8.
The Greater Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant's Footprint
300. Thus have I heard - On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's park. There the Venerable Sāriputta addressed the monks: "Friends, monks!" "Friend," those monks assented to the Venerable Sāriputta. The Venerable Sāriputta said this - "Just as, friends, whatever kinds of footprints there are of living beings that walk on the ground, all of them are included in the elephant's footprint, the elephant's footprint is declared the foremost among them, that is to say, in terms of its greatness; just so, friends, whatever wholesome mental states there are, all of them are included in the four noble truths. In which four? In the noble truth of suffering, in the noble truth of the origin of suffering, in the noble truth of the cessation of suffering, in the noble truth of the practice leading to the cessation of suffering."
301. "And what, friends, is the noble truth of suffering? Birth is suffering, ageing is suffering, death is suffering, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, displeasure and anguish are suffering, not getting what one wishes for is also suffering; in brief, the five aggregates of clinging are suffering. And what, friends, are the five aggregates of clinging? That is: the aggregate of clinging to matter, the aggregate of clinging to feeling, the aggregate of clinging to perception, the aggregate of clinging to activities, the aggregate of clinging to consciousness.
"And what, friends, is the aggregate of clinging to matter? The four primary elements and the materiality derived from the four primary elements.
"And what, friends, are the four primary elements? The solid element, the liquid element, the heat element, the air element.
302. "And what, friends, is the solid element? The solid element may be internal, may be external. And what, friends, is the internal solid element? Whatever internally, individually, is hard, solidified, grasped, as follows - head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, undigested food, excrement, or whatever else internally, individually, is hard, solidified, grasped. This is called, friends, the internal solid element. Now both the internal solid element and the external solid element are just the solid element. 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Having seen this as it really is with right wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the solid element, one makes the mind dispassionate towards the solid element.
"There comes a time, friends, when the external liquid element becomes agitated. At that time the external solid element disappears. For that external solid element, friends, so great, impermanence will become known, the nature of destruction will become known, the nature of fall will become known, the nature of change will become known. What then of this body lasting for a moment, grasped by craving, as 'I' or 'mine' or 'I am'? For him there is simply nothing of that here.
"If, friends, others revile, abuse, irritate, and harass that monk, he thus understands - 'This unpleasant feeling born of ear-contact has arisen in me. And that is dependent, not independent. Dependent on what? Dependent on contact.' He sees that contact is impermanent, he sees that feeling is impermanent, he sees that perception is impermanent, he sees that activities are impermanent, he sees that consciousness is impermanent. His mind, with the element as its object, springs forward, becomes clear, becomes settled, becomes resolved.
"If, friends, others behave towards that monk with what is undesirable, unpleasant, disagreeable - with contact of hands, with contact of clods, with contact of sticks, with contact of knives. He thus understands: 'This body is of such a nature that in this body of such a nature, contacts of hands occur, contacts of clods occur, contacts of sticks occur, contacts of knives occur. But this was said by the Blessed One in the Simile of the Saw discourse - "Even if, monks, thieves of low behaviour were to cut off your limbs one by one with a two-handled saw, whoever would defile his mind on that account, he is not one who follows my teaching." My energy will be aroused and unsluggish, mindfulness will be established and unconfused, the body will be calm and not excited, the mind will be concentrated and fully focused. Now let contacts of hands occur on this body, let contacts of clods occur, let contacts of sticks occur, let contacts of knives occur, for this is how the teaching of the Buddhas is practised.'
"If, friends, for that monk thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome does not become established. He is stirred by that, he becomes anxious - 'It is a loss for me indeed, it is not a gain for me indeed, it is ill-gained for me indeed, it is not well-gained for me indeed, that for me thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome does not become established.' Just as, friends, a daughter-in-law, having seen her father-in-law, is stirred, becomes anxious; just so, friends, if for that monk thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome does not become established, he is stirred by that, he becomes anxious - 'It is a loss for me indeed, it is not a gain for me indeed, it is ill-gained for me indeed, it is not well-gained for me indeed, that for me thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome does not become established.' If, friends, for that monk thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome becomes established, he is delighted by that. To this extent too, friends, much has been accomplished by a monk.
303. "And what, friends, is the liquid element? The liquid element may be internal, may be external. And what, friends, is the internal liquid element? Whatever internally, individually, is liquid, having the nature of liquid, grasped, as follows - bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spittle, snot, synovic fluid, urine, or whatever else internally, individually, is liquid, having the nature of liquid, grasped - this is called, friends, the internal liquid element. Now both the internal liquid element and the external liquid element are just the liquid element. 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Having seen this as it really is with right wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the liquid element, one makes the mind dispassionate towards the liquid element.
