English
(11) 1. The Chapter on Clouds 1. The First Discourse on Clouds 101. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus!” “Venerable sir,” they replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this: “There are these four clouds, bhikkhus. Which four? One that thunders but does not rain, One that rains but does not thunder, One that neither thunders nor rains, One that both thunders and rains. These, bhikkhus, are the four clouds. In the same way, bhikkhus, there are these four persons, who are like clouds, existing, found in the world. Which four? One who thunders but does not rain, One who rains but does not thunder, One who neither thunders nor rains, One who both thunders and rains. “And how, bhikkhus, is a person one who thunders but does not rain? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person is a speaker, but not a doer. Thus, bhikkhus, is a person one who thunders but does not rain. Just as that cloud, bhikkhus, thunders but does not rain; so do I say, bhikkhus, this person is like that. “And how, bhikkhus, is a person one who rains but does not thunder? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person is a doer, but not a speaker. Thus, bhikkhus, is a person one who rains but does not thunder. Just as that cloud, bhikkhus, rains but does not thunder; so do I say, bhikkhus, this person is like that. “And how, bhikkhus, is a person one who neither thunders nor rains? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person is neither a speaker nor a doer. Thus, bhikkhus, is a person one who neither thunders nor rains. Just as that cloud, bhikkhus, neither thunders nor rains; so do I say, bhikkhus, this person is like that. “And how, bhikkhus, is a person one who both thunders and rains? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person He is a speaker and a doer. Thus, bhikkhus, a person is one who thunders and one who rains. Just as, bhikkhus, that cloud thunders and rains; so do I declare this person to be like that. These four persons, like clouds, exist and are found in the world. The First. 2. The Second Discourse on Clouds 102. "These four, bhikkhus, are clouds. Which four? Thundering but not raining, raining but not thundering, neither thundering nor raining, thundering and raining. These, bhikkhus, are the four clouds. Even so, bhikkhus, these four persons, like clouds, exist and are found in the world. Which four? Thundering but not raining, raining but not thundering, neither thundering nor raining, thundering and raining. "And how, bhikkhus, is a person one who thunders but does not rain? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person learns the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'thus-saids', birth stories, amazing phenomena, question-and-answer texts. He does not understand 'This is suffering' as it really is, he does not understand 'This is the origin of suffering' as it really is, he does not understand 'This is the cessation of suffering' as it really is, he does not understand 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering' as it really is. Thus, bhikkhus, a person is one who thunders but does not rain. Just as, bhikkhus, that cloud thunders but does not rain; so do I declare this person to be like that. "And how, bhikkhus, is a person one who rains but does not thunder? Here, bhikkhus, a certain person does not learn the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'thus-saids', birth stories, amazing phenomena, question-and-answer texts. He understands 'This is suffering' as it really is... he understands 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering' as it really is. Thus, bhikkh A person is one who rains, not one who thunders. Just as, monks, that cloud is one that rains, not one that thunders; similarly, monks, I say this person is like that. And how, monks, is a person neither one who thunders nor one who rains? Here, monks, a certain person does not learn the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'thus-saids', birth stories, extraordinary phenomena, question-and-answer texts. He does not truly understand 'This is suffering'... ...he does not truly understand 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering'. Thus, monks, a person is neither one who thunders nor one who rains. Just as, monks, that cloud neither thunders nor rains; similarly, monks, I say this person is like that. And how, monks, is a person both one who thunders and one who rains? Here, monks, a certain person learns the Dhamma – discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, 'thus-saids', birth stories, extraordinary phenomena, question-and-answer texts. He truly understands 'This is suffering'... ...he truly understands 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering'. Thus, monks, a person is both one who thunders and one who rains. Just as, monks, that cloud both thunders and