Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 28

Mahāhatthipadopamasutta

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

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

‘alābhā vata me, na vata me lābhā; dulladdhaṁ vata me, na vata me suladdhaṁ, yassa me evaṁ buddhaṁ anussarato evaṁ dhammaṁ anussarato, evaṁ saṅghaṁ anussarato, upekkhā kusalanissitā na saṇṭhātī’ti.
Tassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhuno evaṁ buddhaṁ anussarato, evaṁ dhammaṁ anussarato, evaṁ saṅghaṁ anussarato upekkhā kusalanissitā saṇṭhāti, so tena attamano hoti.
Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno bahukataṁ hoti.

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.

Katamā cāvuso, āpodhātu?
Āpodhātu siyā ajjhattikā, siyā bāhirā.
Katamā cāvuso, ajjhattikā āpodhātu?
Yaṁ ajjhattaṁ paccattaṁ āpo āpogataṁ upādinnaṁ, seyyathidaṁ—
pittaṁ semhaṁ pubbo lohitaṁ sedo medo assu vasā kheḷo siṅghāṇikā lasikā muttaṁ, yaṁ vā panaññampi kiñci ajjhattaṁ paccattaṁ āpo āpogataṁ upādinnaṁ—
ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, ajjhattikā āpodhātu.
Yā ceva kho pana ajjhattikā āpodhātu yā ca bāhirā āpodhātu, āpodhāturevesā.
‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.
Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā āpodhātuyā nibbindati, āpodhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.

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.

Hoti kho so, āvuso, samayo yaṁ bāhirā āpodhātu pakuppati.
Sā gāmampi vahati, nigamampi vahati, nagarampi vahati, janapadampi vahati, janapadapadesampi vahati.
Hoti kho so, āvuso, samayo yaṁ mahāsamudde yojanasatikānipi udakāni ogacchanti, dviyojanasatikānipi udakāni ogacchanti, tiyojanasatikānipi udakāni ogacchanti, catuyojanasatikānipi udakāni ogacchanti, pañcayojanasatikānipi udakāni ogacchanti, chayojanasatikānipi udakāni ogacchanti, sattayojanasatikānipi udakāni ogacchanti.
Hoti kho so, āvuso, samayo yaṁ mahāsamudde sattatālampi udakaṁ saṇṭhāti, chattālampi udakaṁ saṇṭhāti, pañcatālampi udakaṁ saṇṭhāti, catuttālampi udakaṁ saṇṭhāti, titālampi udakaṁ saṇṭhāti, dvitālampi udakaṁ saṇṭhāti, tālamattampi udakaṁ saṇṭhāti.

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.

Kiṁ panimassa mattaṭṭhakassa kāyassa taṇhupādinnassa ‘ahanti vā mamanti vā asmī’ti vā? Atha khvāssa notevettha hoti …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. …

tassa ce, āvuso, bhikkhuno evaṁ buddhaṁ anussarato, evaṁ dhammaṁ anussarato, evaṁ saṅghaṁ anussarato upekkhā kusalanissitā saṇṭhāti. So tena attamano hoti.

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.

Ettāvatāpi kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno bahukataṁ hoti.

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

Katamā cāvuso, tejodhātu?
Tejodhātu siyā ajjhattikā, siyā bāhirā.
Katamā cāvuso, ajjhattikā tejodhātu?
Yaṁ ajjhattaṁ paccattaṁ tejo tejogataṁ upādinnaṁ, seyyathidaṁ—
yena ca santappati, yena ca jīrīyati, yena ca pariḍayhati, yena ca asitapītakhāyitasāyitaṁ sammā pariṇāmaṁ gacchati, yaṁ vā panaññampi kiñci ajjhattaṁ paccattaṁ tejo tejogataṁ upādinnaṁ—
ayaṁ vuccatāvuso, ajjhattikā tejodhātu.
Yā ceva kho pana ajjhattikā tejodhātu yā ca bāhirā tejodhātu, tejodhāturevesā.
‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.
Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā tejodhātuyā nibbindati, tejodhātuyā cittaṁ 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.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version