Month of the Hungry Ghosts
Here are 3 translated articles for this quarter.
Source: https://www.ctworld.org.tw/sutra_stories/story1201-1400/story1261.htm
The Village Elder’s Wife Becomes A Hungry Ghost
One day, while the Buddha was residing at Mount Gridhrakuta in Rajgir, Maudgalyayana, his top disciple in the use of supernatural powers, sat under a tree and meditated. While doing so, he saw a hungry ghost who resembled a burning pillar with an abdomen the size of a hill, a throat as narrow as a needle, hairs which intertwined with its body like sharp awls, and joints which perpetually burned with flames. The ghost roamed everywhere regardless of time, seeking human excrement for food, while groaning with pain and suffering from constant hunger and exhaustion.
Maudgalyayana asked the ghost, “What did you do in your past life to land yourself in such a state?”
The ghost replied, “The Buddha walks this earth, so you should ask Him. I am too overwhelmed by hunger and thirst to properly explain.”
So Maudgalyayana went to the Buddha, described the ghost, and asked, “O Exalted One, what deeds would land a sentient being in such a state?”
The Village Elder’s Wife Becomes A Hungry Ghost
One day, while the Buddha was residing at Mount Gridhrakuta in Rajgir, Maudgalyayana, his top disciple in the use of supernatural powers, sat under a tree and meditated. While doing so, he saw a hungry ghost who resembled a burning pillar with an abdomen the size of a hill, a throat as narrow as a needle, hairs which intertwined with its body like sharp awls, and joints which perpetually burned with flames. The ghost roamed everywhere regardless of time, seeking human excrement for food, while groaning with pain and suffering from constant hunger and exhaustion.
Maudgalyayana asked the ghost, “What did you do in your past life to land yourself in such a state?”
The ghost replied, “The Buddha walks this earth, so you should ask Him. I am too overwhelmed by hunger and thirst to properly explain.”
So Maudgalyayana went to the Buddha, described the ghost, and asked, “O Exalted One, what deeds would land a sentient being in such a state?”
The Buddha replied, “I shall explain the cause of her suffering, so listen carefully. Many kalpas ago [For further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalpa_(time)], in a country with rich soil (Editor: the original article quoted 波羅㮈 but I am not sure how it was pronounced in Pali), abundant resources and a high population, there were no weapons or fights. There lived a kind village elder known for his benevolent and generous nature as well as his support for the Three Treasures (Editor: the Buddhas, the Dharma and the Sangha). One day, a monk arrived at the elder’s house begging for alms. As the elder had to leave to run an urgent errand, he could not serve the monk personally, so he instructed his wife to prepare good food for the monk and serve it respectfully on his behalf. His wife agreed to do so and told him not to worry. But in actual fact, parsimonious thoughts had arose in her mind, prompting her to say to herself, ‘If I were to serve good food to this monk today, he would probably come back to our house in the future. And I would hate to receive someone like that!’
So the elder’s wife told the monk to wait in the house, locked him inside, and only released him in the afternoon. As the official time for alms consumption had passed, the monk had to go on an empty stomach for the entire day [For further reading: https://pacifichermitage.org/support/__mealfaq/]. And due to this wicked deed, the elder’s wife became a hungry ghost when she died, condemned to a wretched existence for many kalpas. So, the hungry ghost which you have encountered today was the elder’s wife. Hence, all Buddhism practitioners should engage in the act of giving and avoid acting parsimoniously.”
After the Buddha’s sermon, many listeners dropped their miserly tendencies and resolved to break out of Samsara (Editor: the endless cycle of life, death and rebirth). Some of them attained the various enlightenment stages of Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arahant [For further reading: https://www.spiritrock.org/practice-guides/four-stages-of-enlightenment], while some resolved to become future Pacceka-Buddhas and Buddhas [For further reading: https://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/pa/pacceka_buddha.htm]. All monks and nuns who attended the sermon followed the Buddha’s teachings with joy.
Taken from the Hungry Ghost Chapter Five, Book Five of the Avadanasataka
The Sutralamkara-sastra states, “Afflictions brought by unclean thoughts outnumber the karmic benefits resulting from the act of giving. Giving in to one’s miserly tendencies causes the highest incidences of unhappiness.” Greed held by the average man is limitless. By clinging on to one’s wealth and conducting all sorts of wicked deeds, we have been trapped in the endless cycle of Samsara and cannot hope to leave it. If we could maintain a respectful, sincere, tranquil and joyful attitude while engaging in the act of giving as well as fostering positive karmic relationships, we would be able to cut down greed and leave Samsara.
Source: https://www.ctworld.org.tw/sutra_stories/story411-600/story411.htm
Maudgalyayana Saves 500 Hungry Ghosts
One day, Maudgalyayana, the top disciple in the use of supernatural powers, was begging for alms in the city of Rajgir when he encountered 500 hungry ghosts. The ghosts were very happy to see the holy man and requested for him to tell their families, on their behalf, that they were in a wretched state due to their lack of generosity, so their family members should set up a banquet for the Buddha and the Sangha, and that if they were too poor to do so, they should encourage others to co-sponsor the banquet. The organization of the banquet (Editor: And dedication of the resultant karmic merit by the organizers to the deceased) would help the hungry ghosts alleviate their current predicament.
