Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 28

Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

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

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Buddhabhagavā at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ apart·dwellviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa monasteryārāme.
thereTatra indeedkho venerableāyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
reverends“āvuso mendicantsbhikkhave”ti.
reverend“Āvuso”ti indeedkho thosete mendicantsbhikkhū to venerableāyasmato Sāriputtasāriputtassa back·replypaccassosuṁ.
venerableĀyasmā Sāriputtasāriputto this·saidetadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants, “Reverends, mendicants!” “Reverend,” they replied. Sāriputta said this:

just as“Seyyathāpi, friendsāvuso, whateveryāni anykānici of junglejaṅgalānaṁ of creaturespāṇānaṁ foot·bornpadajātāni allsabbāni thosetāni elephant·foothatthipade inclusionsamodhānaṁ they gogacchanti, elephant·foothatthipadaṁ of themtesaṁ is said to be the bestaggamakkhāyati that isyadidaṁ by greatnessmahantattena;
just soevameva indeedkho, friendsāvuso, whateverye anykeci wholesome·ablekusalā qualitiesdhammā all·thesesabbete in fourcatūsu noble·truthariyasaccesu includedsaṅgahaṁ they gogacchanti.
in whichKatamesu four?catūsu?
in sufferingDukkhe in the noble truthariyasacce, suffering·origindukkhasamudaye in the noble truthariyasacce, suffering·cessationdukkhanirodhe in the noble truthariyasacce, suffering·cessation·leadingdukkhanirodhagāminiyā of the practicepaṭipadāya in the noble truthariyasacce.

“The footprints of all creatures that walk can fit inside an elephant’s footprint, so an elephant’s footprint is said to be the biggest of them all. In the same way, all skillful qualities are included in the four noble truths. What four? The noble truths of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.

and what, friendsKatamañcāvuso, sufferingdukkhaṁ noble truthariyasaccaṁ?
rebirth tooJātipi is sufferingdukkhā, old age toojarāpi is sufferingdukkhā, death toomaraṇampi is sufferingdukkhaṁ, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress toosokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsāpi is sufferingdukkhā, what too one wishes foryampicchaṁ notna getslabhati that tootampi is sufferingdukkhaṁ; in briefsaṅkhittena, five grasping aggregatespañcupādānakkhandhā are sufferingdukkhā.
whatKatame and, friendscāvuso, five grasping aggregatespañcupādānakkhandhā?
they are as follows: form grasping aggregateSeyyathidaṁ—rūpupādānakkhandho, feeling grasping aggregatevedanupādānakkhandho, perception grasping aggregatesaññupādānakkhandho, choices grasping aggregatesaṅkhārupādānakkhandho, consciousness grasping aggregateviññāṇupādānakkhandho.

And what is the noble truth of suffering? Rebirth is suffering; old age is suffering; death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress are suffering; not getting what you wish for is suffering. In brief, the five grasping aggregates are suffering. And what are the five grasping aggregates? They are as follows: the grasping aggregates of form, feeling, perception, choices, and consciousness.

whichKatamo and, friend,cāvuso, the grasping aggregate of form?rūpupādānakkhandho?
fourCattāri andca principal states,mahābhūtāni, and of the fourcatunnañca principal statesmahābhūtānaṁ derivedupādāya form.rūpaṁ.

And what is the grasping aggregate of form? The four principal states, and form derived from the four principal states.

whatKatamā and·friendscāvuso, fourcattāro principal·states?mahābhūtā?
earth·elementPathavīdhātu, water·elementāpodhātu, fire·elementtejodhātu, air·elementvāyodhātu.

And what are the four principal states? The elements of earth, water, fire, and air.

which?Katamā and, friend,cāvuso, earth·elementpathavīdhātu?
earth·elementPathavīdhātu may besiyā interiorajjhattikā, may besiyā exteriorbāhirā.
which?Katamā and, friend,cāvuso, interiorajjhattikā earth·elementpathavīdhātu?
whateverYaṁ internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ hard,kakkhaḷaṁ solid,kharigataṁ appropriated,upādinnaṁ, this includes:seyyathidaṁ—
head hair,kesā body hair,lomā nails,nakhā teeth,dantā skin,taco flesh,maṁsaṁ sinews,nhāru bones,aṭṭhi bone marrow,aṭṭhimiñjaṁ kidneys,vakkaṁ heart,hadayaṁ liver,yakanaṁ diaphragm,kilomakaṁ spleen,pihakaṁ lungs,papphāsaṁ intestines,antaṁ mesentery,antaguṇaṁ undigested food,udariyaṁ feces;karīsaṁ, whateveryaṁ orvā and anything elsepanaññampi elsekiñci internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ hard,kakkhaḷaṁ solid,kharigataṁ appropriated.upādinnaṁ.
thisAyaṁ is called,vuccatāvuso, interiorajjhattikā earth·elementpathavīdhātu.
theYā andceva indeedkho andpana interiorajjhattikā earth·elementpathavīdhātu, andyā andca exteriorbāhirā earth·elementpathavīdhātu, earth·element·just·justpathavīdhāturevesā.
“This‘Taṁ is not thisnetaṁ mine,mama, I am not this,nesohamasmi, notna this is mymeso self’—like thisattā’ti—evametaṁ as it really isyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya should be seen.daṭṭhabbaṁ.
like thisEvametaṁ as it really isyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya having seen,disvā earth·elementpathavīdhātuyā grow disillusioned,nibbindati, earth·elementpathavīdhātuyā the mindcittaṁ detaches.virājeti.

