With Kokālika

So I have heard.*This discourse occurs in shorter, and presumably earlier, versions in the Sagāthāvagga (SN 6.10) and the Aṅguttara (AN 10.89). A Chinese parallel is included in DA 30.At one time the BuddhaBuddhaEl nombre dado a quien redescubre por sí mismo el sendero liberador del Dhamma, tras un largo período de haber sido olvidado por el mundo. Según la tradición, una larga línea de Buddhas se extiende hasta el pasado distante. El Buddha más reciente nació como Siddhattha Gotama en la India alrededor del año 500 a.e.c. Un joven bien educado y acomodado, renunció a su familia y su herencia principesca en la flor de la vida para buscar la verdadera libertad y el fin del sufrimiento (dukkha). Después de siete años de austeridades en el bosque, redescubrió el «camino medio» y alcanzó su meta, convirtiéndose en el Buddha.Ver en el glosario was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.Then the mendicant Kokālika went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,“Sir, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have corrupt wishes. They’ve fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes.”

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “pāpicchā, bhante, sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.

So I have heard.*This discourse occurs in shorter, and presumably earlier, versions in the Sagāthāvagga (SN 6.10) and the Aṅguttara (AN 10.89). A Chinese parallel is included in DA 30.Evaṁ me sutaṁ—At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Then the mendicant Kokālika went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Sir, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have corrupt wishes. They’ve fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes.”“pāpicchā, bhante, sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti.

When this was said, the Buddha said to Kokālika,“Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika!Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,they’re good monks.”

Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika. Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ. Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

When this was said, the Buddha said to Kokālika,Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika!“mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika. Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ. they’re good monks.”Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

For a second time …For a third time Kokālika said to the Buddha,“Despite my faith and trust in the Buddha, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have corrupt wishes. They’ve fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes.”For a third time, the Buddha said to Kokālika,“Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika!Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,they’re good monks.”

Dutiyampi kho …pe… tatiyampi kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kiñcāpi me, bhante, bhagavā saddhāyiko paccayiko, atha kho pāpicchāva sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti. Tatiyampi kho bhagavā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika. Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ. Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

For a second time …Dutiyampi kho …pe… For a third time Kokālika said to the Buddha,tatiyampi kho kokāliko bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Despite my faith and trust in the Buddha, Sāriputta and Moggallāna have corrupt wishes. They’ve fallen under the sway of corrupt wishes.”“kiñcāpi me, bhante, bhagavā saddhāyiko paccayiko, atha kho pāpicchāva sāriputtamoggallānā, pāpikānaṁ icchānaṁ vasaṁ gatā”ti. For a third time, the Buddha said to Kokālika,Tatiyampi kho bhagavā kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca: “Don’t say that, Kokālika! Don’t say that, Kokālika!“mā hevaṁ, kokālika, mā hevaṁ, kokālika. Have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,Pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ. they’re good monks.”Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

Then Kokālika rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.Not long after he left his body erupted with boils the size of mustard seeds.The boils grew to the size of mung beans, then chickpeas, then jujube seeds, then jujubes, then myrobalans, then unripe wood-apples, then ripe wood-apples. Finally they burst open, and pus and blood oozed out.Then the mendicant Kokālika died of that illness.He was reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.*This discourse gives no fewer than three independent ways of counting the duration of the Pink Lotus (paduma) hell, plus a simile, plus a commentary. The key to reconciling the three numbers is to consider them numerologically rather than mathematically: simple numbers convey the basic meaning, which is expanded by multiplication. All three methods yield 512 to various powers of ten. 512 breaks down to 500 (= a large number) plus 12 (= months of the year), with the sense, “a long period of time”. In one case, 12 expands to 36 (= months of the year in past, present, and future); numerologically, such variations are different expressions of the same idea. The exact quantity of the power of ten varies, but each is a multiple of the other by 10 million (a crore or koṭi or abbuda). The result conveys the sense, “a super-expanded long period of time”.

Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Acirappakkantassa ca kokālikassa bhikkhuno sāsapamattīhi piḷakāhi sabbo kāyo phuṭo ahosi; *phuṭo → phuṭṭho (si, sya-all)sāsapamattiyo hutvā muggamattiyo ahesuṁ; muggamattiyo hutvā kaḷāyamattiyo ahesuṁ; kaḷāyamattiyo hutvā kolaṭṭhimattiyo ahesuṁ; kolaṭṭhimattiyo hutvā kolamattiyo ahesuṁ; kolamattiyo hutvā āmalakamattiyo ahesuṁ; āmalakamattiyo hutvā beḷuvasalāṭukamattiyo ahesuṁ; beḷuvasalāṭukamattiyo hutvā billamattiyo ahesuṁ; billamattiyo hutvā pabhijjiṁsu; pubbañca lohitañca pagghariṁsu. Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu tenevābādhena kālamakāsi. Kālaṅkato ca kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapajji sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā.

