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.

SN 14.1 Dhātunānatta sutta - Diversity Of Elements

The Buddha describes the diversity of elements that shapes one’s experience.

PTS 2.140

SN 14.2 Phassanānatta sutta - Diversity Of Contacts

The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of contacts.

PTS 2.140

SN 14.3 Nophassanānatta sutta - Not Diversity Of Contacts

The Buddha describes how dependent on the diversity of elements, there arises a diversity of contacts, and not the other way around.

PTS 2.141

SN 14.4 Vedanānānatta sutta - Diversity Of Felt Experiences

The 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 2.141

SN 14.5 Dutiya vedanānānatta sutta - Diversity Of Felt Experiences (Second)

The 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 2.142

SN 14.6 Bāhiradhātunānatta sutta - Diversity Of External Elements

The 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 2.143

SN 14.7 Saññānānatta sutta - Diversity Of Perceptions

The 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 2.143

SN 14.8 Nopariyesanānānatta sutta - Not Diversity Of Quests

The 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 2.144–2.145

SN 14.9 Bāhiraphassanānatta sutta - Diversity Of External Contacts

The 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 2.146

SN 14.10 Dutiya bāhiraphassanānattasutta - Diversity Of External Contacts (Second)

The 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 2.147–2.148

Dutiya vagga - The Second Chapter

The second chapter of the Connected Discourses on the Elements, containing discourses 11–22.

SN 14.11 Sattadhātu sutta - Seven Elements

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 2.149–2.150

SN 14.12 Sanidāna sutta - From A Cause

The Buddha explains how thoughts of sensuality, ill will, and harming arise from a cause and how to abandon them.

PTS 2.151–2.152

SN 14.13 Giñjakāvasatha sutta - Brick House

Venerable 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 2.153

SN 14.14 Hīnādhimuttika sutta - With Inferior Disposition

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. Those of an inferior disposition come together and associate with others of similar inferior disposition.

PTS 2.154

SN 14.15 Caṅkamasutta - Walking Back and Forth

The 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 2.155–2.156

SN 14.16 Sagāthā sutta - With Verses

Beings 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 2.157–2.158

SN 14.17 Assaddhasaṁsandana sutta - Faithless

In 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 2.159

SN 14.18 Assaddhamūlaka sutta - Beginning With Faithless

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 2.160–2.161

SN 14.19 Ahirikamūlaka sutta - Beginning With Unashamed

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The unashamed come together and associate with the unashamed; and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

PTS 2.162

SN 14.20 Anottappamūlaka sutta - Beginning With Morally Reckless

Beings 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 2.163

SN 14.21 Appassutamūlaka sutta - Beginning With Little Learning

Beings 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 2.164

SN 14.22 Kusītamūlaka sutta - Beginning With Laziness

Beings come together and associate according to disposition. The lazy come together and associate with the lazy, and other pairs of dispositions are mentioned.

PTS 2.165

Kammapatha vagga - The Chapter on Ways of Performing Deeds

The third chapter of the Connected Discourses on the Elements, containing discourses 23–29.

SN 14.23 Asamāhita sutta - Distracted

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 2.166

SN 14.24 Dussīla sutta - Unprincipled

Beings 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 2.166

SN 14.25 Pañcasikkhāpada sutta - Five Precepts

Beings 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 2.167

SN 14.26 Sattakammapatha sutta - Seven Kinds Of Actions

BBeings 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 2.167

SN 14.27 Dasakammapathasutta - Ten Kinds Of Actions

Beings 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 2.167

SN 14.28 Aṭṭhaṅgika sutta - The Eightfold Path

Beings 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 2.168

SN 14.29 Dasaṅgasutta sutta - The Tenfold Path

Beings 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 2.168

Catuttha vagga - The Fourth Chapter

The fourth chapter of the Connected Discourses on the Elements, containing discourses 30–39.

SN 14.30 Catudhātu sutta - Four Elements

The Buddha describes the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air in brief.

PTS 2.169–2.170

SN 14.31 Pubbesambodha sutta - Before Awakening

Before his awakening, the Buddha reflected on the gratification, drawback, and escape in regard to the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air.

PTS 2.169–2.170

SN 14.32 Acariṁ sutta - Investigation

The 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 2.171

SN 14.33 Nocedaṁ sutta - If There Were No

Beings 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 2.172

SN 14.34 Ekantadukkha sutta - Exclusively Unpleasant

If 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 2.173

SN 14.35 Abhinanda sutta - Delight

Whoever delights in the four great elements, delights in what is subject to suffering, and as a result, is not freed from suffering.

PTS 2.174

SN 14.36 Uppāda sutta - Arising

The 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 2.175

SN 14.37 Samaṇabrāhmaṇa sutta - Ascetics and Brahmins

The 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 2.175

SN 14.38 Dutiya samaṇabrāhmaṇa sutta - Ascetics and Brahmins (Second)

The 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 2.176–2.177

SN 14.39 Tatiya samaṇabrāhmaṇa sutta - Ascetics and Brahmins (Third)

The 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

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