The Sutra on Many Elements (MN 115)

Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly based on BudSas.org (Bahu-dhatu-ka Sutra, MN 115, MN III. 2.5, Magandiya Sutra)

Standing Buddha statue, Thailand (Baddoguy/Chakarin Wattanamongkol/flickr.com)

Elements = 18 dhatus + 6 + 6 + 6 + 3...

Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was residing in the monastery offered by Anathapindika in Jeta’s Grove in Savatthi. There he addressed the monastics:

"Whatever fears, misfortunes, and dangers arise, they all arise in the foolish not in the wise. The foolish are beset by fears, misfortunes, and dangers. Therefore, meditators, to become wise inquirers, you should train thus.

 

The Buddha addresses the nuns and monks

When this was said, venerable Ananda asked the Blessed One, "Venerable sir, how does the wise meditator actually become an inquirer?"
 

"Ananda, when the meditator becomes wise with regard to the elements, to the spheres, to dependent origination [conditional arising], and in the possible and impossible, that person becomes an inquirer."
 

"Venerable sir, how is the wise meditator actually wise with regard to the elements?"
 

"Ananda, there are 18 elements: They are the elements of eye, forms, and eye consciousness; ear, sounds, and ear consciousness; nose, fragrances, and nose consciousness; tongue, tastes, and tongue consciousness; body, touches, and body consciousness; mind, ideas [cognitions], and mind consciousness. Ananda, these are the 18 elements; when the meditator knows and sees them, one becomes wise with regard to the elements.
 

"Venerable sir, is there another method by which the meditator becomes wise with regard to the elements?"
 

"There is [and additional] method. The meditator becomes wise with regard to the six elements, that is to say: the elements of earth, water, fire, air, space, and consciousness [the qualities of solidity, cohesion, temperature, extension, delimiting, and awareness]. Ananda, these are the six elements; when the meditator knows and sees them, it is rightly said that one becomes wise with regard to the elements."
 

Avalokita thangka (Bryan1974/flickr)

"Venerable sir, is there [yet] another method by which the meditator becomes wise with regard to the elements?"
 

"There is [an additional] method. These six are the elements of pleasantness, unpleasantness, pleasure, displeasure, equanimity, and ignorance [the welcome, unwelcome, desirable, undesirable, unbiased-calm, unawareness]. When the meditator knows and sees them, it may right be said that one becomes wise with regard to the elements."

 
"Venerable sir, is there [yet] another method by which the meditator becomes wise with regard to the elements?"
 

"There is [an additional] method. These six are the elements of sensuality, nonsensuality, anger, nonanger, harming, and nonharming; when the meditator knows and sees them, it may rightly be said that one becomes wise with regard to the elements."
 

"Venerable sir, is there [yet] another method by which the meditator becomes wise with regard to the elements?"
 

"There is [an additional] method. These three are the elements of sensuality, materiality, and immateriality [Three Spheres of Existence: the Sensual, Fine-Material, and Immaterial, three ways of categorizing the 31 Planes of Existence corresponding to types of karma, particularly the importance of the meditative absorptions or jhanas as weighty mental karma that leads to rebirth in superior worlds in the two higher spheres]. When the meditator knows and sees them, it may rightly be said the one becomes wise with regard to the elements."

"Venerable sir, is there [yet] another method by which the meditator becomes wise with regard to the elements?"

"There is [an additional] method. These two are the elements, such as the compounded and the uncompounded element [those things whose existence depends on causes and conditions and the one thing that does not depend on anything, namely, nirvana]. When the meditator knows and sees them, it may rightly be said that one becomes wise with regard to the elements."
 

The Spheres

Turquoise Buddha (manibrasshandicrafts.com)

"Venerable sir, how is the meditator wise with regard to the spheres?"

"Ananda, these six are the internal and external spheres of the eye and forms, ear and sounds, nose and scents, tongue and tastes, body and touches, and mind and ideas [cognitions]. When the meditator knows and sees them, it may rightly be said that one becomes wise with regard to the spheres."
 

"Venerable sir, how is the meditator actually wise with regard to dependent origination [conditional arising]?"
 

"Ananda, the meditator knows, 'When this is present, that happens; when this arises, that arises. When this is not present, this does not happen; when this ceases, that ceases.'
 

"For example, from ignorance arise formations [determinations]; from formations arises consciousness, from consciousness arises name-and-matter. From name-and-matter arises the six spheres; from the six spheres arise contact; and from contact arise feelings [sensations].

 

"From feelings arise craving; from craving arises clinging; from clinging arises becoming; and from becoming arises birth. From birth arises decay [old age], death, grief, lamentation, unpleasantness, displeasure, and disappointment. Thus arises this entire mass of suffering.

