Fire worship: backstory to "The Fire Sermon"

G.P. Malalasekera (Pali Proper Names), Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly

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About the Fire Sutra

You're not enlightened nor on the path.

"All is burning!" But what is the "all" that is burning? This is the third recorded sutra of the Buddha. It was delivered at Gayāsīsa in Gayā, India, after he converted tebhātika-jatilā (three ascetic brothers: Uruvela Kassapa, Nadī Kassapa, and Gayā Kassapa).

Our senses are burning with lust, anger, ignorance, and the anxieties of birth, decay, death, and so on. Knowing this, the follower of the Noble Eightfold Path feels revulsion towards them. And passion -- by seeing their true nature -- fades out. One ultimately attains supreme freedom. 

Modern Christian fire worship Jerusalem, 2017

At the end of this discourse, the 1,000 recently ordained Buddhist monks who had been listening, who were former matted-hair yogi wandering ascetics (jatilas) living along the river, realized full enlightenment (Vin.i.34-5; J.i.82; iv.180).

It is said that this sutra was given on the Pitthipāsāna at Gayāsīsa (AA.i.166; ThagA.i.435). It is also called the Āditta Sutta. (See Āditta Sutta 3).

Sadhus and sadhvis of India, wandering ascetics who practice magic and many things.

Indo-Parthian stone palette, illustrating a fire worship, possibly Zoroastrian (wiki).

 
The backstory

Amateur "fire worship" can get carried away, particularly in modern California.

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We are jatilas who tend the sacred fire (W).

Three fire-worshipper brothers named Kassapa were yogi ascetics with matted hair, tebhātika-jatilas, who lived on the banks of the Nerañjarā river.

Uruvela-Kassapa lived at Uruvelā with 500 disciples, and further down the river lived his two brothers, Nadī-Kassapa with 300 disciples, and Gayā-Kassapa with 200. These are the 1,000 ascetics in the sutra.

The Buddha visited Uruvela-Kassapa and took lodging for the night where their sacred fire was kept, in spite of Kassapa's warning that the spot was inhabited by a fierce dragon or nāga. The Buddha using his magical powers overcame first this nāga then another. They both vomited fire and smoke.

Uruvela-Kassapa was pleased with the Buddha's exhibition of magic power (iddhi), so he undertook to provide the Buddha with his daily alms food.

Devas loved the Buddha

Meanwhile, the Buddha stayed in a grove nearby, waiting for the time when Uruvela-Kassapa might be ready to be converted to the Dharma and enlightened. Here the Buddha was visited by the Four Great Sky Regents, Sakka King of the Devas, Brahma, and others.

The Buddha spent the entire rainy season there performing 3,500 miracles of various kinds, reading the thoughts of Kassapa, splitting firewood for the ascetics' sacrifices, heating stoves for them to use after bathing in the cold weather, and so on.

Still Uruvela-Kassapa persisted in the thought, "This great ascetic has great magic power, but he is not enlightened like I am."
 

It's not an all-boys club. There are sadhvis.

Finally, the Buddha decided to startle Uruvela-Kassapa by declaring: "You are not enlightened! Nor do you follow a path that can possibly lead to enlightenment."
 

Thereupon, Uruvela-Kassapa admitted it. Then he reverently asked the Buddha for ordination as a Buddhist monk. The Buddha asked him to first consult with his pupils.

When he did they cut off their long dreadlocks (jatas) and threw them into the Neranjara river along with their sacrificial utensils. And they all ordained as Buddhist monks.

When they saw the hair and utensils floating down river, Uruvela-Kassapa's brothers, Nadī-Kassapa and Gayā-Kassapa, came to Uruvela-Kassapa's encampment to inquire what had happened.

They, too, decided to ordain under the Buddha along with their pupils, for a total of 1,003 wandering ascetics. Because they had been fire worshipers, the Buddha decided to give them a discourse later dubbed "The Fire Sermon." And as a result of hearing it, they all attained full enlightenment. More