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Numbered Discourses · AN 4.101

  • Numbered Discourses 4.101Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.101
  • 11. Clouds11. Valāhakavagga

Clouds (1st)Paṭhamavalāhakasutta

So I have heard.Evaṁ me sutaṁ— At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “Mendicants!”“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. The Buddha said this:Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of clouds.“Cattārome, bhikkhave, valāhakā. What four?Katame cattāro?

  1. One thunders but doesn’t rain,Gajjitā no vassitā,
  2. one rains but doesn’t thunder,vassitā no gajjitā,
  3. one neither thunders nor rains, andneva gajjitā no vassitā,
  4. one both rains and thunders.gajjitā ca vassitā ca.

These are the four kinds of clouds.Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakā. In the same way, these four individuals similar to clouds are found in the world.Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What four?Katame cattāro?

  1. One thunders but doesn’t rain,Gajjitā no vassitā,
  2. one rains but doesn’t thunder,vassitā no gajjitā,
  3. one neither thunders nor rains, andneva gajjitā no vassitā,
  4. one both rains and thunders.gajjitā ca vassitā ca.

And how does an individual thunder but not rain?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti no vassitā? It’s when an individual is a talker, not a doer.Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo bhāsitā hoti, no kattā. That’s how an individual thunders but doesn’t rain.Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti, no vassitā. That individual is like a cloud that thunders but doesn’t rain, I say.Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako gajjitā, no vassitā;

And how does an individual rain but not thunder?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vassitā hoti, no gajjitā? It’s when an individual is a doer, not a talker. …Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo kattā hoti, no bhāsitā.

And how does an individual neither thunder nor rain?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gajjitā hoti, no vassitā? It’s when an individual is neither a talker nor a doer. …Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo neva bhāsitā hoti, no kattā.

And how does an individual both thunder and rain?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā ca hoti vassitā ca? It’s when an individual is both a talker and a doer. …Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo bhāsitā ca hoti kattā ca.

These four individuals similar to clouds are found in the world.”Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

Similar passages elsewhere

Found by meaning, not by citation: the passages in other texts whose wording sits closest to a passage here.

  1. AN 4.102 Clouds (2nd) 0.82near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.102 11. Clouds Clouds (2nd) “Mendicants, there are these four kinds of clouds. What four? One thunders but doesn’t rain, one rains but doesn’t thunder, one neither thunders nor rains, and one both r…
  2. AN 4.123 Difference (1st) 0.77near 6.6These are the four individuals found in the world.”…
  3. AN 4.124 Difference (2nd) 0.77near 6.6These are the four individuals found in the world.”…
  4. AN 4.95 A Firebrand 0.77near 6.6These are the four individuals found in the world.”…
  5. AN 4.89 Right View 0.77near 6.6These are the four individuals found in the world.”…
  6. AN 4.88 Fetters 0.56near 6.6That’s how an individual is a delicate ascetic of ascetics. These are the four individuals found in the world.”…
  7. AN 4.104 Lakes 0.55near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.104 11. Clouds Lakes “Mendicants, there are these four lakes. What four? One is shallow but appears deep, one is deep but appears shallow, one is shallow and appears shallow, and one is deep and app…