{"collection":"Majjhima Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_mn115/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_mn115","id":"suttacentral_mn115","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/mn115/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Early Buddhist Texts","Majjhima Nikaya"],"text":"So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near S\u0101vatth\u012b in Jeta\u2019s Grove, An\u0101thapi\u1e47\u1e0dika\u2019s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, \u201cMendicants!\u201d \u201cVenerable sir,\u201d they replied. The Buddha said this: \u201cWhatever dangers there are, all come from the foolish, not from the astute. Whatever perils there are, all come from the foolish, not from the astute. Whatever hazards there are, all come from the foolish, not from the astute. It\u2019s like a fire that spreads from a hut made of reeds or grass, and burns down even a bungalow, plastered inside and out, draft-free, with doors fastened and windows shuttered. In the same way, whatever dangers there are, all come from the foolish, not from the astute. Whatever perils there are, all come from the foolish, not from the astute. Whatever hazards there are, all come from the foolish, not from the astute. So, the fool is dangerous, but the astute person is safe. The fool is perilous, but the astute person is not. The fool is hazardous, but the astute person is not. There\u2019s no danger, peril, or hazard that comes from the astute. So you should train like this: \u2018We shall be astute, we shall be inquirers.\u2019\u201d When he said this, Venerable \u0100nanda said to the Buddha, \u201cSir, how is a mendicant qualified to be called \u2018astute, an inquirer\u2019?\u201d \u201c\u0100nanda, it\u2019s when a mendicant is skilled in the elements, in the sense fields, in dependent origination, and in the possible and the impossible. That\u2019s how a mendicant is qualified to be called \u2018astute, an inquirer\u2019.\u201d \u201cBut sir, how is a mendicant qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019?\u201d \u201cThere are, \u0100nanda, these eighteen elements. The eye element, sight element, and eye consciousness element. The ear element, sound element, and ear consciousness element. The nose element, smell element, and nose consciousness element. The tongue element, taste element, and tongue consciousness element. The body element, touch element, and body consciousness element. The mind element, ideas element, and mind consciousness element. When a mendicant knows and sees these eighteen elements, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019.\u201d \u201cBut sir, could there be another way in which a mendicant is qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019?\u201d \u201cThere could, \u0100nanda. There are these six elements: the elements of earth, water, fire, air, space, and consciousness. When a mendicant knows and sees these six elements, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019.\u201d \u201cBut sir, could there be another way in which a mendicant is qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019?\u201d \u201cThere could, \u0100nanda. There are these six elements: the elements of pleasure, pain, happiness, sadness, equanimity, and ignorance. When a mendicant knows and sees these six elements, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019.\u201d \u201cBut sir, could there be another way in which a mendicant is qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019?\u201d \u201cThere could, \u0100nanda. There are these six elements: the elements of sensuality and renunciation, malice and good will, and cruelty and harmlessness. When a mendicant knows and sees these six elements, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019.\u201d \u201cBut sir, could there be another way in which a mendicant is qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019?\u201d \u201cThere could, \u0100nanda. There are these three elements: the sensual realm, the realm of luminous form, and the formless realm. When a mendicant knows and sees these three elements, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019.\u201d \u201cBut sir, could there be another way in which a mendicant is qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019?\u201d \u201cThere could, \u0100nanda. There are these two elements: the conditioned element and the unconditioned element. When a mendicant knows and sees these two elements, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the elements\u2019.\u201d \u201cBut sir, how is a mendicant qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the sense fields\u2019?\u201d \u201cThere are these six interior and exterior sense fields: the eye and sights, the ear and sounds, the nose and smells, the tongue and tastes, the body and touches, and the mind and ideas. When a mendicant knows and sees these six interior and exterior sense fields, they\u2019re qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the sense fields\u2019.\u201d \u201cBut sir, how is a mendicant qualified to be called \u2018skilled in dependent origination\u2019?\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s when a mendicant understands: \u2018When this exists, this comes to be; due to the arising of this, this arises. When this doesn\u2019t exist, this doesn\u2019t come to be; due to the cessation of this, this ceases. That is: ignorance is a requirement for choices. Choices are a condition for consciousness. Consciousness is a requirement for name and form. Name and form are requirements for the six sense fields. The six sense fields are requirements for contact. Contact is a requirement for feeling. Feeling is a requirement for craving. Craving is a requirement for grasping. Grasping is a requirement for continued existence. Continued existence is a requirement for rebirth. Rebirth is a requirement for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be. That is how this entire mass of suffering originates. When ignorance fades away and ceases no residue left behind, choices cease. When choices cease, consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. When name and form cease, the six sense fields cease. When the six sense fields cease, contact ceases. When contact ceases, feeling ceases. When feeling ceases, craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases. When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease. That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.