AN 10 The Book of the Tens – Dasakanipāta > AN 10.89 With Kokālika

Numbered Discourses 10.89 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.89

9. Senior Bhikkhū – 9. Theravagga

AN 10.89 With Kokālika – Kokālikasutta

1.1

Then the bhikkhu Kokālika went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,

Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

1.2

“Sir, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have wicked desires. They’ve fallen under the sway of wicked desires.”

“pāpicchā, bhante, sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.

1.3

“Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika!

“Mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika.

1.4

Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,

Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.

1.5

they’re good monks.”

Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

2.1

For a second time Kokālika said to the Buddha,

Dutiyampi kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

2.2

“Despite my faith and trust in the Buddha, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have wicked desires. They’ve fallen under the sway of wicked desires.”

“kiñcāpi me, bhante, bhagavā saddhāyiko paccayiko, atha kho pāpicchāva sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.

2.3

“Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika!

“Mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika.

2.4

Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,

Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.

2.5

they’re good monks.”

Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

3.1

For a third time Kokālika said to the Buddha,

Tatiyampi kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

3.2

“Despite my faith and trust in the Buddha, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have wicked desires. They’ve fallen under the sway of wicked desires.”

“kiñcāpi me, bhante, bhagavā saddhāyiko paccayiko, atha kho pāpicchāva sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.

3.3

“Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika!

“Mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika.

3.4

Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,

Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.

3.5

they’re good monks.”

Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

4.1

Then Kokālika got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi.

4.2

Not long after he left his body erupted with boils the size of mustard seeds.

Acirapakkantassa ca kokālikassa bhikkhuno sāsapamattīhi pīḷakāhi sabbo kāyo phuṭo ahosi.

4.3

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.

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.

4.4

He just laid down on banana leaves like a poisoned fish.

So sudaṁ kadalipattesu seti macchova visagilito.

5.1

Then Tudu the independent brahmā went to Kokālika, and standing in the sky he said to him,

Atha kho turū paccekabrahmā yena kokāliko bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāse ṭhatvā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:

5.2

“Kokālika, have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,

“pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.

5.3

they’re good monks.”

Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

5.4

“Who are you, reverend?”

“Kosi tvaṁ, āvuso”ti?

5.5

“I am Tudu the independent brahmā.”

“Ahaṁ turū paccekabrahmā”ti.

5.6

“Didn’t the Buddha declare you a non-returner? So what exactly are you doing back here?

“Nanu tvaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā anāgāmī byākato, atha kiñcarahi idhāgato?

5.7

See how far you have strayed!”

Passa yāvañca te idaṁ aparaddhan”ti.

6.1

Then Tudu addressed Kokālika in verse:

Atha kho turū paccekabrahmā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

7.1

“A person is born

“Purisassa hi jātassa,

7.2

with an axe in their mouth.

kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe;

7.3

A fool cuts themselves with it

Yāya chindati attānaṁ,

7.4

when they say bad words.

bālo dubbhāsitaṁ bhaṇaṁ.

8.1

When you praise someone worthy of criticism,

Yo nindiyaṁ pasaṁsati,

8.2

or criticize someone worthy of praise,

Taṁ vā nindati yo pasaṁsiyo;

8.3

you choose bad luck with your own mouth:

Vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ,

8.4

you’ll never find happiness that way.

Kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati.

9.1

Bad luck at dice is a trivial thing,

Appamattako ayaṁ kali,

9.2

if all you lose is your money

Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo;

9.3

and all you own, even yourself.

Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā,

9.4

What’s really terrible luck

Ayameva mahattaro kali;

9.5

is to hate the holy ones.

Yo sugatesu manaṁ padūsaye.

10.1

For more than two quinquadecillion years,

Sataṁ sahassānaṁ nirabbudānaṁ,

10.2

and another five quattuordecillion years,

Chattiṁsati pañca ca abbudāni;

10.3

a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell,

Yamariyagarahī nirayaṁ upeti,

10.4

having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”

Vācaṁ manañca paṇidhāya pāpakan”ti.

11.1

Then the bhikkhu Kokālika died of that illness.

Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu teneva ābādhena kālamakāsi.

11.2

He was reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.

Kālaṅkato ca kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā.

12.1

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,

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:

12.2

“Sir, the bhikkhu Kokālika has passed away.

“kokāliko, bhante, bhikkhu kālaṅkato.

12.3

He was reborn in the pink lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”

Kālaṅkato ca, bhante, kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā”ti.

12.4

That’s what Brahmā Sahampati said.

Idamavoca brahmā sahampati.

12.5

Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right side, before vanishing right there.

Idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

13.1

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

Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:

13.2

“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:

13.3

‘kokāliko, bhante, bhikkhu kālaṅkato;

13.4

kālaṅkato ca, bhante, kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā’ti.

13.5

Idamavoca, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati.

13.6

Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.

14.1

When he said this, one of the bhikkhū asked the Buddha,

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

14.2

“Sir, how long is the life span in the Pink Lotus hell?”

“kīva dīghaṁ nu kho, bhante, padume niraye āyuppamāṇan”ti?

14.3

“It’s long, bhikkhu.

“Dīghaṁ kho, bhikkhu, padume niraye āyuppamāṇaṁ.

14.4

It’s not easy to calculate

Na taṁ sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ:

14.5

how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it lasts.”

‘ettakāni vassānīti vā ettakāni vassasatānīti vā ettakāni vassasahassānīti vā ettakāni vassasatasahassānīti vā’”ti.

15.1

“But sir, is it possible to give a simile?”

“Sakkā pana, bhante, upamaṁ kātun”ti?

15.2

“It’s possible,” said the Buddha.

“Sakkā, bhikkhū”ti bhagavā avoca:

15.3

“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.

“seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsatikhāriko kosalako tilavāho tato puriso vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena ekamekaṁ tilaṁ uddhareyya.

15.4

By this means the Kosalan cartload of twenty bushels of sesame seed would run out faster than a single lifetime in the Abbuda hell.

Khippataraṁ kho so, bhikkhu, vīsatikhāriko kosalako tilavāho iminā upakkamena parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya, na tveva eko abbudo nirayo.

15.5

Now, twenty lifetimes in the Abbuda hell equal one lifetime in the Nirabbuda hell.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati abbudā nirayā; evameko nirabbudo nirayo.

15.6

Twenty lifetimes in the Nirabbuda hell equal one lifetime in the Ababa hell.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati nirabbudā nirayā; evameko ababo nirayo.

15.7

Twenty lifetimes in the Ababa hell equal one lifetime in the Aṭaṭa hell.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati ababā nirayā; evameko aṭaṭo nirayo.

15.8

Twenty lifetimes in the Aṭaṭa hell equal one lifetime in the Ahaha hell.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati aṭaṭā nirayā; evameko ahaho nirayo.

15.9

Twenty lifetimes in the Ahaha hell equal one lifetime in the Yellow Lotus hell.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati ahahā nirayā; evameko kumudo nirayo.

15.10

Twenty lifetimes in the Yellow Lotus hell equal one lifetime in the Sweet-Smelling hell.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati kumudā nirayā; evameko sogandhiko nirayo.

15.11

Twenty lifetimes in the Sweet-Smelling hell equal one lifetime in the Blue Water Lily hell.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati sogandhikā nirayā; evameko uppalako nirayo.

15.12

Twenty lifetimes in the Blue Water Lily hell equal one lifetime in the White Lotus hell.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati uppalakā nirayā; evameko puṇḍarīko nirayo.

15.13

Twenty lifetimes in the White Lotus hell equal one lifetime in the Pink Lotus hell.

Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati puṇḍarīkā nirayā; evameko padumo nirayo.

15.14

The bhikkhu Kokālika has been reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”

Padumaṁ kho pana, bhikkhu, nirayaṁ kokāliko bhikkhu upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā”ti.

15.15

That is what the Buddha said.

Idamavoca bhagavā.

15.16

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

16.1

“A person is born

“Purisassa hi jātassa,

16.2

with an axe in their mouth.

kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe;

16.3

A fool cuts themselves with it

Yāya chindati attānaṁ,

16.4

when they say bad words.

bālo dubbhāsitaṁ bhaṇaṁ.

17.1

When you praise someone worthy of criticism,

Yo nindiyaṁ pasaṁsati,

17.2

or criticize someone worthy of praise,

Taṁ vā nindati yo pasaṁsiyo;

17.3

you choose bad luck with your own mouth:

Vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ,

17.4

you’ll never find happiness that way.

Kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati.

18.1

Bad luck at dice is a trivial thing,

Appamattako ayaṁ kali,

18.2

if all you lose is your money

Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo;

18.3

and all you own, even yourself.

Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā,

18.4

What’s really terrible luck

Ayameva mahattaro kali;

18.5

is to hate the holy ones.

Yo sugatesu manaṁ padūsaye.

19.1

For more than two quinquadecillion years,

Sataṁ sahassānaṁ nirabbudānaṁ,

19.2

and another five quattuordecillion years,

Chattiṁsati pañca ca abbudāni;

19.3

a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell,

Yamariyagarahī nirayaṁ upeti,

19.4

having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”

Vācaṁ manañca paṇidhāya pāpakan”ti.

19.5

Navamaṁ.