MAJJHIMA NIKAAYA III
II. 3. 5. Maagandiyasutta.m
III.
3. 10. Devaduutasutta.m -The Heavenly Messengers. (130)
I
heard thus.At one time the Blessed One was living in the monastery offered
by Anaathapindika in Jeta’s grove in Saavatthi. The Blessed One addressed
the bhikkhus from there. ‘Bhikkhus, like a man standing between two houses
with doors standing adjacently would see people entering, leaving, wandering
and roaming in the two houses.Likewise I see with my heavenly eye purified
beyond human, beings disappearing and appearing, unexalted and exalted,
beautiful and ugly, in heaven and in hell. I see beings according their
actions: These good beings conducting well by body, speech and mind, not
blaming noble ones, developping right view, bearing the right view of actions,
at the break up of the body, after death, go to increase, are born in heavenThese
good beings conducting well by body, speech and mind, not blaming noble
ones, developping right view, bearing the right view of actions, at the
break up of the body, after death, are born with humans. These good beings
mis -conducting by body, speech and mind, blaming noble ones, developping
wrong view, bearing the wrong view of actions, at the break up of the body,
after death,.
are
born in the sphere of ghosts These good beings misconducting by body, speech
and mind, blaming noble ones, developping wrong view, bearing the wrong
view of actions, at the break up of the body, after death, are born with
animals.These good beings misconducting by body, speech and mind, blaming
noble ones, developping wrong view, bearing the wrong view of actions,
at the break up of the body, after death, decrease, and are born in hell.
Bhikkhus,
the warders of hell take him by his hands and feet and show him to the
king of the under world ‘Lord, this man is unfriendly, not uniting, not
chaste, does not honour the elders in the family, mete him the suitable
punishment.
The
king of the under world cross questions, asks for reasons and studies together
with him thus. ‘Good man did you not see the first divine messenger among
humans?’ He says ‘Sir I did not see.’ Then the king of the under world
would ask him. ‘Good man didn’t you see a todler who stands and lies with
difficulty, mingled in his own urine and excreta while lying?’ Then he
says, ‘Sir, I saw.’The king of the
under world asks him. ‘Goodman,
being a wise aged one, didn’t it occur to you, I have not gone beyond birth,
now I will do some good by body, words and mind?’ He would say, ‘Sir, I
could not do.owing to negligence’ The king of the under world says. ‘Good
one, owing to negligence you acted in that manner. This evil action was
not done by your, mother, father, brother, sister, friends, co -associates
or blood relations. It was not done by recluses, brahmins or gods, it was
done by you and you will experience its results
Bhikkhus,
the king of the under word having finished cross questioning, asking for
reasons and studying together about the first divine messenger asks him‘Good
man did you not see the second divine messenger among humans?’ He says
‘Sir I did not see.’ Then the king of the under world would ask him. ‘Good
man didn’t you see among humans a woman or man, eighty or ninety years
old, decayed and bent like the frame work of a roof, going about supported
on a stick, shivering, ill, the youth gone, with broken teeth, grey hair,
spotted wrinkled skin?’ Then he says, ‘Sir, I saw.’The
king of the under world asks him. ‘Goodman,
being a wise aged one, didn’t it occur to you, I have not gone beyond decay,
now I will do some good by body, words and mind?’ He would say, ‘Sir, I
could not do.owing to negligence’ The king of the under world says. ‘Good
one, owing to negligence you acted in that manner. This evil action was
not done by your, mother, father, brother, sister, friends, co -associates
or blood relations. It was not done by recluses, brahmins or gods, it was
done by you and you will experience its results
Bhikkhus,
the king of the under word having finished cross questioning, asking for
reasons and studying together about the second divine messenger asks him‘Good
man did you not see the third divine messenger among humans?’ He says ‘Sir
I did not see.’ Then the king of the under world would ask him. ‘Good man
didn’t you see among humans a woman or man, gravely ill immersed in his
own urine and excreta, raised by others and conducted by others?’ Then
he says, ‘Sir, I saw.’The king of
the under world asks him. ‘Goodman,
being a wise aged one, didn’t it occur to you, I have not gone beyond illness,
now I will do some good by body, words and mind?’ He would say, ‘Sir, I
could not do.owing to negligence’ The king of the under world says. ‘Good
one, owing to negligence you acted in that manner. This evil action was
not done by your, mother, father, brother, sister, friends, co -associates
or blood relations. It was not done by recluses, brahmins or gods, it was
done by you and you will experience its results
