Saṃyutta Nikāya (Linked Discourses)

At Sāvatthī. Then the mendicant 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.” When this was said, the Buddha said to Kokālika, “Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika! Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna, they’re good monks.” 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.” For a second time, the Buddha said to Kokālika, “Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika! Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna, they’re good monks.” 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.” For a third time, the Buddha said to Kokālika, “Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika! Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna, they’re good monks.”

Then Kokālika rose 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. Then the mendicant Kokālika died of that illness. He was reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.

Then, late at night, the glorious divinity Sahampati, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him, “Sir, the mendicant Kokālika has passed away. He was reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.” That is what the divinity Sahampati said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

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

When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha, “Sir, how long is the lifespan in the Pink Lotus hell?” “It’s long, mendicant. It’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it lasts.” “But sir, is it possible to give a simile?” “It’s possible,” said the Buddha.

“Suppose there was a Kosalan load of twenty packs of sesame seed. And at the end of every hundred years someone would remove a single seed from it. By this means the Kosalan load of twenty packs 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 Fragrant Water Lily hell. Twenty lifetimes in the Fragrant Water Lily 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 mendicant Kokālika has been reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.” That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“A person is born with an axe in their mouth. A fool cuts themselves with it when they say bad words.

When you praise someone worthy of criticism, or criticize someone worthy of praise, you choose a losing hand with your own mouth: you’ll never find happiness that way.

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

For a hundred thousand times a hundred million, times five hundred and thirty-six times <j>a thousand times ten million years a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell, having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the bank of the Serpentine River. Then, late at night, the glorious divinity Sanaṅkumāra, lighting up the entire Serpentine riverbank, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“The aristocrat is best among people who take clan as the standard. But one accomplished in knowledge and conduct is best among gods and humans.”

That is what the divinity Sanaṅkumāra said, and the Teacher concurred. Then the divinity Sanaṅkumāra, knowing that the Teacher concurred, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain, not long after Devadatta had left. Then, late at night, the glorious divinity Sahampati, lighting up the entire Vulture’s Peak, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“The banana plant is destroyed by its own fruit, as are the bamboo and the reed. Honor destroys a reprobate, as pregnancy destroys a mule.”

At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Magadhans at Andhakavinda. Now at that time the Buddha was meditating in the open during the dark of night, while a gentle rain drizzled down. Then, late at night, the glorious divinity Sahampati, lighting up the entirety of Andhakavinda, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:

“One should frequent secluded lodgings, and practice to be released from fetters. If you don’t find enjoyment there, live in the Saṅgha, self-protected and mindful.

Walking for alms from family to family, with senses guarded, alert and mindful. One should frequent secluded lodgings, free of fear, freed in the fearless.

Where dreadful reptiles slither, where the lightning flashes and the heavens thunder in the dark of the night; there meditates a mendicant, free of goosebumps.

For this is ever seen by me, it isn’t just the testament of hearsay. Within a single spiritual dispensation there are a thousand conquerors of Death.

And of trainees, more than five hundred, and ten times ten tens, are all stream-enterers, freed from rebirth in the animal realm.

And as for the rest of folk who I think have shared in merit— I couldn’t even number them, for fear of speaking falsely.”

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī. There he addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a king named Aruṇavā. He had a capital named Aruṇavatī. Sikhī the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha lived supported by Aruṇavatī. Sikhī had a fine pair of chief disciples named Abhibhū and Sambhava. Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the mendicant Abhibhū, ‘Come, brahmin, let’s go to one of the realms of divinity until it’s time for our meal.’ ‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, they vanished from Aruṇavatī and appeared in that realm of divinity.

Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the mendicant Abhibhū, ‘Brahmin, teach the Dhamma as you feel inspired for that divinity, his assembly, and the members of his retinue.’ ‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Then he educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired them with a Dhamma talk. But the Divinity, his assembly, and his retinue complained, grumbled, and objected, ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! How on earth can a disciple teach Dhamma in the presence of the Teacher?’

Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the mendicant Abhibhū, ‘Brahmin, the Divinity, his assembly, and his retinue are complaining that a disciple teaches Dhamma in the presence of the Teacher. Well then, brahmin, stir them up even more!’ ‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Then he taught Dhamma with his body visible; with his body invisible; with the lower half visible and the upper half invisible; and with the upper half visible and the lower half invisible. And the Divinity, his assembly, and his retinue, their minds full of wonder and amazement, thought, ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic has such psychic power and might!’

Then Abhibhū said to the Buddha Sikhī, ‘Sir, I recall having said this in the middle of the Saṅgha: “Standing in the realm of divinity, I can make my voice heard throughout the thousandfold galaxy.”’ ‘Now is the time, brahmin! Now is the time, brahmin! Standing in the realm of divinity, make your voice heard throughout the thousandfold galaxy.’ ‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Standing in the realm of divinity, he spoke this verse:

‘Rouse yourselves! Try harder! Devote yourselves to the teachings of the Buddha! Crush the army of Death, as an elephant a hut of reeds.

Whoever shall meditate diligently in this teaching and training, giving up transmigration through rebirths, will make an end of suffering.’

Having inspired that divinity, his assembly, and his retinue with a sense of awe, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, Sikhī and Abhibhū vanished from that realm of divinity and appeared in Aruṇavatī. Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the mendicants, ‘Mendicants, did you hear the mendicant Abhibhū speaking a verse while standing in a realm of divinity?’ ‘We did, sir.’ ‘But what exactly did you hear?’ ‘This is what we heard, sir:

“Rouse yourselves! Try harder! Devote yourselves to the teachings of the Buddha! Crush the army of Death, as an elephant a hut of reeds.

Whoever shall meditate diligently in this teaching and training, giving up transmigration through rebirths, will make an end of suffering.”

That’s what we heard, sir.’ ‘Good, good, mendicants! It’s good that you heard the mendicant Abhibhū speaking this verse while standing in a realm of divinity.’”

That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

At one time the Buddha was staying between a pair of sal trees in the sal forest of the Mallas at Upavattana near Kusinārā at the time of his full extinguishment. Then the Buddha said to the mendicants: “Come now, mendicants, I say to you all: ‘Conditions fall apart. Persist with diligence.’” These were the Realized One’s last words.

Then the Buddha entered the first absorption. Emerging from that, he entered the second absorption. Emerging from that, he successively entered into and emerged from the third absorption, the fourth absorption, the dimension of infinite space, the dimension of infinite consciousness, the dimension of nothingness, and the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. Then he entered the cessation of perception and feeling.

Then he emerged from the cessation of perception and feeling and entered the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. Emerging from that, he successively entered into and emerged from the dimension of nothingness, the dimension of infinite consciousness, the dimension of infinite space, the fourth absorption, the third absorption, the second absorption, and the first absorption. Emerging from that, he successively entered into and emerged from the second absorption and the third absorption. Then he entered the fourth absorption. Emerging from that the Buddha immediately became fully extinguished. When the Buddha was fully quenched, along with the full extinguishment, the divinity Sahampati spoke this verse:

“All creatures in this world must lay down this bag of bones. For even a Teacher such as this, unrivaled in the world, the Realized One, attained to power, the Buddha was fully quenched.”

When the Buddha was fully quenched, Sakka, lord of gods, spoke this verse:

“Oh! Conditions are impermanent, their nature is to rise and fall; having arisen, they cease; their settling is such bliss.”

When the Buddha was fully quenched, Venerable Ānanda spoke this verse:

“Then there was terror! Then they had goosebumps! When the Buddha, endowed with all fine qualities, was fully quenched.”

When the Buddha was fully quenched, Venerable Anuruddha spoke this verse:

“There was no more breathing for the unaffected one of steady heart. Imperturbable, committed to peace, the Clear-eyed One was fully quenched.

He put up with painful feelings without flinching. The liberation of his heart was like the extinguishing of a lamp.”

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So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time the wife of a certain brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan, a brahmin lady named Dhanañjānī, was devoted to the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha. Once, while she was bringing her husband his meal, she tripped and expressed this heartfelt sentiment three times:

“Homage to him, the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Homage to him, the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!

