[HugoZyl]

Dearest venerables and good friends 🙏🏻

  Trust this message finds you well during the coldest time of the year for most people (-16 degrees outside this brother’s home right now).

  Grateful to be able to ask a question on this honorable forum. The question is what did the most holy Buddha mean when He referred to sense pleasures as ‘a pit of burning coals’? Did He mean…

  1. It is just a figurative way telling people trying to reach Nibbana that they have to give it up…?

  2. In comparison to other realms, it really is like burning coals. For example, human’s bread is much better than cow’s bread (grass). But at the higher heavenly levels, their bread is much better than human’s bread. So the king of heaven would think eating human’s bread is like eating ____ (I do not know what to use as an example; put in your own example 😊)…?

  3. It is a false perception. Thinking your food tastes nice is the same as thinking you see the color red (which the venerable Lal has gone out of his way to persuade us does not exist)…?

  4. It actually hurts you. We are really being hurt by that nice taste because it can very easily lead to clinging, which is the cause of dukkha…?

  With much gratitude to the most beloved Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. 🕊️

[Lal]

I am glad to see that HugoZyl is seriously contemplating this critical point.

HugoZyl asked: “The question is what did the most holy Buddha mean when He referred to sense pleasures as ‘a pit of burning coals’?”

• No, it is not #1. It is actually the truth. 
• All other points #2 through #4 hold. 

However, just saying “sense pleasures as ‘a pit of burning coals’” and trying to avoid sensual pleasures is not going to work. In fact, forcefully avoiding sensual pleasures will generate dosa and paṭigha and may even lead to depression. 

• One must ‘see with wisdom’ the truth of the statement.

The following are only a few suttās where the Buddha made that statement: “Dukkhadhamma Sutta (SN 35.244),” “Khīṇāsavabala Sutta (AN 10.90),” “Alagaddūpama Sutta (MN 22),” “Dasuttara Sutta (DN 34).”

• This point must be carefully investigated and understood.
• Yes. Understanding that colors are not in external objects (or in sunlight) is a starting point. That is explained in the post “Colors Are Mind-Made (Due to Kāma Saññā).”

I will gradually address the issue of saññā as a mirage in the new series of posts in the “Buddha Dhamma” section. It is good to review the basics of Buddha’s teachings and gradually move on to advanced topics. Without the basics, it could be a struggle.

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HugoZyl

[HugoZyl]

Dear venerable Lal, and other readers 🙏🏻

  Very grateful for your response. Thank you for using words of encouragement.

  On this issue of using step-by-step wisdom to see sense-pleasure as a fire, the excellent article of ‘Lōbha, Dōsa, Mōha versus Rāga, Paṭigha, Avijjā’ was studied today. It makes so many things clear. There is one point on which I have a question:

  The article reads, ‘All pañca nīvaraṇa were permanently removed at the Sōtapanna stage.’ Is there not perhaps a typo/mistake here? Perhaps the 5 hindrances can temporarily be removed at sotapanna stage? 

  Thank you for using the time that you have available to you to freely offer wisdom, insight and understanding. With much gratitude to the holy Sangha. 

  Namo Buddhaya 🕊️

[Lal]

Yes. You are correct that pañca nīvaraṇa are NOT removed at the Sotapanna stage. Thank you!

• I have revised that post. 

[Lal]

Another “misleading saññā” related to my comment above on January 9, 2026, at 7:18 am is the ‘seemingly solidity of matter, ‘ as when one feels hitting a tabletop. 

• The atoms in the table are mostly empty space. See “Saññā Vipallāsa – Distorted Perception.”
• The following video from the physicist Richard Feynman explains this well.

[Jaro]

Hello Lal and HugoZyl,

I would like to contribute some of my thoughts to this discussion. Why did the Buddha refer to sense pleasures as ‘a pit of burning coals’? I am mainly familiar with this simile from two suttas:

– Magandiya Sutta 

– Potaliya Sutta

Both suttas describe the experience of being dragged by two strong men into a pit of burning coals.

