佛說鬼問目連經

Thus indeed have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove near the city of Rājagṛha. One evening, the Venerable Maudgalyāyana arose from meditation and went to the bank of the Ganges River. There the Venerable beheld a host of hungry ghosts, each suffering a different retribution for its misdeeds. When the host of hungry ghosts saw the Venerable Maudgalyāyana, they all gave rise to reverence in their hearts, and came forward to inquire about the causes and conditions of the retribution they were undergoing.

One ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now I have constantly suffered headaches?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you delighted in striking the heads of living beings with a staff; therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution,[1] and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now, though I possess a great deal of wealth, I delight in wearing ragged and shabby garments?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you were given to almsgiving and the making of merit, but then you regretted it; therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now I have no fixed dwelling place, but constantly wander everywhere?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, when a traveler came seeking lodging, you would not let him stay; and when you saw others give him lodging, you grew angry. Therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that even after eating a whole hu[2] I still cannot be satisfied?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you fed living beings without giving them enough to be satisfied; therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from before until now my belly is as large as a jar, yet my throat is as small as the eye of a needle, so that I cannot swallow food?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you were the head of a village; relying upon your wealth and great power, you despised the common folk, beat them, and forced others to offer you fine food. Therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now my male organ[3] is constantly festering with sores, with pain beyond all telling?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you engaged in lustful conduct in pure places such as Buddha stūpas and monastic dwellings; therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that I had many fine, upright, and lovable sons, yet all of them died young; and each time I remember and think of them, the pain is as though my bowels were being severed piece by piece?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, when you saw your own children take life, you encouraged them; moreover, together with your children you ate the flesh of living beings. Your children, because they took life, met with untimely deaths; and you, because you gave rise to joy at the sight of living beings being slaughtered, must now suffer such a painful flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now there has been a great dog with sharp teeth and two eyes red as fire that constantly comes to bite me?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you delighted in leading dogs out to hunt, cruelly harming living beings, without a heart of compassion; therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the suffering of retribution in hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now there is constantly a person who comes with a sharp knife to cut off my flesh; when all the flesh has been cut away, he carries it off; and in but a moment the skin and flesh grow back, whereupon he comes to cut it again, with pain beyond all telling?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you delighted in killing living beings, without the slightest heart of compassion; therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now my whole body is constantly racked with pain that I cannot endure?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you delighted in casting lines and spreading nets. The fish you caught you would fling onto the sandy earth, making them die in agony; therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now I am dull, stupid, and senseless, knowing nothing at all?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you were given to inviting and pressing others to drink wine, making them drunk; therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution in hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! From the time I was born until now I have constantly suffered burning thirst; seeing the Ganges River, I leap down into it to relieve the burning thirst. But the moment I leap in, my body is scorched and burned, and my skin and flesh fall away. When I drink the water, the moment the water enters my belly my five viscera are burned to pieces, with pain beyond all telling. What offense did I commit, that I must suffer such misery?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you delighted in burning mountains and forests, in destroying rivers and streams, and in cruelly harming living beings; therefore you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution in hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now I am constantly afflicted with hunger and thirst, and wish to go to the privy to eat excrement, but at the privy there is a host of ghosts wielding staves who beat me and will not let me come near?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you were the master of a monastery; when bhikṣus came, you were stingy and would not feed them, and only after these persons had departed would you bring out provisions for the resident monks. Because you were thus greedy for the property of the Saṃgha, you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now I constantly dwell in a filthy place, my whole body surrounded by excrement and ordure that I cannot escape, so that when hungry and thirsty I must eat those foul things?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you were the son of a brahmin. One day, a religious mendicant came to your house begging for food. At that time, wishing to find a way to keep this mendicant from coming to beg again, you put excrement in the bottom of his bowl and covered it over with rice. The mendicant carried his bowl back to his own land; after bathing and washing, he took up the bowl intending to partake of the meal, but from within the bowl there rose such a foul stench that he could not come near it. For this reason you now suffer such a flower-retribution. In a future life, you must still undergo the retribution of falling into the Hell of Excrement and Urine."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now upon my shoulder there is a copper vessel filled with boiling molten copper, and with my own hand I take up a ladle, scoop out that molten copper, and pour it over my own head, with pain beyond all telling?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you served as the Karmadāna monk in charge of the affairs of the assembly in a monastery. On one occasion, you set aside a jar of butter and milk in a separate place, not letting the visiting monks use it. Only after the visiting monks had departed did you bring out the butter and milk and share it among the resident monks. This butter and milk was the property of the Saṃgha of the four directions, in which everyone had a share. Because you were grudging of the property of the Saṃgha, you now suffer such a flower-retribution, and hereafter you must still undergo the retribution of falling into hell."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now, at one moment I fall into the hell of mountains of knives and forests of swords, and at another moment I fall into the hell of pits of fire and cauldrons of boiling water, suffering every kind of pain without it ever ceasing?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you were in charge of a shrine of the celestial spirits; you constantly slaughtered oxen, sheep, and pigs to offer in sacrifice to the celestial spirits, and then you took the blood and flesh of those three kinds of creatures and sprinkled it in the four directions, saying to everyone: 'If you offer sacrifice to the celestial spirits in this way, you will obtain much good fortune and prosperity.' Because you spread about such cruel and venomous teachings, despising others and deceiving your parents, you have fallen into those hells to undergo retribution for your offenses."

Another ghost asked:

"Venerable One! What offense did I commit, that from the time I was born until now I constantly swallow iron balls?"

The Venerable replied:

"When you were a human being, you were a śrāmaṇera. One day, you mixed rock-sugar water for the assembly of monks. At that time there was a large lump of sugar, hard and difficult to dissolve, so you secretly broke it into small pieces and took a portion for yourself. Because the assembly of monks had not yet eaten and you secretly ate first, you suffered the retribution of falling into hell, and hereafter you must still swallow iron balls."

After he had finished telling the host of hungry ghosts of the causes and conditions of their former lives, the Venerable Maudgalyāyana returned to Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa.

When the entire great assembly in the Dharma gathering had heard the Buddha relate this story, they all bowed their heads, paid homage, and reverently received and practiced it.

Notes:

[1] Flower-retribution 花報: the blossoming of flowers before the fruit is borne. When living beings sow the seeds of wholesome or unwholesome karmic causes, the result obtained from these karmic causes is the Fruit-retribution; that which precedes the fruit-retribution is called the Flower-retribution.

[2] Hu 斛: a measure of capacity in ancient times, equal to ten dou; later it was equal to five dou.

[3] Male organ 男根: the male reproductive organ.