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Majjhima Nikāya 28

Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

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

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there isHoti indeedkho aso, friendāvuso, timesamayo whenyaṁ exteriorbāhirā fire·elementtejodhātu flares uppakuppati.
itSā village toogāmampi burns updahati, town toonigamampi burns updahati, city toonagarampi burns updahati, country toojanapadampi burns updahati, region toojanapadapadesampi burns updahati.
itSā a green fieldharitantaṁ orvā a roadsidepanthantaṁ orvā a cliff's edgeselantaṁ orvā a body of waterudakantaṁ orvā cleared parklandramaṇīyaṁ orvā ground·regionbhūmibhāgaṁ reachingāgamma not·foodanāhārā is extinguishednibbāyati.
there isHoti indeedkho aso, friendāvuso, timesamayo whenyaṁ with just a chicken featherkukkuṭapattenapi sinew·scrapnhārudaddulenapi fireaggiṁ they go looking forgavesanti.
for all itsTassā indeedhi trulynāma, friendāvuso, exteriorbāhirāya fire·elementtejodhātuyā for all itstāva great agemahallikāya impermanenceaniccatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, ending·naturekhayadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, vanishing·naturevayadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, change·naturevipariṇāmadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati.
what thenKiṁ of thispanimassa ephemeralmattaṭṭhakassa bodykāyassa appropriated by cravingtaṇhupādinnassa 'I'‘ahanti orvā 'mine'mamanti orvā 'I am'asmī’ti orvā?

There comes a time when the exterior fire element flares up. It burns up villages, towns, cities, countries, and regions until it reaches a green field, a roadside, a cliff’s edge, a body of water, or cleared parkland, where it’s extinguished due to not being fed. There comes a time when they go looking for a fire, taking just a chicken feather or a scrap of sinew as kindling. So for all its great age, the fire element will be revealed as impermanent, liable to end, vanish, and perish. 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. …

thenAtha and to himkhvāssa not herenotevettha it ishoti ……pe… for himtassa ifce, friendāvuso, for a mendicantbhikkhuno thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ recollectinganussarato thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ recollectinganussarato thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ recollectinganussarato equanimityupekkhā based on the skillfulkusalanissitā becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhāti, heso with thattena happyattamano ishoti.
at this point tooEttāvatāpi indeedkho, friendāvuso, by a mendicantbhikkhuno muchbahukataṁ is donehoti.

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, friend,cāvuso, air·element?vāyodhātu?
air·elementVāyodhātu may besiyā interiorajjhattikā, may besiyā exterior.bāhirā.
whichKatamā and, friend,cāvuso, interiorajjhattikā air·element?vāyodhātu?
whateverYaṁ internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ airvāyo air·gonevāyogataṁ appropriated,upādinnaṁ, that is:seyyathidaṁ—
going upuddhaṅgamā winds,vātā, down·goingadhogamā winds,vātā, belly·lyingkucchisayā winds,vātā, in the bowelskoṭṭhāsayā winds,vātā, flowing through the limbsaṅgamaṅgānusārino winds,vātā, in-breathassāso out-breathpassāso thus,iti, whateveryaṁ orvā also anything elsepanaññampi anythingkiñci internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ airvāyo air·gonevāyogataṁ appropriated—upādinnaṁ—
thisayaṁ is called, friend,vuccatāvuso, interiorajjhattikā air·element.vāyodhātu.
whichYā and indeedceva indeedkho andpana interiorajjhattikā air·element,vāyodhātu, whichyā andca exteriorbāhirā air·element,vāyodhātu, is just the air element.vāyodhāturevesā.
‘This‘Taṁ is not this:netaṁ minemama this I am notnesohamasmi notna this mymeso self’attā’ti thus thisevametaṁ as·trulyyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya should be seen.daṭṭhabbaṁ.
Thus thisEvametaṁ as·trulyyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya having seendisvā air·elementvāyodhātuyā grows disillusionednibbindati air·elementvāyodhātuyā the mindcittaṁ detaches.virājeti.