Then Kokālika rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmi. Not long after he left his body erupted with boils the size of mustard seeds.Acirappakkantassa ca kokālikassa bhikkhuno sāsapamattīhi piḷakāhi sabbo kāyo phuṭo ahosi; *phuṭo → phuṭṭho (si, sya-all)The boils grew to the size of mung beans, then chickpeas, then jujube seeds, then jujubes, then myrobalans, then unripe wood-apples, then ripe wood-apples. Finally they burst open, and pus and blood oozed out.sāsapamattiyo hutvā muggamattiyo ahesuṁ; muggamattiyo hutvā kaḷāyamattiyo ahesuṁ; kaḷāyamattiyo hutvā kolaṭṭhimattiyo ahesuṁ; kolaṭṭhimattiyo hutvā kolamattiyo ahesuṁ; kolamattiyo hutvā āmalakamattiyo ahesuṁ; āmalakamattiyo hutvā beḷuvasalāṭukamattiyo ahesuṁ; beḷuvasalāṭukamattiyo hutvā billamattiyo ahesuṁ; billamattiyo hutvā pabhijjiṁsu; pubbañca lohitañca pagghariṁsu. Then the mendicant Kokālika died of that illness.Atha kho kokāliko bhikkhu tenevābādhena kālamakāsi. He was reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.*This discourse gives no fewer than three independent ways of counting the duration of the Pink Lotus (paduma) hell, plus a simile, plus a commentary. The key to reconciling the three numbers is to consider them numerologically rather than mathematically: simple numbers convey the basic meaning, which is expanded by multiplication. All three methods yield 512 to various powers of ten. 512 breaks down to 500 (= a large number) plus 12 (= months of the year), with the sense, “a long period of time”. In one case, 12 expands to 36 (= months of the year in past, present, and future); numerologically, such variations are different expressions of the same idea. The exact quantity of the power of ten varies, but each is a multiple of the other by 10 million (a crore or koṭi or abbuda). The result conveys the sense, “a super-expanded long period of time”.Kālaṅkato ca kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapajji sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā.

Then, late at night, the glorious divinity Sahampati, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him,“Sir, the mendicant Kokālika has passed away.He was reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”That’s what the divinity Sahampati said.Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right side, before vanishing right there.

Atha kho brahmā sahampati abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho brahmā sahampati bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kokāliko, bhante, bhikkhu kālaṅkato; kālaṅkato ca, bhante, kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā”ti. Idamavoca brahmā sahampati; idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

Then, late at night, the glorious divinity Sahampati, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him,Atha kho brahmā sahampati abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho brahmā sahampati bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Sir, the mendicant Kokālika has passed away.“kokāliko, bhante, bhikkhu kālaṅkato; He was reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”kālaṅkato ca, bhante, kokāliko bhikkhu padumaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā”ti. That’s what the divinity Sahampati said.Idamavoca brahmā sahampati; Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right side, before vanishing right there.idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.

Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi: “imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ brahmā sahampati abhikkantāya rattiyā …pe… idamavoca, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati, idaṁ vatvā maṁ padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.

Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi: “imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ brahmā sahampati abhikkantāya rattiyā …pe… idamavoca, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati, idaṁ vatvā maṁ padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.

When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha,“Sir, how long is the lifespan in the Pink Lotus hell?”“It’s long, mendicant.It’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it lasts.”“But sir, is it possible to give a simile?”“It’s possible,” said the Buddha.

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kīvadīghaṁ nu kho, bhante, padume niraye āyuppamāṇan”ti? “Dīghaṁ kho, bhikkhu, padume niraye āyuppamāṇaṁ; taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ ettakāni vassāni iti vā ettakāni vassasatāni iti vā ettakāni vassasahassāni iti vā ettakāni vassasatasahassāni iti vā”ti. “Sakkā pana, bhante, upamā kātun”ti? *upamā → upamaṁ (bj, sya-all, mr)“Sakkā, bhikkhū”ti bhagavā avoca:

When he said this, one of the mendicants said to the Buddha,Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Sir, how long is the lifespan in the Pink Lotus hell?”“kīvadīghaṁ nu kho, bhante, padume niraye āyuppamāṇan”ti? “It’s long, mendicant.“Dīghaṁ kho, bhikkhu, padume niraye āyuppamāṇaṁ; It’s not easy to calculate how many years, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of years it lasts.”taṁ na sukaraṁ saṅkhātuṁ ettakāni vassāni iti vā ettakāni vassasatāni iti vā ettakāni vassasahassāni iti vā ettakāni vassasatasahassāni iti vā”ti. “But sir, is it possible to give a simile?”“Sakkā pana, bhante, upamā kātun”ti? *upamā → upamaṁ (bj, sya-all, mr)“It’s possible,” said the Buddha.“Sakkā, bhikkhū”ti bhagavā avoca:

