At one time, the Buddha lived in the Garden of Solitude in the Gion Grove of the Acropolis. One day, the Buddha said to his monks, "Disciples, if you come now to speak for you, listen carefully, think carefully. ”

The monks replied, "Shizun, we will listen carefully to what you have to say, we will think carefully, and respectfully ask you to speak for us." ”

The Buddha said, "Disciples, what are the four great ones? The four major elements are the four elements that make up everything in the world, that is to say, everything in the world is composed of these four elements, which are the four major elements? That is, the earth is big, the water is big, the fire is big, and the wind is big. What is Earthpower? It is with a solid nature, with the role of bearing and maintaining, such as the earth is solid, carrying all things, has the role of keeping immovable, and such as the hair, nails, teeth, flesh and skin, bones, etc. of the world's people also have the role of solidity, bearing, and holding, also known as the earth on the human body.

What is water big? It is a moist nature, with the effect of gathering and condensing, such as the rain in the world moisturizes everything in the world, makes everything moist, and these waters can also gather into rivers, lakes, and oceans. For example, the blood, tears, saliva, snot, urine, etc. of people in the world also have the effect of moisture, gathering and moisturizing, and are also known as the water on the human body.

What is a fire? It is the nature of warmth, which has the effect of promoting birth and maturity, such as the climate of spring and summer in the world, and warmth makes everything begin to recover, grow and mature. For example, the body temperature of people in the world, as well as the various heating in the body, etc. also have the role of warming, promoting and maturing, which is also known as the fire on the human body.

What is windy? It is the nature of flow, with the role of transmission and transmission, such as the various winds in the world, so that all kinds of qi circulate with each other, and all things in the world can grow and survive because of the circulation of qi. For example, people in the world breathe air, obtain qi that can make themselves continue to survive, and let the qi in the body circulate with the outside qi due to breathing, which also has the effect of flowing, transmitting, and spreading, also known as the wind on the human body.

Disciples, everything in the world is composed of the earth, water, fire, and wind, and these are the four basic elements of everything in the world.

Disciples, people in the world who have not yet been taught by Rulai, they may not be worried about and cling to these things composed of the four elements, and they may be freed from the things composed of these four elements, why? Because these things made up of the four elements can be seen, touched, and acquired and possessed by the world. These things also decay and disappear, and those who own them lose them. These bodies made up of the four elements grow, age, and die. People in the world gain or lose the things of the world, or cannot obtain the things of the world, or watch the things they have acquired slowly decay, they will understand that all things in the world are changing at any time, they cannot remain unchanged forever, they cannot exist forever, so that they can wake up from the addiction to these things, will no longer be confused by these things, will no longer worry about and cling to these things, and free themselves from the addiction to these things. In the same way, when people in the world feel themselves or see the growth, aging, and death of other people's bodies, they will understand that their own and others' bodies cannot be young and eternal, they cannot live forever, their own and others' bodies are changing at any time, they cannot remain unchanged forever, they cannot exist in the world forever, they will wake up from the addiction to their own and other people's bodies, they will no longer be confused by their own or other people's bodies, and they will no longer worry about and cling to their own or other people's bodies. You can be freed from the addiction to yourself or someone else's body.

Disciples, but those who have not been taught by Rulai, find it difficult for them to free themselves from their own state of mind, thoughts, and distinctions. Because for a long time, they will have this thought in their hearts: "This is mine, this is what I have, I am this, this is the true self that will never change." These are the states, thoughts, and distinctions that people in the world cling to. It is difficult for them to free themselves from these states of mind, thoughts, and distinctions.

