By Way Of The Elements - In The Buddha's Words [S3E28]

Welcome to the Buddha's Wisdom Podcast. The topic of this episode is titled, By Way of the Elements.

1. The Eighteen Elements Monks, I would teach you the diversity of elements. The eye element, form element, eye consciousness element, the ear element, sound element, ear consciousness element, the nose element, odor element, nose consciousness element, the tongue element, taste element, tongue consciousness element, the body element, tactile object element, body consciousness element, the mind element, mental phenomena element, mind consciousness element. This, monks, is called the diversity of elements.

2. The four elements. Monks, there are these four elements. What for? The earth element, the water element, the heat element, the air element. Those ascetics or Brahmins, monks, who do not understand as they really are the gratification, the danger and the escape in the case of these four elements, these I do not consider to be ascetics among ascetics or Brahmins among Brahmins. And these venerable ones do not, by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life enter and dwell in the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahmanhood. But monks, those ascetics and brahmans who understand as they really are the gratification, the danger and the escape in the case of these four elements, these I consider to be ascetics among ascetics and brahmans among brahmans. And these venerable ones by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge in this very life enter and dwell in the goal of asceticism and the goal of brahmanhood Those ascetics or brahmins monks who do not understand as they really are the origin and the passing away, the gratification, the danger and the escape in the case of the four elements, these I do not consider to be ascetics among ascetics. But monks, those ascetics and brahmins who understand these things, these I consider to be ascetics among ascetics and brahmins among brahmins. And these venerable ones, by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life enter and dwell in the goal of asceticism and the goal of brahmanhood. Monks, these ascetics or brahmans who do not understand the earth element, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation, who do not understand the water element, the heat element, the air element, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation. These I do not consider to be ascetics among ascetics. But, monks, those ascetics and brahmins who understand these things, these I consider to be ascetics among ascetics and brahmins among brahmins. And these venerable ones, by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life enter and dwell in the goal of asceticism and the goal of brahmanhood.

3. The Six Elements How, monk, does one not neglect wisdom? There are these six elements: the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the air element, the space element, and the consciousness element. What, monk, is the earth element? The earth element may be either internal or external. What is the internal earth element? Whatever internally belonging to oneself is solid, solidified and clung to, that is head hairs, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach, feces, or whatever else internally belonging to oneself is solid, solidified, and clung to. This is called the internal earth element. Now both the internal earth element and the external earth element are simply earth element. And that should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom. This is not mine. This I am not. This is not myself. When one sees it thus as it really is with correct wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the earth element and makes the mind dispassionate towards the earth element. What, monk, is the water element? The water element may be either internal or external. What is the internal water element? Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is water, watery, and clung to, that is, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spittle, snot, oil of the joints, urine, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is water, watery, and clung to. This is called the internal water element. Now both the internal water element and the external water element are simply water elements. And that should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus. This is not mine. This I am not. This is not myself. When one sees it thus as it really is with correct wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the water element and makes the mind dispassionate towards the water element. What, monk, is the fire element? The fire element may be either internal or external. What is the internal fire element? Whatever internally belonging to oneself is fire, fiery and clung to. That is, that by which one is warmed, ages and is consumed, and that by which what is eaten, drunk, consumed and tasted gets completely digested. Or whatever else internally belonging to oneself is fire, fiery and clung to. This is called the internal fire element. Now both the internal fire element and the external fire element are simply fire element. And that should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus: This is not mine. This I am not. This is not myself. When one sees it thus as it really is with correct wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the fire element and makes the mind dispassionate towards the fire element. What, monk, is the air element? The air element may be either internal or external. What is the internal air element? Whatever internally belonging to oneself is air, airy and clung to. That is, up-going winds, down-going winds, winds in the belly, winds in the bowels, Winds that course through the limbs, in-breath and out-breath, or whatever else internally belonging to oneself, is air, airy and clung to. This is called the internal air element. Now both the internal air element and the external air element are simply air element. And that should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus. This is not mine. This I am not. This is not myself. When one sees it thus, as it really is with correct wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the air element and makes the mind dispassionate towards the air element. What, monk, is the space element? The space element may be either internal or external. What is the internal space element? Whatever is internally belonging to oneself is space, spatial and clung to. That is, the holes of the ears, the nostrils, the door of the mouth, And that aperture whereby what is eaten, drunk, consumed and tasted gets swallowed. And where it collects, and whereby it is excreted from below, or whatever else internally belonging to oneself, is space, spatial and clung to. This is called the internal space element. Now both the internal space element and the external space element are simply space element. And that should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom. This is not mine. This I am not. This is not myself. When one sees it thus as it really is with correct wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the space element and makes the mind dispassionate towards the space element. Then there remains only consciousness, purified and bright. What does one cognize with that consciousness? One cognizes, "This is pleasant." One cognizes, "This is painful." One cognizes, "This is neither pleasant nor painful." In dependence on contact to be felt as pleasant, there arises a pleasant feeling. When one feels a pleasant feeling, one understands, I feel a pleasant feeling. One understands, with the cessation of that same contact to be felt as pleasant, its corresponding feeling, the pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that contact to be felt as pleasant, ceases and subsides. In dependence on a contact to be felt as painful, there arises a painful feeling. When one feels a painful feeling, one understands, "I feel a painful feeling." One understands, with the cessation of that same contact to be felt as painful, its corresponding feeling, the painful feeling that arose in dependence on that contact to be felt as painful, ceases and subsides. In dependence on a contact to be felt as neither painful nor pleasant, there arises a neither painful nor pleasant feeling. When one feels a neither painful nor pleasant feeling, one understands, "I feel a neither painful nor pleasant feeling." One understands, with the cessation of that same contact to be felt as neither painful nor pleasant, its corresponding feeling, the neither painful nor pleasant feeling that arose in dependence on that contact to be felt as neither painful nor pleasant, ceases and subsides. Monk, just as from the contact and friction of two fire sticks, heat is generated and fire is produced, And with the separation and disjunction of these two fire sticks, the corresponding heat ceases and subsides. So too, independence on a contact to be felt as pleasant, to be felt as painful, to be felt as neither painful nor pleasant, there arises a neither painful nor pleasant feeling. One understands, with the cessation of that same contact to be felt as neither painful nor pleasant, its corresponding feeling ceases and subsides.

May you all find happiness and peace.