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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Connected Discourses

SN14: Connected Discourses on Elements

SN14:37 Ascetics and Brahmins (1)

1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, there are these four elements. What four? The earth element, the water element, the heat element, the air element.

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. "Catasso imā, bhikkhave, dhātuyo. Katamā catasso? Pathavīdhātu, āpodhātu, tejodhātu, vāyodhātu.

"Those ascetics or brahmins, bhikkhus, who do not understand as they really are the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of these four elements: sn.ii.176 these I do not consider to be ascetics among ascetics or brahmins among brahmins, and these venerable ones do not, by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life enter and dwell in the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood.

Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu vā samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu vā brāhmaṇasammatā; na ca pana te āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ vā brahmaññatthaṁ vā diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāranti.

2"But, bhikkhus, those ascetics and brahmins who understand as they really are the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of these four elements: these I consider to be ascetics among ascetics and brahmins among brahmins, and these venerable ones, by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life enter and dwell in the goal of asceticism and the goal of brahminhood."

2Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, te ca kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā; te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihārantī"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.