“Suppose there was a Kosalan load of twenty packs of sesame seed. And at the end of every hundred years someone would remove a single seed from it.*A sesame seed weighs about 0.002 grams (“Some Physical Properties of Sesame Seed”, T.Y. Tunde-Akintunde and B.O. Akintund). The “pack” (khāri, originally “donkey-load”) of the Arthaśāstra is about 150 kg (Olivelle King, Governance, and Law, appendix 2, pg. 458). Twenty packs would be 3 tons, which is reasonable for a “load” (vāha) drawn by a heavy bullock cart (Arthaśāsatra 2.19.33 reckons the vaha similarly at about 2 tons). This results in 1.5 billion seeds and 150 billion years. On the other hand, the Pali khāri is carried by a single person and must be closer to 20 kg (SN 3.11:2.1, SN 7.9:14.1, DN 3:2.4.7, Ud 6.2:2.1). That would make a “Kosalan load” of 400 kg, which is reasonable for a load drawn by a single horse. This results in 250 million seeds and 25 billion years. This number is interesting because it is similar to the modern cosmological estimate of the life of the Universe. Neither of these results, however, agrees very well with the other calculations in this Sutta. The correspondence is not in the result but the simple numbers: twenty packs each hundred years correspond to the twenty times ten of the hells.By this means the Kosalan load of twenty packs of sesame seed would run out faster than a single lifetime in the Abbuda hell.*Different texts reckon the abbuda (Sanskrit arbuda) to different powers of ten. Most authorities, however, count it at 10 million, which must be the correct value here, as it ultimately yields the number 512 for the paduma. | Ten hells are listed in total, the names of which do not correspond with the 21 or 28 listed in Purāṇas, nor with the seven Jain hells, nor with the hells of MN 130. The commentary offers three explanations for the obscure names of these hells: they are numbers reflecting the duration spent in Avīci; or they are the cries uttered by those suffering there; or they are simply the cold hells.Now, twenty lifetimes in the Abbuda hell equal one lifetime in the Nirabbuda hell.*The Sanskrit nyarbuda (or nirbuda) is said, rather, to be ten times the arbuda. The expansion in a series of twenty is required to reach the final number of 512.Twenty lifetimes in the Nirabbuda hell equal one lifetime in the Ababa hell.*Ababa, aṭaṭa, and ahaha appear to be onomatopoeic. The commentary says they are named for the laments of their victims. The parallel at DA 30 offers specific explanations for each, although the names sometimes differ from the Pali.Twenty lifetimes in the Ababa hell equal one lifetime in the Aṭaṭa hell.Twenty lifetimes in the Aṭaṭa hell equal one lifetime in the Ahaha hell.Twenty lifetimes in the Ahaha hell equal one lifetime in the Yellow Lotus hell.Twenty lifetimes in the Yellow Lotus hell equal one lifetime in the Fragrant Water Lily hell.*The sogandhika is variously identified as blue or white.Twenty lifetimes in the Fragrant Water Lily hell equal one lifetime in the Blue Water Lily hell.Twenty lifetimes in the Blue Water Lily hell equal one lifetime in the White Lotus hell.Twenty lifetimes in the White Lotus hell equal one lifetime in the Pink Lotus hell.*By this calculation, the Pink Lotus lasts for 10⁷ × 20⁹ = 5.12 × 10¹⁸ years. The commentary supplies its own method, based on a very large abbuda of 10⁴². Nonetheless, this still yields a number in the same series, simply raised to a higher power of ten, namely 5.12 × 10⁵³.The mendicant Kokālika has been reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”That is what the Buddha said.Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsatikhāriko kosalako tilavāho; tato puriso vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena ekamekaṁ tilaṁ uddhareyya. Khippataraṁ kho so bhikkhu vīsatikhāriko kosalako tilavāho iminā upakkamena parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya, na tveva eko abbudo nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati abbudā nirayā evameko nirabbudo nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati nirabbudā nirayā evameko ababo nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati ababā nirayā evameko aṭaṭo nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati aṭaṭā nirayā evameko ahaho nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati ahahā nirayā evameko kumudo nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati kumudā nirayā evameko sogandhiko nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati sogandhikā nirayā evameko uppalako nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati uppalakā nirayā evameko puṇḍarīko nirayo. Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati puṇḍarīkā nirayā evameko padumo nirayo. Padumaṁ kho pana bhikkhu nirayaṁ kokāliko bhikkhu upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā”ti. Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

