ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 21.12

21.12

of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa—equal in strength, equal in deeds, and equal in skillful means—that he has pleased me, not displeased me, gone forth in my very doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship.”

“Lord,” the monks inquired, “what action did the five hundred anguished spirits take that ripened into their births as anguished spirits? What actions did they take that ripened such that, once they took rebirth as gods, they also pleased the Blessed One, and did not displease him?”

“Monks,” the Blessed One explained, “such are the actions that they committed and accumulated:

“Monks, in times past, in this fortunate eon, when people lived as long as twenty thousand years, and the totally and completely awakened buddha endowed with perfect knowledge and perfect conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the tamer of persons, the charioteer, the unsurpassed one, the teacher of humans and gods, the blessed buddha known as Kāśyapa was in the world, they all became lay vow holders. When the monks came asking them for provisions of clothing, food, bedding, seats, and medicines for the sick, overcome with stinginess they said, ‘Kāśyapa’s ascetics are just like anguished spirits, going around begging food from others!’ and called after them with other such harsh words.

“O monks, what do you think? Those who were the five hundred lay vow holders then are none other than these five hundred anguished spirits. The act of speaking harshly to the monks ripened into their taking birth as anguished spirits for five hundred lifetimes. At that time they went for refuge in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa. They maintained the fundamental precepts, their faculties ripened, and now they have been liberated.”