The Buddha teaches that desire and greed for the earth, water, fire, air, space, and consciousness elements is a corruption of the mind that must be abandoned so the mind inclines to renunciation and becomes fit for realizing anything attainable by insight.
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
“Yo, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā chandarāgo, cittasseso upakkileso. Yo āpodhātuyā … yo tejodhātuyā … yo vāyodhātuyā … yo ākāsadhātuyā … yo viññāṇadhātuyā chandarāgo, cittasseso upakkileso. Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno imesu chasu ṭhānesu cetaso upakkileso pahīno hoti, nekkhammaninnañcassa cittaṁ hoti. Nekkhammaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ kammaniyaṁ khāyati, abhiññā sacchikaraṇīyesu dhammesū”ti.
Navamaṁ.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
“Yo, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātuyā chandarāgo, cittasseso upakkileso.
“Mendicants, desire and greed for the earth element,
Yo āpodhātuyā …
the water element,
yo tejodhātuyā …
the fire element,
yo vāyodhātuyā …
the air element,
yo ākāsadhātuyā …
the space element,
yo viññāṇadhātuyā chandarāgo, cittasseso upakkileso.
or the consciousness element is a corruption of the mind. …”
Yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno imesu chasu ṭhānesu cetaso upakkileso pahīno hoti, nekkhammaninnañcassa cittaṁ hoti.
Nekkhammaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ kammaniyaṁ khāyati, abhiññā sacchikaraṇīyesu dhammesū”ti.
Navamaṁ.
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Last updated on July 27, 2026