Once, the Buddha had a chance encounter with a young bhikkhu Pukkusāti who had gone forth with faith in the Buddha but had never met him. Mistaking the Buddha for an ordinary bhikkhu, Pukkusāti welcomed him. This led to an intriguing exchange with the Buddha sharing a teaching focusing on the nature of the six elements, the six bases of contact, and the eighteen explorations of the mind.

Thus have I heard — Once, the Blessed One was wandering in the land of the Magadhans and arrived at Rājagaha; he went to where Bhaggava the potter was. Having approached, the Blessed One said to Bhaggava the potter, “If it’s not inconvenient for you, Bhaggava, may we stay in your workshop for one night?”

“It’s not inconvenient for me, venerable sir. There is an ascetic who arrived first. If he permits it, then stay, venerable sir, as you like,” Bhaggava replied.

At that time, a young man named Pukkusāti, out of faith in the Blessed One, had gone forth from home into homelessness. He was the one who had arrived first at the potter’s workshop. Then, the Blessed One approached where Venerable Pukkusāti was; having approached, he said to Venerable Pukkusāti, “If it’s not inconvenient for you, bhikkhu, may we stay in your workshop for one night?”

“The workshop is spacious, friend. Please stay, Venerable, as you like,” replied Venerable Pukkusāti.

Then, the Blessed One entered the potter’s workshop and, after preparing a seat of grass at one side, sat down, folding his legs crosswise, setting his body erect, and establishing mindfulness in front of him. The Blessed One spent much of the night seated in meditation. Venerable Pukkusāti too spent much of the night seated in meditation.

Then, it occurred to the Blessed One, “This young man conducts himself well. Perhaps I should question him.”

So, the Blessed One asked Venerable Pukkusāti, “For whom, bhikkhu, have you gone forth? Who is your teacher? Whose Dhamma do you profess?”

“Friend, there is the ascetic Gotama, the son of the Sakyans, who went forth from the Sakyan clan. And about the Blessed One Gotama, such a splendid reputation has spread: ‘Indeed, he is the Blessed One, an Arahant, a Fully Enlightened One, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, well-gone, a knower of the worlds, an unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’ I have gone forth inspired by the Blessed One Gotama. He is my teacher, and it is his Dhamma that I profess.”

“And where is that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One now residing?” the Blessed One asked.

“Friend, in the northern country there is a city named Sāvatthi. There the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, is now residing,” replied Venerable Pukkusāti.

“Have you ever seen that Blessed One before, bhikkhu? Would you recognize him if you saw him?” the Blessed One inquired.

“No, friend, I have not seen that Blessed One before; and I would not recognize him if I saw him,” Venerable Pukkusāti replied.

Then, it occurred to the Blessed One, “This young man has gone forth out of faith in me. Perhaps I should teach him the Dhamma.”

Then, the Blessed One addressed Venerable Pukkusāti, “I will teach you the Dhamma, bhikkhu. Listen and pay close attention; I will speak.”

“As you say, friend,” Venerable Pukkusāti responded to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said:

"This person, bhikkhu, is made of six elements, six bases of contact, eighteen explorations of mind, and is established in four ways; where standing, the notions of ‘I am’ do not proceed, and in whom, when these notions do not proceed, is called a sage at peace. One should not be negligent in wisdom, should guard the truth, should cultivate relinquishment, and should train for peace itself — this is the essence of the Analysis of the Elements.

‘This person, bhikkhu, is made of six elements’ — thus it has been said. Why has it been said? There are these six elements, bhikkhu: the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the air element, the space element, and the consciousness element. ‘This person, bhikkhu, is made of six elements’ — it has been said with reference to this.

‘This person, bhikkhu, has six bases of contact’ — thus it has been said. Why has it been said? The eye-contact base, the ear-contact base, the nose-contact base, the tongue-contact base, the body-contact base, the mind-contact base. ‘This person, bhikkhu, has six bases of contact’ — it has been said with reference to this.

‘This person, bhikkhu, engages in eighteen explorations of mind’ — thus it has been said. Why has it been said? On seeing a form with the eye, one explores a form that gives rise to pleasure, a form that gives rise to displeasure, and a form that gives rise to equanimity; on hearing a sound with the ear … on smelling an odor with the nose … on tasting a flavor with the tongue …

on touching a tactile object with the body … on cognizing a mental object (arisen from a mental quality) with the mind, one explores a mental object that gives rise to pleasure, a mental object that gives rise to displeasure, and a mental object that gives rise to equanimity. ‘This person, bhikkhu, engages in eighteen explorations of mind’ — it has been said with reference to this.

