sn14.15:3 Sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have inferior convictions join together and converge with those who have inferior convictions. Those who have good convictions join together and converge with those who have good convictions. In the past,

sn14.15:4 in the future,

sn14.15:5 and also in the present, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have inferior convictions join together and converge with those who have inferior convictions. Those who have good convictions join together and converge with those who have good convictions.”

Chapter Two

With Verses

sn14.16:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have inferior convictions join together and converge with those who have inferior convictions. In the past …

sn14.16:2 In the future …

sn14.16:3 At present, too, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have inferior convictions join together and converge with those who have inferior convictions.

sn14.16:4 It’s like how dung joins together with dung, urine with urine, spit with spit, pus with pus, and blood with blood. In the same way, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have inferior convictions join together and converge with those who have inferior convictions. In the past … In the future … At present, too, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have inferior convictions join together and converge with those who have inferior convictions.

sn14.16:5 Sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have good convictions join together and converge with those who have good convictions. In the past …

sn14.16:6 In the future … At present, too, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have good convictions join together and converge with those who have good convictions.

sn14.16:7 It’s like how milk joins together with milk, oil with oil, ghee with ghee, honey with honey, and molasses with molasses. In the same way, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have good convictions join together and converge with those who have good convictions. In the past … In the future … At present, too, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. Those who have good convictions join together and converge with those who have good convictions.”

sn14.16:8 That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

sn14.16:9 “Socializing creates a snarl; they’re cut off by being aloof. If you’re lost in the middle of a great sea, and you clamber up on a little log, you’ll sink.

sn14.16:10 So too, a person who lives well sinks by relying on a lazy person. Hence you should avoid such a lazy person who lacks energy.

sn14.16:11 Dwell with the noble ones who are secluded and determined and always energetic; the astute who practice absorption.”

Chapter Two

Faithless

sn14.17:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the faithless with the faithless, the unconscientious with the unconscientious, the imprudent with the imprudent, the unlearned with the unlearned, the lazy with the lazy, the unmindful with the unmindful, and the witless with the witless.

sn14.17:2 In the past, too, sentient beings came together and converged because of an element. …

sn14.17:3 In the future, too, sentient beings will join together and converge because of an element. …

sn14.17:4 At present, too, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. …

sn14.17:5 Sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the faithful with the faithful, the conscientious with the conscientious, the prudent with the prudent, the learned with the learned, the energetic with the energetic, the mindful with the mindful, and the wise with the wise. In the past … In the future … At present, too, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. …”

Chapter Two

Beginning With the Faithless

sn14.18:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the faithless with the faithless, the unconscientious with the unconscientious, the witless with the witless, the faithful with the faithful, the conscientious with the conscientious, and the wise with the wise. In the past … In the future …

sn14.18:2 At present, too, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element. …

sn14.18:3 Sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the faithless with the faithless, the imprudent with the imprudent, the witless with the witless, the faithful with the faithful, the prudent with the prudent, and the wise with the wise. (The following should be told in full like the first section.)

sn14.18:4 Sentient beings come together because of an element: the faithless … unlearned … witless … the faithful …

sn14.18:5 Sentient beings come together because of an element: the faithless … lazy … witless. the faithful … energetic … wise.

sn14.18:6 Sentient beings come together because of an element: the faithless … unmindful … witless. the faithful … mindful … wise.”

Chapter Two

Beginning With the Shameless

sn14.19:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the unconscientious with the unconscientious … imprudent … witless. The conscientious with the conscientious … prudent … wise.

sn14.19:2 … shameless … unlearned … witless. The conscientious with the conscientious … learned … wise.

sn14.19:3 … shameless … lazy … witless. The conscientious with the conscientious … energetic … wise.

sn14.19:4 … shameless … unmindful … witless. The conscientious with the conscientious … mindful … wise.”

Chapter Two

Beginning With Imprudence

sn14.20:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the imprudent with the imprudent … unlearned … witless. The prudent with the prudent … learned … wise.

sn14.20:2 … the imprudent with the imprudent … lazy … witless. The prudent with the prudent … energetic … wise.

sn14.20:3 … the imprudent with the imprudent … unmindful … witless. The prudent with the prudent … mindful … wise.”

Chapter Two

Beginning With the Unlearned

sn14.21:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the unlearned with the unlearned … lazy … witless. The learned with the learned … energetic … wise.

sn14.21:2 … the unlearned with the unlearned … unmindful … witless. The learned with the learned … mindful … wise.”

