Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.102

Numbered Discourses 4.102

11. Valāhakavagga

11. Clouds

Dutiyavalāhakasutta

Clouds (2nd)

“Cattārome, bhikkhave, valāhakā. Katame cattāro?

“Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of clouds. What four?

Gajjitā no vassitā,

One thunders but doesn’t rain,

vassitā no gajjitā,

one rains but doesn’t thunder,

neva gajjitā no vassitā,

one neither thunders nor rains, and

gajjitā ca vassitā ca.

one both rains and thunders.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakā. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro?

These are the four kinds of clouds. In the same way, these four people similar to clouds are found in the world. What four?

Gajjitā no vassitā,

One thunders but doesn’t rain,

vassitā no gajjitā,

one rains but doesn’t thunder,

neva gajjitā no vassitā,

one neither thunders nor rains, and

gajjitā ca vassitā ca.

one both rains and thunders.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti, no vassitā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. So ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā hoti, no vassitā. Seyyathāpi so, bhikkhave, valāhako gajjitā, no vassitā; tathūpamāhaṁ, bhikkhave, imaṁ puggalaṁ vadāmi.

And how does a person thunder but not rain? It’s when a person memorizes the teaching—statements, songs, discussions, verses, inspired exclamations, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and classifications. 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’. That’s how a person thunders but doesn’t rain. That person is like a cloud that thunders but doesn’t rain, I say.

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo vassitā hoti, no gajjitā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ na pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. 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 a person rain but not thunder? It’s when a person doesn’t memorize the teaching … But they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo neva gajjitā hoti, no vassitā? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo neva dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. 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 a person neither thunder nor rain? It’s when a person doesn’t memorize the teaching … Nor do they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo gajjitā ca hoti vassitā ca? Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo dhammaṁ pariyāpuṇāti—suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṁ, gāthaṁ, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. 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.

And how does a person both thunder and rain? It’s when a person memorizes the teaching … And they truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ …

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro valāhakūpamā puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.

These four people similar to clouds are found in the world.”

Dutiyaṁ.