Viyahapannatti 14.1.598

14.1.598

"Venerable Sir! If a homeless ascetic whose self is cultivated has passed beyond the last Asurakumāra abode, but has not reached the highest Asurakumāra abode, and were to die in the interval, Venerable Sir, where is his destination? Where is his rebirth taught to be?"
"Gautama! Wherever the Asurakumāra abodes in the vicinity have that same lesyā, there is his destination, there his rebirth is taught to be. And if, having gone there, he deteriorates, he falls back by karmic lesyā alone; but if, having gone there, he does not deteriorate, he abides having adopted that very lesyā. In this way [it should be stated] up to the Stanitakumāra abode, the Jyotiṣka abode, and in this way up to the Vaimānika abode, up to 'he abides.'"
"Venerable Sir! How swift is the motion of the inhabitants of hell? How is the scope of their swift motion taught to be?"
"Gautama! It is just like some man who is young, strong, robust, youthful, free of sickness, with steady hands, well-developed firm hands, feet, flanks, back, and thighs, with arms resembling iron bars or a pair of twin palm trees, his body covered and solidified by striking with leathern mallets, milk-pails, and fists, endowed with strength of chest, capable of leaping, jumping, striding, and gymnastic exercise, clever, dexterous, accomplished, skillful, intelligent, astute, and trained in fine crafts, were to extend his bent arm, or bend his extended arm, or close his open fist, or open his closed fist, or close his opened eye, or open his closed eye—would [their swiftness] be of such a form? That meaning is not tenable. The inhabitants of hell are reborn through a bend-turn in motion lasting one samaya, two samayas, or three samayas. Gautama! So swift is the motion of the inhabitants of hell, such is the scope of their swift motion taught to be. In this way up to the Vaimānikas; with the exception that for one-sensed beings, a bend-turn of four samayas is to be spoken of. The rest is the very same."