1"Bhikkhus, there exists a hell named the Great Conflagration. There, whatever form one sees with the eye is undesirable, sn.v.451 never desirable; unlovely, never lovely; disagreeable, never agreeable. [n.403] Mahāpariḷāho nāma nirayo. The description is also at SN35.135. Whatever sound one hears with the ear … Whatever odour one smells with the nose … Whatever taste one savours with the tongue … Whatever tactile object one feels with the body … Whatever mental phenomenon one cognizes with the mind is undesirable, never desirable; unlovely, never lovely; disagreeable, never agreeable."

2When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: "That conflagration, venerable sir, is indeed terrible; that conflagration is indeed very terrible. But is there, venerable sir, any other conflagration more terrible and frightful than that one?"

"There is, bhikkhu."

3"But what, venerable sir, is that conflagration more terrible and frightful than that one?"

"Those ascetics or brahmins, bhikkhu, who do not understand as it really is: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering’—they delight in volitional formations that lead to birth, in volitional formations that lead to aging, in volitional formations that lead to death, in volitional formations that lead to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Delighting in such volitional formations, they generate volitional formations that lead to birth, generate volitional formations that lead to aging, generate volitional formations that lead to death, generate volitional formations that lead to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Having generated such volitional formations, they are burnt by the conflagration of birth, burnt by the conflagration of aging, burnt by the conflagration of death, burnt by the conflagration of sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. They are not freed from birth, aging, and death; not freed from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair; not freed from suffering, I say.

4"But, bhikkhu, those ascetics and brahmins who understand as it really is: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering’—they do not delight in volitional formations that lead to birth, nor in volitional formations that lead to aging, nor in volitional formations that lead to death, nor in volitional formations that lead to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Not delighting in such volitional formations, they do not generate volitional formations that lead to birth, nor generate volitional formations that lead to aging, nor generate volitional formations that lead to death, nor generate volitional formations that lead to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. Not having generated such volitional formations, they are not burnt by the conflagration of birth, nor burnt by the conflagration of aging, nor burnt by the conflagration of death, nor burnt by the conflagration of sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. They are freed from birth, sn.v.452 aging, and death; freed from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair; freed from suffering, I say.

5"Therefore, bhikkhus, an exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is suffering.’ … An exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’"

1"Atthi, bhikkhave, mahāpariḷāho nāma nirayo. Tattha yaṁ kiñci cakkhunā rūpaṁ passati, aniṭṭharūpaññeva passati no iṭṭharūpaṁ; akantarūpaññeva passati no kantarūpaṁ; amanāparūpaññeva passati no manāparūpaṁ. Yaṁ kiñci sotena saddaṁ suṇāti … pe … yaṁ kiñci kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṁ phusati … pe … yaṁ kiñci manasā dhammaṁ vijānāti, aniṭṭharūpaññeva vijānāti no iṭṭharūpaṁ; akantarūpaññeva vijānāti no kantarūpaṁ; amanāparūpaññeva vijānāti no manāparūpan"ti.

2Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "mahā vata so, bhante, pariḷāho, sumahā vata so, bhante, pariḷāho. Atthi nu kho, bhante, etamhā pariḷāhā añño pariḷāho mahantataro ceva bhayānakataro cā"ti?

"Atthi kho, bhikkhu, etamhā pariḷāhā añño pariḷāho mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā"ti.

3"Katamo pana, bhante, etamhā pariḷāhā añño pariḷāho mahantataro ca bhayānakataro cā"ti?

"Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti, te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu abhiramanti … pe … abhiratā … pe … abhisaṅkharonti … pe … abhisaṅkharitvā jātipariḷāhenapi pariḍayhanti, jarāpariḷāhenapi pariḍayhanti, maraṇapariḷāhenapi pariḍayhanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsapariḷāhenapi pariḍayhanti. Te na parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Na parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

4Ye ca kho keci, bhikkhave, samaṇā vā brāhmaṇā vā ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti. Te jātisaṁvattanikesu saṅkhāresu nābhiramanti … pe … anabhiratā … pe … nābhisaṅkharonti … pe … anabhisaṅkharitvā jātipariḷāhenapi na pariḍayhanti, jarāpariḷāhenapi na pariḍayhanti, maraṇapariḷāhenapi na pariḍayhanti, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsapariḷāhenapi na pariḍayhanti. Te parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi. ‘Parimuccanti dukkhasmā’ti vadāmi.

5Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo … pe … ‘Ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.