- Numbered Discourses 4.102 Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.102
- 11. Clouds 11. Valāhakavagga
Clouds (2nd) Dutiyavalāhakasutta
“Mendicants, there are these four kinds of clouds. “Cattārome, bhikkhave, valāhakā. What four? Katame cattāro?
- One thunders but doesn’t rain, Gajjitā no vassitā,
- one rains but doesn’t thunder, vassitā no gajjitā,
- one neither thunders nor rains, and neva gajjitā no vassitā,
- one both rains and thunders. gajjitā ca vassitā ca.
These are the four kinds of clouds. Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakā. In the same way, these four individuals similar to clouds are found in the world. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. What four? Katame cattāro?
- One thunders but doesn’t rain, Gajjitā no vassitā,
- one rains but doesn’t thunder, vassitā no gajjitā,
- one neither thunders nor rains, and neva gajjitā no vassitā,
- one both rains and thunders. gajjitā ca vassitā ca.
And how does an individual thunder but not rain? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti, no vassitā? It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching—Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—statements, mixed prose and verse, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and elaborations. suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. But they don’t truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. That’s how an individual thunders but doesn’t rain. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti, no vassitā. That individual is like a cloud that thunders but doesn’t rain, I say. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako gajjitā, no vassitā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.
And how does an individual rain but not thunder? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vassitā hoti, no gajjitā? It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching … Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. But they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo vassitā hoti, no gajjitā. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako vassitā, no gajjitā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.
And how does an individual neither thunder nor rain? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gajjitā hoti, no vassitā? It’s when an individual doesn’t memorize the teaching … Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo neva dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. Nor do they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gajjitā hoti, no vassitā. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako neva gajjitā, no vassitā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.
And how does an individual both thunder and rain? Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā ca hoti vassitā ca? It’s when an individual memorizes the teaching … Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. And they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti …pe… ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā ca hoti vassitā ca. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako gajjitā ca vassitā ca; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.
These four individuals similar to clouds are found in the world.” Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.
Dutiyaṁ.