Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 28

Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

The Longer Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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loss‘alābhā alasvata for meme, notna alasvata for meme gainlābhā; bad·gaindulladdhaṁ alasvata for meme, notna alasvata for meme well gainedsuladdhaṁ, for whomyassa of meme thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ along·rememberanussarato thusevaṁ the Dhammadhammaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ recollectinganussarato, equanimityupekkhā skillful·based onkusalanissitā notna becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhātī’ti.
of himTassa ifce, friendāvuso, for a bhikkhubhikkhuno thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Dhammadhammaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ along·rememberanussarato equanimityupekkhā skillful·based onkusalanissitā becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhāti, heso with thattena happyattamano ishoti.
at this pointEttāvatāpi indeedkho, friendāvuso, by a bhikkhubhikkhuno much has been donebahukataṁ ishoti.

But if, while recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha in this way, equanimity based on the skillful does become stabilized in them, they’re happy with that. At this point, much has been done by that mendicant.

whichKatamā and·friendcāvuso, water·elementāpodhātu?
water·elementĀpodhātu may besiyā interiorajjhattikā, may besiyā exteriorbāhirā.
whichKatamā and·friendcāvuso, interiorajjhattikā water·elementāpodhātu?
whichYaṁ internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ waterāpo water·goneāpogataṁ appropriatedupādinnaṁ, that isseyyathidaṁ—
bilepittaṁ phlegmsemhaṁ puspubbo bloodlohitaṁ sweatsedo fatmedo tearsassu greasevasā salivakheḷo snotsiṅghāṇikā synovial fluidlasikā urinemuttaṁ, whichyaṁ orvā and any otherpanaññampi anythingkiñci internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ waterāpo water·goneāpogataṁ appropriatedupādinnaṁ—
thisayaṁ is called, friendvuccatāvuso, interiorajjhattikā water·elementāpodhātu.
whichYā and·indeedceva indeedkho andpana interiorajjhattikā water·elementāpodhātu whichyā andca exteriorbāhirā water·elementāpodhātu, just the water elementāpodhāturevesā.
this‘Taṁ not·thisnetaṁ minemama, not·this·I·amnesohamasmi, notna my·thismeso selfattā’ti thus·thisevametaṁ as·becomeyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya should be seendaṭṭhabbaṁ.
thus·thisEvametaṁ as·becomeyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya having seendisvā water·elementāpodhātuyā grows disillusionednibbindati, water·elementāpodhātuyā the mindcittaṁ detachesvirājeti.

And what is the water element? The water element may be interior or exterior. And what is the interior water element? Anything internal, personal, that’s water, watery, and appropriated. This includes: bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, snot, synovial fluid, urine; or anything else internal, personal, that’s water, watery, and appropriated. This is called the interior water element. The interior water element and the exterior water element are just the water element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the water element, detaching the mind from the water element.

there isHoti indeedkho thatso, friendāvuso, a timesamayo whenyaṁ exteriorbāhirā water·elementāpodhātu flares uppakuppati.
itSā village·evengāmampi sweeps awayvahati, town·evennigamampi sweeps awayvahati, city·evennagarampi sweeps awayvahati, country·evenjanapadampi sweeps awayvahati, country·region·evenjanapadapadesampi sweeps awayvahati.
there isHoti indeedkho thatso, friendāvuso, a timesamayo whenyaṁ great·oceanmahāsamudde league·hundred·evenyojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, two·league·hundred·evendviyojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, three·league·hundred·eventiyojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, four·league·hundred·evencatuyojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, five·league·hundred·evenpañcayojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, six·league·hundred·evenchayojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, seven·league·hundred·evensattayojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti.
there isHoti indeedkho thatso, friendāvuso, a timesamayo whenyaṁ great·oceanmahāsamudde seven·palm·evensattatālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, even six palm trees deepchattālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, five·palm·evenpañcatālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, even four palm trees deepcatuttālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, three·palm·eventitālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, two·palm·evendvitālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, palm·measure·eventālamattampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti.

