勸發菩提心集 2.12

2.12

A person who utters false speech first deceives himself and then deceives others. Taking the real to be false and the false to be real, truth and falsehood are inverted. He does not receive wholesome qualities. Just as water cannot enter an overturned vase, the mind of a person who utters false speech lacks shame and remorse, blocking the path to the heavens and the gate to nirvāṇa. Knowing this fault through contemplation, one should not engage in it. Furthermore, when one contemplates and understands true speech, its benefits are extremely vast. The benefit of true speech arises from oneself and is very easy to attain; this is the strength of all who have renounced the household life. If householders possess such virtues, they too share in this benefit. As the mark of a good person, one of true speech has an upright mind and easily escapes suffering. For example, when hauling logs out of a dense forest, the straight ones emerge easily. Worldly people are foolish and of little wisdom; when they encounter adversity and suffering, they seek release through false speech, not knowing that when the matter comes to light they incur guilt in the present life, and not knowing that in future lives there will be great retribution for their offenses. Furthermore, there are people who, though knowing the offense of false speech, utter false speech because they have an abundance of stinginess, greed, anger, and delusion. Furthermore, there are people who, though free from greed and anger, falsely testify to another person's offense, believing in their own minds that it is truly so, and upon death fall into hell—how much more so those who falsely testify with an evil mind of greed, anger, and delusion! For instance, Devadatta's disciple Kokālika constantly sought faults in Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana. At that time, the two had completed their summer retreat and were traveling through various countries. Encountering heavy rain, they reached a potter's house and lodged in a shed where pottery was stored. Previously, a woman had already been lodging in the dark inside this shed, which the two did not know. That night, this woman had an impure dream with emission, and in the early morning went to the water to bathe. At that time Kokālika happened to pass by and see her. Kokālika was skilled in physiognomy and could discern the signs of sexual intercourse in people, but did not know whether it had been a dream or not. This Kokālika looked back and said to his disciple: "Last night this woman had illicit relations with someone." He immediately asked the woman: "Where did you come from?" She answered: "I lodged in the potter's shed." He asked again: "With whom?" She replied: "Two bhikṣus." At that time, the two emerged from the shed. Having seen them, Kokālika further verified it by physiognomy. He thought that the two must have engaged in impurity. Having already harbored jealousy, upon seeing this matter he proclaimed it throughout all the cities, towns, and villages, and next went to the Jetavana to spread this evil slander. In the meantime, the Brahmā King came wishing to see the World-Honoured One. The Buddha had entered a quiet chamber in silent samādhi, and the assembly of bhikṣus also had some who were in samādhi with their rooms closed; none could be aroused. [Brahmā] then thought: "I specifically came to see the Buddha, but the Buddha has entered samādhi; I should return for now." Then he thought again: "It will not be long before the Buddha emerges from concentration." Thereupon he paused briefly in front of Kokālika's room, knocked on the door, and said: "Kokālika! Kokālika! Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana are pure; do not slander them and suffer through the long night!" Kokālika asked: "Who are you?" He replied: "I am the Brahmā King." [Kokālika] asked: "The Buddha said that you have attained the path of an anāgāmin; why have you come?" The Brahmā King reflected in his mind and spoke a verse:
"Wishing to measure the immeasurable Dharma,
One should not judge by outward signs.
To wish to measure the immeasurable Dharma—
Such an uncouth person will be submerged."
Having spoken this verse, he went to the Buddha's place and recounted the matter in full. The Buddha said: "Excellent! Excellent! Well spoken is this verse!" At that time, the World-Honoured One spoke this verse again. Having heard the Buddha speak it, the Brahmā King suddenly vanished and returned to heaven. At that time Kokālika came to the Buddha's place, bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, and stood to one side. The Buddha told Kokālika: "Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana are pure persons; do not slander them and suffer through the long night." Kokālika addressed the Buddha, saying: "I would not dare disbelieve the Buddha's words, but with my own eyes I clearly and definitely know that the two truly committed impurity." The Buddha reproved him three times in this way, yet Kokālika still would not accept it; he immediately rose from his seat and left. Returning to his room, sores arose over his entire body the size of mustard seeds, gradually growing as large as beans, jujubes, and crabapples, and turning as large as melons. They burst open and rotted away as if burned by a great fire. Howling and crying out, he died that very night and entered the Mahāpadma hell. A Brahmā deity came at night and reported to the Buddha that Kokālika had died. Another Brahmā deity said that he had fallen into hell. When that night had passed, the Buddha summoned the Saṅgha to assemble and told them: "Do you wish to know the length of the lifespan in the hell into which Kokālika has fallen?" The bhikṣus said: "We wish and rejoice to hear it." The Buddha said: "Suppose there were sixty hu of sesame seeds, and someone took one sesame seed away every hundred years until they were exhausted; even then the lifespan in the Arbuda hell would not yet be exhausted. Twenty lifespans in the Arbuda hell make one lifespan in the Nirarbuda hell; the rest are all reckoned by twenties in this manner. Kokālika has fallen into this Mahāpadma hell; his great tongue is pulled out, pinned with five hundred nails, and plowed by five hundred plows." At that time the World-Honoured One spoke this verse:
"When an ordinary person is born, an axe is in his mouth.
The reason it cuts his body is due to his evil words.
To praise what should be reproved, and reprove what should be praised,
Accumulating all evils with the mouth, he will never see joy.
With a mind relying on false views, destroying the words of the worthy and noble,
Like a bamboo bearing fruit, he destroys his own form.
Receiving retribution such as this, one should not utter false speech."