Chapter I - YAMAKA VAGGA - The Twin Verses

EVIL-DOERS SUFFER HERE AND HEREAFTER

Idha socati pecca socati papakari ubhayattha socati
So socati so vihannati disva kamma kilittham attano.

I:10 A butcher who suffered here and hereafter (Cunda)

Once in a village not far away from the Veluvana monastery, there lived a very cruel and hard-hearted pork-butcher by the name of Cunda who slaughtered animals by torturing them. Cunda had been in this profession for many years and in all this time he had not done a single meritorious deed. Before he died, he was in such great pain and agony that he was grunting and squealing and kept moving about on his hands and knees like a pig for several days. Then, after suffering physically and mentally, on the seventh day, he died and was reborn in a suffering state.

Some bhikkhus having heard the grunting and squealing coming from his house for several days, thought that Cunda must be busy killing more pigs. They remarked that Cunda was a very cruel and wicked man for he did not have a single thought of loving kindness and was also devoid of any compassion.

Upon hearing their remarks, the Buddha said, 'Bhikkhus! Cunda has not been killing pigs. His past evil deeds have overtaken him. Because of the great pain he had to suffer before his death, he was acting and behaving in a very unnatural way. Today he died and was reborn in hell.'

The Buddha concluded his discourse by saying, 'The evil doer always suffers for the evil deeds done by him; he suffers in this world as well as in the next. There is no escape from the consequences of evil deeds.