Dhammapada 22.2.p2

22.2.p2

Āyasmā hi moggallāno lakkhaṇattherena saddhiṃ gijjhakūṭā orohanto aṭṭhisaṅkhalikapetādīnaṃ attabhāve disvā sitaṃ karonto lakkhaṇattherena sitakāraṇaṃ puṭṭho ‘‘akālo, āvuso, imassa pañhassa, tathāgatassa santike maṃ puccheyyāsī’’ti vatvā tathāgatassa santike therena puṭṭho aṭṭhisaṅkhalikapetādīnaṃ diṭṭhabhāvaṃ ācikkhitvā ‘‘idhāhaṃ, āvuso, gijjhakūṭā pabbatā orohanto addasaṃ bhikkhuṃ vehāsaṃ gacchantaṃ, tassa saṅghāṭipi ādittā sampajjalitā sajotibhūtā…pe… kāyopi āditto’’tiādinā (pārā. 230; saṃ. ni. 2.218) nayena saddhiṃ pattacīvarakāyabandhanādīhi ḍayhamāne pañca sahadhammike ārocesi. Satthā tesaṃ kassapadasabalassa sāsane pabbajitvā pabbajjāya anurūpaṃ kātuṃ asakkontānaṃ pāpabhāvaṃ ācikkhitvā tasmiṃ khaṇe tattha nisinnānaṃ bahūnaṃ pāpabhikkhūnaṃ duccaritakammassa vipākaṃ dassento imaṃ gāthamāha –

For as Venerable Moggallāna the Great was descending Mount Vulture Peak with Elder Lakkhaṇa, he saw, among others, forms of

ghosts consisting of skeletons, and smiled at the sight of them. When Elder Lakkhaṇa asked him why he smiled, he said, "Brother, this is not the proper time for you to ask me such a question. Wait until we are in the presence of the Tathāgata and then ask me. So when they were in the presence of the Tathāgata, Elder Lakkhaṇa repeated his question. In reply, Elder Moggallāna the Great told him that he had seen ghosts consisting of skeletons.

"Brother," said he, "just now, as I was descending Mount Vulture Peak, I saw a monk soaring through the air, and his body was all aflame." Continuing in the same strain, he mentioned five of their associates whom he had seen on fire, bowls, robes, girdles, and all. Thereupon the Teacher told the monks of the wickedness of certain monks who retired from the world in the dispensation of the Buddha Kassapa and failed to act according to their profession. And pointing out the fruit of evil deeds to the monks who at that moment sat there before him, he pronounced the following Stanza,