The Buddha describes the fires of passion, hatred, and delusion which consume beings who cling to a self. The wise cool these flames with wisdom, loving-kindness, and perceiving unattractiveness.
Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:
“Tayome, bhikkhave, aggī. Katame tayo? Rāgaggi, dosaggi, mohaggi— ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo aggī”ti.
“There are, bhikkhus, these three fires. What three? 1) The |fire of passion::fire of lust, craving [rāgaggi]|, 2) the |fire of hatred::fire of ill will, hatred [dosaggi]|, and 3) the |fire of delusion::fire of delusion [mohaggi]|—these, bhikkhus, are the three fires.”
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:
“Rāgaggi dahati macce,
ratte kāmesu mucchite;
Dosaggi pana byāpanne,
nare pāṇātipātino.
“The fire of passion burns the mortal ones,
those enamoured and |infatuated with::greedy for, fixated on [mucchita]| sensual pleasures;
But the fire of hatred scorches those malevolent ones,
the people bent on killing living beings.
Mohaggi pana sammūḷhe,
ariyadhamme akovide;
Ete aggī ajānantā,
sakkāyābhiratā pajā.
The fire of delusion torments the |bewildered::confused, disoriented by delusion [sammūḷha]|,
those unskilled in the noble Dhamma;
Beings delighting in |personal existence::individual identity, embodied being, view that one is the owner of the body and mind [sakkāya]|,
ignorant of these [consuming] fires—
Te vaḍḍhayanti nirayaṁ,
tiracchānañca yoniyo;
Asuraṁ pettivisayaṁ,
amuttā mārabandhanā.
They augment |hell::a place of intense suffering, lit. no good fortune [niraya]|,
and the wombs of animals;
The domain of |titans::asuras, those who are anti-god [asura]| and ghosts,
not freed from Māra’s bonds.
Ye ca rattindivā yuttā,
sammāsambuddhasāsane;
Te nibbāpenti rāgaggiṁ,
niccaṁ asubhasaññino.
But those who day and night devote themselves,
to the teaching of the perfectly Awakened One;
They extinguish the fire of passion,
ever perceiving |unattractiveness::disagreeableness, recognizing the not aesthetically pleasing characteristics [asubha]|.
Dosaggiṁ pana mettāya,
nibbāpenti naruttamā;
Mohaggiṁ pana paññāya,
yāyaṁ nibbedhagāminī.
They extinguish the fire of hatred with |loving-kindness::goodwill, friendliness, benevolence [metta]|,
the noblest of humans;
And the fire of delusion with |wisdom::distinctive knowledge, discernment [paññā]|,
which leads to |breakthrough insight::penetrating insight [nibbedha]|.
Te nibbāpetvā nipakā,
rattindivamatanditā;
Asesaṁ parinibbanti,
asesaṁ dukkhamaccaguṁ.
Having extinguished, the |prudent::sensible and careful when making judgments and decisions, discerning [nipaka]| ones,
tireless by day and night;
Without remainder, they |die their final death::attain final Nibbāna, is completely quenched [parinibbāti]|,
having fully transcended |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|.
Ariyaddasā vedaguno,
sammadaññāya paṇḍitā;
Jātikkhayamabhiññāya,
nāgacchanti punabbhavan”ti.
Seers of the noble truths, accomplished in wisdom,
the wise who possess perfect knowledge;
Having directly known the |wearing away of rebirth::extinction of rebirth [jātikkhaya]|,
they no longer return to renewed |existence::continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]|.”
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.
This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, as I have heard:
“There are, bhikkhus, these three fires. What three? 1) The |fire of passion::fire of lust, craving [rāgaggi]|, 2) the |fire of hatred::fire of ill will, hatred [dosaggi]|, and 3) the |fire of delusion::fire of delusion [mohaggi]|—these, bhikkhus, are the three fires.”
The Blessed One spoke on this matter. In this regard, it is said:
“The fire of passion burns the mortal ones,
those enamoured and |infatuated with::greedy for, fixated on [mucchita]| sensual pleasures;
But the fire of hatred scorches those malevolent ones,
the people bent on killing living beings.
The fire of delusion torments the |bewildered::confused, disoriented by delusion [sammūḷha]|,
those unskilled in the noble Dhamma;
Beings delighting in |personal existence::individual identity, embodied being, view that one is the owner of the body and mind [sakkāya]|,
ignorant of these [consuming] fires—
They augment |hell::a place of intense suffering, lit. no good fortune [niraya]|,
and the wombs of animals;
The domain of |titans::asuras, those who are anti-god [asura]| and ghosts,
not freed from Māra’s bonds.
But those who day and night devote themselves,
to the teaching of the perfectly Awakened One;
They extinguish the fire of passion,
ever perceiving |unattractiveness::disagreeableness, recognizing the not aesthetically pleasing characteristics [asubha]|.
They extinguish the fire of hatred with |loving-kindness::goodwill, friendliness, benevolence [metta]|,
the noblest of humans;
And the fire of delusion with |wisdom::distinctive knowledge, discernment [paññā]|,
which leads to |breakthrough insight::penetrating insight [nibbedha]|.
Having extinguished, the |prudent::sensible and careful when making judgments and decisions, discerning [nipaka]| ones,
tireless by day and night;
Without remainder, they |die their final death::attain final Nibbāna, is completely quenched [parinibbāti]|,
having fully transcended |suffering::discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering [dukkha]|.
Seers of the noble truths, accomplished in wisdom,
the wise who possess perfect knowledge;
Having directly known the |wearing away of rebirth::extinction of rebirth [jātikkhaya]|,
they no longer return to renewed |existence::continued conditional existence, the karmically conditioned mode of being that leads to future rebirth [bhava]|.”
This matter too was spoken by the Blessed One, as I have heard.
Vuttañhetaṁ bhagavatā vuttamarahatāti me sutaṁ:
“Tayome, bhikkhave, aggī. Katame tayo? Rāgaggi, dosaggi, mohaggi— ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo aggī”ti.
Etamatthaṁ bhagavā avoca. Tatthetaṁ iti vuccati:
“Rāgaggi dahati macce,
ratte kāmesu mucchite;
Dosaggi pana byāpanne,
nare pāṇātipātino.
Mohaggi pana sammūḷhe,
ariyadhamme akovide;
Ete aggī ajānantā,
sakkāyābhiratā pajā.
Te vaḍḍhayanti nirayaṁ,
tiracchānañca yoniyo;
Asuraṁ pettivisayaṁ,
amuttā mārabandhanā.
Ye ca rattindivā yuttā,
sammāsambuddhasāsane;
Te nibbāpenti rāgaggiṁ,
niccaṁ asubhasaññino.
Dosaggiṁ pana mettāya,
nibbāpenti naruttamā;
Mohaggiṁ pana paññāya,
yāyaṁ nibbedhagāminī.
Te nibbāpetvā nipakā,
rattindivamatanditā;
Asesaṁ parinibbanti,
asesaṁ dukkhamaccaguṁ.
Ariyaddasā vedaguno,
sammadaññāya paṇḍitā;
Jātikkhayamabhiññāya,
nāgacchanti punabbhavan”ti.
Ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, iti me sutanti.