I think the Magandiya Sutta in particular makes this idea very clear: the pleasant experience is not separate from the distress that preceded it; it is merely a temporary modulation of that distress. The burning and the pleasure are not two separate events. The pleasure is soaked in the burning that made it possible.

If pleasure is structurally the temporary modulation of prior burning, then what you are craving when you crave kama is not an independent positive quality somewhere out there. You are craving your own burning, briefly reduced. The object of craving is inseparable from the suffering that makes it appear pleasant.

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Saurabh@2110

[Lal]

Good observation. I will comment on that later.

[Lal]

Kāma Is a Pit of Glowing Coals – Dukkhadhamma Sutta

The following is my translation of the “Dukkhadhamma Sutta (SN 35.244).” The link has the Pāli version and the English translation at Sutta Central. 

• This short sutta is helpful in clarifying why sensual pleasures (kāma assāda) are not only illusions but also are dangerous. Because based on such ‘mind-made kāma assāda,’ people engage in immoral deeds and are reborn in the apāyās.
• That is why a Noble Person would avoid sensual pleasures in the same way that they would avoid being thrown into a pit of glowing coals. Both lead to unimaginable suffering.
• I have avoided being so direct, but it seems the message would not be understood unless stated in direct terms, without any ambiguity. This short sutta delivers that message.

________________

“Bhikkus, when a Bhikkhu truly understands the origin and stopping of suffering (Noble Truth of Suffering), then they have seen sensual pleasures in such a way that they will have no underlying tendency to seek sensual pleasures.

And they have awakened to a way of conduct and a way of living such that, when they live in that way, immoral qualities of greed (abhijjhā) and displeasure (domanassa) do not arise and overwhelm them. 

And how would a Bhikkhu truly understand the origin and stopping of all things that lead to suffering?

‘They understand the true nature of rupa, the origin of rupa, and the stopping of the arising of rupa in the mind. They understand the true nature of vedanā …saññā …saṅkhārā …viññāṇa, the origin of viññāṇa, and the stopping of the arising of viññāṇa.’

(Note that rupa does not refer to ‘external rupa‘ that exists in the external world, but those that arise in the mind when one experiences an external rupa. There is a critical distinction. Any external rupa does not have color, taste, smell, etc. Only a ‘mind-made rupa‘ has those additional ‘made-up qualities.’ See “Colors Are Mind-Made (Due to Kāma Saññā).”)

That’s how a Bhikkhu truly understands the origin and stopping of the arising of all things that lead to suffering. 

And how has a Bhikkhu seen sensual pleasures (kāma or kāma assāda) in such a way that they have no underlying tendency for craving sensual pleasures?

Suppose there was a pit of glowing coals deeper than a man’s height, filled with red-hot glowing coals. Then a person would come along who wants to live and does not want to die, who wants to be happy and wants to avoid pain. Suppose two strong men would grab each arm of that man and drag him towards the pit of glowing coals. He will struggle to be freed from them and will want to run away from the pit of glowing coals. For that person knows, ‘If I fall in that pit of glowing coals, that will result in deadly pain and death.’

In the same way, when a Bhikkhu has seen that sensual pleasures are like a pit of glowing coals, they have no desire to seek sensual pleasures.

And how would a Bhikkhu who has understood that live his life?

Suppose a person were to enter a forest full of thorns. He would have thorns before him and behind him, to his left and right, below and above. So he would proceed very slowly and mindfully, avoiding being scraped by those thorns.

Whatever in the world that seems nice and pleasant (giving rise to mind-made pleasures) is called a thorn in the training of the Noble Ones. Understanding that sensual pleasures are like thorns, they should make an effort to avoid them. (This is ‘indriya saṁvara‘ in Buddha’s teachings.)

And how is someone unrestrained, i.e., does not have ‘indriya saṁvara‘?

