At Sāvatthi.
“Bhikkhus, before my awakening, while I was still a |bodhisatta::Buddha before his awakening, aspirant Buddha [bodhisatta]|, not yet fully awakened, this thought arose in me:
‘What is the |gratification::satisfaction, pleasure, enjoyment, sweetness [assāda]|, what is the |drawback::disadvantage, unsatisfactoriness, inadequacy, danger [ādīnava]|, and what is the |escape::way out, remedy [nissaraṇa]| in the case of 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]|?
What is the gratification, what is the drawback, and what is the escape in the case of 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]|?
What is the gratification, what is the drawback, and what is the escape in the case of 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]|?
What is the gratification, what is the drawback, and what is the escape in the case of the |air 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]|?’
Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me:
‘Whatever |ease::contentment, happiness, pleasant abiding [sukha]| and |pleasure::gladness, joy, positive state of mind [somanassa]| arise dependent on the earth element is the gratification in the earth element; whatever in the earth element is |impermanent::unstable, transient, unreliable [anicca]|, |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|, and subject to change, that is the drawback in the earth element; the dispelling and abandoning of |interest::desire, wish, intention, impulse [chanda]| and |passion::intense desire, strong emotion, infatuation, obsession, lust [rāga]| 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::directly knew, realized [abbhaññāsi]|, |as they truly are::as they have come to be, in reality [yathābhūta]|, 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::gods [devas]|, |Māras::demons, tempters, beings of delusion|, |Brahmas::Gods; celestial beings residing in the Brahmā realms, often considered to be highly refined and long-lived deities. [brahmā]|, 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::gods [devas]|, |Māras::demons, tempters, beings of delusion|, |Brahmas::Gods; celestial beings residing in the Brahmā realms, often considered to be highly refined and long-lived deities. [brahmā]|, among this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its kings and commoners.
|Wisdom::insight, knowing [ñāṇa]| and |vision::realization [dassana]| arose in me: ‘My liberation is unshakeable, this is my final birth, now there is no more |renewed existence::renewal of being, reappearance, rebirth, future life [punabbhava]|.’”