‘This person, bhikkhu, is established in four ways’ — thus it has been said. Why has it been said? The establishment of wisdom, the establishment of truth, the establishment of relinquishment, the establishment of peace. ‘This person, bhikkhu, is established in four ways’ — it has been said with reference to this.

‘One should not be negligent in wisdom, should guard the truth, should cultivate relinquishment, and should train for peace itself’

— thus it has been said. Why has it been said?

The Six Elements

And how, bhikkhu, does one not neglect wisdom? There are these six elements, bhikkhu: the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the air element, the space element, and the consciousness element.

And what, bhikkhu, is the earth element? The earth element may be internal or external. And what, bhikkhu, is the internal earth element? Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is solid, solidified, and clung to, that is, hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, contents of the stomach, feces, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is solid, solidified, and clung to — this is called the internal earth element. Both the internal earth element and the external earth element are simply earth elements. ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’ — thus should it be seen with proper wisdom as it really is. Having seen it thus with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the earth element and makes the mind dispassionate towards the earth element.

And what, bhikkhu, is the water element? The water element may be internal or external. And what, bhikkhu, is the internal water element? Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is liquid, liquefied, and clung to, that is, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, spit, snot, oil of the joints, urine, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is liquid, liquefied, and clung to — this is called the internal water element. Both the internal water element and the external water element are simply water elements. ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’ — thus should it be seen with proper wisdom as it really is. Having seen it thus with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the water element and makes the mind dispassionate towards the water element.

And what, bhikkhu, is the fire element? The fire element may be internal or external. And what, bhikkhu, is the internal fire element? Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fire, fiery, and clung to, that is, by which one is warmed, ages, and is consumed, and by which what is eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted gets fully digested, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fire, fiery, and clung to — this is called the internal fire element. Both the internal fire element and the external fire element are simply fire elements. ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’ — thus should it be seen with proper wisdom as it really is. Having seen it thus with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the fire element and makes the mind dispassionate towards the fire element.

And what, bhikkhu, is the air element? The air element may be internal or external. And what, bhikkhu, is the internal air element? Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is air, airy, and clung to, that is, up-going winds, down-going winds, winds in the belly, winds in the bowels, winds that course through the limbs, in-breathing and out-breathing, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is air, airy, and clung to — this is called the internal air element. Both the internal air element and the external air element are simply air elements. ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’ — thus should it be seen with proper wisdom as it really is. Having seen it thus with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the air element and makes the mind dispassionate towards the air element.

And what, bhikkhu, is the space element? The space element may be internal or external. And what, bhikkhu, is the internal space element? Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is space, spatial, and clung to, that is, the holes of the ears, the nostrils, the door of the mouth, and where whatever is eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted is swallowed, where it stands, where it is stored, and where it is excreted from below, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is space, spatial, and clung to — this is called the internal space element. Both the internal space element and the external space element are simply space elements. ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self’ — thus should it be seen with proper wisdom as it really is. Having seen it thus with proper wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the space element and makes the mind dispassionate towards the space element.

Then, only consciousness remains, pure and bright. And with that consciousness, what does one cognize? One cognizes ‘pleasant’, one cognizes ‘painful’, and one cognizes ‘neither-painful-nor-pleasant’.

The Eighteen Explorations of Mind

• Pleasant feeling, bhikkhu, arises dependent on contact. Experiencing that pleasant feeling, one understands ‘I experience a pleasant feeling’. ‘With the cessation of that very contact that is pleasant to experience, the pleasant feeling that arose dependent on that pleasant contact ceases and subsides’ — this one understands.

• Painful feeling, bhikkhu, arises dependent on contact. Experiencing that painful feeling, one understands ‘I experience a painful feeling’. ‘With the cessation of that very contact that is painful to experience, the painful feeling that arose dependent on that painful contact ceases and subsides’ — this one understands.

• A neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, bhikkhu, arises dependent on contact. Experiencing that neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one understands ‘I experience a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling’. ‘With the cessation of that very contact that is neither painful nor pleasant to experience, the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling that arose dependent on that contact ceases and subsides’ — this one understands.

