#4. The Fourth Chapter

One who does not understand the four material elements is no true ascetic.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, there are these four elements. What four? The elements of earth, water, fire, and air. There are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are. I don’t regard them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight. [Read More]

The arising of the material elements is the arising of suffering.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, the arising, continuation, rebirth, and manifestation of the earth element is the arising of suffering, the continuation of diseases, and the manifestation of old age and death. The arising, continuation, rebirth, and manifestation of the water element … The arising, continuation, rebirth, and manifestation of the fire element … The arising, continuation, rebirth, and manifestation of the air element is the arising of suffering, the continuation of diseases, and the manifestation of old age and death. [Read More]

When you seek pleasure in the material elements, you seek pleasure in suffering.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, if you take pleasure in the earth element, you take pleasure in suffering. If you take pleasure in suffering, I say you’re not exempt from suffering. If you take pleasure in the water element … If you take pleasure in the fire element … If you take pleasure in the air element, you take pleasure in suffering. [Read More]

If the material elements were solely painful, beings would not get attached. If they were solely pleasurable, it would be impossible to become detached. At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, if the earth element were exclusively painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t love it. But because the earth element is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings do love it. If the water element … If the fire element … If the air element … If the earth element were exclusively pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. [Read More]

Each of the three aspects of the four material elements performs its own function. Gratification stimulates desire; drawbacks lead to disillusionment, while escape opens the possibility of freedom.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, if there were no gratification in the earth element, sentient beings wouldn’t love it. But because there is gratification in the earth element, sentient beings do love it. If the earth element had no drawback, sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. [Read More]

The Buddha set out to discover the gratification, the drawback, and the escape in the four material elements, and found it.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I went in search of the earth element’s gratification, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of gratification in the earth element. I went in search of the earth element’s drawback, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the drawback in the earth element. [Read More]

Before his awakening the Buddha saw the gratification, the drawback, and the escape in the four material elements.At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought: ‘What’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to the earth element … the water element … the fire element … and the air element?’ Then it occurred to me: ‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from the earth element: this is its gratification. [Read More]