Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.89
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 10.89
9. Theravagga
9. Senior Mendicants
Kokālikasutta
With Kokālika
Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then the mendicant Kokālika went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,
“pāpicchā, bhante, sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.
“Sir, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have corrupt wishes. They’ve fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes.”
“Mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika.
“Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika!
Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.
Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,
Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.
they’re good monks.”
Dutiyampi kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
For a second time Kokālika said to the Buddha,
“kiñcāpi me, bhante, bhagavā saddhāyiko paccayiko, atha kho pāpicchāva sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.
“Despite my faith and trust in the Buddha, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have corrupt wishes. They’ve fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes.”
“Mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika.
“Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika!
Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.
Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,
Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.
they’re good monks.”
Tatiyampi kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
For a third time Kokālika said to the Buddha,
“kiñcāpi me, bhante, bhagavā saddhāyiko paccayiko, atha kho pāpicchāva sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.
“Despite my faith and trust in the Buddha, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have corrupt wishes. They’ve fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes.”
“Mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika.
“Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika!
Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.
Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,
Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.
they’re good monks.”
Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.
Then Kokālika got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.
Acirapakkantassa ca kokālikassa bhikkhuno sāsapamattīhi pīḷakāhi sabbo kāyo phuṭo ahosi.
Not long after he left his body erupted with boils the size of mustard seeds.
Sāsapamattiyo hutvā muggamattiyo ahesuṁ, muggamattiyo hutvā kalāyamattiyo ahesuṁ, kalāyamattiyo hutvā kolaṭṭhimattiyo ahesuṁ, kolaṭṭhimattiyo hutvā kolamattiyo ahesuṁ, kolamattiyo hutvā āmalakamattiyo ahesuṁ, āmalakamattiyo hutvā tiṇḍukamattiyo ahesuṁ, tiṇḍukamattiyo hutvā, beḷuvasalāṭukamattiyo ahesuṁ, beḷuvasalāṭukamattiyo hutvā billamattiyo ahesuṁ, billamattiyo hutvā pabhijjiṁsu, pubbañca lohitañca pagghariṁsu.
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.
So sudaṁ kadalipattesu seti macchova visagilito.
He just laid down on banana leaves like a poisoned fish.
Atha kho turū paccekabrahmā yena kokāliko bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāse ṭhatvā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:
Then Tudu the independent divinity went to Kokālika, and standing in the air he said to him,
“pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.
“Kokālika, have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,
Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.
they’re good monks.”
“Kosi tvaṁ, āvuso”ti?
“Who are you, reverend?”
“Ahaṁ turū paccekabrahmā”ti.
“I am Tudu the independent divinity.”
“Nanu tvaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā anāgāmī byākato, atha kiñcarahi idhāgato?
“Didn’t the Buddha declare you a non-returner? So what exactly are you doing back here?
Passa yāvañca te idaṁ aparaddhan”ti.
See how far you have strayed!”
Atha kho turū paccekabrahmā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:
Then Tudu addressed Kokālika in verse:
“Purisassa hi jātassa,
“A person is born
kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe;
with an axe in their mouth.
Yāya chindati attānaṁ,
A fool cuts themselves with it
bālo dubbhāsitaṁ bhaṇaṁ.
when they say bad words.
Yo nindiyaṁ pasaṁsati,
When you praise someone worthy of criticism,
Taṁ vā nindati yo pasaṁsiyo;
or criticize someone worthy of praise,
Vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ,
you choose bad luck with your own mouth:
Kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati.
you’ll never find happiness that way.
Appamattako ayaṁ kali,
Bad luck at dice is a trivial thing,
Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo;
if all you lose is your money
Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā,
and all you own, even yourself.
Ayameva mahattaro kali;
What’s really terrible luck
Yo sugatesu manaṁ padūsaye.
is to hate the holy ones.
Sataṁ sahassānaṁ nirabbudānaṁ,
For more than two quinquadecillion years,
Chattiṁsati pañca ca abbudāni;
and another five quattuordecillion years,
Yamariyagarahī nirayaṁ upeti,
a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell,
Vācaṁ manañca paṇidhāya pāpakan”ti.
having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”
Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu teneva ābādhena kālamakāsi.
Then the mendicant Kokālika died of that illness.
Kālaṅkato ca kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā.
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:
Then, late at night, the beautiful divinity Sahampati, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him,
“kokāliko, bhante, bhikkhu kālaṅkato.
“Sir, the mendicant Kokālika has passed away.
Kālaṅkato ca, bhante, kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā”ti.
