The "Connected Discourses on the Elements" contains discourses exploring elements shaping experience, with a focus on the six sensory elements — eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. These elements are examined for their role in generating contact, perception, and feeling, showing how sensory experience drives attachment and aversion. Other discourses address mental elements (e.g., forgetful, reckless, mindful) and the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and air — representing the basic physical structure of existence.
Dhātusaṁyutta - Connected Discourses on the Elements
Nānatta vagga - The Chapter on Diversity
The first chapter of the Connected Discourses on the Elements, containing discourses 1–10.
The Buddha describes the diversity of elements that shapes one’s experience.
PTS 2.140The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of contacts.
PTS 2.140The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of contacts, and not the other way around.
PTS 2.141The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of contacts, and dependent on the diversity of contacts, there arises a diversity of felt experiences.
PTS 2.141The six sense elements condition diverse contacts, which then condition diverse felt experiences. The Buddha emphasizes that this dependent arising is strictly one-way: feelings do not condition contacts, nor do contacts condition the elements.
PTS 2.142The Buddha describes the diversity of the external elements - 1) the forms, 2) sounds, 3) smells, 4) tastes, 5) tangible objects, and 6) mental objects.
PTS 2.143The Buddha explains how the diversity of the elements conditions a causal chain in the mind. Dependent on diverse elements, there arises a diversity of perceptions, which successively condition diverse intentions, desires, fevers, and ultimately, diverse quests.
PTS 2.143The Buddha explains how the diversity of the elements conditions a causal chain in the mind and then emphasizes that this dependent arising is strictly one-way: subsequent emotional and cognitive states do not condition the preceding elements.
PTS 2.144–2.145The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of perceptions, intentions, contacts, felt experiences connected with contact, desires, fevers, quests, and acquisitions.
PTS 2.146The six sense elements condition a causal chain sequentially leading to diverse perceptions, intentions, contacts, felt experiences, desires, fevers, quests, and acquisitions. The Buddha emphasizes this dependent arising is strictly one-way: subsequent states do not condition the preceding elements.
PTS 2.147–2.148Dutiya vagga - The Second Chapter
The second chapter of the Connected Discourses on the Elements, containing discourses 11–22.
The Buddha describes the seven elements of radiance, beauty, boundless space, boundless consciousness, nothingness, neither perception nor non-perception, and cessation of perception and what is felt, and how they can be discerned and realized.
PTS 2.149–2.150The Buddha explains how thoughts of sensuality, ill will, and harming arise from a cause and how to abandon them.
PTS 2.151–2.152Venerable Kaccāna asks the Buddha about the cause of the arising of the view regarding those who are not fully awakened Buddhas that they are in fact fully awakened Buddhas.
PTS 2.153Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those of an inferior disposition come together and associate with others of similar inferior disposition.
PTS 2.154The Buddha shares an observation on how beings come together and associate based on their dispositions. Those with a good disposition come together and associate with others of a similar good disposition.
PTS 2.155–2.156Beings with similar dispositions come together and associate. The inferior come together with the inferior, and the good with the good. The Buddha shares a verse on the importance of association.
PTS 2.157–2.158In the past, in the future, and at present, beings come together and associate based on disposition. The faithless come together and associate with the faithless, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.
PTS 2.159Beings come together and associate based on disposition. The faithless come together and associate with the faithless, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.
PTS 2.160–2.161Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The unashamed come together and associate with the unashamed; and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.
PTS 2.162Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The morally reckless come together and associate with the morally reckless; and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.
PTS 2.163Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those with little learning come together and associate with those with little learning; and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.
PTS 2.164Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The lazy come together and associate with the lazy, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.
PTS 2.165Kammapatha vagga - The Chapter on Ways of Performing Deeds
The third chapter of the Connected Discourses on the Elements, containing discourses 23–29.
Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The distracted come together and associate with the distracted, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.
PTS 2.166Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The unprincipled come together and associate with the unprincipled, the virtuous come together and associate with the virtuous, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.
PTS 2.166Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those who kill living beings come together and associate with those who kill living beings; those who take what is not given come together and associate with those who take what is not given; and similar for the other three precepts.
PTS 2.167BBeings come together and associate according to disposition. Those who speak divisively come together and associate with those who speak divisively; and six other associations are described.
PTS 2.167Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those who intense craving come together and associate with those with intense craving; those with a malicious mind come together and associate with those with a malicious mind; those with wrong views come together and associate with those with wrong views; and similar for the other seven kinds of actions.
PTS 2.167Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those with wrong views come together and associate with those with wrong views, and similar for the other eight factors. Those with right views come together and associate with those with right views, and similar for the other eight factors.
PTS 2.168Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those with wrong views come together and associate with those with wrong views, and similar for the other eight factors. Those with right views come together and associate with those with right views, and similar for the other eight factors.
PTS 2.168Catuttha vagga - The Fourth Chapter
The fourth chapter of the Connected Discourses on the Elements, containing discourses 30–39.
The Buddha describes the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air in brief.
PTS 2.169–2.170Before his awakening, the Buddha reflected on the gratification, drawback, and escape in regard to the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air.
PTS 2.169–2.170The Buddha explains how he investigated the four elements of earth, water, fire and air to understand the full extent of gratification, drawback, and escape in regard to each of them.
PTS 2.171Beings are infatuated with the four great elements because of the gratification found in them, become disenchanted with them because of the drawbacks found in them, and escape from them because there is an escape.
PTS 2.172If the four great elements were exclusively unpleasant, beings would not be infatuated with them. If they were exclusively pleasurable, beings would not become disenchanted with them.
PTS 2.173Whoever delights in the four great elements, delights in what is subject to suffering, and as a result, is not freed from suffering.
PTS 2.174The arising, persistence, production, and appearance of the four elements is the arising of suffering, the persistence of disease, and the appearance of aging and death.
PTS 2.175The Buddha explains how understanding the gratification, drawback, and escape in the four elements leads to personal experience and attainment of the goal of asceticism or brahminhood in this very life.
PTS 2.175The Buddha explains how understanding the arising and passing away, the gratification, drawback, and escape in the four elements leads to personal experience and attainment of the goal of asceticism or brahminhood in this very life.
PTS 2.176–2.177The Buddha explains how understanding the arising, ending and the way of practice leading to the ending in regards to the four elements leads to personal experience and attainment of the goal of asceticism or brahminhood in this very life.
PTS 2.176–2.177