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Numbered Discourses · AN 4.102

  • Numbered Discourses 4.102Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.102
  • 11. Clouds11. Valāhakavagga

Clouds (2nd)Dutiyavalāhakasutta

“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 memorizes the teaching—Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti— statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. But they don’t truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. 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 doesn’t memorize the teaching …Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti— But they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

And how does an individual neither thunder nor rain?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gajjitā hoti, no vassitā? It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching …Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo neva dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti— Nor do they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

And how does an individual both thunder and rain?Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā ca hoti vassitā ca? It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching …Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti— And they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

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 4.101 Clouds (1st) 0.82near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.101 11. Clouds Clouds (1st) So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Ve…
  2. AN 4.104 Lakes 0.63near 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…
  3. AN 4.107 Mice 0.61near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.107 11. Clouds Mice “Mendicants, there are these four kinds of mice. What four? One makes a hole but doesn’t live in it, one lives in a hole but doesn’t make it, one neither makes a hole nor lives i…
  4. AN 4.108 Oxen 0.55near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.108 11. Clouds Oxen “Mendicants, there are these four kinds of oxen. What four? One hostile to its own herd, not others; one hostile to other herds, not its own; one hostile to both its own herd and…
  5. AN 4.103 Pots 0.54near 0.1Numbered Discourses 4.103 11. Clouds Pots “Mendicants, there are these four pots. What four? Covered but hollow, uncovered but full, uncovered and hollow, and covered and full. These are the four pots. In the same way, t…