At Sāvatthi. That day, the monk Kokālika went to the Blessed One, paid homage to the Blessed One, sat down to one side, and said to the Blessed One: “Bhante, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have evil wishes; they are intoxicated with evil wishes.”
When this was said, the Blessed One said to the monk Kokālika: “Kokālika, do not speak in that way! Kokālika, do not speak in that way! Kokālika, place confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna. Sāriputta and Moggallāna are well behaved.”
A second time the monk Kokālika said to the Blessed One: “Bhante, even though I have confidence and trust in the Blessed One, still I say Sāriputta and Moggallāna have evil wishes; they are intoxicated with evil wishes.” And a second time the Blessed One said to the monk Kokālika: “Kokālika, do not speak in that way! Kokālika, do not speak in that way! Kokālika, place confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna. Sāriputta and Moggallāna are well behaved.”
A third time the monk Kokālika said to the Blessed One: “Bhante, even though I have confidence and trust in the Blessed One, still I say Sāriputta and Moggallāna have evil wishes; they are intoxicated with evil wishes.” And a third time the Blessed One said to the monk Kokālika: “Kokālika, do not speak in that way! Kokālika, do not speak in that way! Kokālika, place confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna. Sāriputta and Moggallāna are well behaved.”
Then, the monk Kokālika arose from his seat, paid homage to the Blessed One, departed, worshiping around the Blessed One. Not long after the monk Kokālika had left, his entire body became covered with boils the size of mustard seeds. These then grew to the size of mung beans, then to the size of chickpeas, then to the size of jujube stones, then to the size of jujube fruits, then to the size of myrobalans, then to the size of unripe beluva fruits, then to the size of ripe beluva fruits. When they had grown to the size of ripe beluva fruits, they burst open, discharging pus and blood. Then, on account of that illness, the monk Kokālika died, and because he had rivalry towards Arahant Sāriputta and Arahant Moggallāna, after his death the monk Kokālika was reborn in the Paduma hell.
Then, when the night was ending, brahma Sahampati, of stunning beauty, lighting the entire Jeta’s Grove, went to the Blessed One, paid homage to the Blessed One, stood to one side. Standing to one side, brahma Sahampati said to the Blessed One: “Bhante, the monk Kokālika has died, and because he had rivalry towards Arahant Sāriputta and Arahant Moggallāna, after his death the monk Kokālika has been reborn in the Paduma hell.” This is what brahma Sahampati said. Having said this, he paid homage to the Blessed One, went worshiping around him and disappeared right there.
So, then, when the night had ended, The Blessed One told the monks: “Monks, last night, when the night was ending, brahma Sahampati came to me, paid homage to me, and stood to one side. Standing to one side, brahma Sahampati said to me, ‘Bhante, the monk Kokālika has died, and because he had rivalry towards Arahant Sāriputta and Arahant Moggallāna, after his death he has been reborn in the Paduma hell.’ This is what brahma Sahampati said. Having said this, he paid homage to me, went worshiping around me, and disappeared right there.”
After this was said, a certain monk asked the Blessed One: “Bhante, how long is the life span in the Paduma hell?”
“Monk, the life span in the Paduma hell is very long. It is not easy to count it and say it is so many years, or so many hundreds of years, or so many thousands of years, or so many hundreds of thousands of years.”
“Bhante, is it possible to give a simile?”
“Monk, it is possible,” said the Blessed One. “Monk, suppose, there was a Kosalan-cartload filled with twenty measures of sesame seeds. At the end of every hundred years a man would remove one seed from there. That Kosalan-cartload of twenty measures of sesame seeds by this effort be used-up and eliminated more quickly than the lifespan of a single Abbuda hell would go by. The lifespan of twenty Abbuda hells is equal to one Nirabbuda hell lifespan; the lifespan of twenty Nirabbuda hells is equal to one Ababa hell lifespan; the lifespan of twenty Ababa hells is equal to one Atata hell lifespan; the lifespan of twenty Atata hells is equal to one Ahaha hell lifespan; the lifespan of twenty Ahaha hells is equal to one Kumuda hell lifespan; the lifespan of twenty Kumuda hells is equal to one Sogandhika hell lifespan; the lifespan of twenty Sogandhika hells is equal to one Uppala hell lifespan; the lifespan of twenty Uppala hells is equal to one Pundarīka hell lifespan; and the life span of twenty Pundarīka hells is equal to one Paduma hell lifespan. Monk, now the monk Kokālika has been reborn in the Paduma hell because he had hatred towards Arahant Sāriputta and Arahant Moggallāna.”
This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Well Gone One, the Great Teacher further said this:
“When a fool takes birth, he has an axe inside his mouth with which the fool cuts himself when speaking harsh words.
“He who praises a person deserving criticism, or criticises a person deserving praise, collects lot of demerit with his mouth. Because of that evil deed, he will never find happiness.
“Insignificant is the unlucky throw at dice that brings the loss of all wealth, including oneself. Worse by far is this unlucky throw of giving rise to hatred toward liberated ones.
“The insulter of noble ones, having done evil with speech and mind goes to hell. There he has to suffer for a hundred thousand Nirabbudas, and thirty-six more, and five Abbudās.”