Take a Bhikkhu who sees a sight with the eyes. If it’s pleasant, they hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant, they dislike it. (They do  not understand that such a like/dislike is automatically triggered by the ‘kāma saññā.’ ) They let their minds run away, as it keeps generating more ‘sense of pleasure/anger’ that can grow to high levels of ‘mind-made joy or anger.’ 

That is because they do not understand how that kāma saññā was triggered, and how it automatically forced the mind to attach to it. They do not understand the true nature of such mind-made pleasures (tañca cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānāti).

(This triggering of kāma saññā with any sensory input only generates a ‘slight liking’ or ‘manāpa‘ initially. The intense feeling of ‘joy’ a puthujjana may experience is totally mind-made. An Arahant would only feel that initial ‘slight liking.’ Thus, kāma assāda in a puthujjana is fully mind-made. It is critical to understand that: “Kāma Assāda and Pain Are Mostly Mind-Made.” )

Then that verse is repeated for the other five senses: sound with the ears, smell with the nose, taste with the tongue, touch with the body, and memory with the mind. A puthujjana without ‘indriya saṁvara‘ would attach to all those, thinking those are ‘real pleasures.’

This is how a puthujjana does not have  ‘indriya saṁvara.‘ 

And how would someone have ‘indriya saṁvara‘?

Take a Bhikkhu who sees a sight with the eyes. If it’s pleasant, they do not hold on to it, but if it’s unpleasant, they do not dislike it. (They do understand that such a like/dislike is automatically triggered by the ‘kāma saññā.’ ) They DO NOT let their minds run away, to keep generating more ‘sense of pleasure/anger’ that can grow to high levels of ‘mind-made joy or anger.’ 

Then that verse is repeated for the other five senses: sound with the ears, smell with the nose, taste with the tongue, touch with the body, and memory with the mind.

This is how a Noble Person (one with a magga phala) would have  ‘indriya saṁvara.‘ 

However, while that Bhikkhu is conducting themselves and living in this way, it is possible that immoral thoughts arise every so often due to loss of mindfulness. They establish mindfulness without delay and quickly eliminate those undesired thoughts.

How fast they must get rid of such thoughts can be indicated by the following analogy. Suppose there was an iron cauldron that had been heated all day, and a person let two or three drops of water fall onto it. Those water drops quickly dry up and evaporate. 

In the same way, perhaps while that Bhikkhu is conducting themselves and living in indriya saṁvara, unskillful thoughts arise every so often due to loss of mindfulness. They quickly give up and get rid of such thoughts.

This is how a Bhikkhu has awakened to indriya saṁvara, do not let sensory distractions overwhelm them. (Note: This is how a Sotapanna cultivates Satipaṭṭhāna. Once it is completed, they attain Arahanthood. After that, an Arahant‘s mind automatically stops any attachment to any sensory input.)

While that Bhikkhu conducts themselves in this way and lives in this way, others (like their relatives or family) would try to entice them back to the ‘householder life’, saying, “Come, return to the householder life, enjoy wealth!’

But it is quite impossible for a Bhikkhu who conducts themselves in this way and lives in this way to resign the training and return to a lesser householder life.

That can be explained with the following analogy. Suppose that, although the Ganges river flows to the east, a large crowd were to come along with spades and other tools, saying: ‘We’ll make this Ganges river flow to the west!’

What do you think, Bhikkhus? Would they still succeed?”

“No, Bhante.

Why is that?

The Ganges river flows to the east. It is not easy to make it flow westward. That large crowd will eventually get frustrated and give up that effort.”

“In the same way, that Bhikkhu conducts himself in this way and stays away from sensual pleasures only because he has understood that they are devoid of any value, lead to dangerous outcomes, and are mind-made illusions.’ It is impossible to reverse that understanding.

So it’s impossible for them to return to a lesser, householder life.”

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Saurabh@2110

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