Bhikkhus,
the king of the under word having finished cross questioning, asking for
reasons and studying together about the third divine messenger asks him‘Good
man did you not see the fourth divine messenger among humans?’ He says
‘Sir I did not see.’ Then the king of the under world would ask him. ‘Good
man didn’t you see among humansan
offender taken hold by the king and given various kinds of torture caned
and wipped, flogged with the jungle rope, flogged with the soiled stick,
hands severed, legs severed, or both hands and legs severed, ears and nose
severed, put in the boiling gruel pot, shell tonsured, put in Raahu’s mouth,
garlanded with the blazing garland, hands scorched, the bark dress given,
put with snakes, put hooks in theflesh,
cut pieces of flesh from the body, drive a spike from ear to ear, beat
to make the body like straw, immerse in the boiling oil, give to the dogs
to be eaten, raise on a spike alive until death, and cut the neck with
the sword?’. Then he says, ‘Sir, I saw.’The
king of the under world asks him. ‘Goodman,
being a wise aged one, didn’t it occur to you, the results for evil actions
are here and now there is no other alternative. Now I will do some good
by body, words and mind?’ He would say, ‘Sir, I could not do.owing to negligence’
The king of the under world says. ‘Good one, owing to negligence you acted
in that manner. This evil action was not done by your, mother, father,
brother, sister, friends, co -associates or blood relations. It was not
done by recluses, brahmins or gods, it was done by you and you will experience
its results
Bhikkhus,
the king of the under word having finished cross questioning, asking for
reasons and studying together about the fourth divine messenger asks him‘Good
man did you not see the fifth divine messenger among humans?’ He says ‘Sir
I did not see.’ Then the king of the under world would ask him. ‘Good man
didn’t you see among humans a woman or man dead after one day, two days
or three days, bloated and turned blue?’ Then he says, ‘Sir, I saw.’The
king of the under world asks him. ‘Goodman,
being a wise aged one, didn’t it occur to you, I too will be subject to
death, I have not gone beyond it.Now I will do some good by body, words
and mind?’ He would say, ‘Sir, I could not do.owing to negligence’ The
king of the under world says. ‘Good one, owing to negligence you acted
in that manner. This evil action was not done by your, mother, father,
brother, sister, friends, co -associates or blood relations. It was not
done by recluses, brahmins or gods, it was done by you and you will experience
its results
Bhikkhus,
the king of the under word having finished cross questioning, asking for
reasons and studying together about the fifth divine messenger becomes
silent.
Then
the warders of hell give him the fivefold binding. That is two hot iron
spikes are sent through his two palms, and two other hot spikes are sent
through his two feet and the fifth hot iron spike is sent through his chest.
On account of this he experiences sharp piercing unpleasant feelings. Yet
he does not die, until his demerit finishes. Next the warders of hell conduct
him and hammer himOn account of
this he experiences sharp piercing unpleasant feelings. Yet he does not
die, until his demerit finishes. Next the warders of hell take him upside
down and cut him with a knifeOn
account of this too he experiences sharp piercing unpleasant feelings.
Yet he does not die, until his demerit finishes. Next the warders of hell
yoke him to a cart and make him go to and fro on a ground that is flaming
and ablaze On account of this too he experiences sharp piercing unpleasant
feelings. Yet he does not die, until his demerit finishes. Next the warders
of hell make him ascend and descend a rock of burning ambers On account
of this he experiences sharp piercing unpleasant feelings. Yet he does
not die, until his demerit finishes. Next the warders of hell throw him
upside down into a boiling, blazingpot
of molten. Therehe is cooked in
the molten scum, and he on his own accord dives in comes up and goes across
in the molten pot.On account of this too he experiences sharp piercing
unpleasant feelings. Yet he does not die, until his demerit finishes.Next
the warders of hell throw him to the Great Hell.
The
square Great Hell has four gates and is divided in two,
Enclosed
by iron walls, is closed with an iron lid.
The
floor spreads for seven hundred miles,
And
it stands there everyday.
A
fire springs from the eastern wall of the Great Hell to scorch the western
wall. A fire springs from the western wall to scorch the eastern wallA
fire springs from the northern wall to scorch the southern wall. A fire
springs from the southern wall to scorch the northern wall. A fire springs
from the bottom to scorch the top and a fire springs from the top to scorch
the bottom. There he experiences sharp piercing unpleasant feelings, yet
he does not die until his demerit comes to an end.
