115. Many Sorts of Elements (MN115)

Thus I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this:

“Whatever fears arise, bhikkhus, fools, not wise men, are the cause of them all. Whatever perils arise, fools, not wise men, are the cause of them all. Whatever calamities arise, fools, not wise men, are the cause of them all. Just as a fire that starts in a rush shed or a grass shed burns down even an upper chamber plastered within and without, shut off, secured by bars, and with shuttered windows, so too, bhikkhus, whatever fears arise… fools, not wise men, are the cause of them all. So, bhikkhus, while the fool brings fear the wise man does not; while the fool brings peril the wise man does not; while the fool brings calamity the wise man does not. No fear comes from the wise man; no peril comes from the wise man; no calamity comes from the wise man. Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: ‘We shall be wise men and inquirers.’”

When this was said, the venerable Ānanda. asked the Blessed One:

“In what way, venerable sir, does a bhikkhu become worthy to be called a wise man and an inquirer?”

“When a bhikkhu is skilled in elements, Ānanda, skilled in the bases, skilled in dependent origination, skilled in the possible and impossible, in that way a bhikkhu becomes worthy to be called a wise man and an inquirer.”

Elements

“But venerable sir, in what way does a bhikkhu become skilled in elements?”

“There are these eighteen elements, Ānanda: eye-element, form-element, eye-consciousness-element; ear-element, sound-element, ear-consciousness-element; nose-element, odour-element, nose-consciousness-element; tongue-element, flavour-element, tongue-consciousness-element; body-element, tangible-element, body-consciousness-element; mind-element, dhamma-element, mind-consciousness-element. When once he knows and sees these eighteen elements, in that way he becomes worthy to be called: skilled in elements.”

“But, venerable sir, might there be another way in which a bhikkhu is worthy to be called skilled in elements?”

“There might be, Ānanda. There are these six elements: earth element, water element, fire element, air element, space element and consciousness element. When once he knows and sees these six elements, in that way he becomes worthy to be called skilled in elements.”

“But, venerable sir, might there be another way in which a bhikkhu is worthy to be called skilled in elements?”

“There might be, Ānanda. There are these six elements: bodily-pleasure element, bodily-pain element, mental-joy element, mental-grief element, equanimity element and ignorance element. When once he knows and sees these six elements, in that way he becomes worthy to be called skilled in elements.”

“But, venerable sir, might there be another way in which a bhikkhu is worthy to called skilled in elements?”

“There might be, Ānanda. There are these six elements: sensual desire element, renunciation element, ill-will element, non-ill-will element, cruelty element, non-cruelty element. When once he knows and sees these six elements, in that way he becomes worthy to be called skilled in elements.”

“But, venerable sir, might there be another way in which a bhikkhu is worthy to be called skilled in elements?”

“There might be, Ānanda. There are these three elements: the sensual desire element, the form element and the formless element. When once he knows and sees these three elements, in that way he is worthy to be called skilled, in elements.”

“But, venerable sir, might there be another way in which a bhikkhu is worthy to be called skilled in elements?”

“There might be, Ānanda. There are these two elements: the conditioned element and the unconditioned element. When once he knows and sees these two elements, in that way he is worthy to be called skilled in elements.”

Bases

“But, venerable sir, in what way is a bhikkhu worthy to be called skilled in the bases?”

“There are these six in-oneself external bases, Ānanda: eye and form, ear and sound, nose and odour, tongue and flavour, body and tangible, mind and dhamma. When once he knows and sees these six in-oneself external bases, in that way he is worthy to be called skilled in the bases.”

Dependent Origination

“But, venerable sir, in what way is a bhikkhu worthy to be called skilled in dependent origination?”

“Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu knows thus: ‘That is when this is; that arises with the arising of this. That is not when this is not; that ceases with the cessation of this. That is to say: “It is with ignorance as condition that formations have positive being; with formations as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, the sixfold base; with the sixfold base as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving; with craving as condition, clinging; with clinging as condition, being; with being as condition, birth; it is with birth as condition that ageing and death have positive being, and also sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair: that is how there is an origin to this whole mass of suffering. It is with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance that there is cessation of formations; with the cessation of formations, the cessation of consciousness; with the cessation of consciousness, the cessation of name-and-form; with the cessation of name-and-form, the cessation of the sixfold base; with the cessation of the sixfold base, the cessation of contact; with the cessation of contact, the cessation of feeling; with the cessation of feeling, the cessation of craving; with the cessation of craving, the cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, the cessation of being; with the cessation of being, the cessation of birth; it is with the cessation of birth that ageing and death cease, and also sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair; that is how there is a cessation of this whole mass of suffering.”’ In that way he is worthy to be called skilled in dependent origination.”