"There comes a time, friends, when the external liquid element becomes agitated. It carries away villages, carries away towns, carries away cities, carries away countries, carries away regions of countries. There comes a time, friends, when in the great ocean the waters recede one hundred yojanas, the waters recede two hundred yojanas, the waters recede three hundred yojanas, the waters recede four hundred yojanas, the waters recede five hundred yojanas, the waters recede six hundred yojanas, the waters recede seven hundred yojanas. There comes a time, friends, when in the great ocean the water stands at seven palm-tree depths, the water stands at six palm-tree depths, the water stands at five palm-tree depths, the water stands at four palm-tree depths, the water stands at three palm-tree depths, the water stands at two palm-tree depths, the water stands at one palm-tree depth. There comes a time, friends, when in the great ocean the water stands at seven man-heights, the water stands at six man-heights, the water stands at five man-heights, the water stands at four man-heights, the water stands at three man-heights, the water stands at two man-heights, the water stands at one man-height. There comes a time, friends, when in the great ocean the water stands at half a man-height, the water stands at waist-depth, the water stands at knee-depth, the water stands at ankle-depth. There comes a time, friends, when in the great ocean there is not even enough water to wet a finger-joint. For that external liquid element, friends, so great, impermanence will become known, the nature of destruction will become known, the nature of fall will become known, the nature of change will become known. What then of this body lasting for a moment, grasped by craving, as 'I' or 'mine' or 'I am'? For him there is simply nothing of that here. Etc. If, friends, for that monk thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome becomes established. He is delighted by that. To this extent too, friends, much has been accomplished by a monk.
304. "And what, friends, is the heat element? The heat element may be internal, may be external. And what, friends, is the internal heat element? Whatever internally, individually, is heat, having the nature of heat, grasped, as follows - that by which one is warmed, that by which one ages, that by which one is consumed, that by which what is eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted is properly digested, or whatever else internally, individually, is heat, having the nature of heat, grasped - this is called, friends, the internal heat element. Now both the internal heat element and the external heat element are just the heat element. 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Having seen this as it really is with right wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the heat element, one makes the mind dispassionate towards the heat element.
"There comes a time, friends, when the external heat element becomes agitated. It burns villages, burns towns, burns cities, burns countries, burns regions of countries. It comes to the edge of green vegetation, or the edge of a road, or the edge of a rock, or the edge of water, or a delightful piece of land, and being without fuel, it is extinguished. There comes a time, friends, when they seek fire even with a cock's feather or with strips of sinew. For that external heat element, friends, so great, impermanence will become known, the nature of destruction will become known, the nature of fall will become known, the nature of change will become known. What then of this body lasting for a moment, grasped by craving, as 'I' or 'mine' or 'I am'? For him there is simply nothing of that here. Etc. If, friends, for that monk thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome becomes established, he is delighted by that. To this extent too, friends, much has been accomplished by a monk.
305. "And what, friends, is the air element? The air element may be internal, may be external. And what, friends, is the internal air element? Whatever internally, individually, is air, having the nature of air, grasped, as follows - upward-moving winds, downward-moving winds, winds in the belly, winds in the abdomen, winds that course through the limbs, in-breath and out-breath, or whatever else internally, individually, is air, having the nature of air, grasped - this is called, friends, the internal air element. Now both the internal air element and the external air element are just the air element. 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' - thus this should be seen as it really is with right wisdom. Having seen this as it really is with right wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the air element, one makes the mind dispassionate towards the air element.
"There comes a time, friends, when the external air element becomes agitated. It carries away villages, carries away towns, carries away cities, carries away countries, carries away regions of countries. There comes a time, friends, when in the last month of summer they seek wind with a palm-leaf fan or with a bellows, and even at the drip-edge grasses do not stir. For that external air element, friends, so great, impermanence will become known, the nature of destruction will become known, the nature of fall will become known, the nature of change will become known. What then of this body lasting for a moment, grasped by craving, as 'I' or 'mine' or 'I am'? For him there is simply nothing of that here.
"If, friends, others revile, abuse, irritate, and harass that monk. He thus understands: 'This unpleasant feeling born of ear-contact has arisen in me. And that is dependent, not independent. Dependent on what? Dependent on contact.' He sees that contact is impermanent, he sees that feeling is impermanent, he sees that perception is impermanent, he sees that activities are impermanent, he sees that consciousness is impermanent. His mind, with the element as its object, springs forward, becomes clear, becomes settled, becomes resolved.
