Dhātuvibhaṅgasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 140

The Analysis of the Elements · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā magadhesu cārikaṁ caramāno yena rājagahaṁ tadavasari;
yena bhaggavo kumbhakāro tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhaggavaṁ kumbhakāraṁ etadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was wandering in the Magadhan lands when he arrived at Rājagaha. He went to see Bhaggava the potter, and said,

“sace te, bhaggava, agaru viharemu āvesane ekarattan”ti.
“Na kho me, bhante, garu.
Atthi cettha pabbajito paṭhamaṁ vāsūpagato.
Sace so anujānāti, viharatha, bhante, yathāsukhan”ti.

“Bhaggava, if it is no trouble, I’d like to spend a single night in your workshop.” “It’s no trouble, sir. But there’s a renunciate already staying there. If he allows it, sir, you may stay as long as you please.”

Tena kho pana samayena pukkusāti nāma kulaputto bhagavantaṁ uddissa saddhāya agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito.
So tasmiṁ kumbhakārāvesane paṭhamaṁ vāsūpagato hoti.
Atha kho bhagavā yenāyasmā pukkusāti tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ pukkusātiṁ etadavoca:
“sace te, bhikkhu, agaru viharemu āvesane ekarattan”ti.
“Urundaṁ, āvuso, kumbhakārāvesanaṁ.
Viharatāyasmā yathāsukhan”ti.

Now at that time a gentleman named Pukkusāti had gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness in the Buddha’s name. And it was he who had first taken up residence in the workshop. Then the Buddha approached Venerable Pukkusāti and said, “Mendicant, if it is no trouble, I’d like to spend a single night in the workshop.” “The potter’s workshop is spacious, reverend. Stay as long as you please.”

Atha kho bhagavā kumbhakārāvesanaṁ pavisitvā ekamantaṁ tiṇasanthārakaṁ paññāpetvā nisīdi pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.
Atha kho bhagavā bahudeva rattiṁ nisajjāya vītināmesi.
Āyasmāpi kho pukkusāti bahudeva rattiṁ nisajjāya vītināmesi.
Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi:
“pāsādikaṁ kho ayaṁ kulaputto iriyati.
Yannūnāhaṁ puccheyyan”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ pukkusātiṁ etadavoca:

Then the Buddha entered the workshop and spread out a grass mat to one side. He sat down cross-legged, set his body straight, and brought mindfulness to the present. He spent much of the night sitting in meditation, and so did Pukkusāti. Then it occurred to the Buddha, “This gentleman’s behavior is impressive. Why don’t I question him?” So the Buddha said to Pukkusāti,

“kaṁsi tvaṁ, bhikkhu, uddissa pabbajito? Ko vā te satthā? Kassa vā tvaṁ dhammaṁ rocesī”ti?
“Atthāvuso, samaṇo gotamo sakyaputto sakyakulā pabbajito.
Taṁ kho pana bhagavantaṁ gotamaṁ evaṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato:
‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.
Tāhaṁ bhagavantaṁ uddissa pabbajito.
So ca me bhagavā satthā.
Tassa cāhaṁ bhagavato dhammaṁ rocemī”ti.
“Kahaṁ pana, bhikkhu, etarahi so bhagavā viharati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho”ti.
“Atthāvuso, uttaresu janapadesu sāvatthi nāma nagaraṁ.
Tattha so bhagavā etarahi viharati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho”ti.
“Diṭṭhapubbo pana te, bhikkhu, so bhagavā;
disvā ca pana jāneyyāsī”ti?
“Na kho me, āvuso, diṭṭhapubbo so bhagavā;
disvā cāhaṁ na jāneyyan”ti.

“In whose name have you gone forth, mendicant? Who is your Teacher? Whose teaching do you believe in?” “Reverend, there is the ascetic Gotama—a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family. He has this good reputation: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ I’ve gone forth in his name. That Blessed One is my Teacher, and I believe in his teaching.” “But mendicant, where is the Blessed One at present, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha?” “In the northern lands there is a city named Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One is now staying, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha.” “But have you ever seen that Buddha? Would you recognize him if you saw him?” “No, I’ve never seen him, and I wouldn’t recognize him if I did.”

Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi:
“mamañca khvāyaṁ kulaputto uddissa pabbajito.
Yannūnassāhaṁ dhammaṁ deseyyan”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ pukkusātiṁ āmantesi:
“dhammaṁ te, bhikkhu, desessāmi.
Taṁ suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Evamāvuso”ti kho āyasmā pukkusāti bhagavato paccassosi.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

Then it occurred to the Buddha, “This gentleman has gone forth in my name. Why don’t I teach him the Dhamma?” So the Buddha said to Pukkusāti, “Mendicant, I shall teach you the Dhamma. Listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, reverend,” replied Pukkusāti. The Buddha said this:

“‘Cha dhāturo ayaṁ, bhikkhu, puriso cha phassāyatano aṭṭhārasa manopavicāro caturādhiṭṭhāno;
yattha ṭhitaṁ maññassavā nappavattanti, maññassave kho pana nappavattamāne muni santoti vuccati.
Paññaṁ nappamajjeyya, saccamanurakkheyya, cāgamanubrūheyya, santimeva so sikkheyyā’ti—
ayamuddeso dhātuvibhaṅgassa.

“‘This person has six elements, six fields of contact, eighteen mental preoccupations, and four foundations. Where they stand, the streams of conceiving do not flow. And where the streams of conceiving do not flow, they are called a sage at peace. Do not neglect wisdom; preserve truth; foster generosity; and train only for peace.’ This is the summary recital for the analysis of the elements.

‘Cha dhāturo ayaṁ, bhikkhu, puriso’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Chayimā, bhikkhu, dhātuyo—
pathavīdhātu, āpodhātu, tejodhātu, vāyodhātu, ākāsadhātu, viññāṇadhātu.
‘Cha dhāturo ayaṁ, bhikkhu, puriso’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘This person has six elements.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? There are these six elements: the elements of earth, water, fire, air, space, and consciousness. ‘This person has six elements.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.

‘Cha phassāyatano ayaṁ, bhikkhu, puriso’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Cakkhusamphassāyatanaṁ, sotasamphassāyatanaṁ, ghānasamphassāyatanaṁ, jivhāsamphassāyatanaṁ, kāyasamphassāyatanaṁ, manosamphassāyatanaṁ.
‘Cha phassāyatano ayaṁ, bhikkhu, puriso’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘This person has six fields of contact.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? The fields of contact of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. ‘This person has six fields of contact.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.

‘Aṭṭhārasa manopavicāro ayaṁ, bhikkhu, puriso’ti—
iti kho panetaṁ vuttaṁ. Kiñcetaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ?
Cakkhunā rūpaṁ disvā somanassaṭṭhāniyaṁ rūpaṁ upavicarati, domanassaṭṭhāniyaṁ rūpaṁ upavicarati, upekkhāṭṭhāniyaṁ rūpaṁ upavicarati;
sotena saddaṁ sutvā …pe…
ghānena gandhaṁ ghāyitvā …
jivhāya rasaṁ sāyitvā …
kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusitvā …
manasā dhammaṁ viññāya somanassaṭṭhāniyaṁ dhammaṁ upavicarati, domanassaṭṭhāniyaṁ dhammaṁ upavicarati, upekkhāṭṭhāniyaṁ dhammaṁ upavicarati—
iti cha somanassupavicārā, cha domanassupavicārā, cha upekkhupavicārā.
‘Aṭṭhārasa manopavicāro ayaṁ, bhikkhu, puriso’ti—
iti yaṁ taṁ vuttaṁ, idametaṁ paṭicca vuttaṁ.

‘This person has eighteen mental preoccupations.’ That’s what I said, but why did I say it? Seeing a sight with their eyes, one is preoccupied with a sight that’s a basis for happiness or sadness or equanimity. Hearing a sound with their ears … Smelling an odor with their nose … Tasting a flavor with their tongue … Encountering a touch with their body … Becoming conscious of an idea with their mind, one is preoccupied with an idea that’s a basis for happiness or sadness or equanimity. So there are six preoccupations with happiness, six preoccupations with sadness, and six preoccupations with equanimity. ‘This person has eighteen mental preoccupations.’ That’s what I said, and this is why I said it.

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