Verses on Dhamma 5.12.p6

5.12.p6

Gāthaṃ vatvā āha – ‘‘bhante, kassapabuddhakāle sambahulā bhikkhū gāmaṃ piṇḍāya pavisiṃsu,. Manussā there disvā sampiyāyamānā āsanasālāyaṃ nisīdāpetvā pāde dhovitvā telaṃ makkhetvā yāguṃ pāyetvā khajjakaṃ datvā piṇḍapātakālaṃ āgamayamānā dhammaṃ suṇantā nisīdiṃsu. Dhammakathāvasāne therānaṃ patte ādāya attano attano gehā nānaggarasabhojanassa pūretvā āhariṃsu. Tadā ahaṃ kāko hutvā āsanasālāya chadanapiṭṭhe nilīno taṃ disvā ekena gahitapattato tikkhattuṃ mukhaṃ pūrento tayo kabaḷe aggahesiṃ. Taṃ pana bhattaṃ neva saṅghassa santakaṃ, na saṅghassa niyametvā dinnaṃ, na bhikkhūhi gahitāvasesakaṃ. Attano attano gehaṃ netvā manussehi bhuñjitabbakaṃ, kevalaṃ saṅghaṃ uddissa abhihaṭamattameva. Tato mayā tayo kabaḷā gahitā, ettakaṃ me pubbakammaṃ. Svāhaṃ kālaṃ katvā tassa kammassa vipākena avīcimhi paccitvā tattha pakkāvasesena idāni gijjhakūṭe kākapeto hutvā nibbatto imaṃ dukkhaṃ paccānubhomī’’ti. Idaṃ kākapetassa vatthu.

Reverend Sir, in the dispensation of the Buddha Kassapa, a company of monks entered a village for alms. When the villagers saw the Elders, they received them cordially, provided seats for them in a rest-house, furnished them with rice-porridge, gave them hard food, and bathed their feet and anointed them with oil. And while waiting for the time to come to give alms, they sat and listened to the Law. At the conclusion of the recitation of the Law they took the Elders' bowls, filled them in their several houses with food flavored with various choice flavors, and returned with them.

At that time I was a crow, perched on the ridge-pole of the rest-house. When I saw what was happening, I filled my mouth thrice out of the bowl taken by one of those villagers, taking three mouthfuls of food. Now that food did not belong to the company of monks, nor was it given and handed over to the company of monks. It was simply and solely the remains of food taken by the monks which the villagers would have carried to their own houses and eaten, and was brought forth merely on the occasion of the visit of the monks. Well, I took three mouthfuls; that was the extent of my misdeed in a former state of existence. As the result of that misdeed, when I died, I suffered torment in the Avīci Hell; and thereafter, because the fruit of my evil deed was not yet exhausted, I was reborn on Vulture Peak as a crow-ghost. Now as the fruit of my evil deed, I endure this suffering. End of Story of the crow-ghost.