Snp 3.10

Kokālikasutta

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “pāpicchā, bhante, sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.

With Kokālika

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then the mendicant Kokālika went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have corrupt wishes. They’ve fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes.”

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika. Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ. Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

When this was said, the Buddha said to Kokālika, “Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika! Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna, they’re good monks.”

Dutiyampi kho …pe… tatiyampi kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kiñcāpi me, bhante, bhagavā saddhāyiko paccayiko, atha kho pāpicchāva sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti. Tatiyampi kho bhagavā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika. Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ. Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

For a second time … For a third time Kokālika said to the Buddha, “Despite my faith and trust in the Buddha, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have corrupt wishes. They’ve fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes.” For a third time, the Buddha said to Kokālika, “Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika! Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna, they’re good monks.”

Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Acirappakkantassa ca kokālikassa bhikkhuno sāsapamattīhi piḷakāhi sabbo kāyo phuṭo ahosi; sāsapamattiyo hutvā muggamattiyo ahesuṁ; muggamattiyo hutvā kaḷāyamattiyo ahesuṁ; kaḷāyamattiyo hutvā kolaṭṭhimattiyo ahesuṁ; kolaṭṭhimattiyo hutvā kolamattiyo ahesuṁ; kolamattiyo hutvā āmalakamattiyo ahesuṁ; āmalakamattiyo hutvā beḷuvasalāṭukamattiyo ahesuṁ; beḷuvasalāṭukamattiyo hutvā billamattiyo ahesuṁ; billamattiyo hutvā pabhijjiṁsu; pubbañca lohitañca pagghariṁsu. Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu tenevābādhena kālamakāsi. Kālaṅkato ca kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapajji sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā.

Then Kokālika rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving. Not long after he left his body erupted with boils the size of mustard seeds. The boils grew to the size of mung beans, then chickpeas, then jujube seeds, then jujubes, then myrobalans, then unripe wood-apples, then ripe wood-apples. Finally they burst open, and pus and blood oozed out. Then the mendicant Kokālika died of that illness. He was reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.

Atha kho brahmā sahampati abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho brahmā sahampati bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kokāliko, bhante, bhikkhu kālaṅkato; kālaṅkato ca, bhante, kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā”ti. Idamavoca brahmā sahampati; idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

Then, late at night, the glorious divinity Sahampati, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him, “Sir, the mendicant Kokālika has passed away. He was reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.” That is what the divinity Sahampati said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi: “imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ brahmā sahampati abhikkantāya rattiyā …pe… idamavoca, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati, idaṁ vatvā maṁ padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.

Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kīvadīghaṁ nu kho, bhante, padume niraye āyuppamāṇan”ti? “Dīghaṁ kho, bhikkhu, padume niraye āyuppamāṇaṁ; taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ ettakāni vassāni iti vā ettakāni vassasatāni iti vā ettakāni vassasahassāni iti vā ettakāni vassasatasahassāni iti vā”ti. “Sakkā pana, bhante, upamā kātun”ti? “Sakkā, bhikkhū”ti bhagavā avoca:

When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha, “Sir, how long is the lifespan in the Pink Lotus hell?” “It’s long, mendicant. It’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it lasts.” “But sir, is it possible to give a simile?” “It’s possible,” said the Buddha.

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsatikhāriko kosalako tilavāho; tato puriso vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena ekamekaṁ tilaṁ uddhareyya. Khippataraṁ kho so bhikkhu vīsatikhāriko kosalako tilavāho iminā upakkamena parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya, na tveva eko abbudo nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati abbudā nirayā evameko nirabbudo nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati nirabbudā nirayā evameko ababo nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati ababā nirayā evameko aṭaṭo nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati aṭaṭā nirayā evameko ahaho nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati ahahā nirayā evameko kumudo nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati kumudā nirayā evameko sogandhiko nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati sogandhikā nirayā evameko uppalako nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati uppalakā nirayā evameko puṇḍarīko nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati puṇḍarīkā nirayā evameko padumo nirayo. Padumaṁ kho pana bhikkhu nirayaṁ kokāliko bhikkhu upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā”ti. Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

