Saṁyutta Nikāya 14.31 4.

The Discourse on the Previous Enlightenment

Catutthavagga Pubbesambodhasutta Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

In Sāvatthī, the Tathāgata was dwelling.

He said in the past, when I was a Bodhisattva, not yet fully enlightened, I reflected on this: What is the pleasure of the earth element?

What is its danger?

“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi: ‘ko nu kho pathavīdhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ; ko āpodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ; ko tejodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ; ko vāyodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇan’ti?

What is its escape? Then it occurred to me: The pleasure of the earth element arises dependent on it, and this is the pleasure of the earth element. The earth element is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change; this is the danger of the earth element. The escape from the earth element is the abandoning of desire and greed for the earth element.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘yaṁ kho pathavīdhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ pathavīdhātuyā assādo; yaṁ pathavīdhātu aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṁ pathavīdhātuyā ādīnavo; yo pathavīdhātuyā chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ pathavīdhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ. Yaṁ āpodhātuṁ paṭicca …pe… yaṁ tejodhātuṁ paṭicca …pe…

Similarly, for the water element, I discerned: The pleasure of the water element arises dependent on it, and this is the pleasure of the water element. The water element is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change; this is the danger of the water element. The escape from the water element is the abandoning of desire and greed for the water element.

For the fire element, I discerned: The pleasure of the fire element arises dependent on it, and this is the pleasure of the fire element.

yaṁ vāyodhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ vāyodhātuyā assādo; yaṁ vāyodhātu aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṁ vāyodhātuyā ādīnavo; yo vāyodhātuyā chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ vāyodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ’.

The fire element is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change; this is the danger of the fire element. The escape from the fire element is the abandoning of desire and greed for the fire element.

For the air element, I discerned: The pleasure of the air element arises dependent on it, and this is the pleasure of the air element.

Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ na abbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṁ. Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṁ.

The air element is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change; this is the danger of the air element. The escape from the air element is the abandoning of desire and greed for the air element.

As long as I did not know the pleasure, danger, and escape of these four elements as they truly are, I did not realize the supreme enlightenment of perfect awakening in the world with its gods, humans, and Brahmas, nor did I know the unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. But when I came to know the pleasure, danger, and escape of these four elements as they truly are, then I realized the supreme enlightenment of perfect awakening in the world with its gods, humans, and Brahmas, and I known the unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti. Dutiyaṁ.

And then, knowing and vision arose in me: I am unshakably liberated; this is my last birth; there is no more rebirth for me.