6.
The Discourse on the Divine Messengers
36. "There are, monks, these three divine messengers. What three? Here, monks, a certain one practises misconduct by body, practises misconduct by speech, practises misconduct by mind. He, having practised misconduct by body, having practised misconduct by speech, having practised misconduct by mind, upon the body's collapse at death, is reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell. Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having seized him by both arms, show him to King Yama - 'This man, Sire, was disrespectful towards his mother, irreverent towards his father, disrespectful towards ascetics, disrespectful towards brahmins, not honouring the elders in the family. Let the Sire decree punishment for him.'
Then, monks, King Yama cross-questions, asks for reasons, and admonishes him about the first divine messenger - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings the first divine messenger that appeared?' He speaks thus: 'I did not see, venerable sir.'
"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings a woman or a man, eighty or ninety or a hundred years old by birth, old, bent like a roof beam, broken, leaning on a stick, trembling as they walked, afflicted, past their youth, with broken teeth, grey hair, scanty hair, bald-headed, wrinkled, with limbs blotched with spots?' He speaks thus: 'I saw, venerable sir.'
"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did it not occur to you, being intelligent, mindful, and elderly - I too am subject to ageing, not gone beyond ageing, come, let me do good by body, speech, and mind?' He speaks thus: 'I was not able, venerable sir. I was heedless, venerable sir.'
"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, through heedlessness you did not do good by body, speech, and mind. Truly, hey man, they will deal with you according to your heedlessness. But this evil deed of yours was not done by your mother, not done by your father, not done by your brother, not done by your sister, not done by friends and colleagues, not done by relatives and blood-relations, not done by deities, not done by ascetics and brahmins; this evil deed was done by you yourself, and you yourself will experience its result.'
Then, monks, King Yama, having cross-questioned, asked for reasons, and admonished him about the first divine messenger, cross-questions, asks for reasons, and admonishes him about the second divine messenger - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings the second divine messenger that appeared?' He speaks thus: 'I did not see, venerable sir.' "Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings a woman or a man who was sick, suffering, severely ill, fallen into their own urine and excrement, lying down, being lifted up by some, being laid down by others?' He speaks thus: 'I saw, venerable sir.'
"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did it not occur to you, being intelligent, mindful, and elderly - I too am subject to disease, not gone beyond disease. Come, let me do good by body, speech, and mind?' He speaks thus: 'I was not able, venerable sir. I was heedless, venerable sir.'
"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, through heedlessness you did not do good by body, speech, and mind. Truly, hey man, they will deal with you according to your heedlessness. But this evil deed of yours was not done by your mother, not done by your father, not done by your brother, not done by your sister, not done by friends and colleagues, not done by relatives and blood-relations, not done by deities, not done by ascetics and brahmins; this evil deed was done by you yourself. You yourself will experience its result.'
"Then, monks, King Yama, having cross-questioned, asked for reasons, and admonished him about the second divine messenger, cross-questions, asks for reasons, and admonishes him about the third divine messenger - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings the third divine messenger that appeared?' He speaks thus: 'I did not see, venerable sir.'
"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did you not see among human beings a woman or a man, dead for one day, or dead for two days, or dead for three days, bloated, discoloured, festering?' He speaks thus: 'I saw, venerable sir.'
"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, did it not occur to you, being intelligent, mindful, and elderly - I too am subject to death, not gone beyond death. Come, let me do good by body, speech, and mind?' He speaks thus: 'I was not able, venerable sir. I was heedless, venerable sir.'
"Then, monks, King Yama says thus to him - 'Hey man, through heedlessness you did not do good by body, speech, and mind. Truly, hey man, they will deal with you according to your heedlessness. But this evil deed of yours was not done by your mother, not done by your father, not done by your brother, not done by your sister, not done by friends and colleagues, not done by relatives and blood-relations, not done by deities, not done by ascetics and brahmins; this evil deed was done by you yourself. You yourself will experience its result.'
"Then, monks, King Yama, having cross-questioned, asked for reasons, and admonished him about the third divine messenger, becomes silent. Then, monks, the guardians of hell inflict on him the torture called the fivefold binding. They drive a red-hot iron stake into his hand. They drive a red-hot iron stake into his other hand. They drive a red-hot iron stake into his foot. They drive a red-hot iron stake into his other foot. They drive a red-hot iron stake into the middle of his chest. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is exhausted.
"Then, monks, the guardians of hell lay him down and plane him with axes. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is exhausted.
"Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having seized him feet up and head down, plane him with adzes... etc... Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having yoked him to a chariot, drive him back and forth over ground that is blazing, in flames, aglow... etc... Then, monks, the guardians of hell make him climb up and down a great mountain of embers, blazing, in flames, aglow... etc... Then, monks, the guardians of hell, having seized him feet up and head down, throw him into a red-hot copper cauldron, blazing, in flames, aglow. There, being cooked, throwing up foam, he goes up once, he goes down once, he goes across once. There he experiences painful, sharp, severe, bitter feelings, and he does not die until that evil deed is exhausted. Then, monks, the guardians of hell throw him into the great hell. Now, monks, that great hell -
Surrounded by an iron wall, covered over with iron.
Having pervaded a hundred yojanas all around, it stands always."
"Once upon a time, monks, this occurred to King Yama - 'It is said, friend, that those who do evil deeds in the world, upon them such various bodily punishments are inflicted. Oh, may I attain human existence, and may a Truth-finder arise in the world, a Worthy One, a One Enlightened by himself, and may I attend upon that Blessed One. And may that Blessed One teach me the Teaching, and may I understand the Teaching of that Blessed One.' But this, monks, I do not say having heard it from another ascetic or brahmin, but rather whatever I myself have known, myself have seen, myself have understood, that alone I say."
Those men grieve for a long time, having gone to an inferior bodily existence.
They are never negligent regarding the noble teaching.
Without clinging they become liberated, in the extinction of birth and death.
Having gone beyond all enmity and fear, they have overcome all suffering." The sixth.