Just as, bhikkhu, with the friction of two pieces of wood, heat is generated and fire arises, and with the separation and scattering of those two pieces of wood, the heat generated by their contact ceases and subsides;

• Similarly, bhikkhu, pleasant feeling arises dependent on contact. Experiencing that pleasant feeling, one understands ‘I experience a pleasant feeling’. ‘With the cessation of that very contact that is pleasant to experience, the pleasant feeling that arose dependent on that contact ceases and subsides’ — this one understands.

• Painful feeling, bhikkhu, arises dependent on contact. Experiencing that painful feeling, one understands ‘I experience a painful feeling’. ‘With the cessation of that very contact that is painful to experience, the painful feeling that arose dependent on that contact ceases and subsides’ — this one understands.

• A neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, bhikkhu, arises dependent on contact. Experiencing that neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one understands ‘I experience a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling’. ‘With the cessation of that very contact that is neither painful nor pleasant to experience, the neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling that arose dependent on that contact ceases and subsides’ — this one understands.

Then, only equanimity remains, pure, bright, gentle, workable, and radiant. Just as, bhikkhu, a skilled goldsmith or goldsmith’s apprentice might prepare a furnace, light the fire, and place gold in the crucible. By blowing on it from time to time, sprinkling water over it from time to time, and observing it from time to time, the gold becomes refined, well refined, thoroughly refined, faultless, pliable, workable, and radiant. It could be made into whatever form he wishes — whether a bracelet, earrings, a necklace, or a golden chain—and it would serve its purpose. Similarly, bhikkhu, then only equanimity remains, pure, bright, gentle, workable, and radiant.

One thus understands: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity so pure and so bright towards the sphere of infinite space (dissolution of distinctions of form element) and develop my mind accordingly, this equanimity, relying on that, clinging (grasping) to that, would last for a long time. If I were to direct this equanimity so pure and so bright towards the sphere of infinite consciousness (boundless awareness)… towards the sphere of nothingness (emptiness and absence)… towards the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception and develop my mind accordingly, this equanimity, relying on that, clinging to that, would last for a long time.’

One thus understands: ‘If I were to direct this equanimity, so pure and bright, towards the sphere of infinite space (dissolution of distinctions of form element) and develop my mind accordingly, this is conditioned. If I were to direct this equanimity, so pure and bright, towards the sphere of infinite consciousness… towards the sphere of nothingness… towards the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception and develop my mind accordingly, this is conditioned.’

Thus, one does not form any volitional formations for either existence or non-existence. Not forming any volitions for either, one does not cling to anything in the world. Not clinging, one does not worry. Without worry, one personally attains Nibbāna.

‘Re-birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being,’ one understands.

Whether experiencing a pleasant feeling, one understands ‘it is impermanent’, ‘I am not involved with it’, ‘I do not delight in it’. Whether experiencing a painful feeling or a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one understands the same.

Experiencing a pleasant feeling, one experiences it unattached; experiencing a painful feeling, one experiences it unattached; experiencing a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, one experiences it unattached. Experiencing a feeling limited to the body, one understands ‘I experience a feeling limited to the body’; experiencing a feeling limited to life, one understands ‘I experience a feeling limited to life’, ‘With the break-up of the body, following death, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.’

Just as, bhikkhu, an oil lamp burns dependent on oil and a wick, and with the exhaustion of the oil and wick, it is extinguished due to lack of fuel; similarly, experiencing a feeling limited to the body, one understands ‘I experience a feeling limited to the body’; experiencing a feeling limited to life, one understands ‘I experience a feeling limited to life’, ‘With the break-up of the body, following death, all that is felt, not being delighted in, will become cool right here.’

Established in Four Ways

1. Therefore, a bhikkhu equipped in this way possesses the highest foundation of wisdom. For, bhikkhu, this is the highest noble wisdom, that is, the knowledge of the cessation of all suffering.

2. His release, being founded on truth, is unshakeable. For that is false, bhikkhu, which is delusory, and that is true which is Nibbāna, the un-delusory. Therefore, a bhikkhu equipped in this way possesses the highest foundation of truth. For, bhikkhu, this is the ultimate noble truth, that is, Nibbāna, which is un-delusory.

3. For him, previously not having wisdom, attachments (possessions, identification) were fully taken up and embraced. But for him, they are abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that they are no more subject to future arising. Therefore, a bhikkhu equipped in this way possesses the highest foundation of relinquishment. For, bhikkhu, this is the supreme noble relinquishment, that is, the relinquishment of all attachments.

