福蓋正行所集經

At that time, the Devaputra Surpassing the Ferocious Beast, having praised the Buddha with verses, gave rise to joy in his heart; like a Lord of Devas who has obtained great wealth, like that farmer who has reaped a good harvest. Again, like a brave general who has won the battle. Like a person sick for many years who is at once cured of his illness.

At that time, within the assembly there was an Arhat who clearly understood the Devaputra's causes and conditions from beginning to end, and from this he recalled his own Original Teacher, who had passed away not long before, and wished to know clearly where he now was. There was a faithful patron who had built a temple, and there was a Bhikkhu who diligently carried water to cook rice, performing the act of giving for the Sangha.

That Arhat used a bowl made of white copper to receive that water, wishing to drink it, and when his finger touched it, he found the water truly cold. Then he immediately reflected thus: "My teacher in former times was often the master of a temple (the abbot), clearly understanding the affairs of the Great Assembly, often hoarding goods and then coveting them as his own private property; he constantly vowed that in a future body he would be reborn again in this place.

Because of such offenses, he has fallen into the hell of boiling copper water; should he wish for sweet water, how could it be obtained?" Having reflected thus, he immediately entered meditative concentration to contemplate. In the hells nearby, he saw only animals and ghostly creatures. Wherever he looked, he could not find him.

Then he continued to reflect further: "Has he perhaps planted wholesome roots that have now come to fruition, so that he has been reborn in some fine realm?" And he observed among the devas, and saw his teacher reborn in the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings. At that time the Venerable One immediately went to that place, consoling and inquiring, and said: "I have heard that in this heaven, although one performs wholesome deeds and steadfastly keeps pure precepts, one is first reborn here.

So what have you accumulated that you could come to this place?"

At that time the Devaputra answered the Venerable One: "I in former times passed through the position of being the master of a temple (the Abbot); foolishly I committed evil deeds, never confessing or repenting; therefore when my life came to an end, I only sincerely recollected the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha as my refuge. By the power of the causes and conditions of recollecting these Three Jewels, I attained that wholesome root; and so I was able to be reborn in this place." At that time, when that Venerable One heard these words, his heart was truly joyful, attaining what he had never had before.

He then, before devas and humans, the learned and the unlearned, and within the Great Assembly, proclaimed three times praise of its excellence. Such matters all rely on the power of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha; their merit is truly inconceivable, able to dissolve the sufferings of the hells; able, for the sake of sentient beings, to plant many wholesome roots, to cut off afflictions, to sever the net of doubt; and ultimately able to reach the far shore of Bodhi.

The wise constantly and diligently apply themselves with vigor to purify body, speech, and mind, cultivating and upholding giving, precepts, and concentration. This can repay the great kindness and virtue of the Buddha. Then, since the desires and dispositions of sentient beings each differ, one gradually leads them to cultivate fully the three kinds of conduct; some delight in the enjoyment of the five desires.

Therefore the World-Honored One, by skillful means, has them constantly uphold the pure precepts; some delight in liberation, far removed from the sea of suffering. The World-Honored One, by skillful means, has them practice meditative concentration. Therefore the World-Honored One speaks of these three kinds of conduct; they are named the Covering of Merit; and so they must be reverently practiced.

It is like two ghosts contending over three objects. These are a small chest, a pair of shoes, and a single bridge. The two sides struggled with each other and quarreled loudly.

In that place there was a Brahmin who was very upright and able to resolve this matter. The two ghosts, carrying the objects, together came to that place and, with palms joined, addressed him, saying:

"Great Brahmin! Please, for our sake, resolve this matter for us."

The Brahmin replied: "Tell me, then, why are you contending with one another and have come from afar to seek a resolution?"

The two ghosts said: "This matter is no small matter; it is truly difficult to speak of. Behold, this chest can transform and manifest according to whatever one wishes; all things come forth from within it. As for that pair of shoes, when a blind person puts them on, he can travel to the heavens to enjoy wondrous delights.

And as for that single bridge, it can help to subdue all enemies and make them all retreat." At that time, when the Brahmin heard this, he immediately ordered the two ghosts to withdraw to one side and said: "I shall, for your sake, reflect and resolve this matter well, so as to divide these three objects; each side will be made equal." That Brahmin then put on the pair of shoes and took up the bridge as well as the chest, and flew up into the empty sky.

When the two ghosts saw this, they greatly regretted having made clear those three objects, which he now possessed.

In this parable, one should now skillfully discern. Giving is like the chest: one will obtain whatever one wishes. Keeping precepts is like the shoes: one can be reborn in the heavens. Meditative concentration is like the bridge: one can subdue the host of Mara. For this reason the World-Honored One calls them giving, precepts, and concentration, the Skillful Means that embrace the Right Conduct of the Covering of Merit.

