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with a thousand monks. There the Blessed One addressed the monks: "All, monks, is burning. And what, monks, is all burning? The eye is burning, forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, and whatever arises from eye-contact as feeling— pleasure or pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain— that too is burning. By what is it burning? It is burning by the fire of lust, by the fire of hatred, by the fire of delusion. I say it is burning by birth, by aging, by death, by sorrows, lamentations, pains, griefs, and despairs. The ear is burning, sounds are burning, ear-consciousness is burning, ear-contact is burning, and whatever arises from ear-contact as feeling— pleasure or pain or neither-pleasure-nor-pain— that too... It is burning. By what is it burning? By the fire of lust, by the fire of hatred, by the fire of delusion, it is burning. By birth, by aging, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by pains, by griefs, by despairs, it is burning, 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 or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful— that too is burning. By what is it burning? By the fire of lust, by the fire of hatred, by the fire of delusion, it is burning. By birth, by aging, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by pains, by griefs, by despairs, it is burning, 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 or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful— that too is burning. By what is it burning? By the fire of lust, by the fire of hatred, by the fire of delusion, it is burning. By birth, by aging, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by pains, by griefs, by despairs, it is burning, I say. The body is burning. Tactile objects are burning. Body-consciousness is burning. Body-contact is burning. And whatever feeling arises dependent on body-contact— whether pleasant or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful— that too is burning. By what is it burning? By the fire of lust, by the fire of hatred, by the fire of delusion, it is burning. By birth, by aging, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by pains, by griefs, by despairs, it is burning, I say. The mind is burning. Mental objects are burning. Mind-consciousness is burning. Mind-contact is burning. And whatever feeling arises dependent on mind-contact— whether pleasant or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful— that too is burning. By what is it burning? By the fire of lust, by the fire of hatred, by the fire of delusion, it is burning. By birth, by aging, by death, by sorrows, by lamentations, by pains, by griefs, by despairs, it is burning, I say. Seeing thus, monks, a well-instructed noble disciple becomes disenchanted with the eye, becomes disenchanted with forms, becomes disenchanted with eye-consciousness, becomes disenchanted with eye-contact, and whatever eye- Due to contact with pleasant things, arises feeling, whether pleasant or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful. One becomes disenchanted with that too. One becomes disenchanted with the ear. One becomes disenchanted with sounds. One becomes disenchanted with the nose. One becomes disenchanted with smells. One becomes disenchanted with the tongue. One becomes disenchanted with tastes. One becomes disenchanted with the body. One becomes disenchanted with tangibles. One becomes disenchanted with the mind. One becomes disenchanted with mental objects. One becomes disenchanted with mind-consciousness. One becomes disenchanted with mind-contact. That which arises due to mind-contact, feeling, whether pleasant or painful or neither-pleasant-nor-painful, one becomes disenchanted with that too. Being disenchanted, one becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, one is liberated. In liberation, the knowledge 'I am liberated' arises. Birth is destroyed. The holy life has been lived. What was to be done has been done. There is no more for this state of being, one understands. And while this exposition was being spoken, the minds of those thousand bhikkhus were liberated from the defilements, without clinging. The Discourse on the Fire Sermon is finished. The third recitation section on the Uruvela miracle is finished. 