At Sāvatthi.

"Bhikkhus, before my awakening, while I was still a bodhisatta, not yet fully awakened, this thought arose in me:

'What is the gratification, what is the drawback, and what is the escape in the case of the earth element? What is the gratification, what is the drawback, and what is the escape in the case of the water element? What is the gratification, what is the drawback, and what is the escape in the case of the fire element? What is the gratification, what is the drawback, and what is the escape in the case of the air element?'

Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:

'Whatever ease and pleasure arise dependent on the earth element is the gratification in the earth element; whatever in the earth element is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, that is the drawback in the earth element; the dispelling and abandoning of interest and passion for the earth element, this is the escape from the earth element.

Whatever ease and pleasure arise dependent on the water element is the gratification in the water element; whatever in the water element is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, that is the drawback in the water element; the dispelling and abandoning of interest and passion for the water element, this is the escape from the water element.

Whatever ease and pleasure arise dependent on the fire element is the gratification in the fire element; whatever in the fire element is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, that is the drawback in the fire element; the dispelling and abandoning of interest and passion for the fire element, this is the escape from the fire element.

Whatever ease and pleasure arise dependent on the air element is the gratification in the air element; whatever in the air element is impermanent, suffering, and subject to change, that is the drawback in the air element; the dispelling and abandoning of interest and passion for the air element, this is the escape from the air element.'

Bhikkhus, as long as I did not experientially understand, as they truly are, the gratification as gratification, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape in regard to these four elements, I did not claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening in this world with its deities, Māras, and Brahmās, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners.

But bhikkhus, when I experientially understood, as they truly are, the gratification as gratification, the drawback as drawback, and the escape as escape in regard to these four elements, only then did I claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening in this world with its deities, Māras, and Brahmās, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners.

Wisdom and vision arose in me: 'My liberation is unshakable, this is my final birth, now there is no more renewed existence.'"