SN 14.34

Ekantadukkhasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati. “Pathavīdhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave, ekantadukkhā abhavissa dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā sārajjeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātu sukhā sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā sārajjanti.

Absolutely Painful

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, if the earth element were absolutely painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it. But because the earth element is pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings are aroused by it.

Āpodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave …pe… tejodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave … 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 water element … If the fire element … If the air element …

Pathavīdhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave, ekantasukhā abhavissa sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, pathavīdhātu dukkhā dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, tasmā sattā pathavīdhātuyā nibbindanti.

If the earth element was absolutely pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. But because the earth element is painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it.

Āpodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave …pe… tejodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave … vāyodhātu ce hidaṁ, bhikkhave, ekantasukhā abhavissa sukhānupatitā sukhāvakkantā anavakkantā dukkhena, nayidaṁ sattā vāyodhātuyā nibbindeyyuṁ. Yasmā ca kho, bhikkhave, vāyodhātu dukkhā dukkhānupatitā dukkhāvakkantā anavakkantā sukhena, tasmā sattā vāyodhātuyā nibbindantī”ti.

If the water element … If the fire element … If the air element was absolutely pleasurable—soaked and steeped in pleasure and not steeped in pain—sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. But because the air element is painful—soaked and steeped in pain and not steeped in pleasure—sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it.”