English
they seize a thief, a wrongdoer, and present him to the king: ‘This, Your Majesty, is a thief, a wrongdoer; inflict upon him whatever punishment you wish.’ Then the king might say thus: ‘Go, sirs, strike this man in the forenoon with three hundred spears.’ Then they would strike him in the forenoon with three hundred spears. Then the king, at midday, might say thus: ‘Sirs, how is that man?’ ‘He is still alive, Your Majesty.’ Then the king might say thus: ‘Go, sirs, strike that man at midday with three hundred spears.’ Then they would strike him at midday with three hundred spears. Then the king, in the evening, might say thus: ‘Sirs, how is that man?’ ‘He is still alive, Your Majesty.’ Then the king might say thus: ‘Go, sirs, strike that man in the evening with three hundred spears.’ Then they would strike him in the evening with three hundred spears. What do you think, monks? Would that man, being struck by nine hundred spears, experience pain and displeasure because of that?” “Even being struck by one spear, Venerable Sir, that man would experience pain and displeasure because of that; what then of nine hundred spears?” 250. Then the Blessed One, taking a small stone the size of his palm, addressed the monks: “What do you think, monks? Which is greater— this small stone I hold in my palm, a small stone, the size of a hand, was taken, and the Himālaya, the king of mountains?” “That small stone, venerable sir, the size of a hand, taken by the Blessed One, compared to the Himālaya, the king of mountains, does not count, does not come to a fraction, does not come to a comparison.” “Even so, monks, the suffering and sorrow that person experiences from being struck by three hundred spears, compared to the suffering of hell, does not count, does not come to a fraction, does not come to a comparison.” “Then, monks, the hell-wardens inflict upon him the torture called the Fivefold Binding: they drive a heated iron stake through one hand, they drive a heated iron stake through the second hand, they drive a heated iron stake through one foot, they drive a heated iron stake through the second foot, they drive a heated iron stake through the middle of his chest. He there experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil kamma is exhausted. Then, monks, the hell-wardens lay him down and chop him with axes. He there experiences painful, sharp… until it is exhausted. Then, monks, the hell-wardens seize him head down, feet up, and plane him with adzes. He there experiences painful, sharp… until it is exhausted. Then, monks, the hell-wardens yoke him to a chariot and drive him back and forth on a burning, blazing, glowing ground. He there experiences painful, sharp… until it is exhausted. Then, monks, the hell-wardens make him ascend and descend a great mountain of coals, burning, blazing, glowing. He there experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil kamma is exhausted. Then, monks, the hell-wardens, head down, feet up…” Taking him, they throw him into a heated iron pot, blazing, burning, and glowing. He there boils, bubbling up like foam. As he boils there, bubbling up like foam, sometimes he goes up, sometimes he goes down, sometimes he goes across. He there experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is exhausted. Him, monks, the hell-wardens throw into the great hell. And that great hell, monks, is – “Four-cornered, with four doors, divided into measured parts; Surrounded by an iron wall, enclosed by iron. “Its ground is made of iron, blazing, endowed with heat; For a hundred leagues all around, it extends always.” In many ways, monks, I could speak of hell; but it is not easy, monks, to convey by description how painful are the hells. 251. There are, monks, animals that are grass-eaters. They eat both wet grass and dry grass, scraping it with their teeth. And what, monks, are these grass-eating animals? Elephants, horses, oxen, donkeys, goats, deer, or any other grass-eating animals. That foolish person, monks, who here in the past was fond of tastes, and here performed evil deeds, after the breaking up of the body, after death, is reborn into the companionship of those beings who are grass-eaters. There are, monks, animals that are dung-eaters. They, smelling the scent of dung from afar, run – ‘Here we will eat, here we will eat!’ Just as, monks, brahmins run at the scent of an offering – ‘Here we will eat, here we will eat!’; even so, monks, there are animals that are dung-eaters, they, smelling the scent of dung from afar, run – ‘Here we will eat, here we will eat!’ And what are they, Monks, are there animals that eat excrement? Chickens, pigs, dogs, jackals, or any other animals that eat excrement. That fool, monks, who here before was greedy for flavors, who here performed evil deeds, with the breaking up of the body, after death, is reborn into the companionship of those beings, those beings who eat excrement. There are, monks, animals that are born in darkness, live in darkness, and die in darkness. And which, monks, are those animals that are born in darkness, live in darkness, and die in darkness? Worms, maggots, centipedes, or any other animals that are born in darkness, live in darkness, and die in darkness. That fool, monks, who here before was greedy for flavors, who here performed evil deeds, with the breaking up of the body, after death, is reborn into the companionship of those beings, those beings that are born in darkness, live in darkness, and die in darkness. There are, monks, animals that are born in water, live in water, and die in water. And which, monks, are those animals that are born in water, live in water, and die in water? Fish, turtles, crocodiles, or any other animals that are born in water, live in water, and die in water. That fool, monks, who here before was greedy for flavors, who here performed evil deeds, with the breaking up of the body, after death, is reborn into the companionship of those beings, those beings that are born in water, live in water, and die in water. There are, monks, animals that are born in filth, live in filth, and die in filth. And which, monks, are those animals that are born in filth, live in filth, and die in filth? Those, monks, beings are born in rotten fish, or live in rotten fish, or die in rotten fish, or in rotten corpses…pe… or in rotten dough… or in a cesspool… or in a sewer, (or whatever other creatures are born in filth, live in filth, die in filth.) That fool, monks, having previously here delighted in tastes, having committed evil deeds here, with the breaking up of the body, after death, is reborn in the company of those beings who are born in filth, live in filth, die in filth. “In many ways, too, monks, I could speak of the animal realm; to such an extent, monks, is it not easy to reach by description how miserable is the animal realm. 252. “Suppose, monks, a man were to throw a yoke with a single hole into the great ocean. And an east wind would carry it west, a west wind would carry it east, a north wind would carry it south, a south wind would carry it north. And there would be a blind turtle, which would surface once every hundred years. What do you think, monks, would that blind turtle put its neck into that yoke with a single hole?” (”No, venerable sir.”) “Perhaps, venerable sir, at some time, after a very long period.” “Sooner, monks, would that blind turtle put its neck into that yoke with a single hole, than I say, monks, is human existence for a fool who has once fallen into a state of woe. For what reason? Because there, monks, there is no righteous conduct, no even conduct, no wholesome action, no meritorious action. There, monks, is mutual devouring, monks, Monks, a weak sustenance occurs. That fool, monks, if ever, after a long time, he comes to human existence, he is reborn into those low families— a caṇḍāla family, or a hunter family, or a bamboo-worker family, or a cart-maker family, or a scavenger family. He is reborn into such a family, poor, with little food and drink, living with difficulty, where sustenance is obtained with hardship. And he is ill-favored, unpleasant to look at, deformed, sickly, blind, or crippled, or hunchbacked, or paralyzed, not obtaining food, drink, clothing, vehicles, garlands, perfumes, ointments, beds, dwellings, or lamps. He performs bad conduct by body, he performs bad conduct by speech, he performs bad conduct by mind. Having performed bad conduct by body, having performed bad conduct by speech, having performed bad conduct by mind, at the breaking up of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. Just as, monks, a gambler, with his very first losing throw, might lose his son, might lose his wife, might lose all his property, and might incur further debt. Insignificant, monks, is that losing throw by which that gambler, with his very first losing throw, might lose his son, might lose his wife, might lose all his property, and might incur further debt. But this is a far greater losing throw than that: when that fool, having performed bad conduct by body, having performed bad conduct by speech, having performed bad conduct by mind, at the breaking up of the body, after death, reappears in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. This, monks, is the complete and full realm of the fool. These three, monks, are the marks of a wise person, the signs of a wise person, the characteristics of a wise person. Which ones? What are three? Here, monks, the wise person thinks well-thought thoughts, speaks well-spoken words, and does well-done deeds. If, monks, the wise person were not one who thinks well-thought thoughts, and speaks well-spoken words, and does well-done deeds, how would the wise recognize him as 'This venerable one is a wise, good person'? Because, monks,