法苑珠林 62.36

62.36

又觀佛三昧經云。爾時曠野鬼神白佛言。我常噉人。今者不殺。當食何物。佛勅鬼王。汝但不殺。我勅弟子常施汝食。乃至法滅。以我力故令汝飽滿。鬼王聞喜。受佛五戒。涅槃經。亦制諸聲聞弟子。出眾生食濟曠野鬼神。又智度論云。鬼神得人少許飲食。即能變使多令得充足。

Furthermore, the Sūtra on the Samādhi of Visualizing the Buddha says: At that time, a spirit of the wilderness addressed the Buddha, saying, "I regularly devour humans. Now that I do not kill, what should I eat?" The Buddha commanded the ghost king, "Just do not kill, and I will instruct my disciples to constantly offer you food until the disappearance of the Dharma; by my power, I shall make you full." The ghost king was delighted to hear this and received the Buddha's five precepts. The Nirvāṇa-sūtra also instituted that the śrāvaka disciples should set out portioned food for sentient beings to relieve the spirits of the wilderness. Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says that if ghosts and spirits receive even a small amount of food and drink from humans, they can transform it into an abundance so that they are fully satisfied.