• Linked Discourses 14.34 Saṁyutta Nikāya 14.34

4. Chapter Four 4. Catutthavagga

Exclusively Painful Ekantadukkhasutta

At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.

ā€œMendicants, if the earth element were exclusively painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it. ā€œPathavÄ«dhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave, ekantadukkhā abhavissa dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā pathavÄ«dhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ. But because the earth element is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings are aroused by it. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, pathavÄ«dhātu sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā pathavÄ«dhātuyā sārajjanti.

If the water element … Āpodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave …pe… If the fire element … tejodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave … If the air element … vāyodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave, ekantadukkhā abhavissa dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā vāyodhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, vāyodhātu sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā vāyodhātuyā sārajjanti.

If the earth element was perfectly pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. PathavÄ«dhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave, ekantasukhā abhavissa sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā pathavÄ«dhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ. But because the earth element is painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, pathavÄ«dhātu dukkhā dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, tasmā sattā pathavÄ«dhātuyā nibbindanti.

If the water element … Āpodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave …pe… If the fire element … tejodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave … If the air element was perfectly pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. vāyodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave, ekantasukhā abhavissa sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā vāyodhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ. But because the air element is painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it.ā€ Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, vāyodhātu dukkhā dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, tasmā sattā vāyodhātuyā nibbindantÄ«ā€ti.