And what is the air element? The air element may be interior or exterior. And what is the interior air element? Anything internal, personal, that’s air, airy, and appropriated. This includes: winds that go up or down, winds in the belly or the bowels, winds that flow through the limbs, in-breaths and out-breaths; or anything else internal, personal, that’s air, airy, and appropriated. This is called the interior air element. The interior air element and the exterior air element are just the air 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 air element, detaching the mind from the air element.

there isHoti indeedkho thatso, friendāvuso, a timesamayo whenyaṁ the exteriorbāhirā air·elementvāyodhātu flares uppakuppati.
itSā village·toogāmampi sweeps awayvahati, town·toonigamampi sweeps awayvahati, city·toonagarampi sweeps awayvahati, country·toojanapadampi sweeps awayvahati, country·district·toojanapadapadesampi sweeps awayvahati.
there isHoti indeedkho thatso, friendāvuso, a timesamayo whenyaṁ of summergimhānaṁ in the lastpacchime monthmāse palm-leaf·tootālavaṇṭenapi fan·toovidhūpanenapi windvātaṁ they look forpariyesanti, drip-fringe·evenossavanepi grassestiṇāni notna they desireicchanti.
of thatTassā forhi indeednāma, friendāvuso, exteriorbāhirāya air·elementvāyodhātuyā so muchtāva of great agemahallikāya impermanenceaniccatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, ending·liabilitykhayadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, vanishing·liabilityvayadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, change·liabilityvipariṇāmadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati.
whatKiṁ then of thispanimassa ephemeralmattaṭṭhakassa bodykāyassa appropriated by cravingtaṇhupādinnassa 'I'‘ahanti orvā 'mine'mamanti orvā be·quoteasmī’ti orvā? ratherAtha for them herekhvāssa not·only·herenotevettha there ishoti.

There comes a time when the exterior air element flares up. It sweeps away villages, towns, cities, countries, and regions. There comes a time, in the last month of summer, when they look for wind by using a palm-leaf or fan, and even the grasses in the drip-fringe of a thatch roof don’t stir. So for all its great age, the air element will be revealed as impermanent, liable to end, vanish, and perish. 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.

that + ifTañce, friendāvuso, that mendicantbhikkhuṁ otherspare abuseakkosanti around·speakparibhāsanti harassrosenti apart·troublevihesenti.
heSo thusevaṁ forth·knowpajānāti, has arisenuppannā indeedkho in meme thisayaṁ ear·contact·bornsotasamphassajā painfuldukkhā feelingvedanā.
thatSā andca indeedkho dependentpaṭicca, notno not·dependentapaṭicca.
on whatKiṁ dependentpaṭicca?
on contactPhassaṁ dependentpaṭicca.
that + andSopi contactphasso impermanentaniccoti seespassati, feelingvedanā impermanentaniccāti seespassati, perceptionsaññā impermanentaniccāti seespassati, choicessaṅkhārā impermanentaniccāti seespassati, consciousnessviññāṇaṁ impermanentaniccanti seespassati.
based on thatTassa element as object + alonedhātārammaṇameva mindcittaṁ forth·leappakkhandati gains confidencepasīdati together·standsantiṭṭhati becomes decidedadhimuccati.

If others abuse, attack, harass, and trouble that mendicant, they understand: ‘This painful feeling born of ear contact has arisen in me. That’s dependent, not independent. Dependent on what? Dependent on contact.’ They see that contact, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness are impermanent. Based on that element alone, their mind leaps forth, gains confidence, settles down, and becomes decided.

