Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthi.
“No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā assādo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi pathavīdhātuyā assādo, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā sārajjanti. No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā ādīnavo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi pathavīdhātuyā ādīnavo, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindanti. No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā nissareyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi pathavīdhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā nissaranti.
“Bhikkhus, if there were no gratification in the earth element, beings would not be infatuated with the earth element. But because there is gratification in the earth element, beings become infatuated with it. If there were no drawback in the earth element, beings would not become disenchanted with the earth element. But because there is drawback in the earth element, beings become disenchanted with it. If there were no escape from the earth element, beings would not escape from it. But because there is an escape from the earth element, beings escape from it.
No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, āpodhātuyā assādo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā āpodhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi āpodhātuyā assādo, tasmā sattā āpodhātuyā sārajjanti. No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, āpodhātuyā ādīnavo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā āpodhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi āpodhātuyā ādīnavo, tasmā sattā āpodhātuyā nibbindanti. No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, āpodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā āpodhātuyā nissareyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi āpodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ, tasmā sattā āpodhātuyā nissaranti.
If there were no gratification in the water element, beings would not be infatuated with the water element. But because there is gratification in the water element, beings become infatuated with it. If there were no drawback in the water element, beings would not become disenchanted with the water element. But because there is drawback in the water element, beings become disenchanted with it. If there were no escape from the water element, beings would not escape from it. But because there is an escape from the water element, beings escape from it.
No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, tejodhātuyā assādo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā tejodhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi tejodhātuyā assādo, tasmā sattā tejodhātuyā sārajjanti. No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, tejodhātuyā ādīnavo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā tejodhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi tejodhātuyā ādīnavo, tasmā sattā tejodhātuyā nibbindanti. No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, tejodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā tejodhātuyā nissareyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, atthi tejodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ, tasmā sattā tejodhātuyā nissaranti.
If there were no gratification in the fire element, beings would not be infatuated with the fire element. But because there is gratification in the fire element, beings become infatuated with it. If there were no drawback in the fire element, beings would not become disenchanted with the fire element. But because there is drawback in the fire element, beings become disenchanted with it. If there were no escape from the fire element, beings would not escape from it. But because there is an escape from the fire element, beings escape from it.
No cedaṁ, bhikkhave, vāyodhātuyā assādo abhavissa, nayidaṁ sattā vāyodhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ. 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.
If there were no gratification in the wind element, beings would not be infatuated with the wind element. But because there is gratification in the wind element, beings become infatuated with it. If there were no drawback in the wind element, beings would not become disenchanted with the wind element. But because there is drawback in the wind element, beings become disenchanted with it. If there were no escape from the wind element, beings would not escape from it. But because there is an escape from the wind element, beings escape from it.
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.
So long, bhikkhus, as beings have not experientially understood, as they truly are, the gratification as gratification, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape with regard to these four elements, they have not escaped from this world with its deities, Māras, Brahmas, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners; nor are they disentangled from it, nor fully released from it, nor do they dwell with a mind rid of barriers.
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, bhikkhus, when beings have experientially understood, as they truly are, the gratification as gratification, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape with regard to these four elements, then, bhikkhus, they have escaped from this world with its deities, Māras, Brahmas, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners; they are disentangled from it, fully released from it, and they dwell with a mind rid of barriers.”