1At Sāvatthī. "Bhikkhus, there are these four elements. What four? The earth element, the water element, the heat element, the air element.

"Those ascetics or brahmins, bhikkhus, who do not understand as they really are the origin and the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of these four elements: these I do not consider to be ascetics among ascetics … .

"But, bhikkhus, those ascetics and brahmins who understand as they really are the origin and the passing away, the gratification, the danger, and the escape in the case of these four elements: these I consider to be ascetics among ascetics and brahmins among brahmins, and these venerable ones, by realizing it for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life enter and dwell in the goal of asceticism and the goal of brahminhood."

1Sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati. "Catasso imā, bhikkhave, dhātuyo. Katamā catasso? Pathavīdhātu, āpodhātu, tejodhātu, vāyodhātu. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā imāsaṁ catunnaṁ dhātūnaṁ samudayañca atthaṅgamañca assādañca ādīnavañca nissaraṇañca yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti … pe … (vitthāretabbaṁ) pajānanti … pe … sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihārantī"ti.

Navamaṁ.