法苑珠林 6.66

6.66

故。莊嚴論云。佛言。我昔曾聞有大商主子。名曰億耳。入海採寶。既得迴還。與伴別宿。失伴慞惶。飢渴所逼。遙見一城。謂為有水。往至城邊欲索水飲。然此城者是餓鬼城。到彼城中。四衢道頭眾人集處。空無所見。飢渴所逼唱言。飢渴所逼。又見一城謂為有水。往至城邊欲索水飲。然此城者是餓鬼城。到彼城中四衢道頭眾人集處。空無所見。飢渴所逼。唱言水水。諸餓鬼輩聞是水聲。皆來雲集。誰慈悲者欲與我水。此諸餓鬼身如焦柱。以髮自纏。皆來合掌作如是言。願乞我水。億耳語言。我渴所逼故來求水。爾時餓鬼聞億耳為渴所逼自行求水。悕望都息。皆各長歎。作如是言。汝可不知。此餓鬼城。云何此中而索水耶。即說偈言。

Therefore, the Zhuangyan lun (Kalpanāmaṇḍitikā) states: The Buddha said, “Long ago, I heard that there was the son of a great caravan leader named Koṭīkarṇa. He went to sea to gather jewels, and having obtained them, he was returning. He slept apart from his companions, lost track of them, and became panicked. Pressed by hunger and thirst, he saw a city in the distance and thought there would be water there. He went to the edge of the city, wishing to seek water to drink. But this city was a city of hungry ghosts (preta). Arriving in the city, at the crossroads where crowds gather, it was empty and he saw nothing. Pressed by hunger and thirst, he cried out, pressed by hunger and thirst. He again saw a city, thought there would be water, and went to the edge of the city wishing to seek water to drink. But this city was a city of hungry ghosts. Arriving in that city, at the crossroads where crowds gather, it was empty and he saw nothing. Pressed by hunger and thirst, he cried out, ‘Water! Water!’ The hungry ghosts heard the sound of ‘water’ and all gathered like clouds, [thinking,] ‘Who is this compassionate one who wishes to give us water?’ The bodies of these hungry ghosts were like charred pillars, wrapped in their own hair. They all came with palms joined and spoke thus: ‘We beg of you, give us water!’ Koṭīkarṇa said to them: ‘I am pressed by thirst, and that is why I have come seeking water.’ At that time, when the hungry ghosts heard that Koṭīkarṇa was himself pressed by thirst and seeking water, their hopes were completely extinguished. Each sighed deeply and spoke thus: ‘Do you not know? This is a city of hungry ghosts. Why do you seek water here?’ They then spoke a verse: