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Translators: sujato

Anthology of Discourses 3.10

Kokālikasutta

With Kokālika

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

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.”

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:
When this was said, the Buddha said to Kokālika,

“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 …pe…
For a second time …

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 wishs. They’ve fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes.”

Tatiyampi kho bhagavā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:
For a third time, the Buddha said to Kokālika,

“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.

Acirappakkantassa ca kokālikassa bhikkhuno sāsapamattīhi piḷakāhi 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 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.
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.

Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu tenevābādhena kālamakāsi.
Then the mendicant Kokālika died of that illness.

Kālaṅkato ca kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapajji 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 …pe…

idamavoca, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati, idaṁ vatvā maṁ padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha,

“kīvadīghaṁ 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.

taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ ettakāni vassāni iti vā ettakāni vassasatāni iti vā ettakāni vassasahassāni iti vā ettakāni vassasatasahassāni iti vā”ti.
It’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it lasts.”

“Sakkā pana, bhante, upamā 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.

Appamatto 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 padosaye.
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 pāpakaṁ.
having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.

Abhūtavādī nirayaṁ upeti,
A liar goes to hell,

Yo vāpi katvā na karomicāha;
as does one who denies what they did.

Ubhopi te pecca samā bhavanti,
Both are equal in the hereafter,

Nihīnakammā manujā parattha.
those men of base deeds.

Yo appaduṭṭhassa narassa dussati,
Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong,

Suddhassa posassa anaṅgaṇassa;
a pure man who has not a blemish,

Tameva bālaṁ pacceti pāpaṁ,
the evil backfires on the fool,

Sukhumo rajo paṭivātaṁva khitto.
like fine dust thrown upwind.

Yo lobhaguṇe anuyutto,
One addicted to the way of greed,

So vacasā paribhāsati aññe;
abuses others with their speech,

Asaddho kadariyo avadaññū,
faithless, miserly, uncharitable,

Macchari pesuṇiyaṁ anuyutto.
stingy, addicted to backbiting.

Mukhadugga vibhūta anariya,
Foul-mouthed, divisive, ignoble,

Bhūnahu pāpaka dukkaṭakāri;
a baby-killer, wicked, wrongdoer,

Purisanta kalī avajāta,
worst of men, cursed, base-born—

Mā bahubhāṇidha nerayikosi.
quiet now, for you are bound for hell.

Rajamākirasī ahitāya,
You stir up dust, causing harm,

Sante garahasi kibbisakārī;
when you, criminal, malign the good.

Bahūni duccaritāni caritvā,
Having done many bad deeds,

Gacchasi kho papataṁ cirarattaṁ.
you’ll go to the pit for a long time.

Na hi nassati kassaci kammaṁ,
For no-one’s deeds are ever lost,

Eti hataṁ labhateva suvāmi;
they return to their owner.

Dukkhaṁ mando paraloke,
In the next life that criminal dullard

Attani passati kibbisakārī.
sees suffering in themselves.

Ayosaṅkusamāhataṭṭhānaṁ,
They approach the place of impalement,

Tiṇhadhāramayasūlamupeti;
with its iron spikes, sharp blades, and iron stakes.

Atha tattaayoguḷasannibhaṁ,
Then there is the food, which appropriately,

Bhojanamatthi tathā patirūpaṁ.
is like a red-hot iron ball.

Na hi vaggu vadanti vadantā,
For the speakers speak not sweetly,

Nābhijavanti na tāṇamupenti;
they don’t hurry there, or find shelter.

Aṅgāre santhate sayanti,
They lie upon a spread of coals,

Ginisampajjalitaṁ pavisanti.
they enter a blazing mass of fire.

Jālena ca onahiyāna,
Wrapping them in a net,

Tattha hananti ayomayakuṭebhi;
they strike them there with iron hammers.

Andhaṁva timisamāyanti,
They come to blinding darkness,

Taṁ vitatañhi yathā mahikāyo.
which spreads about them like a fog.

Atha lohamayaṁ pana kumbhiṁ,
Next they enter a copper pot,

Ginisampajjalitaṁ pavisanti;
a blazing mass of fire.

Paccanti hi tāsu cirarattaṁ,
There they roast for a long time,

Agginisamāsu samuppilavāte.
writhing in the masses of fire.

Atha pubbalohitamisse,
Then the criminal roasts there

Tattha kiṁ paccati kibbisakārī;
in a mixture of pus and blood.

Yaṁ yaṁ disakaṁ adhiseti,
No matter where they settle,

Tattha kilissati samphusamāno.
everything they touch there hurts them.

Puḷavāvasathe salilasmiṁ,
The criminal roasts in

Tattha kiṁ paccati kibbisakārī;
worm-infested water.

Gantuṁ na hi tīramapatthi,
There’s not even a shore to go to,

Sabbasamā hi samantakapallā.
for all around are the same kind of pots.

Asipattavanaṁ pana tiṇhaṁ,
They enter the Sword-Leaf Forest,

Taṁ pavisanti samucchidagattā;
so sharp they cut their body to pieces.

Jivhaṁ balisena gahetvā,
Having grabbed the tongue with a hook,

Ārajayārajayā vihananti.
they stab it, slashing back and forth.

Atha vetaraṇiṁ pana duggaṁ,
Then they approach the impassable Vetaraṇi River,

Tiṇhadhārakhuradhāramupenti;
with its sharp blades, its razor blades.

Tattha mandā papatanti,
Idiots fall into it,

Pāpakarā pāpāni karitvā.
the wicked who have done wicked deeds.

Khādanti hi tattha rudante,
There dogs all brown and spotted,

Sāmā sabalā kākolagaṇā ca;
and raven flocks, and greedy jackals

Soṇā siṅgālā paṭigiddhā,
devour them as they wail,

Kulalā vāyasā ca vitudanti.
while hawks and crows attack them.

Kicchā vatayaṁ idha vutti,
Hard, alas, is the life here

Yaṁ jano phusati kibbisakārī;
that criminals endure.

Tasmā idha jīvitasese,
That’s why for the rest of this life

Kiccakaro siyā naro na cappamajje.
a person ought do their duty without fail.

Te gaṇitā vidūhi tilavāhā,
Experts have counted the loads of sesame

Ye padume niraye upanītā;
as compared to the Pink Lotus Hell.

Nahutāni hi koṭiyo pañca bhavanti,
They amount to 50,000,000 times 10,000,

Dvādasa koṭisatāni punaññā.
plus another 12,000,000,000.

Yāva dukhā nirayā idha vuttā,
As painful as life is said to be in hell,

Tatthapi tāva ciraṁ vasitabbaṁ;
that’s how long one must dwell there.

Tasmā sucipesalasādhuguṇesu,
That’s why, for those who are pure, well-behaved, <j>full of good qualities,

Vācaṁ manaṁ satataṁ parirakkhe”ti.
one should always guard one’s speech and mind.”

Kokālikasuttaṁ dasamaṁ.