法苑珠林 62.37

62.37

又譬喻經云。佛與阿難。到河邊行見五百餓鬼歌吟而行。復見數百好人啼哭而過。阿難問佛。鬼何以歌舞。人何以啼哭。佛答阿難。餓鬼家兒子親屬。為其作福行得解脫。是以歌舞好人家兒子親屬。唯為殺害無有與作福德之者。後大火逼之。是以啼哭也。

Furthermore, the Avadāna-sūtra says: The Buddha and Ānanda went walking along the riverbank and saw five hundred hungry ghosts walking while singing and chanting; they also saw several hundred fine people passing by while weeping. Ānanda asked the Buddha, "Why are the ghosts singing and dancing, while the humans are weeping?" The Buddha answered Ānanda, "The sons and relatives of the hungry ghosts cultivate merit on their behalf, and they are about to attain liberation; therefore they sing and dance. The sons and relatives of the fine people only commit slaughter and have no one to cultivate merit for them; afterward, great fires will press upon them; therefore they weep."