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he is destined for a good bourn. This is the detailed explanation of the cultivation of the perception of repulsiveness in food. The Analysis of the Four Elements 306. Now, after the perception of repulsiveness in food, the instruction for the cultivation of the analysis of the four elements —which was indicated as "one analysis"— has arrived. Therein, "analysis" means determination by observing its nature. The analysis of the four elements is the analysis of the four elements. Mindfulness of the elements, the meditation subject of the elements, the analysis of the four elements— these are one in meaning. And this is presented in two ways: in brief and in detail. In brief, it is found in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta. In detail, it is found in the Mahāhatthipadopama Sutta, the Rāhulovāda Sutta, and the Dhātuvibhaṅga Sutta. For it is said: "Just as, bhikkhus, a skillful butcher or a butcher's apprentice, having slaughtered a cow, would sit at a crossroads, having divided it into portions; even so, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu reflects on this very body as it is positioned, as it is disposed, by way of its elements: 'There is in this body the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the air element.'" Thus, it is presented in brief in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Dī. Ni. 2.378) for a bhikkhu with keen wisdom who practices the meditation subject of the elements. Its meaning is: just as a clever butcher or his paid assistant A butcher, having slaughtered a cow, and having dismembered it, and having sat down at the crossroads, the central place of the four great roads that go to the four directions, having made portions, even so, a monk, standing in any one of the four postures, as he stands, as he stands, as he has placed his body, he reflects on this body by way of elements, thinking: "In this body there is the earth element… …the wind element." What is meant by this? Just as for a cow butcher, even while he is raising the cow, even while he is bringing it to the slaughterhouse, even while he is tying it there and keeping it, even while he is slaughtering it, even while he is seeing it slaughtered and dead, the perception of "cow" does not disappear until he has dismembered it and divided it into portions. But when he has divided it and is sitting down, the perception of "cow" disappears, and the perception of "meat" arises. It does not occur to him: "I am selling a cow, these people are taking a cow." Rather, it occurs to him: "I am selling meat, these people are taking meat." Even so, for this monk, formerly, in the time of being a foolish ordinary person, whether a layperson or one who had gone forth, the perception of "being," or "person," or "individual" does not disappear until he has made a thorough analysis of this very body, as it stands, as it has been placed, and reflects on it by way of elements. But when he reflects by way of elements, the perception of "being" disappears, and the mind settles down by way of elements alone. Therefore, the Blessed One said: "Just as, monks, a skillful cow butcher… …having sat down, even so, monks, a monk… …the wind element." 307. In the Mahāhatthipadopama Sutta (M.N. 1.300 ff.), it is said: "And what, friend, is the internal earth element? That which is internal, personal, hard, solid, appropriated. That is to say, hairs, body-hairs… …undigested food, feces, or whatever else is internal, personal, hard, solid, appropriated, this, friend, is called the internal earth element." "And what, friend, is the internal water What is the water element? That which internally, personally, is water, gone to water, clung to. Such as, bile... and so on... urine, or whatever else, internally, personally, is water, gone to water, clung to, this, friend, is called the internal water element. And what, friend, is the internal fire element? That which internally, personally, is fire, gone to fire, clung to. Such as, by which one is warmed, by which one ages, by which one is consumed by fever, by which what is eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted is properly digested, or whatever else, internally, personally, is fire, gone to fire, clung to, this, friend, is called the internal fire element. And what, friend, is the internal air element? That which internally, personally, is air, gone to air, clung to. Such as, upward-moving winds, downward-moving winds, winds in the belly, winds in the intestines, winds coursing through the limbs, in-breath and out-breath, or whatever else, internally, personally, is air, gone to air, clung to, this, friend, is called the internal air element. Thus, for one whose wisdom is not too keen, it has come in detail by way of the meditation subject of the elements. As it is here, so it is also in the discourse on the elements to Rahula. Herein is the explanation of the non-obvious terms: "Ajjhattaṃ" and "paccattaṃ" – both of these are synonyms for "niyaka" (one's