The Buddha explains how understanding the gratification, drawback, and escape in the four elements leads to personal experience and attainment of the goal of asceticism or brahminhood in this very life.
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthi.
“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, dhātuyo. Katamā catasso? Pathavīdhātu, āpodhātu, tejodhātu, vāyodhātu. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu vā samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu vā brāhmaṇasammatā; na ca pana te āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ vā brahmaññatthaṁ vā diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.
“Bhikkhus, there are these four elements. What four? The |earth element::whatever internal or external that is solid, hard, resistant, appears stable and supporting, which can be considered as belonging to oneself, and can be clung to [pathavīdhātu]|, the |water element::whatever internal or external, that is liquid, cohesive, flowing, binding, moist, which can be considered as belonging to oneself, and can be clung to [āpodhātu]|, the |fire element::whatever internal or external that is hot, fiery, transformative, warming, cooling, which can be considered as belonging to oneself and can be clung to [tejodhātu]|, and the |wind element::whatever internal or external that is airy, gaseous, moving, vibrating, wind-like, which can be considered as belonging to oneself and can be clung to [vāyodhātu]|. Bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins do not understand, as they truly are, the |gratification::satisfaction, pleasure, enjoyment, sweetness [assāda]|, the |drawback::disadvantage, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy, danger [ādīnava]|, and the |escape::way out, remedy [nissaraṇa]| in regard to these four elements—they, bhikkhus, are not recognized by me as ascetics among ascetics or as brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, those venerable ones do not, in this very life, |personally experience::realize for oneself [sacchikatvā]| and attain the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood through |direct knowledge::experiential realization [abhiññā]| and |abiding::dwelling, remaining, staying [viharati]| in it.
Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, te ca kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā; te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.
“But bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins understand, as they truly are, the gratification, the drawback, and the escape in regard to these four elements—they, bhikkhus, are recognized by me as ascetics among ascetics and as brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, those venerable ones, in this very life, personally experience and attain the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood through directly knowing and abiding in it.”
At Sāvatthi.
“Bhikkhus, there are these four elements. What four? The |earth element::whatever internal or external that is solid, hard, resistant, appears stable and supporting, which can be considered as belonging to oneself, and can be clung to [pathavīdhātu]|, the |water element::whatever internal or external, that is liquid, cohesive, flowing, binding, moist, which can be considered as belonging to oneself, and can be clung to [āpodhātu]|, the |fire element::whatever internal or external that is hot, fiery, transformative, warming, cooling, which can be considered as belonging to oneself and can be clung to [tejodhātu]|, and the |wind element::whatever internal or external that is airy, gaseous, moving, vibrating, wind-like, which can be considered as belonging to oneself and can be clung to [vāyodhātu]|. Bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins do not understand, as they truly are, the |gratification::satisfaction, pleasure, enjoyment, sweetness [assāda]|, the |drawback::disadvantage, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy, danger [ādīnava]|, and the |escape::way out, remedy [nissaraṇa]| in regard to these four elements—they, bhikkhus, are not recognized by me as ascetics among ascetics or as brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, those venerable ones do not, in this very life, |personally experience::realize for oneself [sacchikatvā]| and attain the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood through |direct knowledge::experiential realization [abhiññā]| and |abiding::dwelling, remaining, staying [viharati]| in it.
“But bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins understand, as they truly are, the gratification, the drawback, and the escape in regard to these four elements—they, bhikkhus, are recognized by me as ascetics among ascetics and as brahmins among brahmins. Moreover, those venerable ones, in this very life, personally experience and attain the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood through directly knowing and abiding in it.”
Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, dhātuyo. Katamā catasso? Pathavīdhātu, āpodhātu, tejodhātu, vāyodhātu. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, na me te, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu vā samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu vā brāhmaṇasammatā; na ca pana te āyasmanto sāmaññatthaṁ vā brahmaññatthaṁ vā diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharanti.
Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti, te ca kho me, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā samaṇesu ceva samaṇasammatā brāhmaṇesu ca brāhmaṇasammatā; te ca panāyasmanto sāmaññatthañca brahmaññatthañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharantī”ti.