   1. For him, previously not having wisdom, there was craving, desire, passion. But for him, it is abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that craving is no more subject to future arising.

   2. For him, previously not having wisdom, there was irritation, ill-will, fault-finding. But for him, it is abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that irritation is no more subject to future arising.

4. For him, previously not having wisdom, there was ignorance (misapprehension of true reality) and delusion (assumption making tendencies, absence of close examination and verification). But for him, it is abandoned, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, obliterated so that it is no more subject to future arising. Therefore, a bhikkhu equipped in this way possesses the highest foundation of peace. For, bhikkhu, this is the supreme noble peace, that is, the pacification of lust, aversion, and confusion.

“One should not neglect wisdom, should protect the truth, should cultivate relinquishment, and should train for peace itself”

— thus has it been said. This has been said on account of this.

Notions of ‘I am’

“Where standing, the notions of ‘I am’ do not proceed, and in whom, when these notions do not proceed, he is called a sage at peace” — thus indeed has it been said. What was this said on account of?

"It is ‘I am,’ bhikkhu, that is a presumption.

• ‘This I am’ is a presumption.

• ‘I will be’ is a presumption.

• ‘I will not be’ is a presumption.

• ‘I will have form’ is a presumption.

• ‘I will be formless’ is a presumption.

• ‘I will be conscious’ is a presumption.

• ‘I will be unconscious’ is a presumption.

• ‘I will be neither conscious nor unconscious’ is a presumption.

Presumption, bhikkhu, is a disease, presumption is a boil, presumption is a dart. Overcoming all presumptions, bhikkhu, one is called a sage at peace. Indeed, a sage at peace, bhikkhu, does not get born, does not age, does not die, does not get agitated, does not yearn. For him, bhikkhu, there is nothing by which he might be born; not being born, how could he age? Not aging, how could he die? Not dying, how could he get agitated? Not getting agitated, for what could he yearn?

“Where standing, the notions of ‘I am’ do not proceed, and in whom, when these notions do not proceed, he is called a sage at peace”

— thus has it been said. This has been said on account of this.

“You should remember this brief exposition of the six elements from me, bhikkhu.”

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In this teaching, the Buddha gets mistaken for an ordinary bhikkhu by a young bhikkhu who had gone forth with faith in the Buddha. It is indicative that the Buddha conducted himself with an outward appearance indistinguishable from that of other bhikkhus that trained under him.

Seeing the young bhikkhu conducting himself well, the Buddha shares with him this teaching of the six elements of earth, water, fire, wind, space and consciousness - which when practiced allows for establishing oneself in mindfulness, freed from craving and grief for the world.

The Buddha further shares on the eighteen explorations of the mind through the three kinds of feelings: pleasant, painful and neither-painful-nor-pleasant born from the six sense contacts (form meeting the eye, along with arising of eye-consciousness, … , mental object meeting the mind, along with arising of the mind-consciousness). He shares these as a way to understand the consciousness element and how it cognizes.

The Buddha then describes the gradual steps from there that lead to the realization of Nibbāna, leading to being established in the four ways of wisdom, truth, relinquishment, and peace.

The Buddha finally shares on the letting go of the ‘I am’ presumption and any subsequent presumptions that emerge from this, which form the core of what leads one to experience discontentment through worry, agitation, and dissatisfaction.

Closely examining the presumption of ‘I am’ inherent in René Descartes’s “Cogito, ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I am”), which has underpinned modern philosophy, scientific and rational investigations, individualism, literature and pop culture, psychology, and technology (including debates on machine consciousness), reveals how deeply the world we find ourselves in today is influenced by this concept.

Realizing the truth of “I am” then individually opens up new possibilities and frontiers to be explored across all of these domains.

Related Teachings:

Mindfulness of body (AN 1.575 - 590) - The Buddha is sharing in these short teachings on the benefits of adopting the frame of reference of mindfulness of body over the frame of reference of craving and grief for the world.

Causes for Diverse Perceptions, Intentions, Passions, Quests (SN 14.7) - The diverse external elements of sense experience give rise to diverse perceptions, intentions, desires, passions, and quests. When mindfulness of the body and the four foundations of body, feelings, mind and mental qualities is strongly established, one can effectively apply sense restraint.

Importance of cultivating wisdom (AN 76 - 81) - A series of short teachings of the Buddha highlighting the importance of cultivation of wisdom.