“Suppose there was a Kosalan load of twenty packs of sesame seed. And at the end of every hundred years someone would remove a single seed from it.*A sesame seed weighs about 0.002 grams (“Some Physical Properties of Sesame Seed”, T.Y. Tunde-Akintunde and B.O. Akintund). The “pack” (khāri, originally “donkey-load”) of the Arthaśāstra is about 150 kg (Olivelle King, Governance, and Law, appendix 2, pg. 458). Twenty packs would be 3 tons, which is reasonable for a “load” (vāha) drawn by a heavy bullock cart (Arthaśāsatra 2.19.33 reckons the vaha similarly at about 2 tons). This results in 1.5 billion seeds and 150 billion years. On the other hand, the Pali khāri is carried by a single person and must be closer to 20 kg (SN 3.11:2.1, SN 7.9:14.1, DN 3:2.4.7, Ud 6.2:2.1). That would make a “Kosalan load” of 400 kg, which is reasonable for a load drawn by a single horse. This results in 250 million seeds and 25 billion years. This number is interesting because it is similar to the modern cosmological estimate of the life of the Universe. Neither of these results, however, agrees very well with the other calculations in this Sutta. The correspondence is not in the result but the simple numbers: twenty packs each hundred years correspond to the twenty times ten of the hells.“Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsatikhāriko kosalako tilavāho; tato puriso vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena ekamekaṁ tilaṁ uddhareyya. By this means the Kosalan load of twenty packs of sesame seed would run out faster than a single lifetime in the Abbuda hell.*Different texts reckon the abbuda (Sanskrit arbuda) to different powers of ten. Most authorities, however, count it at 10 million, which must be the correct value here, as it ultimately yields the number 512 for the paduma. | Ten hells are listed in total, the names of which do not correspond with the 21 or 28 listed in Purāṇas, nor with the seven Jain hells, nor with the hells of MN 130. The commentary offers three explanations for the obscure names of these hells: they are numbers reflecting the duration spent in Avīci; or they are the cries uttered by those suffering there; or they are simply the cold hells.Khippataraṁ kho so bhikkhu vīsatikhāriko kosalako tilavāho iminā upakkamena parikkhayaṁ pariyādānaṁ gaccheyya, na tveva eko abbudo nirayo. Now, twenty lifetimes in the Abbuda hell equal one lifetime in the Nirabbuda hell.*The Sanskrit nyarbuda (or nirbuda) is said, rather, to be ten times the arbuda. The expansion in a series of twenty is required to reach the final number of 512.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati abbudā nirayā evameko nirabbudo nirayo. Twenty lifetimes in the Nirabbuda hell equal one lifetime in the Ababa hell.*Ababa, aṭaṭa, and ahaha appear to be onomatopoeic. The commentary says they are named for the laments of their victims. The parallel at DA 30 offers specific explanations for each, although the names sometimes differ from the Pali.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati nirabbudā nirayā evameko ababo nirayo. Twenty lifetimes in the Ababa hell equal one lifetime in the Aṭaṭa hell.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati ababā nirayā evameko aṭaṭo nirayo. Twenty lifetimes in the Aṭaṭa hell equal one lifetime in the Ahaha hell.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati aṭaṭā nirayā evameko ahaho nirayo. Twenty lifetimes in the Ahaha hell equal one lifetime in the Yellow Lotus hell.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati ahahā nirayā evameko kumudo nirayo. Twenty lifetimes in the Yellow Lotus hell equal one lifetime in the Fragrant Water Lily hell.*The sogandhika is variously identified as blue or white.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati kumudā nirayā evameko sogandhiko nirayo. Twenty lifetimes in the Fragrant Water Lily hell equal one lifetime in the Blue Water Lily hell.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati sogandhikā nirayā evameko uppalako nirayo. Twenty lifetimes in the Blue Water Lily hell equal one lifetime in the White Lotus hell.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati uppalakā nirayā evameko puṇḍarīko nirayo. Twenty lifetimes in the White Lotus hell equal one lifetime in the Pink Lotus hell.*By this calculation, the Pink Lotus lasts for 10⁷ × 20⁹ = 5.12 × 10¹⁸ years. The commentary supplies its own method, based on a very large abbuda of 10⁴². Nonetheless, this still yields a number in the same series, simply raised to a higher power of ten, namely 5.12 × 10⁵³.Seyyathāpi, bhikkhu, vīsati puṇḍarīkā nirayā evameko padumo nirayo. The mendicant Kokālika has been reborn in the Pink Lotus hell because of his resentment for Sāriputta and Moggallāna.”Padumaṁ kho pana bhikkhu nirayaṁ kokāliko bhikkhu upapanno sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ āghātetvā”ti. That is what the Buddha said.Idamavoca bhagavā. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā: