法苑珠林 92.38

92.38

'The elephant you saw was a person in hell. In the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, he was a renunciant who managed the kitchen for the Saṃgha. Donors brought offerings to the temple to give to the Saṃgha. Sometimes donors arrived after the meal and said, "Venerable Sir, please strike the ghaṇṭī to assemble the Saṃgha and present the food offerings." The monk abusively answered the laypeople, saying, "Are the monks like white elephants, never full from eating? They just finished eating; keep it until tomorrow!" Therefore, he entered hell and took the body of a white elephant, burned by fire and enduring suffering without ceasing down to the present day.'