Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at the Gayāśirṣa shrine. He was accompanied by a thousand monks who were former dreadlocked priests.
It was then that the Bhagavān had demonstrated edification in three ways. What were the three? He had demonstrated conversion by miracles, demonstrated others’ minds, and demonstrated instruction.
When demonstrating his miraculous abilities, the Bhagavān demonstrated entry into the attainment of dhyāna samādhi when it was appropriate. He then rose up into the sky and went east. He assumed the four postures, which are walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, and entered the samādhi of fire. He emitted a variety of fiery lights that were blue, yellow, red, white, purple, and crystal. He produced both water and fire. Either fire would come out below his body and water would come out above it, or fire would come out above his body and water would come out below it. He would do this while circling around in all four directions. Then, once he had demonstrated this variety of miracles, he would sit among the assembly. This was called the demonstration of miraculous abilities.
When demonstrating others’ minds, [he would say] according to their thoughts, their thinking, and their awareness, “That is something that you should think,” “that isn’t something you should think,” “that is something you should abandon,” “that is something you should personally realize and abide in.” This was called the demonstration of others’ minds.
When demonstrating instruction, the Bhagavān would say, “Monks, everything is burning. How is everything burning? This means the eye is on fire. Whether it’s forms, visual awareness, visual contact, or painful, pleasant, and neither painful nor pleasant feelings that arise from visual contact, they are burning, too. Thus, the ear … nose … tongue … body … mind are burning. Whether it’s ideas, mental awareness, mental contact, or painful, pleasant, and neither painful nor pleasant feelings that arise from mental contact, they are burning, too. By what are they burned? They are burned by the fire of craving, the fire of hate, and the fire of delusion. They are burned by the fires of birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, trouble, and suffering.”
The thousand monks who heard what the Buddha taught didn’t produce the contaminants, and their minds became liberated. After the Buddha spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.