The 'Discourse on Burning', also known as 'Fire Semon', is considered the third formal discourse of the Buddha. It is distinguished by the highest reported number of attainments: 1,000 monks attained total release, Nibbāna, while listening to the Buddha teaching.
The Buddha starts this discourse with the challenging claim that the whole world is on fire! 🔥
But what is meant by 'world'/'universe' in the discipline of the Noble Ones?
It is the world of our subjective, conscious experience.
It is the Universe of:
👁 Eye, Forms, Eye Consciousness, Eye Contact;
👂 Ear, Sounds, Ear Consciousness, Ear Contact;
👃 Nose, Fragrances, Nose Consciousness, Nose Contact
👅 Tongue, Flavours, Tongue Consciousness, Tongue Contact
🤸♂️ Body, Bodily Sensations, Body Conciousness, Body Contact
💭 Mind, Ideas, Mind Consciousness, Mind Contact
And the feeling that arises with sense contact as condition, whether pleasant of painful or neutral, that is also part of 'the All' of subjective conscious experience.
And this whole universe is one gigantic conflagration. This whole world of the six senses is burning with the fire of desire, the fire of hatred, the fire of delusion. On fire with birth, decay, death, disappointment, loss, pain, suffering, frustration, depression and despair.
However, fortunately an escape is possible from this burning world. We can go beyond this conflagration, and experience the state of supreme coolness, the extinction of the fire burning us, Nibbāna.
While listening to the Buddha, the 1,000 monks contemplate and clearly see see the whole of subjective experience as one blazing mass of fire burning us. Seeing and contemplating thus, they experience 'nibbidā', disenchantment. Feeling disenchanted, desire and passion fades away. From the fading of passion, they experience release. When their hearts is released, the knowledge of release arises:
"Rebirth is finished, the goal of our practice has been attained, the job is done, there's no more rebounding to this world!"
However, this contemplation is a very advanced form of vipassana (insight-meditation). If we start feeling depressed, fearful or dejected while contemplating the world being on fire, instead of experiencing dispassion and release, we have to understand that we're not yet able to contemplate as intended by the Buddha. In that case, we have to go back to our samādhi (concentration) practice, to make our mind bright and happy again, before returning to the contemplation of dukkha.
The text of the whole Sutta is available for free viewing or download in the Amaravati Chanting Book, Vol 2, page 24:
https://amaravati.org/dhamma-books/chanting-book-volume-two/
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