Homage to him, the blessed one, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha!”

When she said this, the brahmin said to Dhanañjānī: “That’d be right. For the slightest thing this lowlife woman praises that shaven ascetic. Right now, lowlife woman, I’m going to refute your teacher’s doctrine!” “Brahmin, I don’t see anyone in this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—who can refute the doctrine of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. But anyway, you should go. When you’ve gone you’ll understand.”

Then the brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan, angry and upset, went to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and addressed the Buddha in verse:

“When what is slain do you sleep at ease? When what is slain is there no sorrow? What is the one thing whose killing you approve?”

“When anger’s slain you sleep at ease. When anger’s slain there is no sorrow. Anger has a poisonous root and a sweet tip, O brahmin. The noble ones praise its killing, for when it’s slain there is no sorrow.”

When he said this, the brahmin said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. May I receive the going forth, the ordination in the worthy Gotama’s presence?”

And the brahmin received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence. Not long after his ordination, Venerable Bhāradvāja, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. The brahmin Bhāradvāja the Rude heard a rumor that

a brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan had gone forth from the lay life to homelessness in the presence of the ascetic Gotama. Angry and displeased he went to the Buddha and abused and insulted him with rude, harsh words. When he had spoken, the Buddha said to him: “What do you think, brahmin? Do friends and colleagues, relatives and kin, and guests still come to visit you?” “Sometimes they do, worthy Gotama.” “Do you then serve them with fresh and cooked foods and savories?” “Sometimes I do.” “But if they don’t accept it, brahmin, who does it belong to?” “In that case it still belongs to me.” “In the same way, brahmin, when you abuse, harass, and attack us who do not abuse, harass, and attack, we don’t accept it. It still belongs to you, brahmin, it still belongs to you!

Someone who, when abused, harassed, and attacked, abuses, harasses, and attacks in return is said to eat the food and have a reaction to it. But we neither eat your food nor do we have a reaction to it. It still belongs to you, brahmin, it still belongs to you!” “The king and his retinue believe of the worthy Gotama, ‘the ascetic Gotama is a perfected one’. And yet he still gets angry.”

“Whence anger for one free of anger, tamed, living justly, freed by right knowledge, peaceful and unaffected?

When you get angry at an angry person you just make things worse for yourself. When you don’t get angry at an angry person you win a battle hard to win.

When you know that the other is angry, you act for the good of both yourself and the other if you’re mindful and stay calm.

People inexpert in the teaching consider one who heals both oneself and the other to be a fool.”

When he had spoken, Bhāradvāja the Rude said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! … I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. Sir, may I receive the going forth, the ordination in the worthy Gotama’s presence?”

And the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Rude received the going forth, the ordination in the Buddha’s presence. Not long after his ordination, Venerable Bhāradvāja the Rude, living alone, withdrawn, diligent, keen, and resolute, soon realized the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life. He lived having achieved with his own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness. He understood: “Rebirth is ended; the spiritual journey has been completed; what had to be done has been done; there is nothing further for this place.” And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. The brahmin Bhāradvāja the Fiend heard a rumor to the effect that a brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan had gone forth from the lay life to homelessness in the presence of the ascetic Gotama. Angry and displeased he went to the Buddha and abused and insulted him with rude, harsh words. But when he said this, the Buddha kept silent. Then Bhāradvāja the Fiend said to the Buddha, “You’re beaten, ascetic, you’re beaten!”

“‘Ha! I won!’ thinks the fool, when speaking with harsh words. The victory for one who understands is that very endurance.

When you get angry at an angry person you just make things worse for yourself. When you don’t get angry at an angry person you win a battle hard to win.

When you know that the other is angry, you act for the good of both yourself and the other if you’re mindful and stay calm.

People inexpert in Dhamma consider one who heals both oneself and the other to be a fool.”

When he had spoken, Bhāradvāja the Fiend said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! …” … And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. The brahmin Bhāradvāja the Bitter heard a rumor that a brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan had gone forth from the lay life to homelessness in the presence of the ascetic Gotama. Angry and displeased he went to the Buddha and stood silently to one side. Then the Buddha, knowing Bhāradvāja the Bitter’s train of thought, addressed him in verse:

“Whoever wrongs a man who has done no wrong, a pure man who has not a blemish, the evil backfires on the fool, like fine dust thrown upwind.”