"With the cessation of ignorance, formations cease; with the cessation of formations, consciousness ceases; with the cessation of consciousness, name-and-matter cease. With the cessation of name-and-matter, the six spheres cease; with the cessation of the six spheres, contact ceases. With the cessation of contact, feelings [sensations] cease.
 

"With the cessation of feelings, craving ceases. With the cessation of craving, clinging ceases. With the cessation of clinging, becoming ceases. With the cessation of becoming, birth ceases.
 

"With the cessation of birth, decay [old age], death, grief, lamentation, unpleasantness, displeasure and disappointment cease. Thus ceases this entire mass of suffering. When the meditator knows and sees this, it may rightly be said that one becomes wise with regard to dependent origination."

The possible and impossible

Golden Buddha, Thai-style Shakyamuni statue against vast sky (Wisdom Quarterly).

 

"Venerable sir, how is the meditator wise with regard to the possible and impossible?"

"Ananda, the meditator knows that this is impossible: that one who has arrived at right view should regard any formation [any conditioned thing, anything composed of elements, anything whose existence is utterly dependent on causes and conditions, anything other than nirvana] as permanent.

 
"[However, by contrast, it is possible that an ordinary, uninstructed person should regard a formation as permanent.

"It is impossible that one who has arrived at right view should regard any formation as pleasant [satisfactory, free of suffering/disappointment].

"[However, by contrast] it is possible that an ordinary, uninstructed person should regard a formation as pleasant.

"It is impossible that one who has arrived at right view should regard any thought as one's own.

"[However, by contrast] it is possible that an ordinary, uninstructed person should regard a thought as one's own.

"It is impossible that one who has arrived at right view should deprive one's mother [or father] of life [matricide, one of the Five Heinous Deeds with immediate results].

"It is possible that an ordinary, uninstructed person should deprive one's mother [or father] of life....

"It is impossible that one who has arrived at right view should cause harm to the body of the Tatagatha [the Wayfarer, the Thus Gone One] with a defiled mind.

"[However, by contrast] it is possible that an ordinary, uninstructed person should cause harm to the body of the Tathagatha with a defiled mind.

It is impossible that one who has arrived at right view should cause a schism in the Community [Monastic Sangha].

"It is possible that an ordinary, uninstucted person should cause a schism in the Community.

"It is impossible that one who has arrived at right view should go to another teacher [in search of enlightenment and liberation since one has seen through one's own direct experience that the Buddha's teaching really works].

"It is possible that an ordinary, uninstructed person should go to another teacher.

"It is impossible that two supremely Enlightened Ones should be born in the same world element [world, world system, solar system, possibly galaxy] at one and the same time.
 

Wheel of Rebirth and Suffering, Samsara (literally, "the continued wandering on"), Tibetan.

 
"It is possible that a single supremely Enlightened One should be born in the world element at one time.

"It is impossible that two Universal Monarchs [chakravartins, world rulers] should be born in the same world element at one and same time [suggesting that world ruler may rule more than one planet because what has been customarily translated as a "continent" or "island," a dvipa, in Buddhist cosmology more likely refers to a world].

"It is possible that a single Universal Monarch should be born in the world element at one time.

"It is impossible that a female [one currently reborn in female form since no one is actually a male or a female in any way one can permanently cling to] should become a perfectly/supremely Enlightened One [a samma-sam-buddha].

• [It is possible, sadly, that men, monks, in their sexism, which was so prevalent in India and Vedic Brahmanism, inserted this stipulation in the body of Buddhist teachings, which was a more liberal shramana or "wander ascetic" tradition. We are apologists for sexism or patriarchy and will not overlook its creeping in to the Dharma. It is possible that there is this gender distinction but unlikely. For example, the Buddha was a Scythian/Shakya from a Central Asian nomadic tribe with very strong females who were warriors, such as the great Queen Tomyris, whom the West would regard an "Amazonian" of ancient Greek mythology if we knew her history.]

Impersonal samsara never ends by itself

"It is possible that a man should be a perfectly/supremely Enlightened One.

"It is impossible that a woman should become a Universal Monarch.

"It is possible that a man should become a Universal Monarch.

 

"It is impossible that a woman should be a Sakka [reborn in the station of becoming the Ruler of the Devas].

• [It is interesting that the Shakyans, who were Indo-Scythians, were actually called the "Sakkas." See, for example, the Sakka Sutta. And the deva regarded as supreme as king in two space worlds above Earth, as Indra or Archangel Michael, is called "Sakka."]

"It is possible that a man should be [reborn as] the Ruler of the Devas.

"It is impossible that a woman should be Yama [reborn in that station as] the King of the Dead.

