Thus I have heard. At one time the Blessed One was living at Gaya, at Gayasisa, together with a thousand monks. There he spoke to them,
“Monks, all is burning. What all is burning?
The eye is burning.
Colours are burning.
Awareness of colour is burning.
Contact at the eye is burning.
And whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the eye, is burning.
Burning with what? It is burning with the fire of not-knowing, the fire of anger and hatred, the fire of sensual desire and attachment. It is burning, I say, with birth, old age, and death; with sorrow, crying, pain, anxiety and suffering.
The ear is burning.
Sounds are burning.
Awareness of sound is burning.
Contact at the ear is burning.
And whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the ear, is burning.
Burning with what? It is burning with the fire of not-knowing, the fire of anger and hatred, the fire of sensual desire and attachment. It is burning, I say, with birth, old age, and death; with sorrow, crying, pain, anxiety and suffering.
“The nose is burning.
Smells are burning.
Awareness of smell is burning.
Contact at the nose is burning.
And whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the nose, is burning.
Burning with what? It is burning with the fire of not-knowing, the fire of anger and hatred, the fire of sensual desire and attachment. It is burning, I say, with birth, old age, and death; with sorrow, crying, pain, anxiety and suffering.
“The tongue is burning.
Flavours are burning.
Awareness of flavour is burning.
Contact at the tongue is burning.
And whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the nose, is burning.
Burning with what? It is burning with the fire of not-knowing, the fire of anger and hatred, the fire of sensual desire and attachment. It is burning, I say, with birth, old age, and death; with sorrow, crying, pain, anxiety and suffering.
“The body is burning.
Physical sensations are burning.
Awareness of physical sensations is burning.
Contact at the body is burning.
And whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the body, is burning.
Burning with what? It is burning with the fire of not-knowing, the fire of anger and hatred, the fire of sensual desire and attachment. It is burning, I say, with birth, old age, and death; with sorrow, crying, pain, anxiety and suffering.
“The mind is burning.
Thoughts are burning.
Awareness of thought is burning.
Contact at the mind is burning.
And whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the mind, is burning.
Burning with what? It is burning with the fire of not-knowing, the fire of anger and hatred, the fire of sensual desire and attachment. It is burning, I say, with birth, old age, and death; with sorrow, crying, pain, anxiety and suffering.
Seeing this, the one who has heard the teachings of the noble ones, becomes disillusioned with the eye, colours, awareness of colour, and contact at the eye. He becomes disillusioned with whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the eye.
He becomes disillusioned with the ear, with sounds, awareness of sounds, and contact at the ear. He becomes disillusioned with whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the ear.
He becomes disillusioned with the nose, with smells, awareness of smell, and contact at the nose. He becomes disillusioned with whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the nose.
He becomes disillusioned with the tongue, with flavours, awareness of flavour, and contact at the tongue. He becomes disillusioned with whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the tongue.
He becomes disillusioned with the body, with physical sensations, awareness of physical sensation, and contact at the body. He becomes disillusioned with whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the body.
He becomes disillusioned with the mind, with thoughts, knowing of thoughts, and contact at the mind. He becomes disillusioned with whatever agreeable, disagreeable or neutral feeling is formed based on contact at the mind.
When he is disillusioned with all, he is detached. When he is without attachment, he is set free. When he is set free, he knows he is free. He knows ‘Birth has ended, the ascetic life is complete, the task is done. There is nothing further beyond this present life.
That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the monks delighted in the Buddha’s words. And while this teaching was being given, the minds of the thousand monks, having no attachment at all, were set free from defilement.