1 A certain brahmin approached the Blessed One, and having approached, exchanged courtesies with him. Having exchanged various courteous and polite greetings with him, 2 he stood to one side. Standing to one side, he said this to the Blessed One: "What, sir Gotama, is the cause, what is the condition for the arising of pleasure and pain in the world?"

"Brahmin, there are these six 3 causes and six conditions for the arising of pleasure and pain in the world. What are the six? When there is an eye, brahmin, pleasure and pain arise internally due to contact with the eye. When there is an ear, nose, 4 tongue, body, and mind, brahmin, pleasure and pain arise internally due to contact with the [ear, nose, tongue, body, and] mind.

"Brahmin, it is just as if there is a king's frontier city with strong ramparts, 5 strong walls and arches, and six doors. In it, there is a wise, intelligent gatekeeper endowed with skill in all kinds of means. On the path encircling the city on all sides, he would not see a crack in the stone even large enough for a cat to creep through. Thus it [might have] occurred to him: 'whatever sizable creatures enter 7 and exit this city will enter and exit through these six doors.' Just so, brahmin, there are six causes and six conditions for the arising of pleasure and pain in the world. 8 When there is an eye, brahmin, pleasure and pain arise internally due to contact with the eye. When there is an ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, brahmin, 9 pleasure and pain arise internally due to contact with the [ear, nose, tongue, body, and] mind. These, brahmin, are the six causes and six conditions for the arising of pleasure and pain in the world."

This being said, the brahmin said this to the Blessed One: 10 "I, sir, go to Gotama as a refuge, and the teachings and community of monks. Accept me as a lay follower, sir Gotama, from now on, as long as I live, as long as I breathe, as one 11 gone to the refuge."

The Blessed One said this. Pleased, the brahmin rejoiced in the words of the Blessed One.

11 Thus I have heard: At one time in the Śrāvastī setting...

[The Buddha said to the bhikkhus:] "There are, 12 monks, hells called 'Great Conflagration.' Bodies of beings who are born, arise, and come into being there are burning, blazing, 13 glowing. Just like iron balls which are heated all day, burning, blazing, glowing, so too are there 14 hells named 'Great Conflagration' where the bodies of beings who are born, arise, and come into being are burning, 15 blazing, glowing."

Now, a certain bhikkhu said this to the Lord: "Great, Sir, is this conflagration. Very great, 16 Sir, is this conflagration. Is there, Sir, another conflagration even greater and 17 more fearsome than this conflagration?" 18 "There is, bhikkhu, another conflagration greater and more fearsome than this conflagration." "Which, Sir, 19 is the other conflagration even greater and more fearsome than this conflagration?"

"Any ascetics 20 or brahmans, bhikkhu, who do not know as it really is 21 'this is the noble truth of suffering,' who do not understand as it really is '[This is] the noble truth of the arising of suffering,' who don't understand as it really is '[This is the noble truth of] the cessation of suffering' [and 'This is the noble truth of] the path leading to the cessation of suffering,' 22 they generate volitions which lead to birth. Indulging in volitions leading to birth, they generate volitions leading to old age. 23 Having generated volitions leading to old age, they generate volitions leading to disease, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and turmoil. 24 Having generated volitions leading to birth, [and having generated volitions] leading to old age, 25 and having generated volitions leading to disease, death, sorrow, lamentations, suffering, dejection, and turmoil, 26 for a long time they experience the conflagration of birth, they experience the conflagration of old age, 27 [and] the conflagration of disease, death, sorrow, lamentation, and turmoil."

"What is the cause of this? Because the four noble truths have not been seen. What four? 28 The noble truth of suffering [up to the noble truth of the path] leading to the cessation of suffering. Therefore, an effort is to be made with regard to 'This is the noble truth of suffering' 29 [up to 'This is] the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering.'"

29a When one sees with insight that all conditioned things are impermanent...

30 The Lord said this, and the bhikkhus, pleased, [delighted in the speech of the Lord.]