The Possible And Impossible

“But, venerable sir, in what way is a bhikkhu worthy to be called skilled in the possible and impossible?”

“Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens, that a person whose view is perfected should treat any formation as permanent—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that an ordinary man should treat any formation as permanent—such a possibility is found.’

“He understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens, that a person whose view is perfected should treat any formation as pleasurable—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that an ordinary man should treat any formation as pleasurable—such a possibility is found.’

“He understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens; that a person whose view is perfected should treat any dhamma as self—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that an ordinary man should treat any dhamma as self—such a possibility is found.’

“He understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens, that a person whose view is perfected should deprive his mother of life—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that an ordinary man should deprive his mother of life—such a possibility is found.’

“… deprive his father of life…

“… deprive an Arahant of life…

“He understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens, that a person whose view is perfected should, with a mind of hate, shed a Tathāgata’s blood—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that an ordinary man should, with a mind of hate, shed a Tathāgata’s blood—such a possibility is found.’

“… should cause a schism in the Sangha…

“… should acknowledge another teacher…

“He understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens, that two Arahants, Fully Enlightened Ones, should arise contemporaneously in one world element—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that one Arahant, Fully Enlightened One should arise in one world element—such a possibility is found.’

“… two Wheel-turning Monarchs should arise…

“He understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens, that an Arahant, Fully Enlightened One should be female—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that an Arahant, Fully Enlightened One should be male—such a possibility is found.’

“… that a Wheel-turning Monarch should be female…

“… that the status of Sakka should be occupied by female…

“… that the status of Māra should be occupied by female…

“… that the status of the (Brāhma) Divinity should be occupied by female…

“He understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens, that a wished-for, desired and agreeable result should come of bad bodily conduct—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that an unwished-for, undesired and disagreeable result should come of bad bodily conduct—such a possibility is found.’

“… of bad verbal conduct…

“… of bad mental conduct…

“He understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens, that an unwished-for, undesired and disagreeable result should come of good bodily conduct—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that a wished-for, desired and agreeable result should come of good bodily conduct—such a possibility is found.’

“… of good verbal conduct…

“… of good mental conduct…

“He understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens, that a man possessed of bad bodily conduct should on that account, for that reason, reappear on the dissolution of the body, after death, in a happy destination, in the heavenly world—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that a man possessed of bad bodily conduct should on that account, for that reason, reappear on the dissolution of the body, after death, in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell—such a possibility is found.’

“… possessed of bad verbal conduct…

“… possessed of bad mental conduct…

“He understands: ‘It is impossible, it never happens, that a person possessed of good bodily conduct should on that account, for that reason, reappear on the dissolution of the body, after death, in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell—no such possibility is found’, and he understands: ‘It is possible that a man possessed of good bodily conduct should on that account, for that reason, reappear on the dissolution of the body, after death, in a happy destination, in the heavenly world—such a possibility is found.’

“… possessed of good verbal conduct…

“… possessed of good mental conduct…

“In that way, Ānanda, he is worthy to be called skilled in the possible and impossible.”

Conclusion

When this was said, the venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One:

“It is wonderful, venerable sir, it is marvellous. What is the name of this discourse on the Dhamma?”

“You may remember this discourse, Ānanda, as ‘The Many Sorts of Elements’ or ‘The Four Cycles’ or ‘The Dhamma’s Looking Glass’ or ‘The Drum of the Deathless’ or ‘The Supreme Victory in Battle.’”

This is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ānanda was satisfied and he delighted in the Blessed One’s words.

This is an excerpt from A Treasury of the Buddha's Words, a collection of suttas from the Majjhima Nikāya translated by Ven. Nyanamoli Thera and edited by Khantipalo Bhikkhu in 1977.

It was printed in Thailand by Mahāmakut Rājavidyālaya Press for free distribution.