諸經要集 14.85

14.85

Also, the Ekottarika-āgama says: “Better to cut one's tongue with a sharp sword than fall into the three evil destinies with evil words and coarse speech.” Also, the Sūtra on Guarding the Mouth says: “In the past, Kāśyapa Tathāgata appeared in the world, expounding the teaching of the Dharma. When his conversion of beings was complete, he entered parinirvāṇa in the realm of nirvāṇa without remainder. Afterward, there was a Tripiṭaka bhikṣu named Yellow Head. The saṅgha gave an order: ‘We will not let you be involved in any miscellaneous chores; just expound the wonderful Dharma to the junior students.’ At that time, the Tripiṭaka bhikṣu felt contempt in his heart, yet unable to avoid the saṅgha's command, he expounded the meaning of the scriptures to the junior students. When calling on them to receive the teachings, he said: ‘Quickly come forward, Elephant Head!’ Next he called the second: ‘Horse Head!’ Then he called them: ‘Camel Head,’ ‘Pig Head,’ ‘Sheep Head,’ ‘Lion Head,’ and ‘Tiger Head.’ In this way he called them by names of all kinds of beasts beyond count. Though he transmitted the meaning of the scriptures, he could not avoid his offense. When his body broke up and life ended, he entered hell, passing through tens of millions of kalpas, enduring immeasurable suffering. When his remaining offenses were not yet exhausted, he emerged from hell and was born in the great ocean, receiving the form of an aquatic creature, with a single body and a hundred heads of immense size, so that creatures of different kinds all fled in haste upon seeing it.”