After all, the body of the worldly people can exist in the world for one year, two years, three years, four years, five years, ten years, twenty years, thirty years, forty years, fifty years, a hundred years, or more, these are all they can see and touch, and their bodies will not change much every year, they are slowly changing, and the people around them are also slowly changing, Let them not be able to perceive the subtle changes in their own bodies and other people's bodies in a short period of time, even if they detect the subtle changes in their own bodies and other people's bodies, they will take it for granted: "I am aging, others are aging, I am sick, others are also sick", and will not feel that there is anything wrong, because the people around them will be sick and old like themselves. It's like putting a fish into a pot filled with cold water and slowly heating the water in the pot, when the temperature of the water in the pot slowly rises, the fish in the pot will not feel anything. Until the water in the pot heats up to a certain extent, endangering the fish in the pot, the fish will find itself in danger, just as people in the world will suddenly wake up when they are dying, and understand that everything they have must be given up after death. However, disciples, the world's attachments and worries about state of mind, thoughts, and distinction are even more difficult to extricate, and the world's people are more tightly and firmly bound by the state of mind, thoughts, and divisions, because the world's state of mind, thoughts, and distinction are changing at any time. This state of mind, thought, and separation arises, and that state of mind, thought, and separation are destroyed; That state of mind, thought, and separation arises, and this state of mind, thought, and separation are destroyed; Life and death, cycle and end, endless, the mood, thoughts, and separation of people in the world are constantly changing with the things they encounter.

Disciples, just like the monkey climbing on the tree in the forest, its hand grasps a branch, and then releases a branch, grabs another branch, and lets go of a branch, so countless times to grasp the branch, countless times to let go of the branch, the monkey shuttles between the trees, in the same way, disciples, the world's human state of mind, thoughts, and distinctions are also born countless times, and countless times they are destroyed, and the cycle is endless. The state of mind, thoughts, and separation of people in the world are changing from moment to moment with the things they encounter, giving rise and destroying, destroying and arising, countless birth and death changes.

The disciples, the holy disciples who have been taught as such, should visualize in this way: when this arises and exists, then that one will also arise and exist; With the emergence and existence of this as the precondition, there will be the emergence and existence of that; When this one does not exist, that one will also disappear; With the destruction and disappearance of this as a prerequisite, that will also be destroyed and disappeared. That is: "Ignorance" as the precondition produces "action", "action" as the precondition produces "knowledge", "knowledge" as the precondition produces "famous color", "famous color" is produced with "famous color" as the precondition, "touch" is produced with "six" as the precondition, "touch" is produced with "touch" as the precondition, "receive" is produced with "receive" as the precondition, "love" is produced with "love" as the precondition, "take" is produced with "taking" as the precondition, and "have" is used as the precondition to produce "have" In this way, "birth" will produce sorrow, sadness, distress, worry, despair, aging, and death. This is the process by which the sufferings and troubles of people or beings in the world gather and appear, and people or beings in the world will continue to suffer and sink in the cycle of life and death according to the method of dependent origin (explained by the method of dependent origin, see chapters 48 and 49).

When "ignorance" completely fades, disappears, and disappears, "doing" is extinguished. When "doing" is destroyed, "knowledge" is destroyed. When "knowledge" is destroyed, "fame" is extinguished. When the "name" is destroyed, the "six places" are destroyed. When the "six places" are destroyed, the "touch" is destroyed. When the "touch" is destroyed, the "receive" is destroyed. When "suffered" is destroyed, "love" is destroyed. When "love" is destroyed, "take" is extinguished. When the "take" is destroyed, the "have" is destroyed. When the "have" is destroyed, the "birth" is destroyed. When "life" is gone, sorrow, sorrow, bitterness, worry, despair, old age, and death are gone. This is the process by which the sufferings and troubles of people or beings in the world are eliminated and destroyed. People or beings in the world can be freed from the troubles and sufferings of the cycle of life and death by following the retrograde movement of the method of dependent origin (explained by the method of dependent origin, see chapters 48 and 49). ”

Disciples, when you visualize in this way, you will not be worried and attached to everything in the world, you will not be worried and attached to all feelings, you will not be worried and attached to all thoughts. There will be no concern and attachment to all actions, no concern and attachment to all understanding, distinction, and judgment. Without attachment and concern, you will not be bound by any things, feelings, thoughts, actions, understandings, distinctions, judgments, so that without attachment and concern, you will be free from the troubles and sufferings of the world. When you are liberated, you will realize the wisdom and fruit of liberation, and you will understand: "From this lifetime, I will no longer be born in this world, my practice, my actions, words, and thoughts have been completed, what I should have done has been done, I will no longer have the state of reincarnation of life and death, I will no longer be born in this world, I will be freed from the cycle of life and death forever." ”

After the Buddha's teachings, the monks who listened to the teachings all paid homage to the Buddha again, praising the immeasurable merits of the Buddha's teachings, and they all practiced according to the Buddha's teachings.

