Preliminary

Saṃyutta Nikāya
IV. The Book of the Six Sense Bases (Salāyatanavagga)  
SN: 35:28 (Page: 1143)    PTS: SN IV:19
28 (6) Burning

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Gayā, at Gayā’s Head, together with a thousand bhikkhus. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus:¹³
“Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what, bhikkhus, is the all that is burning? The eye is burning, forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, and whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition—whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant—that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with birth, aging, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, I say.
“The ear is burning .... The mind is burning ... and whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition— whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant—that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hatred, with the fire of delusion; burning with birth, aging, and death; with sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair, I say.
“Seeing thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple experiences revulsion towards the eye, towards forms, towards eye-consciousness, towards eye-contact, towards whatever feeling arises with eye-contact as condition—whether pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant experiences revulsion towards the ear ... towards the mind ... towards whatever feeling arises with mind-contact as condition.... Experiencing revulsion, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It’s liberated.’ He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’”
This is what the Blessed One said. Elated, those bhikkhus delighted in the Blessed One’s statement. And while this discourse was being spoken, the minds of the thousand bhikkhus were liberated from the taints by nonclinging.
 
Footnote:
13 This sutta, often called “The Fire Sermon,” is the third discourse of the Buddha as recorded in the narrative of his ministry at Vin I 34—35. According to this source, the thousand bhikkhus were former jaṭila (matted-hair) ascetics under the leadership of the three Kassapa brothers. The Buddha had converted them by a series of miracles, after which he preached the present sermon. The sermon gains special meaning from the fact that before their conversion these ascetics had been devoted to the fire sacrifice. The full account is at Vin I 24—34; see Ñāṇamoli, Life of the Buddha, pp. 54—60, 64—69.
Spk: Having led the thousand bhikkhus to Gayā’s Head, the Blessed One reflected, “What kind of Dhamma talk would be suitable for them?” He then realized, “In the past they worshipped the fire morning and evening. I will teach them that the twelve sense bases are burning and blazing. In this way they will be able to attain arahantship.” In this sutta the characteristic of suffering is discussed.
 
 
 
 Sutta translation (C) Bhikkhu Bodhi 2000. Reprinted from The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya with permission of Wisdom Publications, 199 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144 U.S.A, www.wisdompubs.org