[69] On one occasion the Blessed One was wandering on tour among the Kosalans together with a large Saṅgha of bhikkhus. As he was traveling along the highway, the Blessed One saw, in a certain place, a great mass of fire, burning, blazing, glowing. On seeing it, he stepped off the road and sat down on a seat prepared at the foot of a certain tree. When he was seated, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: "Bhikkhus, do you see that great mass of fire, burning, blazing, glowing?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"What do you think, bhikkhus? Which is better: that one should embrace that great mass of fire, burning, blazing, glowing, and sit close by it or lie close by it — or that one should embrace a khattiya maiden, a brahmin maiden, or a householder's maiden, soft and tender in hands and feet, and sit close by her or lie close by her?"
"This, venerable sir, would be better: that one should embrace a khattiya maiden, a brahmin maiden, or a householder's maiden, soft and tender in hands and feet, and sit close by her or lie close by her; for it would be suffering (dukkha), venerable sir, to embrace that great mass of fire, burning, blazing, glowing, and sit close by it or lie close by it."
"I inform you, bhikkhus, I declare to you, bhikkhus: for one who is immoral, of evil character, of impure and suspect conduct, who conceals his deeds, no ascetic though claiming to be an ascetic, not living the holy life though claiming to live the holy life, rotten within, oozing with lust, filthy by nature — it would be better to embrace that great mass of fire, burning, blazing, glowing, and sit close by it or lie close by it. For what reason? Because on that account, bhikkhus, he might incur death or deadly suffering, yet not on that account, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would he be reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell. But when, bhikkhus, that immoral one, of evil character, of impure and suspect conduct, who conceals his deeds, no ascetic though claiming to be an ascetic, not living the holy life though claiming to live the holy life, rotten within, oozing with lust, filthy by nature, embraces a khattiya maiden, a brahmin maiden, or a householder's maiden, soft and tender in hands and feet, and sits close by her or lies close by her — that indeed, bhikkhus, leads to his harm and suffering for a long time, and with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell.
"What do you think, bhikkhus? Which is better: that a strong man should wrap a stout horsehair rope around both one's legs and saw it back and forth, so that it would cut through the outer skin; having cut through the outer skin, it would cut through the inner skin; having cut through the inner skin, it would cut through the flesh; having cut through the flesh, it would cut through the sinews; having cut through the sinews, it would cut through the bone; having cut through the bone, it would come to rest pressing against the marrow — or that one should consent to homage from affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders?"
"This, venerable sir, would be better: that one should consent to homage from affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders; for it would be suffering, venerable sir, that a strong man should wrap a stout horsehair rope around both one's legs and saw it back and forth, so that it would cut through the outer skin … it would come to rest pressing against the marrow."
"I inform you, bhikkhus, I declare to you, bhikkhus: for that immoral one … filthy by nature, it would be better that a strong man should wrap a stout horsehair rope around both his legs and saw it back and forth, so that it would cut through the outer skin … come to rest pressing against the marrow. For what reason? Because on that account, bhikkhus, he might incur death or deadly suffering, yet not on that account, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would he be reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell. But when, bhikkhus, that immoral one … filthy by nature consents to homage from affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders — that indeed, bhikkhus, leads to his harm and suffering for a long time, and with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell.
"What do you think, bhikkhus? Which is better: that a strong man should strike one in the chest with a sharp spear tempered in oil — or that one should consent to reverential salutation from affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders?"
"This, venerable sir, would be better: that one should consent to reverential salutation from affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders; for it would be suffering, venerable sir, that a strong man should strike one in the chest with a sharp spear tempered in oil."
"I inform you, bhikkhus, I declare to you, bhikkhus: for that immoral one … filthy by nature, it would be better that a strong man should strike him in the chest with a sharp spear tempered in oil. For what reason? Because on that account, bhikkhus, he might incur death or deadly suffering, yet not on that account, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would he be reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell. But when, bhikkhus, that immoral one … filthy by nature consents to reverential salutation from affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders — that indeed, bhikkhus, leads to his harm and suffering for a long time, and with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell.
"What do you think, bhikkhus? Which is better: that a strong man should wrap one's body in a hot iron sheet, burning, blazing, glowing — or that one should use a robe given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders?"
"This, venerable sir, would be better: that one should use a robe given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders; for it would be suffering, venerable sir, that a strong man should wrap one's body in a hot iron sheet, burning, blazing, glowing."
"I inform you, bhikkhus, I declare to you, bhikkhus: for that immoral one … filthy by nature, it would be better that a strong man should wrap his body in a hot iron sheet, burning, blazing, glowing. For what reason? Because on that account, bhikkhus, he might incur death or deadly suffering, yet not on that account, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would he be reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell. But when, bhikkhus, that immoral one … filthy by nature uses a robe given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders — that indeed, bhikkhus, leads to his harm and suffering for a long time, and with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell.