In opposition to this, there are again three evil conducts. These are stinginess, breaking the precepts, and distraction, which give rise to all manner of errors. These are precisely the root that causes one to transmigrate into the evil realms.

They destroy the merit of giving, precepts, and meditative concentration. Therefore the World-Honored One has revealed that the matter of stinginess and miserliness is like filth and impurity, defiling sentient beings, and is constantly contrary to one's wishes. Thus the stingy person merely accumulates precious wealth and does not give the wisdom of generosity; he is just like a pigeon standing upon a lotus flower.

Toward his father and mother he does not provide support or offerings. When relatives meet him, he seeks ways to depart elsewhere. He does not believe wholesome words; he does not delight in the scriptures and Dharma.

Relying on his wealth, he pays no heed to the hardships of others. He is like a drunken elephant, his temperament truly difficult to tame. He is also like a venomous snake that people do not wish to look upon.

When good people see him, all keep their distance from him. Toward matters of merit and blessing, he does not delight or rejoice in them; when he sees them, he is led to enticement, and his heart inevitably gives rise to worry. He is like a withered tree at the well's edge that wishes to have water.

Even though there be lamenting, people cannot hear it. Even though one go there, nothing can be said. Within the Great Assembly he is like a deluded person, and passing through the four realms, he is like foul-smelling urine.

That foolish person, though he dwells in the world, cannot keep far from the various forms of wickedness. He cannot guard and uphold wholesome merits; he cannot plant the seeds of goodness. Thus the stingy person creates the cause of poverty.

Though presently wealthy, he cannot enjoy it. When those beneath him make requests, he gives them no regard. One should know that this person is like the Hoda forest, where worldly people find no one who delights to dwell.

Because of this cause and condition of stinginess, it is as stated in the Sutra of the Elder Mahanama.

At that time the World-Honored One was dwelling in the city of Sravasti, in the garden of Anathapindika and the grove of Prince Jeta. At that time within that city there was a Great Elder named Mahanama; he was truly wealthy but had no son, and he suddenly passed away. At that time, when the Great King Prasenajit of the country of Kosala heard of this matter, he immediately went to the Elder's house. The king had all the wealth in the storehouses, as well as the other possessions, confiscated. All of it was handed over to the officials to oversee. When the matter was completed and settled, he mounted his carriage and returned. Then he came before the World-Honored One, and with his head and face bowed to the Buddha's feet, he sat to one side.

The Buddha said: "Great King! Why is your body covered with dust and dirt, and what matter brings you here?"

The king then reported to the World-Honored One the matter as above.

The Buddha said: "Great King! That Elder—how much wealth did he possess?"

The king said: "This household was truly excessively wealthy, with much wealth and many possessions, gold, silver, and precious treasures, the storehouses filled with goods. Of each kind there were immeasurable hundreds of thousands of Kotis. So wealthy that none could compare; yet in his eating and spending he was extremely miserly; his clothing was only a single piece on his body, and it was torn and ragged.

When he traveled, he used a poor, shabby cart, using leaves to cover the top. Whenever he ate, he had the doors shut. All day long his belly was hungry; he never ate his fill.

Suppose there came a Sramana or a Brahmin seeking alms, and even if they came from a distant road, like those who wished to learn a trade and so forth—these people came only to ask to work in order to be fed—not a single one of them was ever promised anything at all."

At that time the Great King Prasenajit again addressed the Buddha, saying: "Reverently I address the World-Honored One! May you, for my sake, speak about this Elder Mahanama! Was it because of excessive stinginess that he received that karmic retribution, so that whoever hears his name may clearly understand?"

The Buddha said: "Great King! As for this Elder, though he was wealthy, he did not honor and serve his elders and kin, nor did he use it for himself, and toward that great field of merit he again did not delight in giving. Even his friends and relatives never obtained any benefit from him.

His servants and attendants, and indeed everyone, all abandoned him. So one should know that this person, though dwelling in wealth, is, because of his stinginess, unworthy of it. It is like a lotus flower growing amid impure things.

Like a fine garden grove that yet harbors ferocious beasts. Like delicious food that yet contains poison. Like a Mani jewel that lies in a desolate place.

Like sweet fruit planted in a place truly high. Like clean ground soaked with excrement and filth. Like one who stores poison yet wishes to prolong his life.

Like a pregnant person who claims to practice celibacy. Like one full of anger and hatred who wishes others to love and respect him. Like a deceitful person who claims to be skilled in debate.

He speaks like a foolish child, without reflection. What is not the Dharma he says is the Dharma; what is not wholesome he says is wholesome, and he slanders all manner of things in the world. To guard wealth in this way is called being rich.

Though one has those precious goods, those things are also of no use. At the end of his life, his toil and hardship leave him not a single coin. People of the world who see this also do not understand it thoroughly, and even friends who pass by do not wish to come and visit.