“Suppose there was a Kosalan load of twenty packs of sesame seed. And at the end of every hundred years someone would remove a single seed from it. By this means the Kosalan load of twenty packs of sesame seed would run out faster than a single lifetime in the Abbuda hell. Now, twenty lifetimes in the Abbuda hell equal one lifetime in the Nirabbuda hell. Twenty lifetimes in the Nirabbuda hell equal one lifetime in the Ababa hell. Twenty lifetimes in the Ababa hell equal one lifetime in the Aṭaṭa hell. Twenty lifetimes in the Aṭaṭa hell equal one lifetime in the Ahaha hell. Twenty lifetimes in the Ahaha hell equal one lifetime in the Yellow Lotus hell. Twenty lifetimes in the Yellow Lotus hell equal one lifetime in the Fragrant Water Lily hell. Twenty lifetimes in the Fragrant Water Lily hell equal one lifetime in the Blue Water Lily hell. Twenty lifetimes in the Blue Water Lily hell equal one lifetime in the White Lotus hell. Twenty lifetimes in the White Lotus hell equal one lifetime in the Pink Lotus hell. The mendicant Kokālika has been reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.” That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Purisassa hi jātassa, kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe; Yāya chindati attānaṁ, bālo dubbhāsitaṁ bhaṇaṁ.

“A person is born with an axe in their mouth. A fool cuts themselves with it when they say bad words.

Yo nindiyaṁ pasaṁsati, Taṁ vā nindati yo pasaṁsiyo; Vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ, Kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati.

When you praise someone worthy of criticism, or criticize someone worthy of praise, you choose a losing hand with your own mouth: you’ll never find happiness that way.

Appamatto ayaṁ kali, Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo; Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā, Ayameva mahattaro kali; Yo sugatesu manaṁ padosaye.

A losing hand at dice is a trivial thing, if all you lose is your money and all you own, even yourself. What’s a really terrible hand is to hate the holy ones.

Sataṁ sahassānaṁ nirabbudānaṁ, Chattiṁsati pañca ca abbudāni; Yamariyagarahī nirayaṁ upeti, Vācaṁ manañca paṇidhāya pāpakaṁ.

For a hundred thousand times a hundred million, times five hundred and thirty-six times a thousand times ten million years a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell, having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.

Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti, Yo vāpi katvā na karomicāha; Ubhopi te pecca samā bhavanti, Nihīnakammā manujā parattha.

A liar goes to hell, as does one who denies what they did. Both are equal in the hereafter, those men of base deeds.

Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati, Suddhassa posassa anaṅgaṇassa; Tameva bālaṁ pacceti pāpaṁ, Sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṁva khitto.

Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong, a pure man who has not a blemish, the evil backfires on the fool, like fine dust thrown upwind.

Yo lobhaguṇe anuyutto, So vacasā paribhāsati aññe; Asaddho kadariyo avadaññū, Macchari pesuṇiyaṁ anuyutto.

One addicted to the way of greed, abuses others with their speech, faithless, miserly, uncharitable, stingy, addicted to backbiting.

Mukhadugga vibhūta anariya, Bhūnahu pāpaka dukkaṭakāri; Purisanta kalī avajāta, Mā bahubhāṇidha nerayikosi.

Foul-mouthed, divisive, ignoble, a baby-killer, wicked, wrongdoer, worst of men, cursed, base-born— quiet now, for you are bound for hell.

Rajamākirasī ahitāya, Sante garahasi kibbisakārī; Bahūni duccaritāni caritvā, Gacchasi kho papataṁ cirarattaṁ.

You stir up dust, causing harm, when you, sinner, malign the good. Having done many bad deeds, you’ll go to the pit for a long time.

Na hi nassati kassaci kammaṁ, Eti hataṁ labhateva suvāmi; Dukkhaṁ mando paraloke, Attani passati kibbisakārī.

