雜譬喻經 1.14

1.14

Formerly, Maudgalyāyana together with his disciples descended from Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa to the city of Rājagṛha to beg for food. On the road, Maudgalyāyana looked up into the sky and smiled broadly. His disciple asked: "For what reason do you smile?" Maudgalyāyana replied: "If you wish to know, you must wait until we return to the Buddha's place, where you may ask again." Thereupon, when the begging for food was completed and they returned to the Buddha's place, the disciple asked Maudgalyāyana again about the meaning of his earlier smile. Maudgalyāyana replied: "I saw a hungry ghost in the sky above; his body was extremely long and large, and his appearance was ugly and repulsive. There were seven red-hot iron balls entering through his mouth and passing straight down through him. Once they had passed down, they entered through his mouth again. His entire body burned with fire; he writhed in bitter pain, collapsed and rose again, and having risen, collapsed once more. That is why I smiled. I was not the only one to see it; the Buddha also saw it." The disciple asked: "Due to what nidāna does he suffer such pain?" Maudgalyāyana replied: "Ask the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, about this yourself." The disciple immediately addressed the Buddha and asked about the nidāna. The Buddha replied: "In a past life, this hungry ghost was once a śrāmaṇera. At that time, there was a severe famine in the world, and beans were used for food. The śrāmaṇera served the food for the assembly of monks, and when he reached his master, he gave him seven extra beans. Because of this offence, he received the body of a hungry ghost and suffers such bitter torment." The Buddha said: "I also often see him; the reason I did not speak of it was for fear that people would not believe it and incur an extremely great offence." This is an analogy: when the Buddha expounds wisdom (prajñā), disbelieving and slandering it is an offence graver than the five heinous deeds, incurring the ultimate suffering of hell.