He was reborn in the pink lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”
Idamavoca brahmā sahampati.
That’s what the divinity Sahampati said.
Idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.
Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right side, before vanishing right there.
Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:
Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.
“imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ brahmā sahampati abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati maṁ etadavoca:
‘kokāliko, bhante, bhikkhu kālaṅkato;
kālaṅkato ca, bhante, kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā’ti.
Idamavoca, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati.
Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When he said this, one of the mendicants asked the Buddha,
“kīva dīghaṁ nu kho, bhante, padume niraye āyuppamāṇan”ti?
“Sir, how long is the life span in the Pink Lotus hell?”
“Dīghaṁ kho, bhikkhu, padume niraye āyuppamāṇaṁ.
“It’s long, mendicant.
Na taṁ sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ:
It’s not easy to calculate
‘ettakāni vassānīti vā ettakāni vassasatānīti vā ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā’”ti.
how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it lasts.”
“Sakkā pana, bhante, upamaṁ kātun”ti?
“But sir, is it possible to give a simile?”
“Sakkā, bhikkhū”ti bhagavā avoca:
“It’s possible,” said the Buddha.
“seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsatikhāriko kosalako tilavāho tato puriso vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena ekamekaṁ tilaṁ uddhareyya.
“Suppose there was a Kosalan cartload of twenty bushels of sesame seed. And at the end of every hundred years someone would remove a single seed from it.
Khippataraṁ kho so, bhikkhu, vīsatikhāriko kosalako tilavāho iminā upakkamena parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya, na tveva eko abbudo nirayo.
By this means the Kosalan cartload of twenty bushels of sesame seed would run out faster than a single lifetime in the Abbuda hell.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati abbudā nirayā; evameko nirabbudo nirayo.
Now, twenty lifetimes in the Abbuda hell equal one lifetime in the Nirabbuda hell.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati nirabbudā nirayā; evameko ababo nirayo.
Twenty lifetimes in the Nirabbuda hell equal one lifetime in the Ababa hell.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati ababā nirayā; evameko aṭaṭo nirayo.
Twenty lifetimes in the Ababa hell equal one lifetime in the Aṭaṭa hell.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati aṭaṭā nirayā; evameko ahaho nirayo.
Twenty lifetimes in the Aṭaṭa hell equal one lifetime in the Ahaha hell.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati ahahā nirayā; evameko kumudo nirayo.
Twenty lifetimes in the Ahaha hell equal one lifetime in the Yellow Lotus hell.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati kumudā nirayā; evameko sogandhiko nirayo.
Twenty lifetimes in the Yellow Lotus hell equal one lifetime in the Sweet-Smelling hell.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati sogandhikā nirayā; evameko uppalako nirayo.
Twenty lifetimes in the Sweet-Smelling hell equal one lifetime in the Blue Water Lily hell.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati uppalakā nirayā; evameko puṇḍarīko nirayo.
Twenty lifetimes in the Blue Water Lily hell equal one lifetime in the White Lotus hell.
Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati puṇḍarīkā nirayā; evameko padumo nirayo.
Twenty lifetimes in the White Lotus hell equal one lifetime in the Pink Lotus hell.
Padumaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, nirayaṁ kokāliko bhikkhu upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā”ti.
The mendicant Kokālika has been reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”
Idamavoca bhagavā.
That is what the Buddha said.
Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:
Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:
“Purisassa hi jātassa,
“A person is born
kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe;
with an axe in their mouth.
Yāya chindati attānaṁ,
A fool cuts themselves with it
bālo dubbhāsitaṁ bhaṇaṁ.
when they say bad words.
Yo nindiyaṁ pasaṁsati,
When you praise someone worthy of criticism,
Taṁ vā nindati yo pasaṁsiyo;
or criticize someone worthy of praise,
Vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ,
you choose bad luck with your own mouth:
Kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati.
you’ll never find happiness that way.
Appamattako ayaṁ kali,
Bad luck at dice is a trivial thing,
Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo;
if all you lose is your money
Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā,
and all you own, even yourself.
Ayameva mahattaro kali;
What’s really terrible luck
Yo sugatesu manaṁ padūsaye.
is to hate the holy ones.
Sataṁ sahassānaṁ nirabbudānaṁ,
For more than two quinquadecillion years,
Chattiṁsati pañca ca abbudāni;
and another five quattuordecillion years,
Yamariyagarahī nirayaṁ upeti,
a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell,
Vācaṁ manañca paṇidhāya pāpakan”ti.
having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”
Navamaṁ.