Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.89

Numbered Discourses 10.89

9. Theravagga

9. Senior Bhikkhus

Kokālikasutta

With Kokālika

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.

Then the bhikkhu 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.”

“Mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika. Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ. Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

“Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika! Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna, they’re good monks.”

Dutiyampi kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kiñcāpi me, bhante, bhagavā saddhāyiko paccayiko, atha kho pāpicchāva sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.

For a second 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.”

“Mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika. Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ. Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

“Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika! Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna, they’re good monks.”

Tatiyampi kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kiñcāpi me, bhante, bhagavā saddhāyiko paccayiko, atha kho pāpicchāva sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.

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.”

“Mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika. Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ. Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

“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. Acirapakkantassa ca kokālikassa bhikkhuno sāsapamattīhi pīḷakāhi sabbo kāyo phuṭo ahosi. 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. So sudaṁ kadalipattesu seti macchova visagilito.

Then Kokālika got up 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. He just laid down on banana leaves like a poisoned fish.

Atha kho turū paccekabrahmā¹ yena kokāliko bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāse ṭhatvā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ. Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

Then Tudu the independent brahmā went to Kokālika, and standing in the sky he said to him, “Kokālika, have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna, they’re good monks.”

“Kosi tvaṁ, āvuso”ti?

“Who are you, friend?”

“Ahaṁ turū paccekabrahmā”ti.

“I am Tudu the independent brahmā.”

“Nanu tvaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā anāgāmī byākato, atha kiñcarahi idhāgato? Passa yāvañca te idaṁ aparaddhan”ti.

“Didn’t the Buddha declare you a non-returner? So what exactly are you doing back here? See how far you have strayed!”

Atha kho turū paccekabrahmā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

Then Tudu addressed Kokālika in verse:

“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 bad luck with your own mouth: you’ll never find happiness that way.

Appamattako ayaṁ kali, Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo; Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā, Ayameva mahattaro kali; Yo sugatesu manaṁ padūsaye.

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

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

For more than two quinquadecillion years, and another five quattuordecillion years, a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell, having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”

Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu teneva ābādhena kālamakāsi. Kālaṅkato ca kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā.

Then the bhikkhu 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.

Then, late at night, the beautiful Brahmā Sahampati, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him, “Sir, the bhikkhu Kokālika has passed away. He was reborn in the pink lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”

Idamavoca brahmā sahampati. Idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

That’s what Brahmā Sahampati said. 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: “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.

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

Idamavoca, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati. Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kīva dīghaṁ nu kho, bhante, padume niraye āyuppamāṇan”ti?

When he said this, one of the bhikkhus asked the Buddha, “Sir, how long is the life span in the Pink Lotus hell?”

“Dīghaṁ kho, bhikkhu, padume niraye āyuppamāṇaṁ. Na taṁ sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ: ‘ettakāni vassānīti vā ettakāni vassasatānīti vā ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā’”ti.

“It’s long, bhikkhu. 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, 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. 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.

“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. By this means the Kosalan cartload of twenty bushels 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 Sweet-Smelling hell. Twenty lifetimes in the Sweet-Smelling 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 bhikkhu Kokālika has been reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”

Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

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 bad luck with your own mouth: you’ll never find happiness that way.

Appamattako ayaṁ kali, Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo; Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā, Ayameva mahattaro kali; Yo sugatesu manaṁ padūsaye.

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

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

For more than two quinquadecillion years, and another five quattuordecillion years, a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell, having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”

Navamaṁ.