Mahābhūta

**Mahābhūta** is Sanskrit and Pāli for "great element." In Buddhism, the "four great elements" (Pali: ***cattāro mahābhūtāni***) are earth, water, fire and air. Hinduism adds a fifth "great" or "gross" element: ether.

## References
## Books
* Bodhi, Bhikkhu (trans.) (2000).  *The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya*.  Boston: Wisdom Publications. .
* Buddhaghosa, Bhadantācariya (trans. from Pāli by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli) (1999). *The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga*. Seattle, WA: BPS Pariyatti Editions. .
* Hamilton, Sue (2001). *Identity and Experience: The Constitution of the Human Being according to Early Buddhism*. Oxford: Luzac Oriental. .
* Monier-Williams, Monier (1899, 1964). *A Sanskrit-English Dictionary* (London: Oxford University Press).
* , Bhikkhu (trans.) & Bodhi, Bhikkhu (ed.) (2001). *The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya*. Boston: Wisdom Publications. .
* Nyanaponika Thera (trans.) (1981). *The Greater Discourse on the Elephant-Footprint Simile*. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society.
* Olivelle, Patrick (1996). *Upaniads*. Oxford: Oxford University Press. .
* Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921–5). *The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary* [PED]. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for the PED is available from the University of Chicago's "Digital Dictionaries of South Asia" at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/ (retrieved 2007-06-14).
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1994). "SN 27.9: Dhatu Sutta – Properties" in *Upakkilesa Samyutta: Defilements* (SN 27.1–10). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn27/sn27.001-010.than.html#sn27.009.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997a). *Kayagata-sati Sutta: Mindfulness Immersed in the Body* (MN 119). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.119.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997b). *Kevatta (Kevaddha) Sutta: To Kevatta* (DN 11). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.11.0.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997c). *Dhatu-vibhanga Sutta: An Analysis of the Properties* (MN 140). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.140.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1998). *Kimsuka Sutta: The Riddle Tree* (SN 35.204). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.204.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2001). *Bija Sutta: Means of Propagation* (SN 22.54). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.054.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2003a). *Anathapindikovada Sutta: Instructions to Anathapindika* (MN 143). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.143.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2003b). *Maha-hatthipadopama Sutta: The Great Elephant Footprint Simile* (MN 28).  Retrieved 2008-01-30 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.028.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2004a). *Asivisa Sutta: Vipers* (SN 35.197). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.197.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2004b). *Dhatu Sutta: Properties* (SN 25.9). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn25/sn25.009.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2005). *Saddhammapatirupaka Sutta: A Counterfeit of the True Dhamma* (SN 16.13). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn16/sn16.013.than.html.
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2006). *Maha-Rahulovada Sutta: The Greater Exhortation to Rahula* (MN 62). Retrieved 2008-03-17 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.062.than.html.
* Walshe, Maurice O'C. (trans.) (1995). *The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya*. Boston: Wisdom Publications. .