The Buddha describes the four kinds of clouds—one thunders but doesn’t rain,, one rains but doesn’t thunder,, one neither thunders nor rains, and and.

AN 4.101 Clouds (1st)

Evaṁ me sutaṁ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, valāhakā. Katame cattāro?

Gajjitā no vassitā,

vassitā no gajjitā,

neva gajjitā no vassitā,

gajjitā ca vassitā ca.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakā. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro?

Gajjitā no vassitā,

vassitā no gajjitā,

neva gajjitā no vassitā,

gajjitā ca vassitā ca.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti no vassitā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo bhāsitā hoti, no kattā. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti, no vassitā. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako gajjitā, no vassitā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vassitā hoti, no gajjitā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo kattā hoti, no bhāsitā. 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? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo neva bhāsitā hoti, no kattā. 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? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo bhāsitā ca hoti kattā ca. 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.

Paṭhamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

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 individuals 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 an individual thunder but not rain?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo bhāsitā hoti, no kattā.

It’s when an individual is a talker, not a doer.

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

That’s how an individual thunders but doesn’t rain.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako gajjitā, no vassitā;

That individual 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 an individual rain but not thunder?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo kattā hoti, no bhāsitā.

It’s when an individual 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 an individual neither thunder nor rain?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo neva bhāsitā hoti, no kattā.

It’s when an individual 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 an individual both thunder and rain?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo bhāsitā ca hoti kattā ca.

It’s when an individual 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 individuals similar to clouds are found in the world.”

Paṭhamaṁ.

Qualities:

Recollection of the Buddha

Recollection of the Buddha

A mental quality of reflecting on the qualities of the Buddha, which counters doubt and strengthens faith.

Also known as: recollection of Buddha, mindfulness of the Buddha, reflection on the qualities of the Buddha
Pāli: buddhānussati, buddhānusmṛti
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026