The Connected Discourses 35.28
On Fire
At one time, the Bhagavā was dwelling at Gayā, on Gayā Head, together with a thousand bhikkhus.
There the Bhagavā addressed the bhikkhus:
“All, bhikkhus, is on fire.
And what, bhikkhus, is the all that is on fire?
The eye, bhikkhus, is on fire; forms [rūpā] are on fire; eye-viññāṇa is on fire; eye-contact is on fire. And whatever is felt that arises dependent on eye-contact—whether sukha or dukkha or neither-dukkha-nor-sukha—that too is on fire.
On fire with what?
‘It is on fire with the fire of passion, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; it is on fire with birth, aging, and death, with sorrows, lamentations, dukkhas, distresses, and anguishes,’ I say. …
the tongue is on fire; tastes are on fire; tongue-viññāṇa is on fire; tongue-contact is on fire. And whatever is felt that arises dependent on tongue-contact—whether sukha or dukkha or neither-dukkha-nor-sukha—that too is on fire.
On fire with what?
‘It is on fire with the fire of passion, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; it is on fire with birth, aging, and death, with sorrows, lamentations, dukkhas, distresses, and anguishes,’ I say. …
the mind is on fire; dhammas are on fire; mind-viññāṇa is on fire; mind-contact is on fire. And whatever is felt that arises dependent on mind-contact—whether sukha or dukkha or neither-dukkha-nor-sukha—that too is on fire.
On fire with what?
‘It is on fire with the fire of passion, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; it is on fire with birth, aging, and death, with sorrows, lamentations, dukkhas, distresses, and anguishes,’ I say.
Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the learned noble disciple grows disenchanted with the eye too, grows disenchanted with forms [rūpesu] too, grows disenchanted with eye-viññāṇa too, grows disenchanted with eye-contact too, and grows disenchanted with whatever is felt that arises dependent on eye-contact—whether sukha or dukkha or neither-dukkha-nor-sukha—too. …
and grows disenchanted with whatever is felt that arises dependent on mind-contact—whether sukha or dukkha or neither-dukkha-nor-sukha—too.
Being disenchanted, one becomes dispassionate; through dispassion, one is liberated; when liberated, there is the knowledge: ‘Liberated.’
One understands: ‘Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more of this state.’”
The Bhagavā said this.
Satisfied, those bhikkhus rejoiced in the Bhagavā’s statement.
And while this explanation was being spoken, the cittas of that thousand bhikkhus were liberated from the āsavas without upādāna.
The sixth.