On a certain occasion a monk named Kokaliya reviled the two Chief Disciples, and in consequence of that evil deed, died of a loathsome disease and was reborn in Hell. On that occasion the Buddha preached the Doctrine, concluding as follows:

"For when a human being is born,
An axe is born in his mouth
Wherewith he cuts himself,--the fool!
By speaking evil words.

"He that praises the blameworthy
Or blames the praiseworthy,
Accumulates an ace in his mouth
Whereby he gets no happiness.

"The merest trifle is that ace
Which costs a man his wealth at dice;
But this is a bigger ace by far:
Corrupting men's minds against the Buddhas.

"He who tells what never happened, goes to Hell;
And also he who, having done, declares: 'I did it not.'
They both are equal after death,
In the world beyond,--men of base deeds!

"He that offends against the offenseless,
Against the man that is free from impurity, free from lust,
Unto that very fool returns that evil deed again,
Like fine dust tossed against the wind.

"He that is given to the vice of cupidity,
Will revile others in his speech;
He will be faithless, miserly, ungenerous,
Niggardly, given to backbiting.

"O thou foul-mouthed, false, ignoble fellow!
Destroyer of increase! wicked fellow!
Lowest of men! ace! base-born!
Speak not much in this world! thou art a denizen of Hell!

"Thou dost scatter dust to thy hurt;
The good, thou dost reproach,--thou wrongdoer!
Now, forasmuch as many are the evil deeds that thou hast done,
Thou hast gone to Hell to remain for long.

"For no man's deeds are ever lost;
They always come straight back to him;
The owner gets his very own.
The foolish wrongdoer, in the next world,
Experiences suffering in his own person."