Viyahapannatti 16.4.672

16.4.672

In Rājagṛha, up to [Gautama] spoke thus:
"Venerable Sir! As much karma as a śramaṇa Nirgrantha who is indifferent to food dissipates, do the inhabitants of hell in the hells exhaust that much karma in a year, or in years, or in a hundred years?"
"This meaning is not competent [to be accepted]."
"Venerable Sir! As much karma as a śramaṇa Nirgrantha who fasts for the fourth meal dissipates, do the inhabitants of hell in the hells exhaust that much karma in a hundred years, or in hundreds of years, or in a thousand years?"
"This meaning is not competent."
"Venerable Sir! As much karma as a śramaṇa Nirgrantha who fasts for the sixth meal dissipates, do the inhabitants of hell in the hells exhaust that much karma in a thousand years, or in thousands of years, or in a hundred thousand years?"
"This meaning is not competent."
"Venerable Sir! As much karma as a śramaṇa Nirgrantha who fasts for the eighth meal dissipates, do the inhabitants of hell in the hells exhaust that much karma in a hundred thousand years, or in hundreds of thousands of years, or in a crore of years?"
"This meaning is not competent."
"Venerable Sir! As much karma as a śramaṇa Nirgrantha who fasts for the tenth meal dissipates, do the inhabitants of hell in the hells exhaust that much karma in a crore of years, or in crores of years, or in a koṭākoṭi of years?"
"This meaning is not competent."
"For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: 'As much karma as a śramaṇa Nirgrantha who is indifferent to food dissipates, that much karma the inhabitants of hell in the hells do not exhaust in a year, or in years, or in a hundred years; as much as one who fasts for the fourth meal—thus the aforementioned is to be repeated—up to: they do not exhaust in a koṭākoṭi of years'?"
"Gautama! Just as if some man—old, his body worn out by old age, his limbs enveloped in waves of wrinkles from slackened skin, with a sparse and fallen-out row of teeth, overcome by heat, overcome by thirst, afflicted, emaciated, thirsty, weak, and exhausted—should strike a large log of the kośāmba tree, dry, tangled, full of knots, sticky, crooked, and unsupported, with a blunt axe; then that man makes very great sounds, but does not split off very great chips. Just so, Gautama, the evil karmas of the inhabitants of hell are made tight, made sticky, made tightly adhering, and turned into obstacles. Even while experiencing intense feeling, they are not of great dissipation [of karma], nor of great culmination.
Just as if some man, striking an anvil with a very great sound, with a very great roar, with very great successive blows, is unable to knock off whatever gross particles from that anvil. Just so, Gautama, the evil karmas of the inhabitants of hell are made tight, made sticky, made tightly adhering, and turned into obstacles. Even while experiencing intense feeling, they are not of great dissipation [of karma], nor of great culmination.
Just as if some man—young, strong, up to intelligent, skilled in craft—should strike a large log of the śālmali tree, moist, free of tangles, knotless, non-sticky, straight, and well-supported, with a sharp axe; then that man makes no very great sounds, but splits off very great chips. Just so, Gautama, the gross karmas of śramaṇa Nirgranthas are made slack, made exhausted, transformed, and quickly shattered; experiencing whatever feeling they do, they are of great dissipation [of karma], of great culmination.
Or just as if a man were to throw a handful of dry grass into fire—is it not so, Gautama, that that handful of dry grass, having been thrown into fire, is quickly reduced to ashes?"
"Yes, it is reduced to ashes."
"Just so, Gautama, the gross karmas of śramaṇa Nirgranthas are made slack, made exhausted, transformed, and quickly shattered; experiencing whatever feeling they do, they are of great dissipation [of karma], of great culmination.
Just as if some man were to cast a drop of water onto a heated iron vessel—is it not so, Gautama, that that drop of water, having been cast onto the heated iron vessel, quickly meets with destruction?"
"Yes, it meets with destruction."
"Just so, Gautama, the gross karmas of śramaṇa Nirgranthas are made slack, made exhausted, transformed, and quickly shattered; experiencing whatever feeling they do, they are of great dissipation [of karma], of great culmination. For that reason, Gautama, it is said: 'As much karma as a śramaṇa Nirgrantha who is indifferent to food dissipates, up to: they do not exhaust in a koṭākoṭi of years.'"
"That is so, Venerable Sir! That is so, Venerable Sir!" up to he wanders.