法苑珠林 76.8

76.8

As the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom says: There are hungry ghosts who in past lives spoke harsh words, delighting in inflicting coarse speech upon sentient beings. Sentient beings hated and detested them, viewing them as enemies. Because of this sin, they fell among the hungry ghosts. Furthermore, the Dharmapada says: Though one is a śramaṇa, if one does not restrain body and speech, speaking coarse words and evil declarations, causing much injury, one is loved by none, and the wise do not cherish him. When the body dies and the spirit departs, he cycles through the three evil paths, dying and being born by himself, with boundless torment and affliction; none of the Buddhas, worthies, or sages love or pity him. Even if a sentient being has no bodily fault, if they do not guard the karma of speech, they will also fall into the evil destinies. Therefore the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom says: At that time there was a ghost whose head was like a pig's head, with foul worms issuing from its mouth, while its body had a golden radiance. In a past life, this ghost was a bhikṣu who used harsh speech to scold and revile visiting bhikṣus. Because in bodily action he had kept the pure precepts, his body had radiance; because his mouth had uttered evil words, foul worms issued from his mouth. The Ekottarika-āgama says: Better to cut and sever one's tongue with a sharp sword than, through evil words and coarse speech, fall into the three evil paths.