諸經要集 13.49

13.49

Furthermore, the Zabaozang jing states: At that time, a ghost said to Maudgalyāyana: "I constantly have eyes on my two shoulders, a mouth and nose on my chest, and never have a head. For what cause and condition is this?" Maudgalyāyana replied, saying: "In your previous life, you were always the disciple of an executioner. Whenever a person was killed, you were always filled with joy, fastening a rope to their topknot and pulling it. By this cause and condition, you receive such punishment. This is the flower retribution of your evil deeds; the bitter fruit of the hells is yet to come." Again, a ghost said to Maudgalyāyana: "My body is constantly like a lump of flesh, without hands, feet, eyes, ears, nose, and the like; it is constantly eaten by worms and birds, a painful punishment difficult to endure. For what cause and condition is it so?" He replied, saying: "In your previous life, you constantly gave medicine to others to abort their fetuses. Therefore, you receive such punishment. This is the flower retribution; the bitter fruit of the hells is yet to come in a future rebirth." Furthermore, because of killing, greed and cruelty multiply. Because they multiply, one acts without righteousness or deference and commits robbery. If in this life one steals and takes what is not given, upon death one will immediately fall into the Iron Cave Hell, undergoing myriad sufferings and distresses for distant kalpas. When the suffering is finished, one falls among animals, constantly bearing heavy burdens, driven, kicked, whipped, and beaten without respite, eating and drinking nothing but water and grass, undergoing immeasurable births and deaths therein. By virtue of one's fundamental causes and conditions, if one encounters slight good, one may feebly regain a human body, but will constantly be a slave or bondservant, driven and ordered about without freedom; before one's debts are repaid, one cannot hear the Dharma. Tormented by this suffering, one transmigrates without end. One should know that such suffering all stems from stealing. If in this life one conceals light and does not use light to make offerings to the Triratna, but instead takes the light belonging to the Triratna to illuminate oneself, upon death one will immediately fall into the Black Ear, Black Rope, and Deep Darkness Hells, undergoing myriad sufferings and distresses for distant kalpas. When the suffering is finished, one falls among nits and lice, unable to bear the light, undergoing immeasurable births and deaths therein. By virtue of one's fundamental causes and conditions, if one encounters slight good, one may feebly regain a human body, but one's appearance will be dark and swarthy, grimy and unclean, dwelling in foul and wretched places, abhorred and shunned by people, with both eyes blind, unable to see heaven and earth. One should know that concealing light also stems from stealing.