Kokālika Sutta (10)
On the Kamma Leading to Hell
[384] Thus have I heard.
At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī, in the Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then Kokālika the bhikkhu approached the Blessed One, paid homage, and sat down to one side. He said:
“Bhante, Venerable Sāriputta and Venerable Moggallāna are persons of evil desire, overcome by evil intention, Bhante.”
[385] When Kokālika spoke thus, the Blessed One said to him:
“Kokālika, do not say this. Kokālika, do not say this. Let your mind find confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna. Sāriputta and Moggallāna are dear because of their virtue.”
A second time Kokālika accused them. A second time the Blessed One discouraged him in the same way, urging him to place confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna.
A third time Kokālika repeated his accusation. A third time the Blessed One gave the same admonition.
Then Kokālika rose, paid homage, circumambulated the Blessed One, and departed.
Soon after departing, boils the size of mustard seeds appeared over his body; then the size of mung beans; then black beans; then like seeds of the nipa tree; then like the fruit of a myrobalan; then like the fruit of a small bael; then like a young jackfruit. They burst, discharging pus and blood. In consequence of that illness, Kokālika passed away— and upon death he arose in the Paduma-niraya (Lotus Hell) because of a mind of resentment towards Sāriputta and Moggallāna.
When the first watch of the night had passed, Brahmā Sahampati, with surpassing radiance illuminating all of Jetavana, approached the Blessed One, paid homage, and stood to one side. He said:
“Bhante, Kokālika has died and is reborn in the Paduma-niraya due to harboring hatred toward Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”
Having spoken thus, Brahmā Sahampati disappeared on the spot.
The next morning, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: He recounted Sahampati’s visit and the message concerning Kokālika’s rebirth in Paduma-niraya.
[386] A bhikkhu asked: “Bhante, how long is the lifespan in the Paduma-niraya?”
The Blessed One replied:
“Bhikkhus, the lifespan there is exceedingly long. It cannot be reckoned as so many years, hundreds of years, thousands of years, or hundreds of thousands of years.”
The bhikkhu said: “Bhante, could the Blessed One illustrate this?”
The Blessed One said:
“I can, bhikkhus.
Suppose a cart loaded with 20 bushels of sesame seeds— the measure of the Kosalans— and every hundred years, a man removes a single seed. That cart will be emptied sooner than a single Abbuda-niraya will be exhausted.
Twenty Abbudas make one Nirabbuda; twenty Nirabbudas make one Ababa; twenty Ababas make one Ahaha; twenty Ahas make one Atata; twenty Atatas make one Kumuda; twenty Kumudas make one Sogandhika; twenty Sogandhikas make one Uppalaka; twenty Uppalakas make one Puṇḍarīka; twenty Puṇḍarīkas make one Paduma-niraya.
Bhikkhus, Kokālika arose in the Paduma-niraya because of harboring hatred toward Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”
The Blessed One then uttered verses:
[387]
“Harsh speech is like an axe that arises in a man’s mouth; by such speech the fool cuts himself.
Whoever praises one worthy of blame or blames one worthy of praise— through his corrupted mouth he creates demerit and finds no happiness.
To lose at gambling is a small misfortune; far greater is the misfortune of a mind intending harm toward those who live righteously.
One who sets his speech and mind in wickedness, reviling the noble ones, goes to hell for a hundred thousand Nirabbudas and forty Abbudas.
A liar goes to hell; one who does evil and says ‘I did not do it’ also goes to hell. Both alike— when their bodies break— become equal in the world beyond.
He who harms the harmless, the pure, one without defilements— the evil returns upon that fool himself, as fine dust thrown against the wind.
One who delights in greed, faithless, hard-hearted, unable to understand another’s need, stingy and fond of slander— such a one abuses others with speech.
You foul-mouthed one, speaking falsehood, ignoble, destroyer of welfare, evil-doer, of base nature— utter no more words here; be not a hell-dweller.
You heap dust—defilements—upon yourself for no benefit; you revile the noble ones, do much evil, and go to the Great Hell for a very long time.
The kamma of beings does not perish. One receives the result and becomes the heir to one’s own kamma. The fool who does wicked deeds sees suffering here and in the next world.
The doer of evil encounters the iron stake and the sharp spears and the flaming iron balls— food suitable to his deeds.
The wardens of hell speak harshly; the hell-beings cannot flee; there is no refuge. They are dragged up the burning embers and cast into blazing mounds of fire.
Struck with iron hammers, bound with iron nets, they go to the dark Roruva-hell, its darkness thick like fog.
Then they fall into an iron cauldron, boiling and surging with flames— burning there for an immeasurable time.
Wherever they turn, there too the boiling cauldron waits, filled with blood and pus— there is no escape.
Then they enter a forest with leaves like sharp knives; their heads are cut off. Wardens hook out their tongues and torment them further.
They fall into the filthy river, into the swamp of the knife-blades; there, the fools who have done evil fall upon razor-sharp edges.
Black dogs, mottled dogs, jackals tear at them; crows, vultures, and hawks devour them.
Hard indeed is the fate seen in the hell realms. Thus one should accomplish what must be done and not be negligent.
The sages have calculated the sesame-cart simile: the measure equivalent to the Paduma-niraya is 51,200 koṭis.
Hell is suffering— so has it been declared in this Sutta. As long as evil-doers abide in hell, for that long is the duration of torment.
Therefore a person should guard his speech and mind— toward those who are pure, virtuous, and endowed with good qualities.”
End of the Kokālika Sutta (10)
Short Pāli Glossary (concise · intensive)
kamma — intentional action; moral deed that brings vipāka (result). vipāka — fruition/result of kamma. lobha / dosa / moha — greed, hatred, delusion. alobha / adosa / amoha — non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion. niraya — hell realm; plane of intense suffering. Paduma-niraya — “Lotus Hell”; one of the very long-enduring hells. Abbuda / Nirabbuda / Ababa / Ahaha / Atata / Kumuda / Sogandhika / Uppalaka / Puṇḍarīka / Paduma — classical sequence of hell-durations, each ×20 the previous. Brahmā Sahampati — high Brahmā deity, supporter of the Buddha’s teaching. Sāriputta & Moggallāna — chief disciples of the Buddha, epitomes of paññā and iddhi. duccarita / pāpa — evil conduct; wrongdoing. nirayapāla — hell-wardens. koṭi — large numerical unit (ten million by traditional use). vācā-duccarita — verbal misconduct; harsh, false, slanderous speech. ariyasāvaka — noble disciple (here: the ones being maligned). upapatti — rebirth.