"What do you think, bhikkhus? Which is better: that a strong man, having pried open one's mouth with a hot iron spike, burning, blazing, glowing, should drop into the mouth a hot copper ball, burning, blazing, glowing, and it would burn his lips, burn his mouth, burn his tongue, burn his throat, burn his chest, and, taking with it his intestines and mesentery, would come out below — or that one should eat almsfood given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders?"
"This, venerable sir, would be better: that one should eat almsfood given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders; for it would be suffering, venerable sir, that a strong man, having pried open one's mouth with a hot iron spike, burning, blazing, glowing, should drop into the mouth a hot copper ball, burning, blazing, glowing, and it would burn his lips, burn his mouth, burn his tongue, burn his throat, burn his chest, and, taking with it his intestines and mesentery, would come out below."
"I inform you, bhikkhus, I declare to you, bhikkhus: for that immoral one … filthy by nature, it would be better that a strong man, having pried open his mouth with a hot iron spike, burning, blazing, glowing, should drop into his mouth a hot copper ball, burning, blazing, glowing, and it would burn his lips, burn his mouth, burn his tongue, burn his throat, burn his chest, and, taking with it his intestines and mesentery, would come out below. For what reason? Because on that account, bhikkhus, he might incur death or deadly suffering, yet not on that account, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would he be reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell. But when, bhikkhus, that immoral one … filthy by nature eats almsfood given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders — that indeed, bhikkhus, leads to his harm and suffering for a long time, and with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell.
"What do you think, bhikkhus? Which is better: that a strong man, seizing one by the head or by the shoulders, should make one sit down or lie down on a hot iron bed or iron chair, burning, blazing, glowing — or that one should use a bed and chair given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders?"
"This, venerable sir, would be better: that one should use a bed and chair given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders; for it would be suffering, venerable sir, that a strong man, seizing one by the head or by the shoulders, should make one sit down or lie down on a hot iron bed or iron chair, burning, blazing, glowing."
"I inform you, bhikkhus, I declare to you, bhikkhus: for that immoral one … filthy by nature, it would be better that a strong man, seizing him by the head or by the shoulders, should make him sit down or lie down on a hot iron bed or iron chair, burning, blazing, glowing. For what reason? Because on that account, bhikkhus, he might incur death or deadly suffering, yet not on that account, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would he be reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell. But when, bhikkhus, that immoral one … filthy by nature uses a bed and chair given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders — that indeed, bhikkhus, leads to his harm and suffering for a long time, and with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell.
"What do you think, bhikkhus? Which is better: that a strong man, seizing one feet up and head down, should plunge one into a hot copper cauldron, burning, blazing, glowing, where, boiling there in a swirl of froth, one would go now up, now down, now across — or that one should use a dwelling given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders?"
"This, venerable sir, would be better: that one should use a dwelling given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders; for it would be suffering, venerable sir, that a strong man, seizing one feet up and head down, should plunge one into a hot copper cauldron, burning, blazing, glowing, where, boiling there in a swirl of froth, one would go now up, now down, now across."
"I inform you, bhikkhus, I declare to you, bhikkhus: for that immoral one … filthy by nature, it would be better that a strong man, seizing him feet up and head down, should plunge him into a hot copper cauldron, burning, blazing, glowing, where, boiling there in a swirl of froth, he would go now up, now down, now across. For what reason? Because on that account, bhikkhus, he might incur death or deadly suffering, yet not on that account, with the breaking up of the body, after death, would he be reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell. But when, bhikkhus, that immoral one … filthy by nature uses a dwelling given in faith by affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, or affluent householders — that indeed, bhikkhus, leads to his harm and suffering for a long time, and with the breaking up of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world, hell.
"Therefore, bhikkhus, you should train thus: 'For those whose robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicinal requisites for the sick we use, those services of theirs will be of great fruit, of great benefit; and this going forth of ours will not be barren, but fruitful, productive.' Thus indeed, bhikkhus, should you train. Considering your own good, bhikkhus, it is enough to accomplish it with diligence; considering the good of others, bhikkhus, it is enough to accomplish it with diligence; considering the good of both, bhikkhus, it is enough to accomplish it with diligence."
This is what the Blessed One said. And while this exposition was being spoken, hot blood welled up from the mouths of some sixty bhikkhus; some sixty bhikkhus gave up the training and returned to the lower life, [saying,] "Hard it is to do, Blessed One! Very hard it is to do, Blessed One!"; and the minds (citta) of some sixty bhikkhus were liberated from the taints (āsava) through non-clinging.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.