Chapter Two

Beginning With the Lazy

sn14.22:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the lazy with the lazy … unmindful … witless … energetic … mindful … wise …” (Tell all in full for the past, future, and present.)

3. Ways of Performing Deeds

Lacking Immersion

sn14.23:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the faithless with the faithless … shameless … imprudent … lacking immersion … witless …

sn14.23:2 The faithful with the faithful … conscientious … prudent … possessing immersion … and the wise with the wise.”

3. Ways of Performing Deeds

Unethical

sn14.24:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: the faithless with the faithless … shameless … imprudent … unethical … witless …

sn14.24:2 The faithful with the faithful … conscientious … prudent … ethical … and the wise with the wise.”

3. Ways of Performing Deeds

The Five Precepts

sn14.25:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: those who kill living creatures with those who kill living creatures, those who steal … commit sexual misconduct … lie … consume intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor …

sn14.25:2 Those who refrain from killing living creatures … who refrain from stealing … who refrain from sexual misconduct … who refrain from lying … those who refrain from intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor with those who refrain from intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor.”

3. Ways of Performing Deeds

Seven Ways of Performing Deeds

sn14.26:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: those who kill living creatures with those who kill living creatures, those who steal … commit sexual misconduct … lie … backbite … speak harshly … talk nonsense …

sn14.26:2 Those who refrain from killing living creatures. … who refrain from stealing … who refrain from sexual misconduct … who refrain from lying … who refrain from backbiting … who refrain from harsh speech … who refrain from talking nonsense with those who refrain from talking nonsense.”

3. Ways of Performing Deeds

Ten Ways of Performing Deeds

sn14.27:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: those who kill living creatures with those who kill living creatures, those who steal … commit sexual misconduct … lie … backbite … speak harshly … talk nonsense … are covetous … are malicious … have wrong view …

sn14.27:2 Those who refrain from killing living creatures … who refrain from stealing … who refrain from sexual misconduct … who refrain from lying … who refrain from backbiting … who refrain from harsh speech … who refrain from talking nonsense … are not covetous … are not malicious … have right view with those who have right view.”

3. Ways of Performing Deeds

The Eightfold Path

sn14.28:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings join together and converge because of an element: those of wrong view with those of wrong view … wrong purpose … wrong speech … wrong action … wrong livelihood … wrong effort … wrong mindfulness … wrong immersion …

sn14.28:2 Those who have right view … right purpose … right speech … right action … right livelihood … right effort … right mindfulness … right immersion with those who have right immersion.”

3. Ways of Performing Deeds

Ten Factored Path

sn14.29:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, sentient beings come together and converge because of an element: those of wrong view with those of wrong view … wrong purpose … wrong speech … wrong action … wrong livelihood … wrong effort … wrong mindfulness … wrong immersion … wrong knowledge … wrong freedom …

sn14.29:2 Those who have right view … right purpose … right speech … right action … right livelihood … right effort … right mindfulness … right immersion … right knowledge … right freedom with those who have right freedom.” (Tell all in full for the past, future, and present.)

4. Chapter Four

Four Elements

sn14.30:1 At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. … “Mendicants, there are these four elements. What four? The elements of earth, water, fire, and air. These are the four elements.”

4. Chapter Four

Before Awakening

sn14.31:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought: ‘What’s the gratification, the drawback, and the escape when it comes to the earth element … the water element … the fire element … and the air element?’

sn14.31:2 Then it occurred to me: ‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from the earth element: this is its gratification. That the earth element is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. Removing and giving up desire and greed for the earth element: this is its escape. The pleasure and happiness that arise from the water element … The pleasure and happiness that arise from the fire element … The pleasure and happiness that arise from the air element: this is its gratification. That the air element is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. Removing and giving up desire and greed for the air element: this is its escape.’

sn14.31:3 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 angels, devils, and archangels, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans.

sn14.31:4 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 angels, devils, and archangels, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans. Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my final earthly life; I shall return to my Lord in peace.’”

4. Chapter Four

In Search of Gratification

sn14.32:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, I went in search of the earth element’s gratification, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of gratification in the earth element. I went in search of the earth element’s drawback, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of the drawback in the earth element. I went in search of escape from the earth element, and I found it. I’ve seen clearly with wisdom the full extent of escape from the earth element.

sn14.32:2 I went in search of the water element’s gratification … I went in search of the fire element’s gratification … I went in search of the air element’s gratification …

sn14.32:3 As long as I didn’t truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its angels, devils, and archangels, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans.

sn14.32:4 But when I did truly understand the four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its angels, devils, and archangels, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans. Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my final earthly life; I shall return to my Lord in peace.’”

