The Buddha uses the simile of a bonfire to explain how perceiving gratification in objects that can be grasped at leads to clinging, to suffering, and how perceiving drawbacks in objects that can be grasped at leads to the cessation of clinging, to the end of suffering.

The Dhamma can be like a snake that bites if grasped wrongly. This discourse tackles the danger of misinterpretation, sparked by a bhikkhu who claimed sensual pleasures weren't obstructions. The Buddha warns that a “wrong grasp” of the teachings leads to harm, while the right grasp leads to liberation. The ultimate goal is to use the teachings like a raft to cross over, letting go of all views—especially the view of a permanent self—to end suffering.

The story of the lay disciple Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa, whose desire to become a monk gets tested by his teacher. He eventually journeys to meet the Buddha, who is inspired by his beautiful recitation and his reason for delaying ordination, praising one who sees the world’s drawbacks and chooses a harmless life.

The Buddha describes the four uprisings of craving that can arise in a bhikkhu - 1) for a robe, 2) alms food, 3) lodging, and 4) for this or that state of existence.

Using the simile of a great tree nourished by sap, the Buddha explains that perceiving gratification in graspable objects fuels craving and perpetuates suffering, whereas seeing their drawbacks leads to the cessation of craving and the end of suffering.

Beings are infatuated with the four great elements because of the gratification found in them, become disenchanted with them because of the drawbacks found in them, and escape from them because there is an escape.

If the four great elements were exclusively unpleasant, beings would not be infatuated with them. If they were exclusively pleasurable, beings would not become disenchanted with them.

Only after fully understanding the gratification, drawback, and escape in the case of form, felt experience, perception, intentional constructs, and consciousness, the Buddha declared that he had attained the unsurpassed perfect awakening.

The Buddha describes how beings only become disenchanted with and escape from the five aggregates only when they have directly known their gratification, drawback, and escape as they truly are.

The Buddha’s serene conduct on an alms round catches the attention of King Bimbisāra. In the ensuing encounter, the king offers him wealth and royal pleasures, but the Buddha shares his insight on the drawbacks in sensual pleasures, his view of renunciation as security and where his mind delights in.

Before his awakening, the Bodhisatta reflected on the gratification in the world, the drawback in the world, and the escape from it.

The Buddha describes his quest for gratification in the world, drawback in the world, and the escape from it. He subsequently experientially realized gratification, drawback, and escape as they truly are, leading to his unshakable liberation.

Beings are infatuated with the world because of the gratification found in it, become disenchanted with it because of the drawback, and escape from it because there is an escape.

The Buddha shares the four kinds of persons — those who cultivate the first jhāna, the second jhāna, the third jhāna, and the fourth jhāna while perceiving drawbacks — and the difference in their rebirths.

The Buddha shares the four kinds of persons — those who cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity while perceiving drawbacks — and the difference in their rebirths.