[III. The Miracles at Uruvelā]



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38: The Instruction about Burning

Then the Fortunate One, having dwelt at Uruvelā for as long as he liked, left on walking tour for Gayā’s Head, together with a great Community of monks, with a thousand monks all of whom were formerly yogis. There the Fortunate One dwelt near Gayā, on Gayā’s Head together with a thousand monks.

There the Fortunate One addressed the monks, (saying): “All is burning, monks. What all is burning, monks? The eye is burning, monks, forms are burning, The analysis that follows here is of the internal and external sense-spheres (āyatanāni) skilfully applied to the fire-worshippers, showing what is really burning, and what it is burning with. eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises dependent on eye-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, that also is burning.

With what is it burning? It is burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion. It is burning with birth, with old age and death, with griefs, with lamentations, with pains, with sorrows, and with despairs, I say.

The ear is burning, sounds are burning, ear-consciousness is burning, ear-contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises dependent on ear-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, that also is burning.

With what is it burning? It is burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion. It is burning with birth, with old age and death, with griefs, with lamentations, with pains, with sorrows, and with despairs, I say.

The nose is burning, scents are burning, nose-consciousness is burning, nose-contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises dependent on nose-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, that also is burning.

With what is it burning? It is burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion. It is burning with birth, with old age and death, with griefs, with lamentations, with pains, with sorrows, and with despairs, I say.

The tongue is burning, tastes are burning, tongue-consciousness is burning, tongue-contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises dependent on tongue-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, that also is burning.

With what is it burning? It is burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion. It is burning with birth, with old age and death, with griefs, with lamentations, with pains, with sorrows, and with despairs, I say.

The body is burning, tangibles are burning, body-consciousness is burning, body-contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises dependent on body-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, that also is burning.

With what is it burning? It is burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion. It is burning with birth, with old age and death, with griefs, with lamentations, with pains, with sorrows, and with despairs, I say.

The mind is burning, thoughts are burning, mind-consciousness is burning, mind-contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises dependent on mind-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, that also is burning.

With what is it burning? It is burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion. It is burning with birth, with old age and death, with griefs, with lamentations, with pains, with sorrows, and with despairs, I say.

Seeing this, monks, the learned Noble disciple grows weary of the eye, grows weary of forms, grows weary of eye-consciousness, grows weary of eye-contact, and whatever feeling that arises dependent on eye-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, he also grows weary of that.

He grows weary of the ear, grows weary of sounds, grows weary of ear-consciousness, grows weary of ear-contact, and whatever feeling that arises dependent on ear-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, he also grows weary of that.

He grows weary of the nose, grows weary of scents, grows weary of nose-consciousness, grows weary of nose-contact, and whatever feeling that arises dependent on nose-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, he also grows weary of that.

He grows weary of the tongue, grows weary of tastes, grows weary of tongue-consciousness, grows weary of tongue-contact, and whatever feeling that arises dependent on tongue-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, he also grows weary of that.

He grows weary of the body, grows weary of tangibles, grows weary of body-consciousness, grows weary of body-contact, and whatever feeling that arises dependent on body-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, he also grows weary of that.

He grows weary of the mind, grows weary of thoughts, grows weary of mind-consciousness, grows weary of mind-contact, and whatever feeling that arises dependent on mind-contact, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neither-unpleasant-nor-pleasant, he also grows weary of that, through weariness he becomes dispassionate, through dispassion he is liberated, in liberation, there is the knowledge that such is liberation:

‘Destroyed is (re)birth
accomplished is the spiritual life
done is what ought to be done
there is no more of this mundane state - this he knows.’

Moreover, as this sermon was being given, those one thousand monks’ minds were liberated from the pollutants, without attachment. According to Mahāvastu the Buddha converted another 250 yogis who were followers of Upasena (perhaps this means Sāriputta’s brother, who later became a monk); he also taught the Chapter of the Thousands of the Dharmapada in Uruvilvakāśyapa’s ashram before leaving for Rājagṛha.

The Instruction about Burning is Finished

The Miracles at Uruvelā (are Finished)

The Third Section for Recital is Finished