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Cardinal Suttas

Āditta-Pariyāya-Sutta

The Fire Sermon

[SN 35.28]
evaṃ me sutaṃ ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā gayāyaṃ viharati gayāsīse saddhiṃ bhikkhusahassena. tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

Pāli POS Grammar English
evaṃ- ind thus; in this way
me pron masc.ins.sg by me
sutaṃ: pp masc.acc.sg heard
ekaṃ adj masc.acc.sg one
samayaṃ noun masc.acc.sg time; occasion
bhagavā noun masc.nom.sg Fortunate One, the Buddha
gayāyaṃ noun fem.loc.sg in Gayā
viharati verb pr.3.sg stays, abides, dwells, lives
gayāsīse noun masc.loc.sg in Gayā's Head
saddhiṃ ind together (with), with
bhikkhusahassena noun masc.ins.sg with thousand of monks
tatra ind there, in that place
kho ind indeed
bhagavā noun masc.nom.sg the Sublime One, Blessed One, Fortunate One,
bhikkhū noun masc.acc.pl monks, mendicants, lit. beggars
āmantesi verb aor.3.sg addressed, said (to)

Thus was heard by me: on one occasion the Fortunate One staying in Gayā in Gayā's Head together with thousand of monks. There the Blessed One addressed monks:

sabbaṃ bhikkhave ādittaṃ!
kiñca bhikkhave sabbaṃ ādittaṃ?

Pāli POS Grammar English
sabbaṃ pron nt.nom.sg all, everything
bhikkhave noun masc.voc.sg o monks!
ādittaṃ adj nt.nom.sg blazing, burning, on fire
kiñca pron nt.nom.sg and what?

Monks, everything is burning? And what is everything what is burning?

cakkhuṃ bhikkhave ādittaṃ, rūpā ādittā, cakkhuviññāṇaṃ ādittaṃ, cakkhusamphasso āditto. yampidaṃ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tampi ādittaṃ.

Pāli POS Grammar English
cakkhuṃ noun nt.nom.sg eye
ādittaṃ adj nt.nom.sg blazing, burning, on fire
rūpā noun nt.nom.pl objects of the eye, shapes, sights
cakkhuviññāṇaṃ noun nt.nom.sg eye consciousness
cakkhusamphasso noun masc.nom.sg contact with the eye
yampidaṃ idioṃ whatever indeed this
cakkhusamphassa- noun contact with the eye
paccayā noun masc.abl.sg from cause (for), supporting condition (for) precondition (for), prerequisite (for), requirement (for)
uppajjati verb pr.3.sg appears, arises, takes place
vedayitaṃ noun nt.nom.sg what is felt, experienced
sukhaṃ adj nt.nom.sg easy, comfortable, pleasant, good
ind or
dukkhaṃ adj nt.nom.sg uncomfortable, painful, unpleasant
ind or
adukkhamasukhaṃ adj nt.nom.sg neutral, neither unpleasant nor pleasant, neither comfortable nor uncomfortable
ind or
tam'pi idioṃ that too, he too, even that, just that, that very thing
ādittaṃ adj nt.nom.sg blazing, burning, on fire

Eye is burning, shapes are burning, eye consciousness is burning, contact with the eye is burning, whatever arises from contact with the eye as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – that too are burning.

kena ādittaṃ? rāg'agginā, dos'agginā, moh'agginā ādittaṃ, jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi ādittan'ti vadāmi

Pāli POS Grammar English
kena pron masc.ins.sg by what? with what? how?
rāg'agginā noun nt.ins.sg with the fire of lust, passion
dos'agginā, noun nt.ins.sg with the fire of hate , aversion
moh'agginā noun nt.ins.sg with the fire of delusion
jātiyā noun f.ins.s with birth, rebirth, conception
jarāya noun fem.ins.sg with old age, growing old, decay, ageing
maraṇena noun nt.ins.sg with death
sokehi noun masc.ins.sg with grief, sorrow, sadness
paridevehi noun masc.ins.sg with mourning, lament, wail, cry
dukkhehi noun nt.ins.pl with discomforts, sufferings, pains
domanassehi noun nt.ins.pl with (mental) sufferings, distresses dissatisfactions
upāyāsehi noun masc.ins.pl with irritations, mental disturbances, mental afflictions, despairs
ādittan'ti adj nt.nom.sg blazing, burning, on fire
vadāmi verb pr.1.sg I say

Burning with what? Burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of aversion, with the fire of delusion. Burning, I tell you, with birth, aging, death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses and despairs.

sotaṃ ādittaṃ, saddā ādittā, sotaviññāṇaṃ ādittaṃ, sotasamphasso āditto, yampidaṃ sotasamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tam pi ādittaṃ.

