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- Anguttara Nikaya IV.102
- Valahaka Sutta
- Thunderheads
- For free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma
"There are these four types of thunderheads. Which four? One that thunders but
doesn't rain, one that rains but doesn't thunder, one that neither thunders nor rains, and
one that both thunders and rains. These are the four types of thunderheads.
"In the same way, these four types of persons resembling thunderheads are to be
found existing in the world. Which four? The one that thunders but doesn't rain, the one
that rains but doesn't thunder, the one that neither thunders nor rains, and the one that
both thunders and rains.
"And how is one the type of person who thunders but doesn't rain? There is the
case where a person has mastered the Dhamma: dialogues, narratives of mixed prose and
verse, explanations, verses, spontaneous exclamations, quotations, birth stories, amazing
events, question & answer sessions [the earliest classifications of the Buddha's
teachings]. Yet he doesn't discern, as it actually is present, that 'This is stress.' He
doesn't discern, as it actually is present, that 'This is the origination of stress.' He
doesn't discern, as it actually is present, that 'This is the cessation of stress.' He
doesn't discern, as it actually is present, that 'This is the path of practice leading to
the cessation of stress.' This is the type of person who thunders but doesn't rain. This
type of person, I tell you, is like the thunderhead that thunders but doesn't rain.
"And how is one the type of person who rains but doesn't thunder? There is the
case where a person has not mastered the Dhamma: dialogues...question & answer
sessions. Yet he does discern, as it actually is present, that 'This is stress.' He
discerns, as it actually is present, that 'This is the origination of stress.' He
discerns, as it actually is present, that 'This is the cessation of stress.' He discerns,
as it actually is present, that 'This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of
stress.' This is the type of person who rains but doesn't thunder. This type of person, I
tell you, is like the thunderhead that rains but doesn't thunder.
"And how is one the type of person who neither thunders nor rains? There is the
case where a person has not mastered the Dhamma: dialogues...question & answer
sessions. He doesn't discern, as it actually is present, that 'This is stress'...'This is
the origination of stress'...'This is the cessation of stress'...'This is the path of
practice leading to the cessation of stress.' This is the type of person who neither
thunders nor rains. This type of person, I tell you, is like the thunderhead that neither
thunders nor rains.
"And how is one the type of person who both thunders and rains? There is the case
where a person has mastered the Dhamma: dialogues...question & answer sessions. He
discerns, as it actually is present, that 'This is stress'...'This is the origination of
stress'...'This is the cessation of stress'...'This is the path of practice leading to the
cessation of stress.' This is the type of person who both thunders and rains. This type of
person, I tell you, is like the thunderhead that both thunders and rains.
"There are these four types of people to be found existing in the world."