Commentary mahaaraahulovaadasutta, 18 B
18 B: Cross reference to the Greater Discourse on the Elephant's
Footprint" (M 28), Part I.

The Commentary to the Mahaaraahulovaada sutta states:
<ettha pana purimaasu taava catuusu dhaatuusu ya.m vattabba.m, ta.m
mahaahatthipadopame vuttameva.

But here what had to be said previously with regard to the four (great)
elements, that was said in the ³Discourse on the great Elephant¹s
Footprint².>
The Commentary stated before:
<As to the words, ya.m ki~nci ruupa.m,
whatever are material phenomena, this is explained in detail in the
Visuddhimagga, khandha niddesa. As to the words, n'eta.m mama, this is not
myself, this has been explained in the "Greater Discourse on the Elephant's
Footprint".>

In the "Greater Discourse on the Elephant's Footprint" the four great
Elements are explained in detail by Sariputta. First he teaches the four
noble Truths. All kusala dhammas are included in (come together in) the four
noble truths:
<eva kho aavuso ye keci kusalaa dhammaa sabbe te catusu
ariyasaccesusa'ngaha.m gacchanti>
He then explains what dukkha is, ending with: in short, the five khandhas of
clinging are dukkha: <sa'nkhittena pa~nc' upaadaanakkhandhaa dukkhaa>.
Sariputta explained in detail about the four great elements of earth, water,
fire and wind. They are the basis for all the other derived material
phenomena. For example, colour could not arise alone, it has to be together
with these four great elements. And so it is with sound and all other
material phenomena.
The elements of earth (hardness or softness), fire (heat or cold) and wind
(motion or pressure) can be experienced by touch, but the element of water,
cohesion, can only be experienced through the mind. This sutta reminds us
that there is hardness (earth) in the body, but also outside. When we touch
hardness there is no difference, but we do not like to hear this. We find
the body very special. Rahula was clinging so much to his body
(attaabhaava), but he had to develop vipassanaa pa~n~naa, to realize that
there is not the whole body; that what we take for my body are only
different elements which fall away immediately.
In the ³Greater Discourse on the Elephant's Footprint² Sariputta spoke about
the impermanence of outward rupas by explaining about the calamities in
nature. Evenso the rupas of the body are impermanent, they fall away
immediately.
As we have read in the Commentary to the Mahaaraahulovaada sutta:
<Therefore Rahula asked, " ruupa.m eva nu kho Bhagavaa, only materiality,
Lord?²Why did Rahula ask, "Only materiality, Lord?²
Since he had heard, ³all materiality is not mine, I am not this, this is not
me"
and the Lord had said that all materiality should be seen thus by insight
knowledge, he was wondering by which method he should practise with regard
to feelings and so on.>
Rahula had to develop understanding not only of materiality, ruupa, but also
of mental phenomena, naama, of all five khandhas. When we take them all as a
whole, there is the idea of a person. Hearing is naama, a citta that
experiences sound, it is not the ruupa that is sound, it is no the ruupa
that is earsense. Understanding this, not only by reflection, but by direct
understanding of the characteristics of the elements as they appear one at a
time must lead to detachment. Clinging to the idea of "I, mine" can
decrease. As we read in the Mahaarahulovaadasutta:
<pa.thavii-dhaatuyaa nibbindati, pa.thaviidhaatuyaa citta.m viraajeti.
One is disenchanted with the earth element and (so) becomes dispassionate
towards it.>
Nina.