法苑珠林 58.10

58.10

又百緣經云。佛在王舍城迦蘭陀竹林中時。尊者那羅達多著衣持鉢入城乞食。還歸本處。遙見祇桓赤如血色。怪其所以。尋即往看。見一餓鬼肌肉消盡支節骨立。一日一夜生五百子。羸瘦尫劣氣力乏少。當生之時荒悶殞絕。支節解散。極為飢渴之所逼切。隨生隨噉終無飽足。時那羅達多便前問言。汝造何業今獲斯報。餓鬼答曰。汝今可自問佛世尊。當為汝說。時那羅達多尋往佛所。具問斯報。佛告那羅達多云。此賢劫中波羅柰國有一長者。金銀珍寶奴婢僕使象馬牛羊不可稱計。唯一夫人無有子息。禱祀神祇求索有子。了不能得。時彼長者即便更取族姓家女。未久之間便覺有娠。其大夫人見其有娠。便生嫉妬。密與毒藥令彼墮胎。姊妹眷屬即詣其所。與彼大婦極共鬪諍。遂相打棒問其虛實。其大婦者。止欲道實恐其絞死。止欲不道苦痛叵言。逼切得急而作呪詛。若我真實墮汝胎者。令我捨身生餓鬼中。一日一夜生五百子。生已隨噉終不飽足。作是誓已尋即放去。佛告那羅達多。欲知彼時其大婦者今餓鬼是。佛說是時。諸比丘等皆捨惡心得四沙門果。有發無上菩提心者。歡喜奉行。

Furthermore, the *Sūtra of the Hundred Avadānas* states: When the Buddha was at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove in Rājagṛha, the Venerable Naradatta donned his robes, held his bowl, and entered the city to beg for food. Returning to his original dwelling, he saw from afar that the Jetavana was as red as blood. Wondering at the reason, he immediately went to look and saw a hungry ghost whose flesh was completely wasted away, with bones protruding from its joints. In a single day and night, it gave birth to five hundred children; it was emaciated and feeble, devoid of strength and breath. At the time of giving birth, it fell into a stupor and collapsed; its joints disjointed, and it was intensely tormented by hunger and thirst. As soon as it gave birth, it devoured them, yet never attained satiety. At that time, Naradatta stepped forward and asked: 'What karma did you perform to receive this retribution now?' The hungry ghost replied: 'You may now ask the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, yourself; he will explain it for you.' At that time, Naradatta immediately went to the Buddha's place and asked in full about this retribution. The Buddha told Naradatta: 'In this Bhadrakalpa, in the country of Vārāṇasī, there was an elder whose gold, silver, precious jewels, male and female servants, elephants, horses, cattle, and sheep were incalculable. He had only one wife and no sons. She prayed and sacrificed to spirits and deities seeking a son, but could not obtain one at all. At that time, that elder then took another woman of good clan. Before long, she realized she was pregnant. When the primary wife saw that she was pregnant, she gave rise to jealousy, and secretly gave her poison to cause her to miscarry. Her sisters and relatives immediately went to her dwelling, fiercely quarreled with that primary wife, and subsequently beat her with clubs to question her about the truth. That primary wife wished to speak the truth, but feared being strangled to death; she wished not to speak, but the pain was unspeakable. Pressed acutely, she made an imprecation: "If I truly caused your fetus to miscarry, may I abandon my body and be born among the hungry ghosts, giving birth to five hundred children in a single day and night, and upon giving birth, immediately devour them, never attaining satiety!" Having made this oath, she was immediately released. The Buddha told Naradatta: 'If you wish to know who the primary wife of that time was, she is this hungry ghost now.' When the Buddha spoke this, the bhikṣus all abandoned their evil minds and attained the four fruits of a śramaṇa; some gave rise to the unsurpassed bodhicitta, and rejoiced and practiced accordingly.