sutta » an » an4 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.101

Paṭhamavalāhakasutta

Clouds (1st)

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, valāhakā.
“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of clouds.

Katame cattāro?
What four?

Gajjitā no vassitā,
One thunders but doesn’t rain,

vassitā no gajjitā,
one rains but doesn’t thunder,

neva gajjitā no vassitā,
one neither thunders nor rains, and

gajjitā ca vassitā ca.
one both rains and thunders.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakā.
These are the four kinds of clouds.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
In the same way, these four people similar to clouds are found in the world.

Katame cattāro?
What four?

Gajjitā no vassitā,
One thunders but doesn’t rain,

vassitā no gajjitā,
one rains but doesn’t thunder,

neva gajjitā no vassitā,
one neither thunders nor rains, and

gajjitā ca vassitā ca.
one both rains and thunders.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti no vassitā?
And how does a person thunder but not rain?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo bhāsitā hoti, no kattā.
It’s when a person is a talker, not a doer.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti, no vassitā.
That’s how a person thunders but doesn’t rain.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako gajjitā, no vassitā;
That person is like a cloud that thunders but doesn’t rain, I say.

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vassitā hoti, no gajjitā?
And how does a person rain but not thunder?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo kattā hoti, no bhāsitā.
It’s when a person is a doer, not a talker. …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo vassitā hoti, no gajjitā.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako vassitā, no gajjitā;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gajjitā hoti, no vassitā?
And how does a person neither thunder nor rain?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo neva bhāsitā hoti, no kattā.
It’s when a person is neither a talker nor a doer. …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gajjitā hoti, no vassitā.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako neva gajjitā, no vassitā;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā ca hoti vassitā ca?
And how does a person both thunder and rain?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo bhāsitā ca hoti kattā ca.
It’s when a person is both a talker and a doer. …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā ca hoti vassitā ca.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako gajjitā ca vassitā ca;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

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

Paṭhamaṁ.