So It Was Said 93

The Book of the Threes

Chapter Five

Fire

iti93:1 This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard.

iti93:2 “Mendicants, there are these three fires. What three? The fires of greed, hate, and delusion. These are the three fires.” The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said:

iti93:3 “The fire of greed burns a mortal, lustful, infatuated by sensual pleasures; while, fallen in the fire of hate, a person kills living creatures;

iti93:4 and, bewildered by the fire of delusion, they miss the teaching of the noble ones. Not recognizing these three fires, people are caught up in substantial reality.

iti93:5 They fill the ranks of hell, not freed from Satan’s bonds.

iti93:6 But as to those committed day and night to the teaching of the Buddha: they extinguish the fire of greed, always perceiving ugliness;

iti93:7 while those supreme men extinguish the fire of hate with love; and the fire of delusion with the wisdom that leads to penetration.

iti93:8 Having extinguished these fires, alert, tireless all day and night, they become fully extinguished, completely transcending suffering.

iti93:9 Seers of the noble truths, knowledge masters, the astute, understanding rightly, directly know the end of suffering, they have no fear for the future.”

iti93:10 This too is a matter that was spoken by the Blessed One: that is what I heard.