So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Ukkaṭṭhā, in the Subhaga Forest at the root of a magnificent sal tree. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!”

“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Mendicants, I will teach you the explanation of the root of all things. Listen and pay close attention, I will speak.”

“Yes, sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Take an uneducated ordinary person who has not seen the noble ones, and is neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the noble ones. They’ve not seen good persons, and are neither skilled nor trained in the teaching of the good persons. They perceive earth as earth. But then they identify with earth, they identify regarding earth, they identify as earth, they identify that ‘earth is mine’, they take pleasure in earth. Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive water as water. But then they identify with water … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive fire as fire. But then they identify with fire … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive air as air. But then they identify with air … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive creatures as creatures. But then they identify with creatures … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive gods as gods. But then they identify with gods … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the Creator as the Creator. But then they identify with the Creator … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive Brahmā as Brahmā. But then they identify with Brahmā … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the gods of streaming radiance as the gods of streaming radiance. But then they identify with the gods of streaming radiance … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the gods replete with glory as the gods replete with glory. But then they identify with the gods replete with glory … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the gods of abundant fruit as the gods of abundant fruit. But then they identify with the gods of abundant fruit … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the Overlord as the Overlord. But then they identify with the Overlord … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the dimension of infinite space as the dimension of infinite space. But then they identify with the dimension of infinite space … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the dimension of infinite consciousness as the dimension of infinite consciousness. But then they identify with the dimension of infinite consciousness … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the dimension of nothingness as the dimension of nothingness. But then they identify with the dimension of nothingness … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception as the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. But then they identify with the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the seen as the seen. But then they identify with the seen … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the heard as the heard. But then they identify with the heard … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the thought as the thought. But then they identify with the thought … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive the known as the known. But then they identify with the known … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive oneness as oneness. But then they identify with oneness … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive diversity as diversity. But then they identify with diversity … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive all as all. But then they identify with all … Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

They perceive extinguishment as extinguishment. But then they identify with extinguishment, they identify regarding extinguishment, they identify as extinguishment, they identify that ‘extinguishment is mine’, they take pleasure in extinguishment. Why is that? Because they haven’t completely understood it, I say.

A mendicant who is a trainee, who hasn’t achieved their heart’s desire, but lives aspiring to the supreme sanctuary, directly knows earth as earth. But they shouldn’t identify with earth, they shouldn’t identify regarding earth, they shouldn’t identify as earth, they shouldn’t identify that ‘earth is mine’, they shouldn’t take pleasure in earth. Why is that? So that they may completely understand it, I say.

They directly know water … fire … air … creatures … gods … the Creator … Brahmā … the gods of streaming radiance … the gods replete with glory … the gods of abundant fruit … the Overlord … the dimension of infinite space … the dimension of infinite consciousness … the dimension of nothingness … the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception … the seen … the heard … the thought … the known … oneness … diversity … all … They directly know extinguishment as extinguishment. But they shouldn’t identify with extinguishment, they shouldn’t identify regarding extinguishment, they shouldn’t identify as extinguishment, they shouldn’t identify that ‘extinguishment is mine’, they shouldn’t take pleasure in extinguishment. Why is that? So that they may completely understand it, I say.

A mendicant who is perfected—with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment—directly knows earth as earth. But they don’t identify with earth, they don’t identify regarding earth, they don’t identify as earth, they don’t identify that ‘earth is mine’, they don’t take pleasure in earth. Why is that? Because they have completely understood it, I say.

They directly know water … fire … air … creatures … gods … the Creator … Brahmā … the gods of streaming radiance … the gods replete with glory … the gods of abundant fruit … the Overlord … the dimension of infinite space … the dimension of infinite consciousness … the dimension of nothingness … the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception … the seen … the heard … the thought … the known … oneness … diversity … all … They directly know extinguishment as extinguishment. But they don’t identify with extinguishment, they don’t identify regarding extinguishment, they don’t identify as extinguishment, they don’t identify that ‘extinguishment is mine’, they don’t take pleasure in extinguishment. Why is that? Because they have completely understood it, I say.

A mendicant who is perfected—with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment—directly knows earth as earth. But they don’t identify with earth, they don’t identify regarding earth, they don’t identify as earth, they don’t identify that ‘earth is mine’, they don’t take pleasure in earth. Why is that? Because they’re free of greed due to the ending of greed.