4. Chapter Four

If There Were No

sn14.33:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, if there were no gratification in the earth element, sentient beings wouldn’t be aroused by it. But since there is gratification in the earth element, sentient beings are aroused by it. If the earth element had no drawback, sentient beings wouldn’t grow disillusioned with it. But since the earth element has a drawback, sentient beings do grow disillusioned with it. If there were no escape from the earth element, sentient beings wouldn’t escape from it. But since there is an escape from the earth element, sentient beings do escape from it.

sn14.33:2 If there were no gratification in the water element … If there were no gratification in the fire element … If there were no gratification in the air element …

sn14.33:3 As long as sentient beings don’t truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, they haven’t escaped from this world—with its angels, devils, and archangels, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans—and they don’t live detached, liberated, with mind free of boundaries.

sn14.33:4 But when sentient beings truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape for what they are, they’ve escaped from this world—with its angels, devils, and archangels, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its angels and humans—and they live detached, liberated, with mind free of boundaries.”

4. Chapter Four

Absolutely Painful

sn14.34:1 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.

sn14.34:2 If the water element … If the fire element … If the air element …

sn14.34:3 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.

sn14.34:4 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.”

4. Chapter Four

Taking Pleasure

sn14.35:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, if you take pleasure in the earth element, you take pleasure in suffering. If you take pleasure in suffering, you’re not free from suffering, I say. If you take pleasure in the water element … If you take pleasure in the fire element … If you take pleasure in the air element, you take pleasure in suffering. If you take pleasure in suffering, you’re not free from suffering, I say.

sn14.35:2 If you don’t take pleasure in the earth element, you don’t take pleasure in suffering. If you don’t take pleasure in suffering, you’re free from suffering, I say. If you don’t take pleasure in the water element … If you don’t take pleasure in the fire element … If you don’t take pleasure in the air element, you don’t take pleasure in suffering. If you don’t take pleasure in suffering, you’re free from suffering, I say.”

4. Chapter Four

Arising

sn14.36:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, the arising, continuation, and manifestation and regeneration of the earth element is the arising of suffering, the continuation of diseases, and the manifestation of old age and death. The arising, continuation, and manifestation and regeneration of the water element … The arising, continuation, and manifestation and regeneration of the fire element … The arising, continuation, and manifestation and regeneration of the air element is the arising of suffering, the continuation of diseases, and the manifestation of old age and death.

sn14.36:2 The cessation, settling, and disappearance of the earth element is the cessation of suffering, the settling of diseases, and the disappearance of old age and death. The cessation, settling, and disappearance of the water element … The cessation, settling, and disappearance of the fire element … The cessation, settling, and disappearance of the air element is the cessation of suffering, the settling of diseases, and the disappearance of old age and death.”

4. Chapter Four

Ascetics and Brahmins

sn14.37:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, there are these four elements. What four? The elements of earth, water, fire, and air. There are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape. I don’t deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight in this very life.

sn14.37:2 There are ascetics and brahmins who do truly understand these four elements’ gratification, drawback, and escape. I deem them as true ascetics and brahmins. Those venerables realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and live having realized it with their own insight.”

4. Chapter Four

Ascetics and Brahmins (2nd)

sn14.38:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, there are these four elements. What four? The elements of earth, water, fire, and air. There are ascetics and brahmins who don’t truly understand these four elements’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape … (Tell all in full.) There are ascetics and brahmins who do truly understand these four elements’ origin, disappearance, gratification, drawback, and escape …”

4. Chapter Four

Ascetics and Brahmins (3rd)

sn14.39:1 At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, there are ascetics and brahmins who don’t understand the earth element, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation. They don’t understand the water element … fire element … air element … Those venerables don’t realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and don’t live having realized it with their own insight in this very life.

sn14.39:2 There are ascetics and brahmins who do understand the earth element, its origin, its cessation, and the practice that leads to its cessation. They do understand the water element … the fire element … the air element … Those venerables realize the goal of life as an ascetic or brahmin, and live having realized it with their own insight.”

sn14.39:3 The Linked Discourses on the elements are complete.