A stingy person such as this does only base and evil deeds, like a flock of vultures perched in a cold forest. Because of that wealth, he creates his own bondage; he does not clearly understand his life span. Like a mountain crumbling down a steep slope.

He does not recollect impermanence. When worry arrives, then in but a single instant, he grieves to lose his own life. So one should clearly understand that wealth and riches do not remain for long, like an elephant's ear, never ceasing to move.

Toward the Dharma master he is not diligent in inquiring, and toward the praise of the conduct of giving, his heart does not believe or rejoice. Seeing someone come to convert and teach, he hides like a mouse, running to escape the place. Suppose someone does see him, he pretends and feels no shame.

Thus the foolish man, though he has much wealth, is like a person in a dream, no different. As for hoarding out of miserliness, burying it in the earth—when he meets the suffering of illness, he does not seek good medicine; when he hears of inviting a physician to come, his heart gives rise to worry and grief. Because his illness has become heavily afflicting and full of suffering, he then comes to the end of his life.

When people hear of this death, there is nothing worth praising. All of his bodily form will then decay and vanish, hard to draw near. The fire blazes up, foul smoke spreads everywhere, gathering into a cloud of smoke, then the wind blows it away.

So one should know that this person will certainly fall into an evil destiny; in the hells he will undergo every kind of suffering. Coming out of the hells, he will be reborn as a hungry ghost, his body emaciated and thin, his body bare and dark; he is constantly burned by fire, his body dissolving away. His two eyes are sunken deep like a pit; his belly is truly large; his neck is like a needle.

Passing through many kalpas, he cannot eat or drink, his skin and bones cling together, and he cannot stand firm. He constantly eats filth until he dies; filth and dry lips give rise to no aversion. If he sees phlegm and spittle, he again struggles to seize it; or obtaining a little, he eats it with much anxiety.

Then he is reborn to eat up entirely the various shellfish or the grasses and trees of the sea. There is a certain ghost who has never even heard the word 'water,' his body again huge, like a mountain; when a strong wind blows against him, he sways and makes a sound. The various birds fly to perch upon him; some peck, some tear.

He endures these torments. From here, when he is reborn, it is into the realm of ghosts—even Yakshas, Rakshasas, Pretas, Bhutas, Kumbhandas, Putanas, Kataputanas, Mikitanas, Unmadas, and so forth. Suppose he is able to become a human—his body is foul-smelling, his skin and flesh dark, like the color of tree bark, his faculties hard to look upon.

His eyes are not bright and clear; he is greedy and starving; he takes food as his chief concern. He constantly uses stones and clubs to seize others' goods. Or obtaining a little, he cannot eat and drink in peace.

Or he is born with worms gnawing beneath his feet. When rain and wind, cold and heat, cause him suffering. Mosquitoes, gadflies, and other insects come to bite him, causing pain, and his whole life he has no joy, nor hears of wholesome things.

Such evil retributions are truly to be feared. This is the vow and conduct of stingy people. As recounted in the Sutra in which the Venerable One asked, it is told thus:

At that time the Buddha was in the city of Rajagaha, in the Karanda Bamboo Grove. At that time within the city there was the son of a certain Elder who often came to the Buddha's place, delighting to hear the Buddha-Dharma, giving rise to a mind of faith, acceptance, and purity, wishing to request to leave the household life. Then he addressed his mother, saying:

"I pray, Mother, that for my sake you allow me to leave the household life and cultivate according to the Buddha-Dharma."

The mother said: "Now I have only you, my one son, and I am already old; whenever I am dead, then you may do as you wish."

The son, having heard this instruction, diligently and earnestly worked to obtain wealth and to support his mother, hoping that his mother would gladly accept it for her use. If there were a surplus, he would make merit by giving. But when the mother had wealth, she again did not give, but all the more wished to hoard much, and buried and hid it in many places; and if there came a Sramana seeking alms, she would even raise her hand to drive him away and say that a ghost had come.

When the son heard this, he was displeased and said: "My mother eats but little, so why does she not give, but instead is diligent in deceit like this?" Before long the mother came to the end of her life. At that time the son of the Elder then performed giving and offerings generously, dedicating the merit for his mother, and afterward he left his home to go forth into the homeless life. Diligently and with vigor he delighted to hear the true Dharma.

Reflecting in accordance with principle, he accomplished the various faculties and powers, attained insight into the conditioned activities, awakened to the Dharma of arising and ceasing, severed transmigration, escaped the five destinies, broke through the veil of ignorance, and departed from the three realms of craving. When he saw gold and silver, it was like seeing tiles and bricks; nothing bound him to his body, no craving or delusion arose, and this mind became equanimous, like empty space, resolutely far removed from all afflictions.

He attained the fruit of Arhatship in the present life. The Great Brahma Heaven Kings and the deva Shakra, Lord Indra, all honored and made offerings to him, singing his praises.