For no one’s deeds are ever lost, they return to their owner. In the next life that stupid sinner sees suffering in themselves.

Ayosaṅkusamāhataṭṭhānaṁ, Tiṇhadhāramayasūlamupeti; Atha tattaayoguḷasannibhaṁ, Bhojanamatthi tathā patirūpaṁ.

They approach the place of impalement, with its iron spikes, sharp blades, and iron stakes. Then there is the food, which appropriately, is like a red-hot iron ball.

Na hi vaggu vadanti vadantā, Nābhijavanti na tāṇamupenti; Aṅgāre santhate sayanti, Ginisampajjalitaṁ pavisanti.

For the speakers speak not sweetly, they don’t hurry there, or find shelter. They lie upon a spread of coals, they enter a blazing mass of fire.

Jālena ca onahiyāna, Tattha hananti ayomayakuṭebhi; Andhaṁva timisamāyanti, Taṁ vitatañhi yathā mahikāyo.

Wrapping them in a net, they strike them there with iron hammers. They come to blinding darkness, which spreads about them like a fog.

Atha lohamayaṁ pana kumbhiṁ, Ginisampajjalitaṁ pavisanti; Paccanti hi tāsu cirarattaṁ, Agginisamāsu samuppilavāte.

Next they enter a copper pot, a blazing mass of fire. There they roast for a long time, writhing in the masses of fire.

Atha pubbalohitamisse, Tattha kiṁ paccati kibbisakārī; Yaṁ yaṁ disakaṁ adhiseti, Tattha kilissati samphusamāno.

Then the sinner roasts there in a mixture of pus and blood. No matter where they settle, everything they touch there hurts them.

Puḷavāvasathe salilasmiṁ, Tattha kiṁ paccati kibbisakārī; Gantuṁ na hi tīramapatthi, Sabbasamā hi samantakapallā.

The sinner roasts in worm-infested water. There’s not even a shore to go to, for all around are the same kind of pots.

Asipattavanaṁ pana tiṇhaṁ, Taṁ pavisanti samucchidagattā; Jivhaṁ balisena gahetvā, Ārajayārajayā vihananti.

They enter the Sword-Leaf Forest, so sharp they cut their body to pieces. Having grabbed the tongue with a hook, they stab it, slashing back and forth.

Atha vetaraṇiṁ pana duggaṁ, Tiṇhadhārakhuradhāramupenti; Tattha mandā papatanti, Pāpakarā pāpāni karitvā.

Then they approach the impassable Vetaraṇī River, with its sharp blades, its razor blades. Dullards fall into it, the wicked who have done wicked deeds.

Khādanti hi tattha rudante, Sāmā sabalā kākolagaṇā ca; Soṇā siṅgālā paṭigiddhā, Kulalā vāyasā ca vitudanti.

There dogs all brown and spotted, and raven flocks, and greedy jackals devour them as they wail, while hawks and crows attack them.

Kicchā vatayaṁ idha vutti, Yaṁ jano phusati kibbisakārī; Tasmā idha jīvitasese, Kiccakaro siyā naro na cappamajje.

Hard, alas, is the life here that sinners endure. That’s why for the rest of this life a person ought do their duty without fail.

Te gaṇitā vidūhi tilavāhā, Ye padume niraye upanītā; Nahutāni hi koṭiyo pañca bhavanti, Dvādasa koṭisatāni punaññā.

Experts have counted the loads of sesame as compared to the Pink Lotus hell. For there are five times ten thousand times ten million, plus another twelve hundred times ten million years—

Yāva dukhā nirayā idha vuttā, Tatthapi tāva ciraṁ vasitabbaṁ; Tasmā sucipesalasādhuguṇesu, Vācaṁ manaṁ satataṁ parirakkhe”ti.

as painful as life is said to be in hell, that’s how long one must dwell there. That’s why, for those who are pure, well-behaved, full of good qualities, one should always guard one’s speech and mind.”