Bhikkhus,
after the lapse of a very long time, it happens that the eastern door of
the Great Hell opens. Then he runs with great speed, in doing so he burns
his outer skin, inner skin, flesh, nerves, andeven
the bones smoke,even if he pulls
himself out, it happens. When he had, had enough of it the door closesThere
he experiences sharp piercing unpleasant feelings, yet he does not die
until his demerit comes to an end.
Bhikkhus,
after the lapse of a very long time, it happens that the western door of
the Great Hell opens. Then he runs with great speed, in doing so he burns
his outer skin, inner skin, flesh, nerves, andeven
the bones smoke,even if he pulls
himself out, it happens. When he had, had enough of it the door closesThere
he experiences sharp piercing unpleasant feelings, yet he does not die
until his demerit comes to an end.
Bhikkhus,
after the lapse of a very long time, it happens that the eastern door of
the Great Hell opens. Then he runs with great speed, in doing so he burns
his outer skin, inner skin, flesh, nerves, andeven
the bones smoke,even if he pulls
himself out, it happens. He escapes through that door.
Parallel
and together with the Great Hell is the Hell of Excreta he falls into that.In
it there are needle mouthed living things, that pierce the outer skin,.then
the inner skin, after that the flesh, the nerves and even the bones and
they eat the bone marrowThere he
experiences sharp piercing unpleasant feelings, yet he does not die until
his demerit comes to an end.
Parallel
and together with the Hell of Excretais
the Hell where hot ashes rain, he falls into that.There he experiences
sharp piercing unpleasant feelings, yet he does not die until his demerit
comes to an end.
Parallel
and together with the Hell where hot ashes rain, is the Simbali forest,
more than seven miles tall, it has thorns sixteen inches long, aflame and
blazing, he climbes on them and goes to and fro on them. There he experiences
sharp piercing unpleasant feelings, yet he does not die until his demerit
comes to an end.
Parallel
and together with the Simbali forest, is a forest of swords. He enters
that. The leaves that fall with the wind, cut his feet, hands, feet and
hands, ears, nose, ears and nose. There he experiences sharp piercing unpleasant
feelings, yet he does not die until his demerit comes to an end.
Parallel
and together with the forest of swords is a huge salt water riverHe
falls into that. In it he is carried up stream and down stream.There he
experiences sharp piercing unpleasant feelings, yet he does not die until
his demerit comes to an end.
Then
the warders of hell pull him out with a hook and ask him. ‘Good man, what
do you desire?’ He says, ‘Sir, I’m hungry.’ The warders of hell open his
mouth with hot iron spikes and pour into his mouth burning, flaming iron
balls. They burn his lips, mouth, throat, chest, the intestines, the lower
intestines and they come out with the insides There he experiences sharp
piercing unpleasant feelings, yet he does not die, until his demerit comes
to an end.
Then
the warders ask him. ‘Good man, what do you desire?’ He says, ‘Sir, I’m
thirsty.’ The warders of hell open his mouth with hot iron spikes and pour
into his mouth burning, flaming copper molten They burn his lips, mouth,
throat, chest, the intestines, the lower intestines and they come out with
the insidesThere he experiences
sharp piercing unpleasant feelings, yet he does not die, until his demerit
comes to an end.
Then
the warders of Hell put him back to the Great Hell.
In
the past to the king of the Under World it occurred thus. To those who
do evil in the world, these various punishments are given. O! IfI
gain humanity. O! If the Thus Gone One, perfect and rightfully enlightened
is born in the world. O! I should associate that Blessed One. O! the Blessed
One should teach me and I should know that Teaching.
Bhikkhus,
I say this not hearing from another recluse or brahmin, this is what I
have myself known and seen and so I say it.’
Then
the Blessed One further said.
Those
humans that are negligent, when blamed by the divine messengers
Are
born in low births, there they grieve long
The
appeased and worthy ones blamed by the divine messengers,
Are
not negligent in the noble Teaching any day.
They
see fear in holding, birth, death and being
And
release themselves without holding,destroying birth and death
They
are the appeased and pleasant, the extinguished here and now
Gone beyond all fear and revenge, have gone beyond all unpleasantness.