They directly know water … fire … air … creatures … gods … the Creator … Brahmā … the gods of streaming radiance … the gods replete with glory … the gods of abundant fruit … the Overlord … the dimension of infinite space … the dimension of infinite consciousness … the dimension of nothingness … the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception … the seen … the heard … the thought … the known … oneness … diversity … all … They directly know extinguishment as extinguishment. But they don’t identify with extinguishment, they don’t identify regarding extinguishment, they don’t identify as extinguishment, they don’t identify that ‘extinguishment is mine’, they don’t take pleasure in extinguishment. Why is that? Because they’re free of greed due to the ending of greed.

A mendicant who is perfected—with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment—directly knows earth as earth. But they don’t identify with earth, they don’t identify regarding earth, they don’t identify as earth, they don’t identify that ‘earth is mine’, they don’t take pleasure in earth. Why is that? Because they’re free of hate due to the ending of hate.

They directly know water … fire … air … creatures … gods … the Creator … Brahmā … the gods of streaming radiance … the gods replete with glory … the gods of abundant fruit … the Overlord … the dimension of infinite space … the dimension of infinite consciousness … the dimension of nothingness … the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception … the seen … the heard … the thought … the known … oneness … diversity … all … They directly know extinguishment as extinguishment. But they don’t identify with extinguishment, they don’t identify regarding extinguishment, they don’t identify as extinguishment, they don’t identify that ‘extinguishment is mine’, they don’t take pleasure in extinguishment. Why is that? Because they’re free of hate due to the ending of hate.

A mendicant who is perfected—with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment—directly knows earth as earth. But they don’t identify with earth, they don’t identify regarding earth, they don’t identify as earth, they don’t identify that ‘earth is mine’, they don’t take pleasure in earth. Why is that? Because they’re free of delusion due to the ending of delusion.

They directly know water … fire … air … creatures … gods … the Creator … Brahmā … the gods of streaming radiance … the gods replete with glory … the gods of abundant fruit … the Overlord … the dimension of infinite space … the dimension of infinite consciousness … the dimension of nothingness … the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception … the seen … the heard … the thought … the known … oneness … diversity … all … They directly know extinguishment as extinguishment. But they don’t identify with extinguishment, they don’t identify regarding extinguishment, they don’t identify as extinguishment, they don’t identify that ‘extinguishment is mine’, they don’t take pleasure in extinguishment. Why is that? Because they’re free of delusion due to the ending of delusion.

The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha directly knows earth as earth. But he doesn’t identify with earth, he doesn’t identify regarding earth, he doesn’t identify as earth, he doesn’t identify that ‘earth is mine’, he doesn’t take pleasure in earth. Why is that? Because the Realized One has completely understood it to the end, I say.

He directly knows water … fire … air … creatures … gods … the Creator … Brahmā … the gods of streaming radiance … the gods replete with glory … the gods of abundant fruit … the Overlord … the dimension of infinite space … the dimension of infinite consciousness … the dimension of nothingness … the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception … the seen … the heard … the thought … the known … oneness … diversity … all … He directly knows extinguishment as extinguishment. But he doesn’t identify with extinguishment, he doesn’t identify regarding extinguishment, he doesn’t identify as extinguishment, he doesn’t identify that ‘extinguishment is mine’, he doesn’t take pleasure in extinguishment. Why is that? Because the Realized One has completely understood it to the end, I say.

The Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha directly knows earth as earth. But he doesn’t identify with earth, he doesn’t identify regarding earth, he doesn’t identify as earth, he doesn’t identify that ‘earth is mine’, he doesn’t take pleasure in earth. Why is that? Because he has understood that relishing is the root of suffering, and that rebirth comes from continued existence; whoever has come to be gets old and dies. That’s why the Realized One—with the ending, fading away, cessation, giving up, and letting go of all cravings—has awakened to the supreme perfect Awakening, I say.

He directly knows water … fire … air … creatures … gods … the Creator … Brahmā … the gods of streaming radiance … the gods replete with glory … the gods of abundant fruit … the Overlord … the dimension of infinite space … the dimension of infinite consciousness … the dimension of nothingness … the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception … the seen … the heard … the thought … the known … oneness … diversity … all … He directly knows extinguishment as extinguishment. But he doesn’t identify with extinguishment, he doesn’t identify regarding extinguishment, he doesn’t identify as extinguishment, he doesn’t identify that ‘extinguishment is mine’, he doesn’t take pleasure in extinguishment. Why is that? Because he has understood that relishing is the root of suffering, and that rebirth comes from continued existence; whoever has come to be gets old and dies. That’s why the Realized One—with the ending, fading away, cessation, giving up, and letting go of all cravings—has awakened to the supreme perfect Awakening, I say.”

That is what the Buddha said. But the mendicants were not happy with what the Buddha said.