Bālapaṇḍitasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 129

The Foolish and the Astute · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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whateverYaṁ indeedkho that,taṁ, monks,bhikkhave, rightlysammā speakingvadamāno might say:vadeyya:
‘utterly‘ekantaṁ unlikable,aniṭṭhaṁ utterlyekantaṁ undesirable,akantaṁ utterlyekantaṁ disagreeable’,amanāpan’ti, of hell just thisnirayameva thattaṁ rightlysammā speakingvadamāno might say:vadeyya:
‘utterly‘ekantaṁ unlikableaniṭṭhaṁ utterlyekantaṁ undesirableakantaṁ utterlyekantaṁ disagreeable’.amanāpan’ti.
so much so,Yāvañcidaṁ, monks,bhikkhave, even a simileupamāpi notna easysukarā howyāva painfuldukkhā hells are.”nirayā”ti.
ThusEvaṁ said,vutte, a certainaññataro monkbhikkhu to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ said this:etadavoca:
“possible“sakkā then,pana, sir,bhante, a simileupamaṁ to make?”kātun”ti?

And if there’s anything of which it may be rightly said that it is utterly unlikable, undesirable, and disagreeable, it is of hell that this should be said. So much so that it’s not easy to give a simile for how painful hell is.” When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha, “But sir, is it possible to give a simile?”

possible“Sakkā, monksbhikkhū”ti the Blessed Onebhagavā saidavoca.
suppose“Seyyathāpi, monkbhikkhu, banditcoraṁ criminalāgucāriṁ having arrestedgahetvā to the kingrañño they might showdasseyyuṁ:
this‘ayaṁ indeedkho, Your Majestydeva, banditcoro criminalāgucārī, of this oneimassa whateveryaṁ you wishicchasi thattaṁ punishmentdaṇḍaṁ inflictpaṇehī’ti.
himTamenaṁ kingrājā thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
go‘gacchatha, sirsbho, thisimaṁ manpurisaṁ in the morningpubbaṇhasamayaṁ with a hundred spearssattisatena strikehanathā’ti.
himTamenaṁ in the morningpubbaṇhasamayaṁ with a hundred spearssattisatena they might strikehaneyyuṁ.
thenAtha kingrājā at middaymajjhanhikasamayaṁ thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
look here‘ambho, howkathaṁ thatso manpuriso’ti?
just so‘Tatheva, Your Majestydeva, he livesjīvatī’ti.
himTamenaṁ kingrājā thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
go‘gacchatha, sirsbho, thattaṁ manpurisaṁ at middaymajjhanhikasamayaṁ with a hundred spearssattisatena strikehanathā’ti.
himTamenaṁ at middaymajjhanhikasamayaṁ with a hundred spearssattisatena they might strikehaneyyuṁ.
thenAtha kingrājā in the late afternoonsāyanhasamayaṁ thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
look here‘ambho, howkathaṁ thatso manpuriso’ti?
just so‘Tatheva, Your Majestydeva, he livesjīvatī’ti.
himTamenaṁ kingrājā thusevaṁ would sayvadeyya:
go‘gacchatha, sirsbho, thattaṁ manpurisaṁ in the late afternoonsāyanhasamayaṁ with a hundred spearssattisatena strikehanathā’ti.
himTamenaṁ in the late afternoonsāyanhasamayaṁ with a hundred spearssattisatena they might strikehaneyyuṁ.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññatha, monksbhikkhave,

“It’s possible,” said the Buddha. “Suppose they arrest a bandit, a criminal and present him to the king, saying, ‘Your Majesty, this is a bandit, a criminal. Punish him as you will.’ The king would say, ‘Go, my men, and strike this man in the morning with a hundred spears!’ The king’s men did as they were told. Then at midday the king would say, ‘Look here, how is that man?’ ‘He’s still alive, Your Majesty.’ The king would say, ‘Go, my men, and strike this man in the midday with a hundred spears!’ The king’s men did as they were told. Then late in the afternoon the king would say, ‘Look here, how is that man?’ ‘He’s still alive, Your Majesty.’ The king would say, ‘Go, my men, and strike this man in the late afternoon with a hundred spears!’ The king’s men did as they were told. What do you think, mendicants?

wouldapi indeednu thatso manpuriso with threetīhi with spearssattisatehi being struckhaññamāno because of thattatonidānaṁ paindukkhaṁ distressdomanassaṁ would experiencepaṭisaṁvediyethā”ti?
with one“Ekissāpi, sirbhante, with a spearsattiyā being struckhaññamāno thatso manpuriso because of thattatonidānaṁ paindukkhaṁ distressdomanassaṁ would experiencepaṭisaṁvediyetha, whatko thenpana let alonevādo with threetīhi with spearssattisatehī”ti?

