Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthi.
“Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā pathavīdhātuṁ nappajānanti, pathavīdhātusamudayaṁ nappajānanti, pathavīdhātunirodhaṁ nappajānanti, pathavīdhātunirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;
“Bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins do not understand 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]|, do not understand the |arising::appearance, origination [samudaya]| of the earth element, do not understand the |gradual ending::cessation, termination [nirodha]| of the earth element, and do not understand the way of practice leading to the ending of the earth element;
āpodhātuṁ nappajānanti, āpodhātusamudayaṁ nappajānanti, āpodhātunirodhaṁ nappajānanti, āpodhātunirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;
[Likewise, those who do not understand] 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]|, do not understand the arising of the water element, do not understand the ending of the water element, and do not understand the way of practice leading to the ending of the water element;
tejodhātuṁ nappajānanti, tejodhātusamudayaṁ nappajānanti, tejodhātunirodhaṁ nappajānanti, tejodhātunirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;
[Likewise, those who do not understand] 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]|, do not understand the arising of the fire element, do not understand the ending of the fire element, and do not understand the way of practice leading to the ending of the fire element;
vāyodhātuṁ nappajānanti, vāyodhātusamudayaṁ nappajānanti, vāyodhātunirodhaṁ nappajānanti, vāyodhātunirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ nappajānanti;
[And likewise, those who do not understand] 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]|, do not understand the arising of the wind element, do not understand the ending of the wind element, do not understand the way of practice leading to the ending of the wind element;
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.
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 pathavīdhātuṁ pajānanti, pathavīdhātusamudayaṁ pajānanti, pathavīdhātunirodhaṁ pajānanti, pathavīdhātunirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti;
Bhikkhus, whoever among ascetics or brahmins understand the earth element, understand the arising of the earth element, understand the ending of the earth element, and understand the way of practice leading to the ending of the earth element;
āpodhātuṁ pajānanti, āpodhātusamudayaṁ pajānanti, āpodhātunirodhaṁ pajānanti, āpodhātunirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti;
[Likewise, those who understand] the water element, understand the arising of the water element, understand the ending of the water element, and understand the way of practice leading to the ending of the water element;
tejodhātuṁ pajānanti, tejodhātusamudayaṁ pajānanti, tejodhātunirodhaṁ pajānanti, tejodhātunirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti;
[Likewise, those who understand] the fire element, understand the arising of the fire element, understand the ending of the fire element, and understand the way of practice leading to the ending of the fire element;
vāyodhātuṁ pajānanti, vāyodhātusamudayaṁ pajānanti, vāyodhātunirodhaṁ pajānanti, vāyodhātunirodhagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ pajānanti;
[And likewise, those who understand] the wind element, understand the arising of the wind element, understand the ending of the wind element, and understand the way of practice leading to the ending of the wind element—
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.
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 and the goal of brahminhood through directly knowing and abiding in it.”