in the earth element, therefore beings are disenchanted with the earth element. If, monks, there were no escape from the earth element, beings would not escape from the earth element. But because, monks, there is escape from the earth element, therefore beings escape from the earth element." "If, monks, there were no gratification in the water element… and so on… …If, monks, in the fire element… and so on… …If, monks, there were no gratification in the air element, beings would not be enamored of the air element. But because, monks, there is gratification in the air element, therefore beings are enamored of the air element. If, monks, there were no danger in the air element, beings would not be disenchanted with the air element. But because, monks, there is danger in the air element, therefore beings are disenchanted with the air element. If, monks, there were no escape from the air element, beings would not escape from the air element. But because, monks, there is escape from the air element, therefore beings escape from the air element. "As long as, monks, these beings did not truly understand the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape of these four elements, so long, monks, these beings did not dwell released, disjoined, freed, with a mind unbounded, from the world with its devas, Māras, and Brahmās, from the generation of recluses and brahmins, devas and humans." And when, monks, beings of these four elements the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape truly understood, then, monks, beings from the world with its devas, with its Māras, with its Brahmās, from the generation of recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans, are escaped, disjoined, liberated, they dwell with a mind without limits. The Fourth. 5. The Discourse on Entirely Suffering 118. Dwelling at Sāvatthī… (etc.)… "If, monks, the earth element were entirely suffering, pervaded by suffering, overcome by suffering, not overcome by pleasure, then beings would not be enamored of the earth element. But because, monks, the earth element is pleasure, pervaded by pleasure, overcome by pleasure, not overcome by suffering, therefore beings are enamored of the earth element." "If, monks, the water element… (etc.)… If, monks, the fire element… If, monks, the air element were entirely suffering, pervaded by suffering, overcome by suffering, not overcome by pleasure, then beings would not be enamored of the air element. But because, monks, the air element is pleasure, pervaded by pleasure, overcome by pleasure, not overcome by suffering, therefore beings are enamored of the air element." "If, monks, the earth element