Pāli POS Grammar English
sotaṃ noun nt.nom.sg ear
saddā noun masc.nom.pl sounds, noises
sotaviññāṇaṃ noun nt.nom.sg ear consciousness
sotasamphasso noun masc.nom.sg contact with the ear, auditory experience

Ear is burning, sounds are burning, ear consciousness is burning, contact with the ear is burning, whatever arises from contact with the ear as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – that too are burning.

kena ādittaṃ? ādittaṃ rāgagginā dosagginā mohagginā, ādittaṃ, jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi ādittan'ti vadāmi

Burning with what? Burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of aversion, with the fire of delusion. Burning, I tell you, with birth, aging, death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses and despairs.

ghānaṃ ādittaṃ, gandhā ādittā, ghānaviññāṇaṃ ādittaṃ, ghānasamphasso āditto, yampidaṃ ghānasamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tam pi ādittaṃ.

Pāli POS Grammar English
ghānaṃ noun nt.nom.sg nose
gandhā noun masc.nom.pl smells, odours
ghānaviññāṇaṃ noun nt.nom.sg nose consciousness
ghānasamphasso noun masc.nom.sg contact with the nose

Nose is burning, smells are burning, nose consciousness is burning, contact with the nose is burning, whatever arises from contact with the nose as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – that too are burning.

kena ādittaṃ? ādittaṃ rāgagginā dosagginā mohagginā, ādittaṃ, jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi ādittan'ti vadāmi

Burning with what? Burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of aversion, with the fire of delusion. Burning, I tell you, with birth, aging, death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses and despairs.

jivhā ādittā, rasā ādittā, jivhāviññāṇaṃ ādittaṃ, jivhāsamphasso āditto, yampidaṃ jivhāsamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tam pi ādittaṃ.

Pāli POS Grammar English
jivhā noun fem.nom.sg tongue
rasā noun masc.nom.pl tastes, flavours
jivhāviññāṇaṃ noun nt.nom.sg tongue consciousness
jivhāsamphasso noun masc.nom.sg contact with the tongue

Tongue is burning, flavours are burning, tongue consciousness is burning, contact with the tongue is burning, whatever arises from contact with the tongue as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – that too are burning.

kena ādittaṃ? ādittaṃ rāgagginā dosagginā mohagginā, ādittaṃ, jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi ādittan'ti vadāmi

Burning with what? Burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of aversion, with the fire of delusion. Burning, I tell you, with birth, aging, death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses and despairs.

kāyo āditto, phoṭṭhabbā ādittā, kāyaviññāṇaṃ ādittaṃ, kāyasamphasso āditto, yampidaṃ kāyasamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tam pi ādittaṃ.

Pāli POS Grammar English
kāyo noun masc.nom.sg body
phoṭṭhabbā noun masc.nom.pl touches, physical sensations
kāyaviññāṇaṃ noun nt.nom.sg body consciousness
kāyasamphasso noun masc.nom.sg physical contact

Body is burning, physical sensations are burning, body consciousness is burning, physical contact is burning, whatever arises from physical contact as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – that too are burning.

kena ādittaṃ? ādittaṃ rāgagginā dosagginā mohagginā, ādittaṃ, jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi ādittan'ti vadāmi

Burning with what? Burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of aversion, with the fire of delusion. Burning, I tell you, with birth, aging, death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses and despairs.

mano āditto, dhammā ādittā, manoviññāṇaṃ ādittaṃ, manosamphasso āditto, yampidaṃ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tam pi ādittaṃ.