13. The Story of the Meeting with Bimbisāra 55. Then the Blessed One, having stayed at Gayāsīsa as long as he wished, set out on tour towards Rājagaha, together with a great community of bhikkhus, a thousand bhikkhus, all of them former ascetics. Then the Blessed One, touring gradually, arrived at Rājagaha. There the Blessed One was staying in Rājagaha, at the Laṭṭhivana at the Suppatiṭṭha shrine. King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha heard: "Indeed, the ascetic Gotama, a son of the Sakyas, who went forth from the Sakya clan, has arrived at Rājagaha, and is staying in Rājagaha, at the Laṭṭhivana at the Suppatiṭṭha shrine." And this excellent reputation of the Blessed Gotama has spread: "Indeed, that Blessed One is an Arahant, perfectly enlightened, endowed with knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unexcelled leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Buddha." The Blessed One, having himself directly known and realized this world with its devas, Māras, Brahmās, with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, proclaims it. He teaches the Dhamma, beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the middle, beautiful in the end, with meaning and with letter, he proclaims the utterly complete and purified holy life. It is good indeed to see such Arahants. Then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, surrounded by twelve hundred thousand Magadhan brahmins and householders, approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he bowed to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Some of those twelve hundred thousand Magadhan brahmins and householders bowed to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Some exchanged greetings with the Blessed One, and after exchanging courteous and memorable talk, sat down to one side. Some, raising their joined hands towards the Blessed One, sat down to one side. Some announced their name and clan to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Some remained silent and sat down to one side. Then it occurred to those twelve hundred thousand Magadhan brahmins and householders: "Does the Great Ascetic practice the holy life under Uruvelakassapa, or does Uruvelakassapa practice the holy life under the Great Ascetic?" Then the Blessed One, knowing with his mind the thought-process in the minds of those twelve hundred thousand Magadhan brahmins and householders, addressed Venerable Uruvelakassapa with a verse: "What did you see, dweller of Uruvela, that you abandoned the fire, O fire-worshipper? I ask you, Kassapa, this matter: How was your fire-sacrifice abandoned?" "In forms and sounds, and also in tastes, and in women desired, sacrifices are praised. Knowing this to be defilement in attachments, therefore I delight not in offerings nor in oblations." "Herein your mind delights not..." (Kassapa, said the Blessed One) In forms, in sounds, And then in tastes, Who then, Kassapa, In the world of gods and humans, Is delighted in mind? Tell me. (Kassapa replied) Having seen the peaceful state, without clinging, Having nothing, not attached to the realm of desires, Unchanging, unknowable by others, Therefore, he delights not in offerings nor in oblations. 56. Then the venerable Uruvelakassapa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, prostrated his head at the feet of the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One: "My Teacher, venerable sir, is the Blessed One; I am a disciple. My Teacher, venerable sir, is the Blessed One; I am a disciple." Then it occurred to those twelve myriad Magadhan brahmins and householders: "Uruvelakassapa is practicing the holy life under the Great Ascetic." Then the Blessed One, knowing with his mind the thought-process in the minds of those twelve myriad Magadhan brahmins and householders, gave a gradual discourse, that is, a discourse on giving, a discourse on morality, a discourse on heaven, he explained the danger, the degradation, the defilement of sensual pleasures, and the benefit of renunciation. When the Blessed One knew that their minds were ready, pliant, free from hindrances, uplifted, and confident, then he expounded the teaching peculiar to the Buddhas: suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. Just as a clean cloth, free from stains, would perfectly absorb dye, even so, for eleven myriad Magadhan brahmins and householders, with Bimbisāra at their head, the stainless, blemishless Eye of Dhamma arose right there on that seat: "Whatever is of a nature to arise, all that is of a nature to cease." One myriad declared themselves as lay followers. 57. Then King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha, having seen the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma, understood the Dhamma, penetrated the Dhamma, having crossed over doubt, having dispelled perplexity, having gained confidence, being independent of others in the Teacher's dispensation, said to the Blessed One: "Formerly, venerable sir, when I was a young prince, I had five wishes. They were mine, and now they are fulfilled for me. Formerly, venerable sir, when I was a prince, this thought occurred to me: ‘Oh, if only they would anoint me in the kingdom!’ This, venerable sir, was my first aspiration, and now it is fulfilled for me. ‘And if an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One, would enter my domain!’ This, venerable sir, was my second aspiration, and now it is fulfilled for me. ‘And if I might attend upon that Blessed One!’ This, venerable sir, was my third aspiration, and now it is fulfilled for me. ‘And if that Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma!’ This, venerable sir, was my fourth aspiration, and now it is fulfilled for me.