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.

loss‘alābhā alasvata for meme, notna alasvata for meme gainlābhā; badly gaineddulladdhaṁ alasvata for meme, notna alasvata for meme well gainedsuladdhaṁ, for whomyassa of meme thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ recollectinganussarato thusevaṁ the Dhammadhammaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ recollectinganussarato, equanimityupekkhā based on the skillfulkusalanissitā notna becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhātī’ti.
of himTassa ifce, friendāvuso, for a bhikkhubhikkhuno thusevaṁ the Buddhabuddhaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Dhammadhammaṁ recollectinganussarato, thusevaṁ the Saṅghasaṅghaṁ recollectinganussarato equanimityupekkhā based on the skillfulkusalanissitā 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.

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 even a villagegāmampi sweeps awayvahati, even a townnigamampi sweeps awayvahati, even a citynagarampi sweeps awayvahati, even a countryjanapadampi sweeps awayvahati, even a regionjanapadapadesampi sweeps awayvahati.
there isHoti indeedkho thatso, friendāvuso, a timesamayo whenyaṁ in the oceanmahāsamudde even a hundred leaguesyojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, even two hundred leaguesdviyojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, even three hundred leaguestiyojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, even four hundred leaguescatuyojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, even five hundred leaguespañcayojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, even six hundred leagueschayojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti, even seven hundred leaguessattayojanasatikānipi watersudakāni sink downogacchanti.
there isHoti indeedkho thatso, friendāvuso, a timesamayo whenyaṁ in the oceanmahāsamudde even seven palm trees deepsattatālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, even six palm trees deepchattālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, even five palm trees deeppañcatālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, even four palm trees deepcatuttālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, even three palm trees deeptitālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, even two palm trees deepdvitālampi waterudakaṁ standssaṇṭhāti, even one palm tree deeptālamattampi 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 of thispanimassa ephemeralmattaṭṭhakassa of the bodykāyassa appropriated by cravingtaṇhupādinnassa ‘I’‘ahanti orvā ‘mine’mamanti orvā ‘I am’asmī’ti or?vā? thenAtha indeed for themkhvāssa not even 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 recollectinganussarato equanimityupekkhā based on the skillfulkusalanissitā becomes stabilizedsaṇṭhāti. theySo with thattena happyattamano 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.

even to this extentEttāvatāpi indeedkho, friendāvuso, by the mendicantbhikkhuno muchbahukataṁ ishoti.

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

which?Katamā and, friend,cāvuso, fire element?tejodhātu?
fire elementTejodhātu may besiyā interiorajjhattikā, may besiyā exterior.bāhirā.
which?Katamā and, friend,cāvuso, interiorajjhattikā fire element?tejodhātu?
whateverYaṁ internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ firetejo fierytejogataṁ appropriatedupādinnaṁ, that is:seyyathidaṁ—
by whichyena andca it warmssantappati, by whichyena andca it agesjīrīyati, by whichyena andca it burnspariḍayhati, by whichyena andca what is eaten, drunk, chewed, and tastedasitapītakhāyitasāyitaṁ properlysammā digestionpariṇāmaṁ goes togacchati, whateveryaṁ orvā or anything elsepanaññampi anykiñci internalajjhattaṁ personalpaccattaṁ firetejo fierytejogataṁ appropriatedupādinnaṁ—
thisayaṁ is called, friend,vuccatāvuso, interiorajjhattikā fire element.tejodhātu.
whichYā indeedceva thenkho furtherpana interiorajjhattikā fire elementtejodhātu whichyā andca exteriorbāhirā fire element,tejodhātu, just the fire element.tejodhāturevesā.
‘This‘Taṁ is not mine,netaṁ mine,mama, I am not this,nesohamasmi, notna this ismeso my self’attā’ti thus thisevametaṁ trulyyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya should be seen.daṭṭhabbaṁ.
Thus thisEvametaṁ trulyyathābhūtaṁ with right understandingsammappaññāya having seendisvā with the fire elementtejodhātuyā becomes disenchanted,nibbindati, with the 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.

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