Tripiṭaka 4. Devatāvagga
4. Deities
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ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.
At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.
Atha kho āyasmā sāriputto pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sambahulehi bhikkhūhi saddhiṁ gijjhakūṭā pabbatā orohanto addasa aññatarasmiṁ padese mahantaṁ dārukkhandhaṁ.
Then Venerable Sāriputta robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, descended the Vulture’s Peak together with several mendicants. At a certain spot he saw a large tree trunk,
“passatha no, āvuso, tumhe amuṁ mahantaṁ dārukkhandhan”ti?
“Reverends, do you see this large tree trunk?”
“Ākaṅkhamāno, āvuso, bhikkhu iddhimā cetovasippatto amuṁ dārukkhandhaṁ pathavītveva adhimucceyya.
“If they wanted to, a mendicant with psychic powers who has mastered their mind could determine this tree trunk to be nothing but earth.
Atthi, āvuso, amumhi dārukkhandhe pathavīdhātu, yaṁ nissāya bhikkhu iddhimā cetovasippatto amuṁ dārukkhandhaṁ pathavītveva adhimucceyya.
Because the earth element exists in the tree trunk. Relying on that a mendicant with psychic powers could determine it to be nothing but earth.
Ākaṅkhamāno, āvuso, bhikkhu iddhimā cetovasippatto amuṁ dārukkhandhaṁ āpotveva adhimucceyya …pe…
If they wanted to, a mendicant with psychic powers who has mastered their mind could determine this tree trunk to be nothing but water. …
Atthi, āvuso, amumhi dārukkhandhe asubhadhātu, yaṁ nissāya bhikkhu iddhimā cetovasippatto amuṁ dārukkhandhaṁ asubhantveva adhimucceyyā”ti.
Because the element of ugliness exists in the tree trunk. Relying on that a mendicant with psychic powers could determine it to be nothing but ugly.”
Ekādasamaṁ.