Pali original scripture

7. Mahāvaggo

SN.12.61/(1). Assutavāsuttaṃ

　　 61. Evaṃ me sutaṃ– ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme …pe… “assutavā, bhikkhave, puthujjano imasmiṃ cātumahābhūtikasmiṃ kāyasmiṃ nibbindeyyapi virajjeyyapi vimucceyyapi. Taṃ kissa hetu? Dissati, bhikkhave, imassa cātumahābhūtikassa kāyassa ācayopi apacayopi ādānampi nikkhepanampi. Tasmā tatrāssutavā puthujjano nibbindeyyapi virajjeyyapi vimucceyyapi”.

　　 “Yañca kho etaṃ, bhikkhave, vuccati cittaṃ itipi, mano itipi, viññāṇaṃ itipi, tatrāssutavā puthujjano nālaṃ nibbindituṃ nālaṃ virajjituṃ nālaṃ vimuccituṃ. Taṃ kissa hetu? Dīgharattañhetaṃ, bhikkhave, assutavato puthujjanassa ajjhositaṃ mamāyitaṃ parāmaṭṭhaṃ– ‘etaṃ mama, esohamasmi, eso me attā’ti. Tasmā tatrāssutavā puthujjano nālaṃ nibbindituṃ nālaṃ virajjituṃ nālaṃ vimuccituṃ.

　　 “Varaṃ bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano imaṃ cātumahābhūtikaṃ kāyaṃ attato upagaccheyya, na tveva cittaṃ. Taṃ kissa hetu? Dissatāyaṃ, bhikkhave, cātumahābhūtiko kāyo ekampi vassaṃ tiṭṭhamāno dvepi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno tīṇipi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno cattāripi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno pañcapi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno dasapi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno vīsatipi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno tiṃsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno cattārīsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno paññāsampi vassāni tiṭṭhamāno vassasatampi tiṭṭhamāno, bhiyyopi tiṭṭhamāno.

　　 “Yañca kho etaṃ, bhikkhave, vuccati cittaṃ itipi, mano itipi, viññāṇaṃ itipi, taṃ rattiyā ca divasassa ca aññadeva uppajjati aññaṃ nirujjhati. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, makkaṭo araññe pavane caramāno sākhaṃ gaṇhati, taṃ muñcitvā aññaṃ gaṇhati, taṃ muñcitvā aññaṃ gaṇhati; evameva kho, bhikkhave, yamidaṃ vuccati cittaṃ itipi, mano itipi, viññāṇaṃ itipi, taṃ rattiyā ca divasassa ca aññadeva uppajjati aññaṃ nirujjhati.

　　 “Tatra, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako paṭiccasamuppādaṃyeva sādhukaṃ yoniso manasi karoti– ‘iti imasmiṃ sati idaṃ hoti, imassuppādā idaṃ uppajjati; imasmiṃ asati idaṃ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṃ nirujjhati– yadidaṃ avijjāpaccayā saṅkhārā; saṅkhārapaccayā viññāṇaṃ …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti. Avijjāya tveva asesavirāganirodhā saṅkhāranirodho; saṅkhāranirodhā viññāṇanirodho …pe… evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī’”ti.

　　 “Evaṃ passaṃ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako rūpasmimpi nibbindati, vedanāyapi nibbindati, saññāyapi nibbindati, saṅkhāresupi nibbindati, viññāṇasmimpi nibbindati; nibbindaṃ virajjati, virāgā vimuccati, vimuttasmiṃ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṃ hoti. ‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ, nāparaṃ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī”ti. Paṭhamaṃ.