Pāli POS Grammar English
mano noun masc.nom.sg mind
dhammā noun masc.nom.pl mental phenomena, thoughts
manoviññāṇaṃ noun nt.nom.sg mind consciousness
manosamphasso noun masc.nom.sg contact with the mind

Mind is burning, mental phenomena are burning, mind consciousness is burning, contact with the mind is burning, whatever arises from contact with the mind as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – that too are burning.

kena ādittaṃ? ādittaṃ rāgagginā dosagginā mohagginā, ādittaṃ, jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi ādittan'ti vadāmi

Burning with what? Burning with the fire of passion, with the fire of aversion, with the fire of delusion. Burning, I tell you, with birth, aging, death, with sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses and despairs.

evaṃ passaṃ, bhikkhave, sutavā ariyasāvako cakkhusmim'pi nibbindati, rūpesu'pi nibbindati, cakkhuviññāṇe'pi nibbindati, cakkhusamphasse'pi nibbindati, yampidaṃ cakkhusamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tasmim'pi nibbindati

Pāli POS Grammar English
evaṃ ind thus, this, like this, just as, such
passaṃ prp masc.nom.sg seeing
sutavā adj masc.nom.sg learned, well-studied, educated, initiated
ariyasāvako noun masc.nom.sg disciple of the noble ones
cakkhusmim'pi noun nt.loc.sg and in the eye
nibbindati verb pr.3.sg is dis-enchanted (by), is disinterested (in), is disillusioned (by), loses interest (in)
rūpesu'pi noun nt.loc.pl and in matter, material forms
cakkhuviññāṇe'pi noun nt.loc.sg and in eye consciousness
cakkhusamphasse'pi noun masc.loc.sg and in contact with the eye
yampidaṃ idioṃ whatever indeed this
cakkhusamphassa- noun contact with the eye
paccayā noun masc.abl.sg from cause (for), supporting condition (for) precondition (for), prerequisite (for), requirement (for)
uppajjati verb pr.3.sg appears, arises, takes place
vedayitaṃ noun nt.nom.sg what is felt, experienced
sukhaṃ adj nt.nom.sg easy, comfortable, pleasant, good
ind or
dukkhaṃ adj nt.nom.sg uncomfortable, painful, unpleasant
ind or
adukkhamasukhaṃ adj nt.nom.sg neutral, neither unpleasant nor pleasant, neither comfortable nor uncomfortable
ind or
tasmim'pi pron masc.loc.sg in that too, even that, just that, that very thing
nibbindati verb pr.3.sg is dis-enchanted (by), is disinterested (in), is disillusioned (by), loses interest (in)

Seeing thus, well-educated disciple of the noble ones loses interest in the eye, loses interest in material forms, loses interest in the eye consciousness, loses interest in the contact with the eye, whatever arises from contact with the eye as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – in that too he loses interest.

sotasmimpi nibbindati, saddesu pi nibbindati, sotaviññāṇe pi nibbindati, sotasamphassepi nibbindati, yampidaṃ sotasamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tasmimpi nibbindati.

He loses interest in the ear, loses interest in sounds, loses interest in the ear consciousness, loses interest in the contact with the ear, whatever arises from contact with the ear as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – in that too he loses interest.

ghānasmimpi nibbindati, gandhesu pi nibbindati, ghānaviññāṇe pi nibbindati, ghānasamphassepi nibbindati, yampidaṃ ghānasamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tasmimpi nibbindati.

He loses interest in the nose, loses interest in smells, loses interest in the nose consciousness, loses interest in the contact with the nose, whatever arises from contact with the nose as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – in that too he loses interest.

jivhāya pi nibbindati, rasesu pi nibbindati, jivhāviññāṇe pi nibbindati, jivhāsamphassepi nibbindati, yampidaṃ jivhāsamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tasmimpi nibbindati.

He loses interest in the tongue, loses interest in flavours, loses interest in the tongue consciousness, loses interest in the contact with the tongue, whatever arises from contact with the tongue as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – in that too he loses interest.

kāyasmimpi nibbindati, phoṭṭhabbesu pi nibbindati, kāyaviññāṇe pi nibbindati, kāyasamphassepi nibbindati, yampidaṃ kāyasamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tasmimpi nibbindati.