"If, friends, others behave towards that monk with what is undesirable, unpleasant, disagreeable - with contact of hands, with contact of clods, with contact of sticks, with contact of knives. He thus understands: 'This body is of such a nature that in this body of such a nature, contacts of hands occur, contacts of clods occur, contacts of sticks occur, contacts of knives occur. But this was said by the Blessed One in the Simile of the Saw discourse: "Even if, monks, thieves of low behaviour were to cut off your limbs one by one with a two-handled saw. Whoever would defile his mind on that account, he is not one who follows my teaching." My energy will be aroused and unsluggish, mindfulness will be established and unconfused, the body will be calm and not excited, the mind will be concentrated and fully focused. Now let contacts of hands occur on this body, let contacts of clods occur, let contacts of sticks occur, let contacts of knives occur. For this is how the teaching of the Buddhas is practised.'
"If, friends, for that monk thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome does not become established. He is stirred by that, he becomes anxious - 'It is a loss for me indeed, it is not a gain for me indeed, it is ill-gained for me indeed, it is not well-gained for me indeed. That for me thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome does not become established.' Just as, friends, a daughter-in-law, having seen her father-in-law, is stirred, becomes anxious; just so, friends, if for that monk thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome does not become established. He is stirred by that, he becomes anxious - 'It is a loss for me indeed, it is not a gain for me indeed, it is ill-gained for me indeed, it is not well-gained for me indeed. That for me thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome does not become established.' If, friends, for that monk thus recollecting the Buddha, thus recollecting the Teaching, thus recollecting the Community, equanimity based on the wholesome becomes established, he is delighted by that. To this extent too, friends, much has been accomplished by a monk.
306. "Just as, friends, dependent on timber and dependent on creepers and dependent on grass and dependent on clay, space being enclosed, it goes by the term 'house'; just so, friends, dependent on bones and dependent on sinews and dependent on flesh and dependent on skin, space being enclosed, it goes by the term 'materiality.' Friends, when the internal eye is intact, but external forms do not come into range, and there is no corresponding attentiveness, then there is no manifestation of the corresponding section of consciousness. Friends, when the internal eye is intact, and external forms come into range, but there is no corresponding attentiveness, then there is no manifestation of the corresponding section of consciousness. But when, friends, the internal eye is intact, and external forms come into range, and there is corresponding attentiveness, thus there is the manifestation of the corresponding section of consciousness. Whatever materiality there is of one so constituted, that is included in the aggregate of clinging to materiality; whatever feeling there is of one so constituted, that is included in the aggregate of clinging to feeling; whatever perception there is of one so constituted, that is included in the aggregate of clinging to perception; whatever activities there are of one so constituted, those are included in the aggregate of clinging to activities; whatever consciousness there is of one so constituted, that is included in the aggregate of clinging to consciousness.
"He thus understands: 'Thus indeed there is the inclusion, the assemblage, the combination of these five aggregates of clinging. But this was said by the Blessed One - "Whoever sees dependent origination sees the Teaching; whoever sees the Teaching sees dependent origination." And these are dependently arisen, namely, the five aggregates of clinging. Whatever desire, attachment, attraction, holding regarding these five aggregates of clinging, that is the origin of suffering. Whatever removal of desire and lust, abandoning of desire and lust regarding these five aggregates of clinging, that is the cessation of suffering.' To this extent too, friends, much has been accomplished by a monk.
"Friends, when the internal ear is intact... etc. the nose is intact... the tongue is intact... the body is intact... the mind is intact, but external mental phenomena do not come into range, and there is no corresponding attentiveness, then there is no manifestation of the corresponding section of consciousness. Friends, when the internal mind is intact, and external mental phenomena come into range, but there is no corresponding attentiveness, then there is no manifestation of the corresponding section of consciousness. But when, friends, the internal mind is intact, and external mental phenomena come into range, and there is corresponding attentiveness, thus there is the manifestation of the corresponding section of consciousness. Whatever materiality there is of one so constituted, that is included in the aggregate of clinging to materiality; whatever feeling there is of one so constituted, that is included in the aggregate of clinging to feeling; whatever perception there is of one so constituted, that is included in the aggregate of clinging to perception; whatever activities there are of one so constituted, those are included in the aggregate of clinging to activities; whatever consciousness there is of one so constituted, that is included in the aggregate of clinging to consciousness. He thus understands: 'Thus indeed there is the inclusion, the assemblage, the combination of these five aggregates of clinging. But this was said by the Blessed One - "Whoever sees dependent origination sees the Teaching; whoever sees the Teaching sees dependent origination." And these are dependently arisen, namely, the five aggregates of clinging. Whatever desire, attachment, attraction, holding regarding these five aggregates of clinging, that is the origin of suffering. Whatever removal of desire and lust, abandoning of desire and lust regarding these five aggregates of clinging, that is the cessation of suffering.' To this extent too, friends, much has been accomplished by a monk."
This the Venerable Sāriputta said. Those monks, delighted, rejoiced in what the Venerable Sāriputta had said.
The Discourse on the Greater Simile of the Elephant's Footprint is concluded as eighth.