佛說目連問戒律中五百輕重事經 2.173

2.173

問：「比丘貪資之物，其罪甚重。昔有一比丘，貪著一銅鐃，死後作餓鬼。眾分物竟，便來現其身，絕大黤黮如純黑雲。諸比丘驚怪：『此是何物？』眾中有得道者言：『是死比丘貪著鐃故墮餓鬼中，今故貪惜來欲索之。』諸比丘即以鐃還。既得便捉舌舐，放地而去。諸比丘還取之，而絕臭不可近。復使人更鑄作器，猶臭不可用。以此驗之，知貪為大患。比丘貪著衣服，乃有自焚之酷。昔有一比丘喜作衣，晝夜染著。得病困篤，自知當死，便舉頭視衣，內起毒想言：『我死後，誰敢著我此服者。』不久便命終，作化生蛇，還來纏衣。眾與死比丘出燒葬訖，遣人往取衣物。見蛇纏衣，近胭吐毒，不敢近。即還白眾，具說所見。諸比丘便共往看之，都無敢近者。有一比丘得道，便入四等觀，四等觀毒不中，便往近之，語言：『此本是汝衣。今非汝有，何以護之？』便即捨去不遠入一草，毒火出然草，還自燒身命終，即入地獄。地獄一日之中三過被燒，皆由貪害。」

Question: "When a bhikṣu is greedy for material goods, his sin is extremely grave. Formerly, there was a bhikṣu who was greedy for and attached to a bronze cymbal, and after death he became a hungry ghost. When the saṃgha finished dividing the property, he came and manifested his form, exceedingly gigantic, dark, and gloomy like an utter black cloud. The bhikṣus were astonished: 'What kind of creature is this?' One who had attained the Path among the assembly said: 'This deceased bhikṣu, because of his greed and attachment to the cymbal, fell among the hungry ghosts. Now, still coveting and begrudging it, he has come wishing to demand it.' The bhikṣus immediately returned the cymbal to him. Once he obtained it, he took it, licked it with his tongue, dropped it on the ground, and departed. When the bhikṣus went back to take it, it was so foul-smelling that none could approach it. They sent someone to melt and recast it into a vessel, but it was still foul-smelling and unusable. From this verification, know that greed is a great disaster. / When a bhikṣu is greedy for and attached to clothing, it may even bring the cruelty of self-immolation. Formerly, there was a bhikṣu who was fond of making robes, day and night dyeing and clinging to them. Falling critically ill and knowing he was about to die, he raised his head to look at the robes, harboring poisonous thoughts inside, saying: 'After I die, who will dare to wear these robes of mine?' Shortly thereafter he died, and was reborn through transformation as a snake, which came back and coiled around the robes. After the saṃgha took the dead bhikṣu out, cremated, and buried him, they dispatched someone to retrieve the robes and belongings. Seeing the snake coiled around the robes, puffing out its throat and spitting poison, he did not dare approach. He immediately returned and reported to the saṃgha, describing in full what he had seen. The bhikṣus then went together to see it, and none dared approach it. There was a bhikṣu who had attained the Path, who entered into the contemplation of the four immeasurables. Since poison cannot harm the contemplation of the four immeasurables, he went near it and said: 'These were originally your robes. They no longer belong to you now; why do you guard them?' It then immediately let go and departed, and not far away entered some grass. Poisonous fire burst forth and ignited the grass, which in turn burned its own body to death, whereupon it immediately entered hell. In hell, it was burned three times in a single day—all brought about by the harm of greed."