At that time, in a thatched hermitage on the bank of the Ganges River, he was cultivating meditative concentration. Then there came a ghost who stood before him, its body dark and naked, like a withered branch, its hair disheveled, its belly large and its head small, its hands and feet hot and burning like fire, and it let out a howling cry. The Venerable One asked:

"Who are you?"

The ghost replied: "I am indeed your mother. After I died, for twenty-five years I have fallen among the hungry ghosts, undergoing much of the suffering of hunger and thirst, never hearing of food and drink, nor even the word 'water.' Suppose I see a great river, it naturally burns up like dry firewood. If I see a dense forest, when I arrive there is nothing there. Even in each single instant, there is not one moment of peace and joy. I reverently beg the Venerable One to save and help your mother; I wish to rely on this place to live, seeking a little water to drink."

When the Venerable One heard this, he wept with deep and bitter grief, and recalled that in former times, while she was still alive, his mother did not cultivate merit; and so when she died she fell into the evil destiny. Now he must give rise to a sincere mind to repent and apologize for her former faults on behalf of his mother.

The ghost said: "Because stinginess and filth covered over my mind, toward those fields of merit I never gave even the slightest thing. In former days I was master of much wealth and buried it in the garden of the house, countless kinds of things. Venerable One, for my sake, go quickly to dig up those things and then give them generously on my behalf. Give food and drink to Sramanas and Brahmins, and give to the poor and destitute. Make offerings to the Buddhas and the holy and virtuous Sangha, and you should recite my name so that I may confess and repent; I pray that my body may quickly escape from this suffering."

When the Venerable One heard these words, he thought: "If it is indeed so, then I must at once repent so that those offenses may be extinguished."

The ghost said: "Because in my former body I knew no shame; therefore I must be naked, and it cannot be otherwise."

The Venerable One said: "If one has already created offenses, but the mind does not recall them, then that karma can certainly be confessed, and the offense will not increase. Now if you give rise to this resolve, you can dwell here."

After that the Venerable One summoned the relatives to return to the old house and dug up those things buried there; as she had instructed, in order to perform the act of giving. Whatever kinds were fine and excellent he offered to the Three Jewels and to the Brahmins. As for those who came begging for food, he gave to them in full.

At that very time the Venerable One's mother stood to one side and saw the countless people gathered there; and so she gave rise to a mind of shame, her tears streaming down, and she wept aloud, reverently beseeching the World-Honored One to take pity and to save and deliver her.

After that, the Venerable One himself prostrated his five limbs upon the ground and, with a loud voice, on his mother's behalf proclaimed her name, vowing that by this wholesome deed she might soon attain liberation.

At that time the World-Honored One, using skillful means and the empowerment of his majestic spiritual power, as well as expounding the Dharma. At that same time there were hundreds of thousands of sentient beings who heard the Dharma and were awakened, and all saw what is true and real. The hungry ghost was freed from suffering and afterward died.

Next the Venerable One again entered concentration to contemplate, and again saw that his mother had been reborn as a wealthy hungry ghost, and so he immediately came to this place to speak to her of the causes of her former life, so as to lead her to give rise to the resolve and to diligently perform the act of giving. "Now you must cultivate merit in order to seek escape from suffering." When the ghost heard this, she then reflected carefully and said:

"Venerable One! Your mother cannot give." When the Venerable One heard this, he was startled and said: "You are truly foolish! Stinginess has been perfumed into you, just as in the present, and you do not clearly understand the dark karmic retribution like this, which surrounds you everywhere, the ghostly creatures being exceedingly cruel; why then are you, Mother, not afraid?

By every kind of skillful means, when that suffering is ended, you will gradually attain what is fine and excellent." There were two coins of white color. The Venerable One, having received them, then offered them to the Sangha; before he had handed anything to anyone, a certain Bhikkhu took them, and the ghost, who often was unwilling to let go, therefore in that dark night took and hid them away. When this Bhikkhu had lost the goods, he immediately came to ask the Venerable One, and the Venerable One reflected: "This does not belong to anyone, and I shall go and take it back"; then he went to that ghost's place, and indeed got back these two coins.

In this way the goods were stolen a third time, and again were recovered as at the start. Holding those coins, the Bhikkhu's heart gave rise to worry; so he again cut them into many pieces and distributed them among the Sangha; each one had a share; or they used a bag to hold them. That ghost again came, stole the bag, and went off with it.

The Buddha said: "Know that the stingy mind has erred far too greatly. Because of that bondage, one is constantly cast down into the evil destinies. Therefore I now, by skillful means, reveal and display this, so as to cause sentient beings to cut off the filth of stinginess. May they delight in cultivating pure giving, vast and great. This is called embracing the Right Conduct of the Covering of Merit through giving."

Sutra of the Collected Practices of the Covering of Merit and Right Conduct

End of Scroll 6