When he said this, the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Bitter said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! …” … And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

At Sāvatthī. Then the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Harmless went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said, “I am Harmless, worthy Gotama, I am Harmless!”

“If you were really like your name, then you’d be Harmless. But a truly harmless person does no harm by way of body, speech, or mind; they don’t harm anyone else.”

When he had spoken, the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Harmless said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! …” … And Venerable Bhāradvāja the Harmless became one of the perfected.

At Sāvatthī. Then the brahmin Bhāradvāja of the Matted Hair went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and addressed the Buddha in verse:

“Tangled within, tangled without: these people are tangled in tangles. I ask you this, Gotama: who can untangle this tangle?”

“A wise person grounded in ethics, developing the mind and wisdom, a keen and alert mendicant— they can untangle this tangle.

Those in whom greed, hate, and ignorance have faded away; the perfected ones with defilements ended— they have untangled the tangle.

Where name and form cease with no residue left behind; as well as impingement and perception of form: it’s here this tangle is cut.”

When he had spoken, Bhāradvāja of the Matted Hair said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! …” … And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

At Sāvatthī. Then the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Pure went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and spoke this verse in his presence:

“No brahmin in the world is ever purified even though he’s ethical and mortifies himself. But one accomplished in knowledge and conduct is purified, not these other commoners.”

“Even one who mutters many prayers is no brahmin by birth if they’re filthy and corrupt within, supporting themselves by fawning.

Regardless of whether you’re an aristocrat, a brahmin, peasant, menial, <j>or a corpse-worker or scavenger— if you’re energetic and resolute, always staunchly vigorous, you’ll attain ultimate purity. Know that for a fact, brahmin.”

When he had spoken, the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Pure said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama …” … And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time ghee and milk-rice had been set out for the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiper, who thought, “I will serve the sacred flame! I will perform the fire sacrifice!”

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms. Wandering indiscriminately for almsfood in Rājagaha, he approached Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiper’s home and stood to one side. Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiper saw him standing for alms and addressed him in verse:

“One who’s accomplished in the three knowledges, of good birth and ample learning, accomplished in knowledge and conduct may enjoy this milk-rice.”

“Even one who mutters many prayers is no brahmin by birth if they’re filthy and corrupt within, with a following gained by fawning.

One who knows their past lives, sees heaven and places of loss, and has attained the ending of rebirth, is a sage of perfect insight.

Because of these three knowledges a brahmin is a master of the three knowledges. Accomplished in knowledge and conduct, they may enjoy this milk-rice.”

“May the worthy Gotama eat! The worthy one is a brahmin.”

“Food enchanted by a verse isn’t fit for me to eat. That’s not the principle of those who see, brahmin. The Buddhas cast aside things enchanted with verses. Since there is such a principle, brahmin, <j>that’s how they live.

Serve with other food and drink the consummate one, the great seer, with defilements ended and remorse stilled. For he is the field for the seeker of merit.”

When he had spoken, the brahmin Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiper said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! …” … And Venerable Bhāradvāja the Fire-Worshiper became one of the perfected.

At one time the Buddha was staying in the Kosalan lands on the bank of the Sundarikā River. Now at that time the brahmin Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā was serving the sacred flame and performing the fire sacrifice on the bank of the Sundarikā. Then he rose from his seat and surveyed the four quarters, wondering, “Now who might eat the leftovers of this oblation?” He saw the Buddha meditating at the root of a certain tree with his robe pulled over his head. Taking the leftovers of the oblation in his left hand and a pitcher in the right he approached the Buddha. When he heard Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā’s footsteps the Buddha uncovered his head. Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā thought, “This man is shaven, he is shaven!” And he wanted to turn back. But he thought, “Even some brahmins are shaven. Why don’t I go to him and ask about his birth?”

Then the brahmin Bhāradvāja of Sundarikā went up to the Buddha, and said to him, “Sir, what are you by birth?”