Rāhulasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.177

Numbered Discourses 4.177

18. Sañcetaniyavagga

18. Intention

Rāhulasutta

With Rāhula

Atha kho āyasmā rāhulo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ rāhulaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

Then Venerable Rāhula went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā pathavīdhātu yā ca bāhirā pathavīdhātu, pathavīdhāturevesā.

“Rāhula, the interior earth element and the exterior earth element are just the earth element.

‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindati, pathavīdhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.

When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the earth element, detaching the mind from the earth element.

Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā āpodhātu yā ca bāhirā āpodhātu, āpodhāturevesā.

The interior water element and the exterior water element are just the water element.

‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā āpodhātuyā nibbindati, āpodhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.

When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the water element, detaching the mind from the water element.

Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā tejodhātu yā ca bāhirā tejodhātu, tejodhāturevesā.

The interior fire element and the exterior fire element are just the fire element.

‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā tejodhātuyā nibbindati, tejodhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.

When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the fire element, detaching the mind from the fire element.

Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā vāyodhātu yā ca bāhirā vāyodhātu, vāyodhāturevesā.

The interior air element and the exterior air element are just the air element.

‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ.

This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’

Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā vāyodhātuyā nibbindati, vāyodhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.

When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the air element, detaching the mind from the air element.

Yato kho, rāhula, bhikkhu imāsu catūsu dhātūsu nevattānaṁ na attaniyaṁ samanupassati, ayaṁ vuccati, rāhula, bhikkhu acchecchi taṇhaṁ, vivattayi saṁyojanaṁ, sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassā”ti.

When a mendicant sees these four elements as neither self nor belonging to self, they’re called a mendicant who has cut off craving, cast off the fetters, and by rightly comprehending conceit has made an end of suffering.”

Sattamaṁ.