rains; similarly, monks, I say this person is like that. These, monks, are the four persons like clouds, existing and found in the world. These, monks, are four pots. Which four? Empty and covered, full and open, empty and open, full and covered – these, monks, are the four pots. In the same way, monks, four persons like pots exist and are found in the world. Which four? Empty and covered, full and open, empty and open, full and covered. And how, monks, is a person empty and covered? Here, monks, Monks, of a certain person his coming and going is pleasing, his looking forward and around, his bending and stretching, his wearing of the robes and bowl. He does not understand 'This is suffering' as it really is... ...He does not understand 'This is the path to the cessation of suffering' as it really is. Thus, monks, that person is empty and covered. Just as, monks, a pot is empty and covered; so do I declare this person to be. And how, monks, is a person full and open? Here, monks, of a certain person his coming and going is not pleasing, his looking forward and around, his bending and stretching, his wearing of the robes and bowl. He understands 'This is suffering' as it really is... ...He understands 'This is the path to the cessation of suffering' as it really is. Thus, monks, that person is full and open. Just as, monks, a pot is full and open; so do I declare this person to be. And how, monks, is a person empty and open? Here, monks, of a certain person his coming and going is not pleasing, his looking forward and around, his bending and stretching, his wearing of the robes and bowl. He does not understand 'This is suffering' as it really is... ...He does not understand 'This is the path to the cessation of suffering' as it really is. Thus, monks, that person is empty and open. Just as, monks, a pot is empty and open; so do I declare this person to be. And how, monks, is a person full and covered? Here, monks, of a certain person his coming and going is pleasing, his looking forward and around, his bending and stretching, his wearing of the robes and bowl. He understands 'This is suffering' as it really is... ...He understands 'This is the path to the cessation of suffering' as it really is. Thus, k Indeed, monks, a person is full and covered. Just as, monks, a pot is full and covered; so I declare, monks, this person to be like that. These, monks, are the four persons like pots, existing, found in the world. The Third. 4. The Discourse on Ponds 104. Monks, there are these four ponds. Which four? Shallow, appearing deep, deep, appearing shallow, shallow, appearing shallow, deep, appearing deep – these, monks, are the four ponds. Just so, monks, there are four persons like ponds, existing, found in the world. Which four? Shallow, appearing deep, deep, appearing shallow, shallow, appearing shallow, deep, appearing deep. And how, monks, is a person shallow, appearing deep? Here, monks, for a certain person, their going forth and coming back, their looking forward and looking around, their bending and stretching, their wearing of the outer robe, bowl, and robes are pleasing. But they do not understand 'This is suffering' as it truly is... ...nor 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering' as it truly is. Thus, monks, a person is shallow, appearing deep. Just as, monks, a pond is shallow, appearing deep; so I declare, monks, this person to be like that. And how, monks, is a person deep, appearing shallow? Here, monks, for a certain person, their going forth and coming back, their looking forward and looking around, their bending and stretching, their wearing of the outer robe, bowl, and robes are not pleasing. But they do understand 'This is suffering' as it truly is... ...and 'This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering' as it truly is. Thus, monks, a person is deep, appearing shallow. Just as, monks, a pond is deep, appearing shallow; so I declare, monks, this person to be like that. How, monks, is a person shallow, with a shallow appearance? Here, monks, for some person their going forth, coming back, looking ahead, looking around, bending, stretching, and wearing of the outer robe, bowl, and inner robe is not pleasing. They do not understand as it really is: ‘This is suffering’. They do not understand as it really is: ‘This is the origin of suffering’. They do not understand as it really is: ‘This is the cessation of suffering’. They do not understand as it really is: ‘This is the path leading to the cessation of suffering’. Thus, monks, is a person shallow, with a shallow appearance. Just as, monks, a pond is shallow, with a shallow appearance; so too, monks, I say this person is like that. How, monks, is a person deep, with a deep appearance? Here, monks, for some person their going forth, coming back, looking ahead, looking around, bending, stretching, and wearing of the outer robe, bowl, and inner robe is pleasing.