Saṁyutta Nikāya 14.33
Translators: sujato
Linked Discourses 14.33
4. Catutthavagga
4. Chapter Four
Nocedaṁsutta
If There Was No
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.
“No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā assādo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ.
“Mendicants, if there were no gratification in the earth element, sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it.
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi pathavīdhātuyā assādo, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā sārajjanti.
But since there is gratification in the earth element, sentient beings are aroused by it.
No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā ādīnavo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ.
If the earth element had no drawback, sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it.
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi pathavīdhātuyā ādīnavo, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindanti.
But since the earth element has a drawback, sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it.
No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā nissareyyuṁ.
If there were no escape from the earth element, sentient beings wouldn’t escape from it.
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi pathavīdhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā nissaranti.
But since there is an escape from the earth element, sentient beings do escape from it.
No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, āpodhātuyā assādo abhavissa …pe…
If there were no gratification in the water element …
no cedaṁ, bhikkhave, tejodhātuyā …pe…
If there were no gratification in the fire element …
no cedaṁ, bhikkhave, vāyodhātuyā assādo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā vāyodhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ.
If there were no gratification in the air element …
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi vāyodhātuyā assādo, tasmā sattā vāyodhātuyā sārajjanti.
No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, vāyodhātuyā ādīnavo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā vāyodhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ.
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi vāyodhātuyā ādīnavo, tasmā sattā vāyodhātuyā nibbindanti.
No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, vāyodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā vāyodhātuyā nissareyyuṁ.
Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi vāyodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ, tasmā sattā vāyodhātuyā nissaranti.
Yāvakīvañcime, bhikkhave, sattā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ na abbhaññaṁsu, neva tāvime, bhikkhave, sattā sadevakā lokā samārakā sabrahmakā sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya nissaṭā visaṁyuttā vippamuttā vimariyādikatena cetasā vihariṁsu.
As long as sentient beings don’t truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, they haven’t escaped from this world—with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—and they don’t live detached, liberated, with a mind free of limits.
Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, sattā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññaṁsu, atha, bhikkhave, sattā sadevakā lokā samārakā sabrahmakā sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya nissaṭā visaṁyuttā vippamuttā vimariyādikatena cetasā viharantī”ti.
But when sentient beings truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, they’ve escaped from this world—with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—and they live detached, liberated, with a mind free of limits.”
Catutthaṁ.