\u2019 That\u2019s how a mendicant is qualified to be called \u2018skilled in dependent origination\u2019.\u201d \u201cBut sir, how is a mendicant qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the possible and impossible\u2019?\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s when a mendicant understands: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for an individual accomplished in view to take any condition as permanent. That is not possible. But it\u2019s possible for an ordinary person to take some condition as permanent. That is possible.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for an individual accomplished in view to take any condition as pleasant. But it\u2019s possible for an ordinary person to take some condition as pleasant.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for an individual accomplished in view to take anything as self. But it\u2019s possible for an ordinary person to take something as self.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for an individual accomplished in view to murder their mother. But it\u2019s possible for an ordinary person to murder their mother.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for an individual accomplished in view to murder their father \u2026 or murder a perfected one. But it\u2019s possible for an ordinary person to murder their father \u2026 or murder a perfected one.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for an individual accomplished in view to injure a Realized One with malicious intent. But it\u2019s possible for an ordinary person to injure a Realized One with malicious intent.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for an individual accomplished in view to cause a schism in the Sa\u1e45gha. But it\u2019s possible for an ordinary person to cause a schism in the Sa\u1e45gha.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for an individual accomplished in view to dedicate themselves to another teacher. But it\u2019s possible for an ordinary person to dedicate themselves to another teacher.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for two perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas to arise in the same solar system at the same time. But it is possible for just one perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, to arise in one solar system.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for two wheel-turning monarchs to arise in the same solar system at the same time. But it is possible for just one wheel-turning monarch to arise in one solar system.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for a woman to be a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha. But it is possible for a man to be a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for a woman to be a wheel-turning monarch. But it is possible for a man to be a wheel-turning monarch.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for a woman to perform the role of Sakka, M\u0101ra, or the Divinity. But it is possible for a man to perform the role of Sakka, M\u0101ra, or the Divinity.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for a likable, desirable, agreeable result to come from bad conduct of body, speech, and mind. But it is possible for an unlikable, undesirable, disagreeable result to come from bad conduct of body, speech, and mind.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible for an unlikable, undesirable, disagreeable result to come from good conduct of body, speech, and mind. But it is possible for a likable, desirable, agreeable result to come from good conduct of body, speech, and mind.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible that someone who has engaged in bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, could for that reason alone, when their body breaks up, after death, be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. But it is possible that someone who has engaged in bad conduct of body, speech, and mind could, for that reason alone, when their body breaks up, after death, be reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell.\u2019 They understand: \u2018It\u2019s impossible that someone who has engaged in good conduct of body, speech, and mind could, for that reason alone, when their body breaks up, after death, be reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. But it is possible that someone who has engaged in good conduct of body, speech, and mind could, for that reason alone, when their body breaks up, after death, be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.\u2019 That\u2019s how a mendicant is qualified to be called \u2018skilled in the possible and impossible\u2019.\u201d When he said this, Venerable \u0100nanda said to the Buddha, \u201cIt\u2019s incredible, sir, it\u2019s amazing! What is the name of this exposition of the teaching?\u201d \u201cWell then, \u0100nanda, you may remember this exposition of the teaching as \u2018The Many Elements\u2019, or else \u2018The Four Rounds\u2019, or else \u2018The Mirror of the Teaching\u2019, or else \u2018The Drum of Freedom From Death\u2019, or else \u2018The Supreme Victory in Battle\u2019.\u201d That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable \u0100nanda approved what the Buddha said.","title":"Many Elements","tradition":"Majjhima Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":1730}