慈悲道場懺法 4.4

4.4

Furthermore, a ghost asked Maudgalyāyana: "Throughout my entire life, I have constantly swallowed red-hot iron pellets. What sin has caused this?" Maudgalyāyana answered: "When you were a human, you were a śrāmaṇera. You took pure water to make rock-sugar syrup. The rock sugar was hard and large; you gave rise to a mind of theft and chipped off a small piece, stealing a mouthful to drink before the monastic community had partaken of it. Through these causes and conditions, you have incurred this retribution. This is merely your preliminary blossom retribution; your full fruit will be in hell."