A Gift of Dhamma¹

Taken together, they compose what we call a ''human being''. However, when the body is broken down into its component parts, only these four elements remain. The Buddha taught that there is no ''being'' per se, no human, no Thai, no Westerner, no person, but that ultimately, there are only these four elements - that's all! We assume that there is a person or a ''being'' but, in reality, there isn't anything of the sort.

Whether taken separately as earth, water, fire and wind, or taken together labelling what they form a ''human being'', they're all impermanent, subject to suffering and not-self. They are all unstable, uncertain and in a state of constant change - not stable for a single moment!

Our body is unstable, altering and changing constantly. Hair changes, nails change, teeth change, skin changes - everything changes, completely!

Our mind, too, is always changing. It isn't a self or substance. It isn't really ''us'', not really ''them'', although it may think so. Maybe it will think about killing itself. Maybe it will think of happiness or of suffering - all sorts of things! It's unstable. If we don't have wisdom and we believe this mind of ours, it'll lie to us continually. And we alternately suffer and be happy.

This mind is an uncertain thing. This body is uncertain. Together they are impermanent. Together they are a source of suffering. Together they are devoid of self. These, the Buddha pointed out, are neither a being, nor a person, nor a self, nor a soul, nor us, nor they. They are merely elements: earth, water, fire and wind. Elements only!

When the mind sees this, it will rid itself of attachment which holds that ''I'' am beautiful, ''I'' am good, ''I'' am evil, ''I'' am suffering, ''I'' have, ''I'' this or ''I'' that. You will experience a state of unity, for you'll have seen that all of mankind is basically the same. There is no ''I''. There are only elements.

Footnotes

...¹

A discourse delivered to the assembly of Western monks, novices and lay-disciples at Bung Wai Forest Monastery, Ubon, on the 10th of October, 1977. This discourse was offered to the parents of one of the monks on the occasion of their visit from France.