own). "Niyaka" means that which is born in oneself, included in one's own continuum. Just as in the world, talk about women is called "adhitthī" (concerning women), so too, because it occurs in oneself, it is called "ajjhattaṃ" (internal), and because it occurs repeatedly dependent on oneself, it is called "paccattaṃ" (personal). "Kakkhaḷa" means rigid. "Kharigata" means rough. Therein, the first is a word for characteristic, the second is a word for appearance. For the earth element has the characteristic of rigidity; it has a rough appearance, therefore it is called "kharigata." "Upādinna" means firmly grasped, firmly grasped as "I" and "mine," meaning taken and clung to. "Seyyathidaṃ" is a particle. Its that which is done They say: What is the meaning? To show that, he said: "Hairs, body-hairs," and so on. And here, including the brain, the earth element is described in twenty aspects, this should be understood. Or whatever else, in the remaining three parts, the earth element is included. By the nature of flowing, it reaches that and that place, thus it is water. By various kinds of water, due to karma-origin and so on, it has gone into the waters, thus it is water-gone. What is that? The characteristic of binding of the water element. By the nature of heating, it is fire. By the method stated, it has gone into the fires, thus it is fire-gone. What is that? The characteristic of heat. And by which, by which fire-element-gone, when disturbed, this body is heated, it becomes feverish with one-day fever and so on. And by which it decays, by which this body decays, it attains imperfection of faculties, loss of strength, wrinkles, grey hair, and so on. And by which it is consumed, by which, when disturbed, this body is consumed. And that person, crying "I am consumed, I am consumed," desires ointments of hundred-washed ghee, sandalwood, and so on, and the fanning of a palm-leaf fan. And by which what is eaten, drunk, chewed, savored is properly digested, by which what is eaten, such as rice, or drunk, such as beverages, or chewed, such as cakes and snacks, or savored, such as ripe mangoes, honey, treacle, is properly ripened, meaning it separates into essence and so on. And here, the former three are of fire-element origin. The latter is solely of karma origin. By the nature of blowing, it is wind. By the method stated, it has gone into the winds, thus it is wind-gone. What is that? The characteristic of distending. Upward-going winds are the upward-rising winds that cause belching, hiccups, and so on. Downward-going winds are the downward-descending winds that expel feces, urine, and so on. Winds in the belly are the outer winds of the intestines. Winds in the stomach are the inner winds of the intestines. Winds coursing through the limbs are the winds that pervade all the limbs of the body along the network of arteries, causing contraction, extension, and so on. In-breath is the nasal wind entering inside. Out-breath is the nasal wind exiting outside. From that. And here, the first five are fourfold in origin. In-breaths and out-breaths are only mind-originated. Everywhere, by the phrase "or whatever else," the remaining parts, such as the water element, are included. Thus, the earth element in twenty aspects, the water element in twelve, the fire element in four, the air element in six— thus the four elements are expounded in forty-two aspects. This, then, is the Pāli explanation here. 308. Now, in the method of development, for a bhikkhu of keen wisdom, "hairs are the earth element, body-hairs are the earth element"— thus the detailed comprehension of elements appears as an elaboration. That which has the characteristic of hardness, this is the earth element. That which has the characteristic of cohesion, this is the water element. That which has the characteristic of maturing, this is the fire element. That which has the characteristic of distension, this is the air element. By thus reflecting, his meditation subject becomes clear. But for one not of keen wisdom, reflecting thus, darkness remains unclear. For one reflecting in detail according to the former method, it becomes clear. How so? Just as when two bhikkhus are reciting a text with many repetitions, the bhikkhu of keen wisdom, having elaborated the repeated phrase once or twice, thereafter proceeds with the recitation only by its two ends. There, the one not of keen wisdom says thus: "Does recitation not allow for merely touching the lips? If recitation is done like this, when will the text become proficient?" He recites, elaborating each repeated phrase as it comes. The other then says to him: "Does recitation not allow for reaching the end? If recitation is done like this, when will the text reach its end?" Just so, for the bhikkhu of keen wisdom, the detailed comprehension of elements by way of hairs and so on appears as an elaboration. By reflecting concisely in the manner of "that which has the characteristic of hardness, this is the earth element," and so on, his meditation subject becomes clear.