175. [Discourse on One's Head and Clothes Being on Fire] (SA175)

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

At that time the Blessed One said to the monks: “It is just as if a person's turban is burning with fire, what could help him?”

The monks said to the Buddha: “Blessed One, he should arouse supreme desire, zeal, and energy at that time to help him to get it extinguished.”

The Buddha said to the monks: “Although one might still forget about one's turban burning, one should extinguish, abandon, eradicate, and bring to cease the thriving fire of impermanence. For the sake of eradicating the fire of impermanence, one should diligently seek out the great teacher. For the sake of eradicating what impermanent [things] should one diligently seek out the great teacher? That is, for the sake of eradicating impermanent bodily form, one should diligently seek out the great teacher. For the sake of eradicating impermanent feeling … perception … formations … consciousness, one should diligently seek out the great teacher.”

When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, hearing what the Buddha had said the monks were delighted and received it respectfully.

Just as “one should eradicate what is impermanent”, in the same way “[one should eradicate] what is impermanent and of the past”, “what is impermanent and of the future”, “what is impermanent and of the present”, “what is impermanent and of the past and the future”, “what is impermanent and of the past and the present”, “what is impermanent and of the future and the present”, “what is impermanent and of the past, the future, and the present”, in this way eight types of discourses on the simile of rescuing one's head are to be recited in full as above.

Just as one seeks out the great teacher, in the same way in various modes seeking out: “the one who instructs”, “the one who instructs accordingly”, are be recited in full as above.

Just as for “the sense of eradicating [what is impermanent]”, in the same way for “the sense of understanding [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of extinguishing [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of vomiting out [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of ending [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of relinquishing [what is impermanent]”, “the sense of bringing [what is impermanent] to cease”, “the sense of making [what is impermanent] disappear”, is also like this.

Translated by Bhikkhu Anālayo. Originally published in ‘On Views and Penetrative Knowledge – A Translation of Saṁyukta-āgama Discourses 139 to 187 (Fascicle 7)’, Dharma Drum Journal of Buddhist Studies, 2015, vol. 17 pp. 43–100.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Seniya Ariyakumara and Ayya Vimala.