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 4.102 Clouds (2nd)

“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 dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. 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 dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. 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 dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. 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 dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. 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.

Dutiyaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“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 dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti

It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching—

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

statements, mixed prose and verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

But they don’t truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

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 dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti

It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching …

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

But they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

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 dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti

It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching …

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

Nor do they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

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 dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti

It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching …

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

And they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

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.”

Dutiyaṁ.

Qualities:

Ending

Ending

The complete exhaustion and ending of craving, aversion, and delusion—the three roots of suffering. It refers to both the gradual wearing away of defilements through practice and the final cessation that constitutes Nibbāna.

Also known as: cessation, exhaustion, gradual ending, wearing away
Pāli: khaya, khīṇa, nirodha
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026