And what is the earth element? The earth element may be interior or exterior. And what is the interior earth element? Anything internal, personal, that’s hard, solid, and appropriated. This includes: head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, undigested food, feces; or anything else internal, personal, that’s hard, solid, and appropriated. This is called the interior earth element. The interior earth element and the exterior earth element are just the earth 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 earth element, detaching the mind from the earth element.

comes to beHoti indeedkho thatso, friendāvuso, timesamayo whenyaṁ exteriorbāhirā water·elementāpodhātu forth·stirpakuppati.
vanishedAntarahitā at thattasmiṁ timesamaye exteriorbāhirā earth·elementpathavīdhātu comes to behoti.
of thatTassā forhi indeednāma, friendāvuso, exteriorbāhirāya earth·elementpathavīdhātuyā for alltāva greatmahallikāya impermanenceaniccatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, end·liablekhayadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, vanish·liablevayadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati, perish·liablevipariṇāmadhammatā will be revealedpaññāyissati.
whatKiṁ then of thispanimassa ephemeralmattaṭṭhakassa bodykāyassa craving·appropriatedtaṇhupādinnassa ‘I’‘ahanti orvā ‘mine’mamanti orvā ‘I am’asmī’ti orvā? ratherAtha for him it is notkhvāssa not even herenotevettha comes to behoti.

There comes a time when the exterior water element flares up. At that time the exterior earth element vanishes. So for all its great age, the earth 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, mendicantbhikkhuṁ otherspare toward·abuseakkosanti around·speakparibhāsanti harassrosenti apart·troublevihesenti, heso thusevaṁ forth·knowpajānāti:
arisen‘uppannā indeedkho in meme thisayaṁ ear·contact·bornsotasamphassajā painful·feelingdukkhavedanā.
thatSā andca indeedkho dependentpaṭicca, notno not·dependentapaṭicca.
on whatKiṁ dependentpaṭicca?
on contactPhassaṁ dependentpaṭicca’.
heSo contactphasso impermanent + quotation markeraniccoti seespassati, feelingvedanā impermanent + quotation markeraniccāti seespassati, perceptionsaññā impermanent + quotation markeraniccāti seespassati, choicessaṅkhārā impermanent + quotation markeraniccāti seespassati, consciousnessviññāṇaṁ impermanent + quotation markeraniccanti seespassati.
based on that elementTassa element as object + alonedhātārammaṇameva mindcittaṁ forth·leappakkhandati forth·settlepasīdati together·standsantiṭṭhati upon·releaseadhimuccati.

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.

that·ifTañce, friendāvuso, mendicantbhikkhuṁ otherspare with dislikinganiṭṭhehi with loathingakantehi with detestationamanāpehi toward·to·actsamudācaranti—
fist·striking·alsopāṇisamphassenapi stone·striking·alsoleḍḍusamphassenapi stick·striking·alsodaṇḍasamphassenapi sword·striking·alsosatthasamphassenapi.
heSo thusevaṁ clearly·knowpajānāti:
of such nature‘tathābhūto indeedkho thisayaṁ bodykāyo as·beingyathābhūtasmiṁ bodykāye fist·striking·alsopāṇisamphassāpi strikekamanti, stone·striking·alsoleḍḍusamphassāpi strikekamanti, stick·striking·alsodaṇḍasamphassāpi strikekamanti, sword·striking·alsosatthasamphassāpi strikekamanti.
saidVuttaṁ indeedkho but·thispanetaṁ by the Blessed Onebhagavatā in the Advice on the Simile of the Sawkakacūpamovāde:
with a two-handed saw“ubhatodaṇḍakena if·evencepi, monksbhikkhave, with a sawkakacena banditscorā low-downocarakā limb·limbaṅgamaṅgāni apart·cutokanteyyuṁ, there·alsotatrāpi whoyo mindmano malevolent·corruptpadūseyya notna myme heso on that accounttena instruction·followingsāsanakaro”ti.
up·rousedĀraddhaṁ indeedkho butpana myme energyvīriyaṁ will bebhavissati not·flaggingasallīnaṁ, establishedupaṭṭhitā mindfulnesssati not·confusedasammuṭṭhā, tranquilpassaddho bodykāyo not·disturbedasāraddho, together·immersedsamāhitaṁ mindcittaṁ one·pointedekaggaṁ.
gladlyKāmaṁ nowdāni thisimasmiṁ bodykāye fist·striking·alsopāṇisamphassāpi let strikekamantu, stone·striking·alsoleḍḍusamphassāpi let strikekamantu, stick·striking·alsodaṇḍasamphassāpi let strikekamantu, sword·striking·alsosatthasamphassāpi let strikekamantu, is followedkarīyati for·thishidaṁ of the Buddhasbuddhānaṁ instructionssāsanan’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 malevolent thought 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.’

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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