Would that man experience pain and distress from being struck with three hundred spears?” “Sir, that man would experience pain and distress from being struck with one spear, let alone three hundred spears!”

thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā smallparittaṁ the size of his palmpāṇimattaṁ a stonepāsāṇaṁ having picked upgahetvā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
that“Taṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññatha, mendicantsbhikkhave,
whichkatamo nownu indeedkho bigger—thatmahantataro—yo and thiscāyaṁ by memayā smallparitto the size of the palmpāṇimatto stonepāsāṇo picked upgahito, whichyo andca the Himalayashimavā king of mountains?'pabbatarājā”ti?
tiny“Appamattako thisayaṁ, sirbhante, by the Blessed Onebhagavatā smallparitto the size of the palmpāṇimatto stonepāsāṇo picked upgahito, to the Himalayashimavantaṁ the king of mountainspabbatarājānaṁ compared toupanidhāya reckoning evensaṅkhampi notna it countsupeti, a fraction evenkalabhāgampi notna it countsupeti, comparison evenupanidhampi notna it counts.'upe”ti.
in the same way“Evameva indeedkho, mendicantsbhikkhave, thatyaṁ thatso manpuriso with threetīhi hundred spearssattisatehi being struckhaññamāno from that causetatonidānaṁ paindukkhaṁ distressdomanassaṁ he experiencespaṭisaṁvedeti thattaṁ of hellnirayakassa of sufferingdukkhassa compared toupanidhāya reckoning evensaṅkhampi notna it countsupeti, a fraction evenkalabhāgampi notna it countsupeti, comparison evenupanidhampi notna it counts.upeti.

Then the Buddha, picking up a stone the size of his palm, addressed the mendicants, “What do you think, mendicants? Which is bigger: the stone the size of my palm that I’ve picked up, or the Himalayas, the king of mountains?” “Sir, the stone you’ve picked up is tiny. Compared to the Himalayas, it doesn’t count, it’s not worth a fraction, there’s no comparison.” “In the same way, compared to the suffering in hell, the pain and distress experienced by that man due to being struck with three hundred spears doesn’t count, it’s not worth a fraction, there’s no comparison.

himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, wardens of hellnirayapālā fivefold bindingpañcavidhabandhanaṁ callednāma punishmentkammakāraṇaṁ they dokaronti—
red-hottattaṁ iron stakeayokhilaṁ in the handhatthe they cause to gogamenti, red-hottattaṁ iron stakeayokhilaṁ seconddutiye in the handhatthe they cause to gogamenti, red-hottattaṁ iron stakeayokhilaṁ in the footpāde they cause to gogamenti, red-hottattaṁ iron stakeayokhilaṁ seconddutiye in the footpāde they cause to gogamenti, red-hottattaṁ iron stakeayokhilaṁ in the middlemajjhe in the chesturasmiṁ they cause to gogamenti.
heSo theretattha painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā he feelsvedeti, notna andca as long astāva timekālaṁ he makeskaroti untilyāva notna thattaṁ bad deedpāpakammaṁ is eliminatedbyantīhoti.

The wardens of hell punish them with the five-fold crucifixion. They drive red-hot stakes through the hands and feet, and another in the middle of the chest. And there they feel painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings—but they don’t die until that bad deed is eliminated.

themTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, wardens of hellnirayapālā having thrown downsaṁvesetvā with axeskuṭhārīhi they hacktacchanti.
theySo theretattha painfuldukkhā sharptibbā …pe……pe… they become exhaustedbyantīhoti.

The wardens of hell throw them down and hack them with axes. …

himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, hell-wardensnirayapālā feet-upwarduddhampādaṁ head-downwardadhosiraṁ having takengahetvā with hatchetsvāsīhi they hacktacchanti.
heSo theretattha painfuldukkhā sharptibbā …pe……pe… he is finishedbyantīhoti.

They hang them upside-down and hack them with hatchets. …

that oneTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, hell-wardensnirayapālā to a chariotrathe having harnessedyojetvā burningādittāya groundpathaviyā blazingsampajjalitāya glowingsajotibhūtāya they drivesārentipi they drive backpaccāsārentipi.
heSo theretattha painfuldukkhā sharptibbā … pe ……pe… he experiencesbyantīhoti.

They harness them to a chariot, and drive them back and forth across burning ground, blazing and glowing. …

themTamenaṁ, O monksbhikkhave, the wardens of hellnirayapālā a greatmahantaṁ mountain of burning coalsaṅgārapabbataṁ burningādittaṁ blazingsampajjalitaṁ glowingsajotibhūtaṁ they make climb upāropentipi they make climb downoropentipi.
theySo theretattha painfuldukkhā sharptibbā harshkharā bitterkaṭukā feelingsvedanā they feelvedeti, notna andca yettāva deathkālaṁ they undergokaroti as long asyāva notna thattaṁ evil kammapāpakammaṁ is exhaustedbyantīhoti.

They make them climb up and down a big mountain of burning coals, blazing and glowing. …

himTamenaṁ, monksbhikkhave, wardens of hellnirayapālā feet upuddhampādaṁ head downadhosiraṁ having seizedgahetvā red-hottattāya into a copper potlohakumbhiyā they throwpakkhipanti burningādittāya blazingsampajjalitāya glowing.sajotibhūtāya.
heSo theretattha in boiling scumpheṇuddehakaṁ is seared.paccati.
heSo theretattha in boiling scumpheṇuddehakaṁ being searedpaccamāno sometimessakimpi upuddhaṁ he goes,gacchati, sometimessakimpi downadho he goes,gacchati, sometimessakimpi sidewaystiriyaṁ he goes.gacchati.
heSo theretattha painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā he feels,vedeti, notna andca yettāva timekālaṁ he makeskaroti untilyāva notna thattaṁ bad deedpāpakammaṁ is eliminated.byantīhoti.

The wardens of hell turn them upside down and throw them into a red-hot copper pot, burning, blazing, and glowing. There they’re seared in boiling scum, and they’re swept up and down and round and round. And there they feel painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings—but they don’t die until that bad deed is eliminated.

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