Dutiyavalāhakasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.102

Numbered Discourses 4.102

11. Valāhakavagga

11. Clouds

Dutiyavalāhakasutta

Clouds (2nd)

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, valāhakā.

“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of clouds.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Gajjitā no vassitā,

One thunders but doesn’t rain,

vassitā no gajjitā,

one rains but doesn’t thunder,

neva gajjitā no vassitā,

one neither thunders nor rains, and

gajjitā ca vassitā ca.

one both rains and thunders.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakā.

These are the four kinds of clouds.

Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.

In the same way, these four individuals similar to clouds are found in the world.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Gajjitā no vassitā,

One thunders but doesn’t rain,

vassitā no gajjitā,

one rains but doesn’t thunder,

neva gajjitā no vassitā,

one neither thunders nor rains, and

gajjitā ca vassitā ca.

one both rains and thunders.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti, no vassitā?

And how does an individual thunder but not rain?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—

It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching—

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

statements, mixed prose & verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

But they don’t truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti, no vassitā.

That’s how an individual thunders but doesn’t rain.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako gajjitā, no vassitā;

That individual is like a cloud that thunders but doesn’t rain, I say.

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vassitā hoti, no gajjitā?

And how does an individual rain but not thunder?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti—

It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching …

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

But they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo vassitā hoti, no gajjitā.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako vassitā, no gajjitā;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gajjitā hoti, no vassitā?

And how does an individual neither thunder nor rain?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo neva dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—

It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching …

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti.

Nor do they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gajjitā hoti, no vassitā.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako neva gajjitā, no vassitā;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā ca hoti vassitā ca?

And how does an individual both thunder and rain?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—

It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching …

suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ.

So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

And they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā ca hoti vassitā ca.

Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako gajjitā ca vassitā ca;

tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

These four individuals similar to clouds are found in the world.”

Dutiyaṁ.