1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, if there were no gratification in the earth element, beings would not become enamoured with it; but because there is gratification in the earth element, beings become enamoured with it. If there were no danger in the earth element, beings would not experience revulsion towards it; but because there is danger in the earth element, beings experience revulsion towards it. If there were no escape from the earth element, beings would not escape from it; but because there is an escape from the earth element, beings escape from it.

2"Bhikkhus, if there were no gratification in the water element … in the heat element … in the air element, beings would not become enamoured with it … sn.ii.173 … but because there is an escape from the air element, beings escape from it.

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. "No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā assādo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi pathavīdhātuyā assādo, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā sārajjanti. No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā ādīnavo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi pathavīdhātuyā ādīnavo, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindanti. No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā nissareyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi pathavīdhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā nissaranti.

2No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, āpodhātuyā assādo abhavissa … pe … no cedaṁ, bhikkhave, tejodhātuyā … pe … no cedaṁ, bhikkhave, vāyodhātuyā assādo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā vāyodhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi vāyodhātuyā assādo, tasmā sattā vāyodhātuyā sārajjanti. No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, vāyodhātuyā ādīnavo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā vāyodhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi vāyodhātuyā ādīnavo, tasmā sattā vāyodhātuyā nibbindanti. No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, vāyodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā vāyodhātuyā nissareyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi vāyodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ, tasmā sattā vāyodhātuyā nissaranti.

3–4"So long, bhikkhus, as beings have not directly known as they really are the gratification as gratification, the danger as danger, and the escape as escape in the case of these four elements, they have not escaped from this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahma, from this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans; they have not become detached from it, released from it, nor do they dwell with a mind rid of barriers. But when beings have directly known all this as it really is, then they have escaped from this world with its devas and humans … they have become detached from it, released from it, and they dwell with a mind rid of barriers."Vimariyādikatena cetasa. Spk: The barriers (mariyādā) are twofold: the barriers of defilements and the barriers of the round of existence. Here, because of the abandoning of both, it is said that they dwell with a mind rid of barriers.

3Yāvakīvañcime, bhikkhave, sattā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ na abbhaññaṁsu, neva tāvime, bhikkhave, sattā sadevakā lokā samārakā sabrahmakā sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya nissaṭā visaṁyuttā vippamuttā vimariyādikatena cetasā vihariṁsu.

4Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, sattā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, atha, bhikkhave, sattā sadevakā lokā samārakā sabrahmakā sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya nissaṭā visaṁyuttā vippamuttā vimariyādikatena cetasā vihārantī"ti.

Catutthaṁ.