sutta » sn » sn14 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 14.31

Pubbesambodhasutta

Before Awakening

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.

“Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi:
“Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought:

‘ko nu kho pathavīdhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ;
‘What’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to the earth element …

ko āpodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ;
the water element …

ko tejodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ;
the fire element …

ko vāyodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇan’ti?
and the air element?’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:
Then it occurred to me:

‘yaṁ kho pathavīdhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ pathavīdhātuyā assādo;
‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from the earth element: this is its gratification.

yaṁ pathavīdhātu aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṁ pathavīdhātuyā ādīnavo;
That the earth element is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback.

yo pathavīdhātuyā chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ pathavīdhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ.
Removing and giving up desire and greed for the earth element: this is its escape.

Yaṁ āpodhātuṁ paṭicca …pe…
The pleasure and happiness that arise from the water element …

yaṁ tejodhātuṁ paṭicca …pe…
The pleasure and happiness that arise from the fire element …

yaṁ vāyodhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ vāyodhātuyā assādo;
The pleasure and happiness that arise from the air element: this is its gratification.

yaṁ vāyodhātu aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṁ vāyodhātuyā ādīnavo;
That the air element is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback.

yo vāyodhātuyā chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ vāyodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ’.
Removing and giving up desire and greed for the air element: this is its escape.’

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.
As long as I didn’t truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

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.
But when I did truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi:
Knowledge and vision arose in me:

‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.
‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”

Dutiyaṁ.