Turūbrahmasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 6.9

Linked Discourses 6.9

1. Paṭhamavagga

1. The Appeal

Turūbrahmasutta

With the Divinity Tudu

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Tena kho pana samayena kokāliko bhikkhu ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.

Now at that time the mendicant Kokālika was sick, suffering, gravely ill.

Atha kho turū paccekabrahmā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena kokāliko bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ ṭhito kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:

Then, late at night, the glorious independent divinity Tudu, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the mendicant Kokālika, and standing in the air he said to him,

“pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.

“Kokālika, have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,

Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

they’re good monks.”

“Kosi tvaṁ, āvuso”ti?

“Who are you, reverend?”

“Ahaṁ turū paccekabrahmā”ti.

“I am Tudu the independent divinity.”

“Nanu tvaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā anāgāmī byākato, atha kiñcarahi idhāgato?

“Didn’t the Buddha declare you a non-returner? So what then are you doing back here?

Passa, yāvañca te idaṁ aparaddhan”ti.

See how far you have strayed!”

“Purisassa hi jātassa,

“A person is born

kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe;

with an axe in their mouth.

Yāya chindati attānaṁ,

A fool cuts themselves with it

bālo dubbhāsitaṁ bhaṇaṁ.

when they say bad words.

Yo nindiyaṁ pasaṁsati,

When you praise someone worthy of criticism,

Taṁ vā nindati yo pasaṁsiyo;

or criticize someone worthy of praise,

Vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ,

you choose a losing hand with your own mouth:

Kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati.

you’ll never find happiness that way.

Appamattako ayaṁ kali,

A losing hand at dice is a trivial thing,

Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo;

if all you lose is your money

Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā,

and all you own, even yourself.

Ayameva mahantataro kali;

What’s a really terrible hand

Yo sugatesu manaṁ padosaye.

is to hate the holy ones.

Sataṁ sahassānaṁ nirabbudānaṁ,

For a hundred thousand times a hundred million,

Chattiṁsati pañca ca abbudāni;

times five hundred and thirty-six times
a thousand times ten million years

Yamariyagarahī nirayaṁ upeti,

a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell,

Vācaṁ manañca paṇidhāya pāpakan”ti.

having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”