More Terrible and Frightful Than the Great Inferno

Monks, there exists a hell named the Great Inferno.

There, whatever form one sees with the eye is undesirable, never desirable; unlovely, never lovely; disagreeable, never agreeable.

Whatever sound one hears with the ear is undesirable, never desirable; unlovely, never lovely; disagreeable, never agreeable.

Whatever odor one smells with the nose is undesirable, never desirable; unlovely, never lovely; disagreeable, never agreeable.

Whatever flavor one tastes with the tongue is undesirable, never desirable; unlovely, never lovely; disagreeable, never agreeable.

Whatever physical object one touches with the body is undesirable, never desirable; unlovely, never lovely; disagreeable, never agreeable.

Whatever mental object one recognizes with the mind is undesirable, never desirable; unlovely, never lovely; disagreeable, never agreeable.

When this was said, a certain Monk said to The Perfectly Enlightened One: That inferno, Venerable Sir, is indeed terrible; that inferno is indeed very terrible. But is there, Venerable Sir, any other inferno more terrible and frightful than that one?

There is, Monk.

‘But what, Venerable Sir, is that inferno more terrible and frightful than that one?’

Those Ascetics or Brāhmins, Monk, who do not understand as it really is: This is discontentedness, This is the cause of discontentedness, This is the elimination of discontentedness, This is the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness - they delight in volitional formations (choices/decisions) that lead to birth, in volitional formations that lead to aging, in volitional formations that lead to death, in volitional formations that lead to sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure, and despair.

Delighting in such volitional formations (choices/decisions), they generate volitional formations that lead to birth, generate volitional formations that lead to aging, generate volitional formations that lead to death, generate volitional formations that lead to sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure, and despair.

Having generated such volitional formations (choices/decisions), they are burnt by the inferno of birth, burnt by the inferno of aging, burnt by the inferno of death, burnt by the inferno of sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure, and despair.

They are not freed from birth, aging, and death; not freed from sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure, and despair; not freed from discontentedness, I say.

(Reference: SN 56.43)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how for one reborn into the realm of hell, there are no agreeable forms, sounds, odors, flavors, physical objects, or mental objects. He is explaining that all that is experienced through The Six Sense Bases is disagreeable leading to dissatisfaction.

He explains that it is even more of a hell to exist in the world as a human being who does not understand The Four Noble Truths (i.e. This is discontentedness, This is the cause of discontentedness, This is the elimination of discontentedness, This is the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness…).

Through not understanding and practicing The Four Noble Truths, a being will continue to roam and wander in this life experiencing significant discontentedness of mind. One might think of this as “hell on earth”.

One who does not understand and practice The Four Noble Truths will experience a mind that will be constantly causing itself discontentedness on a continual and repeated basis unable to understand or see clearly, how to eliminate the discontentedness.

As such, a being will continue to make choices and decisions (i.e. volitional formations) that lead to continued rebirth experiencing sickness, aging, and death along with discontentedness.

It is only when the mind attains Enlightenment through gradual training and gradual practice that one experiences the liberation of Enlightenment. A Practitioner who attains the first Stage of Enlightenment as a Stream-Enterer will no longer be “burnt by the inferno of birth, burnt by the inferno of aging, burnt by the inferno of death, burnt by the inferno of sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure, and despair”. They will no longer be subject to rebirth in any of the lower realms.

An Enlightened being will no longer experience any rebirth in any realms experiencing complete peace and tranquility for the rest of this life.

Detailed explanation on practicing The Four Noble Truths is available in Chapter 4 of this same book series found in the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).