• [This may be a reference to Mara Devaputra (Cupid or Lucifer), who presumes he is the god or ruler of the Sensual Sphere, that third of the universe under the Fine-Material and Immaterial spheres. But Yama, who welcomes the dead, does not really judge or sentence, save or condemn them. He is kind and merely helps them transition from world to world, passing away from one plane to another.]

"It is possible that a man should be [reborn in the station of being] the King of Dead.

"It is impossible that a woman should be Brahma [a high divinity]. It is possible that a man should be Brahma.

• Here it is almost certain that sexism and patriarchy was inserted because brahmas are NEITHER male nor female. They are beyond sexual dimorphism. Already among devas sexuality is fluid, gender is blurred or can be adopted at will. But the level of brahmas there is no distinction "male" and "female." It is nonsense to think that one must be a male to then be reborn into the Brahma Planes because anyone who attains any of the meditative absorptions or jhanas can as a consequence be reborn immediately onto those planes of existence.
• But the reference here is likely to Maha Brahma, the first-born being in a World System (see Buddhist cosmology and Theravada cosmology), who nevertheless as a brahma is neither male nor female, but to sexist people would be thought of as instrumental with agency and efficacy and therefore "masculine" and male, but this would not be the case in actuality just as a social construct and assumption. It is not present in the Chinese translation of this sutra. See below.*

"It is impossible that bodily misconduct should give rise to welcome pleasant results.

 

"It is possible that bodily misconduct should give rise to unwelcome unpleasant results.

"It is impossible that verbal [or mental] misconduct should .give rise to welcome pleasant results.

"It is possible that verbal [or mental] misconduct should give rise to unwelcome unpleasant results.

Observing The Path: Five Aggregates, Four Foundations, Five Hindrances.

 

"It is impossible that bodily good conduct [when it eventually comes to fruition] should give rise to unwelcome unpleasant results.

"It is possible that bodily good conduct should give rise to welcome pleasant results.

"It is impossible that verbal [or mental] good conduct should give rise to unwelcome unpleasant results.

"It is possible that verbal [or mental] good conduct should give rise to welcome pleasant results.

"It is impossible that one engaging in bodily misconduct, originating from that, on account of that should be reborn in heaven(s), in a higher state after death.

"It is possible that one engaging in bodily [verbal, or mental] misconduct, originating from that, on account of that should be reborn in hell(s) [the downfall, unfortunate states of existence below the Human Plane] in a lower state after death.

"It is impossible that one engaging in good bodily [verbal, or mental] conduct, originating from that, on account of that should be reborn in hell(s) in a lower state after death.

"It is possible that one engaging in good bodily [verbal, or mental] conduct, originating from that, on account of that should be reborn in heaven(s) in a higher state after death.

• The working out of karma is one of the Four Imponderables. It works in mysterious ways, with a logic so grand and all-inclusive that we cannot fathom it. But there are general rules it follows. A "good" person engaged in good deeds might well suffer greatly in this and/or lower worlds before enjoying the fruit of those good deeds. When those fruitions come they will necessarily be pleasant and welcome. Likewise, a "bad" person engaged in bad deeds might well enjoy oneself greatly in this and/or superior worlds before meeting with the unpleasant, unwelcome results of those deeds. The fact is, ultimately speaking, there is no "good" persons (other than arhats), and there are no "bad" ones either (other than ordinary worldlings). We are both "good" and "bad"; we enjoy and suffer the results of good and bad deeds; we shortsightedly label people "good" or "bad" based on one life and usually not even that entire life. What is impossible is that a "good" deed (one rooted/motivated by nongreed, nonhatred, or nondelusion) bear unpleasant, unwanted results when it comes to fruition or that a "bad" deed (one rooted/motivated by greed, aversion, or delusion) could bear a pleasant, welcome results when it comes to fruition.

Then venerable Ananda exclaimed, "It is wonderful, venerable sir! What is the name of this discourse?"

"Ananda, call it the 'Sutra on Many Elements' or 'The Fourfold Circle,' or 'The Mirror of the Dharma,' or 'The Drum of Deathlessness,' or 'The Noble Victory in Battle.'"

When the Blessed One said this, Venerable Ananda delighted and approved of the words of the Blessed One.

• *The Bahudhatuka Sutta and its Parallels on Women’s Inabilities (PDF) offers a comparative study of the Bahudhatuka-sutta, based on a translation of one of its parallels found in the Madhyama-agama preserved in Chinese translation. The study focuses in particular on the dictum that a woman cannot be a Buddha, which is absent from the Madhyama-agama version [illustrating that it was inserted on account of the sexism prevalent in India, not something the historical Buddha actually stated]. - Analayo, Center for Buddhist Studies, University of Hamburg and Dharma Drum Buddhist College, Taiwan.
• Bahudhtuka Sutta: The many kinds of elements (yellowrobe.com)