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Numbered Discourses · AN 4.177

  • Numbered Discourses 4.177Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.177
  • 18. Intention18. Sañcetaniyavagga

With RāhulaRāhulasutta

Then Venerable Rāhula went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:Atha kho āyasmā rāhulo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ rāhulaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“Rāhula, the interior earth element and the exterior earth element are just the earth element.“Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā pathavīdhātu yā ca bāhirā pathavīdhātu, pathavīdhāturevesā. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ. When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the earth element, detaching the mind from the earth element.Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindati, pathavīdhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.

The interior water element and the exterior water element are just the water element.Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā āpodhātu yā ca bāhirā āpodhātu, āpodhāturevesā. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ. When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the water element, detaching the mind from the water element.Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā āpodhātuyā nibbindati, āpodhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.

The interior fire element and the exterior fire element are just the fire element.Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā tejodhātu yā ca bāhirā tejodhātu, tejodhāturevesā. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ. When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the fire element, detaching the mind from the fire element.Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā tejodhātuyā nibbindati, tejodhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.

The interior air element and the exterior air element are just the air element.Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā vāyodhātu yā ca bāhirā vāyodhātu, vāyodhāturevesā. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ. When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the air element, detaching the mind from the air element.Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā vāyodhātuyā nibbindati, vāyodhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.

When a mendicant sees these four elements as neither self nor belonging to self, they’re called a mendicant who has cut off craving, cast off the fetters, and by rightly comprehending conceit has made an end of suffering.”Yato kho, rāhula, bhikkhu imāsu catūsu dhātūsu nevattānaṁ na attaniyaṁ samanupassati, ayaṁ vuccati, rāhula, bhikkhu acchecchi taṇhaṁ, vivattayi saṁyojanaṁ, sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassā”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 3.133 A Warrior 0.58near 5.2They truly see any kind of perception at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: <em>all</em> perception—with right understanding: ‘This is not mine, I am n…
  2. MN 62 The Longer Advice to Rāhula 0.56near 0.1This is called the interior water element. The interior water element and the exterior water element are just the water element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not t…
  3. MN 35 The Shorter Discourse With Saccaka 0.55near 5.2“It’s when one of my disciples truly sees any kind of form at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: <em>all</em> form—with right understanding: ‘This is n…
  4. MN 140 The Analysis of the Elements 0.55near 0.1This is called the interior fire element. The interior fire element and the exterior fire element are just the fire element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this,…
  5. DN 15 The Great Discourse on Causation 0.54near 5.2When a mendicant does not regard feeling as self; does not regard self as not experiencing feeling; and does not regard it thus: ‘my self feels, for my self is liable to feel’— not regarding in this way, they don’t grasp…
  6. SN 18.9 Elements 0.53near 0.1Linked Discourses 18.9 Chapter One Elements At Sāvatthī. “What do you think, Rāhula? Is the earth element permanent or impermanent?” “Impermanent, sir.” … “… the water element … the fire element … the air element … the s…
  7. SN 35.3 The Interior as Not-Self 0.53near 5.2Linked Discourses 35.3 1. Impermanence The Interior as Not-Self “Mendicants, the eye is not-self. And what’s not-self should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not…
  8. AN 4.181 A Warrior 0.53near 5.2They truly see any kind of feeling … perception … choices … consciousness at all—past, future, or present; internal or external; solid or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near: <em>all</em> consciousness—with right u…