Before Awakening Pubbesambodhasutta

At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

“Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought: “Pubbeva me, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddhassa bodhisattasseva sato etadahosi: ‘What’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to the earth element … ‘ko nu kho pathavīdhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ; the water element … ko āpodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ; the fire element … ko tejodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇaṁ; and the air element?’ ko vāyodhātuyā assādo, ko ādīnavo, kiṁ nissaraṇan’ti?

Then it occurred to me: Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from the earth element: this is its gratification. ‘yaṁ kho pathavīdhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ pathavīdhātuyā assādo; That the earth element is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. yaṁ pathavīdhātu aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṁ pathavīdhātuyā ādīnavo; Removing and giving up desire and greed for the earth element: this is its escape. yo pathavīdhātuyā chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ pathavīdhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ. The pleasure and happiness that arise from the water element … Yaṁ āpodhātuṁ paṭicca …pe… The pleasure and happiness that arise from the fire element … yaṁ tejodhātuṁ paṭicca …pe… The pleasure and happiness that arise from the air element: this is its gratification. yaṁ vāyodhātuṁ paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṁ somanassaṁ, ayaṁ vāyodhātuyā assādo; That the air element is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. yaṁ vāyodhātu aniccā dukkhā vipariṇāmadhammā, ayaṁ vāyodhātuyā ādīnavo; Removing and giving up desire and greed for the air element: this is its escape.’ yo vāyodhātuyā chandarāgavinayo chandarāgappahānaṁ, idaṁ vāyodhātuyā nissaraṇaṁ’.

As long as I didn’t truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans. Yāvakīvañcāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ na abbhaññāsiṁ, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṁ.

But when I did truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and Divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans. Yato ca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ evaṁ assādañca assādato ādīnavañca ādīnavato nissaraṇañca nissaraṇato yathābhūtaṁ abbhaññāsiṁ, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paccaññāsiṁ.

Knowledge and vision arose in me: Ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’” ‘akuppā me vimutti, ayamantimā jāti, natthi dāni punabbhavo’”ti.