There comes a time when the exterior water element flares up. It sweeps away villages, towns, cities, countries, and regions. There comes a time when the water in the ocean sinks down a hundred leagues, or two, three, four, five, six, up to seven hundred leagues. There comes a time when the water in the ocean stands just seven palm trees deep, or six, five, four, three, two, or even just one palm tree deep.

There comes a time when the water in the ocean stands just seven fathoms deep, or six, five, four, three, two, or even just one fathom deep. There comes a time when the water in the ocean stands just half a fathom deep, or waist deep, or knee deep, or even just ankle deep. There comes a time when there’s not even enough water left in the great ocean to wet the tip of the toe. So for all its great age, the water element will be revealed as impermanent, liable to end, vanish, and perish.

whatKiṁ but + thispanimassa ephemeralmattaṭṭhakassa of the bodykāyassa crave + appropriatedtaṇhupādinnassa quotation marker·I‘ahanti orvā ‘mine’mamanti orvā ‘I am’asmī’ti or?vā? thenAtha indeed for themkhvāssa not·for them·indeed + herenotevettha there ishoti ……pe…

What then of this ephemeral body appropriated by craving? Rather than ‘I’ or ‘mine’ or ‘I am’, they consider it to be none of these things. …

for that onetassa ifce, friendāvuso, for the monkbhikkhuno thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ along·together·rememberanussarato equanimityupekkhā skillful·based onkusalanissitā becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhāti. theySo with thattena self·mindattamano ishoti.

If, while recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha in this way, equanimity based on the skillful does become stabilized in them, they’re happy with that.

to this extent·evenEttāvatāpi indeedkho, friendāvuso, by the mendicantbhikkhuno much·donebahukataṁ ishoti.

At this point, much has been done by that mendicant.

which?Katamā and·friendcāvuso, fire·elementtejodhātu?
fire·elementTejodhātu may besiyā interiorajjhattikā, may besiyā exterior.bāhirā.
which?Katamā and·friendcāvuso, interiorajjhattikā fire·elementtejodhātu?
whateverYaṁ internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ firetejo fire·gonetejogataṁ appropriatedupādinnaṁ, that is:seyyathidaṁ—
by whichyena andca it warmssantappati, by whichyena andca it agesjīrīyati, by whichyena andca it burnspariḍayhati, by whichyena andca eaten·drunk·chewed·tastedasitapītakhāyitasāyitaṁ properlysammā around·turningpariṇāmaṁ goes togacchati, whateveryaṁ orvā or anything elsepanaññampi anykiñci internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ firetejo fire·gonetejogataṁ appropriatedupādinnaṁ—
thisayaṁ called·friendvuccatāvuso, interiorajjhattikā fire·elementtejodhātu.
whichYā indeedceva thenkho furtherpana interiorajjhattikā fire·elementtejodhātu whichyā andca exteriorbāhirā fire·elementtejodhātu, just the fire element.tejodhāturevesā.
‘This‘Taṁ is not mine,netaṁ mine,mama, I am not this,nesohamasmi, notna this·thismeso self·quotationattā’ti thus·thisevametaṁ as·trueyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya should be seen.daṭṭhabbaṁ.
thus·thisEvametaṁ as·trueyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya having seendisvā fire·elementtejodhātuyā becomes disenchanted,nibbindati, fire·elementtejodhātuyā the mindcittaṁ detaches.virājeti.

And what is the fire element? The fire element may be interior or exterior. And what is the interior fire element? Anything internal, pertaining to an individual that’s fire, fiery, and appropriated. This includes: that which warms, that which ages, that which heats you up when feverish, that which properly digests food and drink; or anything else internal, personal, that’s fire, fiery, and appropriated. This is called the interior fire element. The interior fire element and the exterior fire element are just the fire element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the fire element, detaching the mind from the fire element.

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