Mahārāhulovādasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 62

The Longer Advice to Rāhula · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Katamā ca, rāhula, vāyodhātu?
Vāyodhātu siyā ajjhattikā, siyā bāhirā.
Katamā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā vāyodhātu?
Yaṁ ajjhattaṁ paccattaṁ vāyo vāyogataṁ upādinnaṁ, seyyathidaṁ—
uddhaṅgamā vātā, adhogamā vātā, kucchisayā vātā, koṭṭhāsayā vātā, aṅgamaṅgānusārino vātā, assāso passāso iti, yaṁ vā panaññampi kiñci ajjhattaṁ paccattaṁ vāyo vāyogataṁ upādinnaṁ—
ayaṁ vuccati, rāhula, ajjhattikā vāyodhātu.
Yā ceva kho pana ajjhattikā vāyodhātu yā ca bāhirā vāyodhātu vāyodhāturevesā.
Taṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti—evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.
Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā vāyodhātuyā nibbindati, vāyodhātuyā cittaṁ 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.

Katamā ca, rāhula, ākāsadhātu?
Ākāsadhātu siyā ajjhattikā, siyā bāhirā.
Katamā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā ākāsadhātu?
Yaṁ ajjhattaṁ paccattaṁ ākāsaṁ ākāsagataṁ upādinnaṁ, seyyathidaṁ—
kaṇṇacchiddaṁ nāsacchiddaṁ mukhadvāraṁ, yena ca asitapītakhāyitasāyitaṁ ajjhoharati, yattha ca asitapītakhāyitasāyitaṁ santiṭṭhati, yena ca asitapītakhāyitasāyitaṁ adhobhāgaṁ nikkhamati, yaṁ vā panaññampi kiñci ajjhattaṁ paccattaṁ ākāsaṁ ākāsagataṁ, aghaṁ aghagataṁ, vivaraṁ vivaragataṁ, asamphuṭṭhaṁ, maṁsalohitehi upādinnaṁ—
ayaṁ vuccati, rāhula, ajjhattikā ākāsadhātu.
Yā ceva kho pana ajjhattikā ākāsadhātu yā ca bāhirā ākāsadhātu ākāsadhāturevesā.
Taṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti—evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.
Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā ākāsadhātuyā cittaṁ nibbindati, ākāsadhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.

And what is the space element? The space element may be interior or exterior. And what is the interior space element? Anything internal, personal, that’s space, spacious, and appropriated. This includes: the ear canals, nostrils, and mouth; and the space for swallowing what is eaten and drunk, the space where it stays, and the space for excreting it from the nether regions; or anything else internal, personal, that’s space, spacious, and appropriated. This is called the interior space element. The interior space element and the exterior space element are just the space 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 space element, detaching the mind from the space element.

Pathavīsamaṁ, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi.
Pathavīsamañhi te, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvayato uppannā manāpāmanāpā phassā cittaṁ na pariyādāya ṭhassanti.
Seyyathāpi, rāhula, pathaviyā sucimpi nikkhipanti, asucimpi nikkhipanti, gūthagatampi nikkhipanti, muttagatampi nikkhipanti, kheḷagatampi nikkhipanti, pubbagatampi nikkhipanti, lohitagatampi nikkhipanti, na ca tena pathavī aṭṭīyati vā harāyati vā jigucchati vā;
evameva kho tvaṁ, rāhula, pathavīsamaṁ bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi.
Pathavīsamañhi te, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvayato uppannā manāpāmanāpā phassā cittaṁ na pariyādāya ṭhassanti.

Rāhula, meditate like the earth. For when you meditate like the earth, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Suppose they were to toss both clean and unclean things on the earth, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The earth isn’t horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, meditate like the earth. For when you meditate like the earth, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind.

Āposamaṁ, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi.
Āposamañhi te, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvayato uppannā manāpāmanāpā phassā cittaṁ na pariyādāya ṭhassanti.
Seyyathāpi, rāhula, āpasmiṁ sucimpi dhovanti, asucimpi dhovanti, gūthagatampi dhovanti, muttagatampi dhovanti, kheḷagatampi dhovanti, pubbagatampi dhovanti, lohitagatampi dhovanti, na ca tena āpo aṭṭīyati vā harāyati vā jigucchati vā;
evameva kho tvaṁ, rāhula, āposamaṁ bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi.
Āposamañhi te, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvayato uppannā manāpāmanāpā phassā cittaṁ na pariyādāya ṭhassanti.

Meditate like water. For when you meditate like water, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Suppose they were to wash both clean and unclean things in the water, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The water isn’t horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, meditate like water. For when you meditate like water, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind.

Tejosamaṁ, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi.
Tejosamañhi te, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvayato uppannā manāpāmanāpā phassā cittaṁ na pariyādāya ṭhassanti.
Seyyathāpi, rāhula, tejo sucimpi dahati, asucimpi dahati, gūthagatampi dahati, muttagatampi dahati, kheḷagatampi dahati, pubbagatampi dahati, lohitagatampi dahati, na ca tena tejo aṭṭīyati vā harāyati vā jigucchati vā;
evameva kho tvaṁ, rāhula, tejosamaṁ bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi.
Tejosamañhi te, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvayato uppannā manāpāmanāpā phassā cittaṁ na pariyādāya ṭhassanti.

Meditate like fire. For when you meditate like fire, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Suppose a fire were to burn both clean and unclean things, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The fire isn’t horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, meditate like fire. For when you meditate like fire, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind.

Vāyosamaṁ, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi.
Vāyosamañhi te, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvayato uppannā manāpāmanāpā phassā cittaṁ na pariyādāya ṭhassanti.
Seyyathāpi, rāhula, vāyo sucimpi upavāyati, asucimpi upavāyati, gūthagatampi upavāyati, muttagatampi upavāyati, kheḷagatampi upavāyati, pubbagatampi upavāyati, lohitagatampi upavāyati, na ca tena vāyo aṭṭīyati vā harāyati vā jigucchati vā;
evameva kho tvaṁ, rāhula, vāyosamaṁ bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi.
Vāyosamañhi te, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvayato uppannā manāpāmanāpā phassā cittaṁ na pariyādāya ṭhassanti.

Meditate like wind. For when you meditate like wind, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind. Suppose the wind were to blow on both clean and unclean things, like feces, urine, spit, pus, and blood. The wind isn’t horrified, repelled, and disgusted because of this. In the same way, meditate like the wind. For when you meditate like wind, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind.

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