and if thatTañce, friendsāvuso, mendicantbhikkhuṁ otherspare with dislikinganiṭṭhehi with loathingakantehi with detestationamanāpehi they treatsamudācaranti, fist·contact·alsopāṇisamphassenapi stone·contact·alsoleḍḍusamphassenapi stick·contact·alsodaṇḍasamphassenapi with swordssatthasamphassenapi.
heSo thusevaṁ forth·knowpajānāti such being‘tathābhūto indeedkho thisayaṁ bodykāyo as it has becomeyathābhūtasmiṁ in the bodykāye fist·contact·alsopāṇisamphassāpi they strikekamanti, stone·contact·alsoleḍḍusamphassāpi they strikekamanti, stick·contact·alsodaṇḍasamphassāpi they strikekamanti, sword·contact·alsosatthasamphassāpi they strikekamanti.
saidVuttaṁ indeedkho and thispanetaṁ by the Blessed Onebhagavatā in the Advice on the Simile of the Sawkakacūpamovāde with a two-handed saw“ubhatodaṇḍakena even ifcepi, monksbhikkhave, with a sawkakacena thievescorā low-down banditsocarakā limb from limbaṅgamaṅgāni were to severokanteyyuṁ. there tooTatrāpi whoyo mindmano would arouse hatepadūseyya, notna myme heso on that accounttena following my instructionssāsanakaro”ti.
roused upĀraddhaṁ indeedkho andpana myme energyvīriyaṁ shall bebhavissati unflaggingasallīnaṁ, establishedupaṭṭhitā mindfulnesssati lucidasammuṭṭhā, tranquilpassaddho bodykāyo undisturbedasāraddho, immersedsamāhitaṁ mindcittaṁ unifiedekaggaṁ.
gladlyKāmaṁ nowdāni in thisimasmiṁ bodykāye fist·contact·alsopāṇisamphassāpi let them strikekamantu, stone·contact·alsoleḍḍusamphassāpi let them strikekamantu, stick·contact·alsodaṇḍasamphassāpi let them strikekamantu, sword·contact·alsosatthasamphassāpi let them strikekamantu. is doneKarīyati thishidaṁ of the Buddhasbuddhānaṁ the instructionsāsanan’ti.

Others might treat that mendicant with disliking, loathing, and detestation, striking them with fists, stones, sticks, and swords. They understand: ‘This body is such that fists, stones, sticks, and swords strike it. But the Buddha has said in the Advice on the Simile of the Saw: “Even if low-down bandits were to sever you limb from limb with a two-handed saw, anyone who had a thought of hate on that account would not be following my instructions.” My energy shall be roused up and unflagging, my mindfulness established and lucid, my body tranquil and undisturbed, and my mind immersed and unified in samādhi. Gladly now, let fists, stones, sticks, and swords strike this body! For this is how the instructions of the Buddhas are followed.’

for himTassa ifce, friendāvuso, for a mendicantbhikkhuno thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ while recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ while recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ along·rememberanussarato equanimityupekkhā skillful·basedkusalanissitā notna becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhāti.
heSo with thattena together·knowsaṁvijjati together·urgesaṁvegaṁ experiencesāpajjati:
loss‘alābhā indeedvata for meme, notna indeedvata for meme gainlābhā; bad·obtaineddulladdhaṁ indeedvata for meme, notna indeedvata for meme well obtainedsuladdhaṁ.
for whomYassa for meme thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ while recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ while recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ along·rememberanussarato equanimityupekkhā skillful·basedkusalanissitā notna becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhātī’ti.
just asSeyyathāpi, friendāvuso, a daughter-in-lawsuṇisā father-in-lawsasuraṁ having seendisvā together·knowsaṁvijjati together·urgesaṁvegaṁ experiencesāpajjati;
just·sameevameva indeedkho, friendāvuso, for himtassa ifce for a mendicantbhikkhuno thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ while recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ while recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ while recollectinganussarato, equanimityupekkhā skillful·basedkusalanissitā notna becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhāti.
heSo with thattena together·knowsaṁvijjati together·urgesaṁvegaṁ experiencesāpajjati:
loss‘alābhā indeedvata for meme, notna indeedvata for meme gainlābhā; bad·obtaineddulladdhaṁ indeedvata for meme, notna indeedvata for meme well obtainedsuladdhaṁ.

While recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha in this way, equanimity based on the skillful may not become stabilized in them. In that case they stir up a sense of urgency: ‘It’s my loss, my misfortune, that while recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha in this way, equanimity based on the skillful does not become stabilized in me.’ They’re like a daughter-in-law who stirs up a sense of urgency when they see their father-in-law.

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