1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Gaya, at Gaya's Head, together with a thousand bhikkhus. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: [n.13] This sutta, often called "The Fire Sermon," is the third discourse of the Buddha as recorded in the narrative of his ministry at Khandaka 1 Vin I 34–35. According to this source, the thousand bhikkhus were former jaṭila matted-hair ascetics under the leadership of the three Kassapa brothers. The Buddha had converted them by a series of miracles, after which he preached the present sermon. The sermon gains special meaning from the fact that before their conversion these ascetics had been devoted to the fire sacrifice. The full account is at Khandaka 1 Vin I 34–35; see Ñāṇamoli, Life of the Buddha, pp. 54–60, 64–69. Spk: Having led the thousand bhikkhus to Gaya's Head, the Blessed One reflected, "What kind of Dhamma talk would be suitable for them?" He then realized, "In the past they worshipped the fire morning and evening. I will teach them that the twelve sense bases are burning and blazing. In this way they will be able to attain arahantship." In this sutta the characteristic of suffering is discussed.

"Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what, bhikkhus, is the all that is burning?

The eye is burning, forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition—whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant—that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with birth, aging, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, I say.

"The ear is burning, sn.iv.20 sounds are burning, ear consciousness is burning, ear contact is burning, the feeling that arises from ear contact, whether it is pleasant, painful, or neutral, that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with birth, aging, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, I say.

The nose is burning, odors are burning, nose consciousness is burning, nose contact is burning, the feeling that arises from nose contact, whether it is pleasant, painful, or neutral, that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with birth, aging, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, I say.

The tongue is burning, tastes are burning, tongue consciousness is burning, tongue contact is burning, the feeling that arises from tongue contact, whether it is pleasant, painful, or neutral, that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with birth, aging, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, I say.

The mind is burning, mind objects are burning, mind consciousness is burning, mind contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition—whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant—that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with birth, aging, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, I say.

"Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards the eye, towards forms, towards eye-consciousness, towards eye-contact, towards whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition—whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant;

experiences revulsion towards the ear, towards sounds, towards ear-consciousness, towards ear-contact, towards whatever feeling arises with ear-contact as condition—whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant;

experiences revulsion towards the nose, towards odors, towards nose-consciousness, towards nose-contact, towards whatever feeling arises with nose-contact as condition—whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant;

experiences revulsion towards the tongue, towards tastes, towards tongue-consciousness, towards tongue-contact, towards whatever feeling arises with tongue-contact as condition—whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant;

experiences revulsion towards the mind, towards mind objects, towards mind-consciousness, towards mind-contact, towards whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition—whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant.

Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion his mind is liberated. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It's liberated.’

He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’"

2This is what the Blessed One said. Elated, those bhikkhus delighted in the Blessed One's statement.

And while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of the thousand bhikkhus were liberated from the taints by nonclinging.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā gayāyaṁ vihārati gayāsīse saddhiṁ bhikkhusahassena. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

"Sabbaṁ, bhikkhave, ādittaṁ. Kiñca, bhikkhave, sabbaṁ ādittaṁ?

Cakkhu, bhikkhave, ādittaṁ, rūpā ādittā, cakkhuviññāṇaṁ ādittaṁ, cakkhusamphasso āditto. Yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi ādittaṁ. Kena ādittaṁ? ‘Rāgagginā, dosagginā, mohagginā ādittaṁ, jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi ādittan’ti vadāmi.

… pe …

Jivhā ādittā, rasā ādittā, jivhāviññāṇaṁ ādittaṁ, jivhāsamphasso āditto. Yampidaṁ jivhāsamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi ādittaṁ. Kena ādittaṁ? ‘Rāgagginā, dosagginā, mohagginā ādittaṁ, jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi ādittan’ti vadāmi.

Mano āditto, dhammā ādittā, manoviññāṇaṁ ādittaṁ, manosamphasso āditto. Yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tampi ādittaṁ. Kena ādittaṁ? ‘Rāgagginā, dosagginā, mohagginā ādittaṁ, jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi ādittan’ti vadāmi.

Evaṁ passaṁ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako cakkhusmimpi nibbindati, rūpesupi nibbindati, cakkhuviññāṇepi nibbindati, cakkhusamphassepi nibbindati, yampidaṁ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tasmimpi nibbindati

… pe …

… yampidaṁ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṁ sukhaṁ vā dukkhaṁ vā adukkhamasukhaṁ vā tasmimpi nibbindati.

Nibbindaṁ virajjati; virāgā vimuccati; vimuttasmiṁ vimuttamiti ñāṇaṁ hoti.

‘Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ, nāparaṁ itthattāyā’ti pajānātī"ti.

2Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanduṁ.

Imasmiñca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṁ bhaññamāne tassa bhikkhusahassassa anupādāya āsavehi cittāni vimucciṁsūti.

Chaṭṭhaṁ.