“Rāhula, the interior earth element and the exterior earth element are just the earth element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the earth element, detaching the mind from the earth element.
“Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā pathavīdhātu yā ca bāhirā pathavīdhātu, pathavīdhāturevesā. ‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ. Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindati, pathavīdhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.
The interior water element and the exterior water element are just the water element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the water element, detaching the mind from the water element.
Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā āpodhātu yā ca bāhirā āpodhātu, āpodhāturevesā. ‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ. Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā āpodhātuyā nibbindati, āpodhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.
The interior fire element and the exterior fire element are just the fire element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the fire element, detaching the mind from the fire element.
Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā tejodhātu yā ca bāhirā tejodhātu, tejodhāturevesā. ‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ. Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā tejodhātuyā nibbindati, tejodhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.
The interior air element and the exterior air element are just the air element. This should be truly seen with right understanding like this: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’ When you truly see with right understanding, you grow disillusioned with the air element, detaching the mind from the air element.
Yā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā vāyodhātu yā ca bāhirā vāyodhātu, vāyodhāturevesā. ‘Taṁ netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti, evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabbaṁ. Evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya disvā vāyodhātuyā nibbindati, vāyodhātuyā cittaṁ virājeti.
When a mendicant sees these four elements as neither self nor belonging to self, they’re called a mendicant who has cut off craving, cast off the fetters, and by rightly comprehending conceit has made an end of suffering.”
