Pubbesambodhasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi: ‘ko nu kho pathavīdhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ; ko āpodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ; ko tejodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ; ko vāyodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇan’ti?

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?’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘yaṁ kho pathavīdhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ pathavīdhātuyā assādo; yaṁ pathavīdhātu aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṁ pathavīdhātuyā ādīnavo; yo pathavīdhātuyā chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ pathavīdhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ. Yaṁ āpodhātuṁ paṭicca …pe… yaṁ tejodhātuṁ paṭicca …pe… yaṁ vāyodhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ vāyodhātuyā assādo; yaṁ vāyodhātu aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṁ vāyodhātuyā ādīnavo; yo vāyodhātuyā chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ vāyodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ’.

Then it occurred to me: ‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from the earth element: this is its gratification. That the earth element is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. Removing and giving up desire and greed for the earth element: this is its escape. The pleasure and happiness that arise from the water element … The pleasure and happiness that arise from the fire element … The pleasure and happiness that arise from the air element: this is its gratification. That the air element is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. Removing and giving up desire and greed for the air element: this is its escape.’

Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ na abbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṁ.

As long as I didn’t truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.

Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṁ. Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti. Dutiyaṁ.

But when I did truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans. Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”