He loses interest in the body, loses interest in physical sensations, loses interest in the body consciousness, loses interest in the physical contact, whatever arises from physical contact as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – in that too he loses interest.

manasmimpi nibbindati, dhammesu pi nibbindati, manoviññāṇe pi nibbindati, manosamphasse pi nibbindati, yampidaṃ manosamphassapaccayā uppajjati vedayitaṃ sukhaṃ vā dukkhaṃ vā adukkhamasukhaṃ vā tasmimpi nibbindati.

He loses interest in the mind, loses interest in mental phenomena, loses interest in the mind consciousness, loses interest in the contact with the mind, whatever arises from contact with the mind as condition, what felt pleasant, unpleasant or neither unpleasant nor pleasant – in that too he loses interest.

nibbindaṃ virajjati, virāgā vimuccati, vimuttasmiṃ vimuttam' iti ñāṇaṃ hoti:

Pāli POS Grammar English
nibbindaṃ prp masc.nom.sg being disenchanted, being disinterested being disillusioned, losing interest
virajjati verb pr.3.sg becomes detached, loses interest, becomes dispassionate, gets bored
virāgā noun abl.sg form fading of desire; dispassion; detachment; indifference
vimuccati v.pass pr.3.sg is released, becomes free
vimuttasmiṃ pp masc.loc.sg when freed, liberated, emancipated
vimuttaṃ- pp nt.nom.sg freed, liberated, emancipated
iti ind this is
ñāṇaṃ noun nt.nom.sg knowledge, understanding, insight
hoti verb pr.3.sg there is

Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is released. When freed, there is the knowledge: 'liberated.'

'khīṇā jāti vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ n'āparaṃ itthattāyā'ti pajānātī'ti.

Pāli POS Grammar English
khīṇā pp fem.nom.sg exhausted; wasted
jāti noun fem.nom.sg birth
vusitaṃ pp nt.nom.sg fulfilled, accomplished; lit. lived
brahmacariyaṃ, noun nt.nom.sg spiritual path; spiritual practice; holy life
kataṃ pp nt.nom.sg done, worked, made
karaṇīyaṃ noun nt.nom.sg duty, obligation, something to be done
n'āparaṃ adj nt.nom.sg nothing more; nothing further; not more than that; lit. no another
itthattāyā'ti noun nt.dat.sg present state of existence; earthly existence; such an existence; lit. here state
pajānātī'ti verb pr.3.sg knows clearly

He knows clearly: 'Birth is exhausted. The holy life fulfilled. What have to be done – is done. There is nothing further than this existence.'
(or ) 'There is nothing (to do more) for such a (liberated) state'

idam'avoca bhagavā. attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṃ abhinanduṃ

Pāli POS Grammar English
idamavoca verb aor.3.sg he said this
bhagavā noun masc.nom.sg Sublime One, Blessed One, Fortunate One the Buddha
attamanā adj masc.nom.pl pleased, happy, delighted, satisfied
te pron m.n.pl those
bhikkhū noun masc.nom.pl monks
bhagavato noun masc.gen.sg of the Buddha
bhāsitaṃ noun nt.acc.sg saying, speech, statement, utterance, talk, words lit. what was said
abhinanduṃ verb aor.3.pl they delighted (in), were pleased (with) approved (of), were happy (with)

The Blessed One said this. Those bhikkhus were glad and they approved of his words.

imasmiñ'ca pana veyyākaraṇasmiṃ bhaññamāne tassa bhikkhusahassassa anupādāya āsavehi cittāni vimucciṃsū'ti.

Pāli POS Grammar English
imasmiñ'ca pron while this
pana ind moreover, and now, but
veyyākaraṇasmiṃ noun nt.loc.sg while answer, explanation, exposition
bhaññamāne prp nt.loc.sg while being chanted, being preached, being recited
tassa pron masc.gen.sg of that
bhikkhusahassassa noun masc.gen.sg of thousand monks
anupādāya verb ger not holding, not grasping, detaching
āsavehi noun masc.abl.pl from impurities, effluents, taints
cittāni noun nt.acc.pl minds
vimucciṃsū'ti verb aor.3.pl they became free (from), were released (from) were liberated (from)

While this exposition has been preached, minds of those thousand monks became free from taints throught not grasping.

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