Maudgalyayana asked, “What did you all do specifically to receive such a terrible comeuppance?”
They replied, “We were sons of the rich elders residing in the city of Rajgir, but we acted arrogantly, becoming indulgent in material enjoyment and were disrespectful towards the Three Treasures. Whenever the Sangha showed up in the city begging for alms, we would not provide food for them but also discourage others from donating because we thought the monks did not engage in the production of goods nor services. Also, we argued that since they were reliant on donations for sustenance, the monks would surely revisit those who donated the next time they needed alms. Due to our wicked act and wrongful reasoning, we took on the form of hungry ghosts after our deaths.”
Maudgalyayana said, “I shall relay your message to your families and request that they hold a banquet for the Buddha and the Sangha. Be sure to attend the banquet as well.”
And they replied, “As hungry ghosts, we are emaciated husks, possessing stomachs as huge as hills, throats as narrow as needles, and entangling hairs resembling warped swords which dig into our bodies. Our joints hurt like they are on fire, yet we have to roam around looking for food. Even if we do find food, it turns into putrefied blood whenever we approach. How could we possibly attend the banquet?”
Maudgalyayana then informed the hungry ghosts’ families of their plight. Everyone was saddened by the news so they decided to hold a banquet for the Buddha and the Sangha and dedicate the karmic merit to the hungry ghosts. On the day of the banquet, Maudgalyayana meditated and entered a state of jhana [For further reading: https://www.lionsroar.com/entering-the-jhanas/] and tried to locate the hungry ghosts within the multiverse but failed to do so. Puzzled by the strange occurrence, he went to consult the Buddha, who told him that the ghosts had been scattered by the karmic winds and that their whereabouts could not be determined by arahants. However, due to the karmic merit granted by the banquet which diminished their sins, the Buddha was able to create a safe zone for them to materialize. Shortly after the conversation, the hungry ghosts appeared at the city of Rajgir. Upon seeing their appearance, Rajgir’s citizens resolved to let go of their greed and to leave Samsara. Some of them attained the various enlightenment stages of Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arahant, while some resolved to become future Pacceka-Buddhas and Buddhas.
Next, the Buddha gave a sermon to the ghosts pertaining to the perils of holding onto greed and the merits of donating to the Three Treasures. During the night, the ghosts’ negative karma reserves were expended, causing them to be reborn in the realm of Trayastrimsa Heaven. The newly created 500 devas used their supernatural powers to examine their past lives and found out that they had attained this state of enjoyment thanks to Maudgalyayana’s efforts in kick-starting the banquet for the Buddha and the Sangha, so they dressed up in their heavenly regalia, descended to the human realm and made offerings of heavenly flowers to the Buddha and the Sangha. After making the offering, they sat down to listen to one of the Buddha’s sermons, gained a deeper understanding of the Dharma, performed 3 clockwise circumambulations around the Buddha in reverence [For further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parikrama], and returned to their heavenly abode. After that, the Buddha informed the other attendees that the 500 devas were formerly the 500 hungry ghosts that materialized at the banquet held earlier on. The listeners were filled with joy at the news, and they looked upon the Three Treasures with admiration and increased faith.
Taken from Book Five of the Avadanasataka
Venerable Xuanlü of the Tang Dynasty was such a meticulous keeper of the Buddhism precepts that devas would descend to the human realm to make food offerings to him. One day, the monk asked, “What deed in this realm brings the greatest positive karma?” To which the devas replied, “Making offerings to the Sangha.”
Venerable Xuyun, a great Zen Buddhism practitioner, also said, “The two treasures, the Buddha and the Dharma, rely on the Sangha for support. Without the Sangha, the two treasures cannot be made known to the world. Hence, making offerings to the Sangha brings the greatest positive karma.” [Editor: This statement is true as the Buddha is no longer alive. If the Buddha were still alive, then making offerings to Him would bring the greatest positive karma.]
By making offerings to the Three Treasures with a pure heart, we can earn an unbelievable amount of positive karma for ourselves and for our deceased ancestors, thus alleviating their plight if they are in a state of suffering.
Source: https://www.ctworld.org.tw/sutra_stories/story386.htm
Uttara’s Mother Becomes A Hungry Ghost
In the city of Rajgir, there lived a rich elder who married a member of the royal family. As he loved his wife very much, he would hire musicians and dancers to his house to keep her entertained. Later, his wife gave birth to a baby boy who grew up to be a handsome young man named Uttara. One day, the rich elder passed away, prompting Uttara to ponder, “Father had always conducted trading to provide for our family, but I am not interested in the art of the merchant. I am however a faithful supporter of Buddhism and I hope to be ordained as a monk.”
So Uttara approached his mother, hoping to get her consent to join the Sangha, but she said, “Your father is already dead, so all I have now is you. How could you leave me all alone like this? As long as I am alive, I will not allow you to become a monk. You can do as you please only after I have passed!”
Her refusal made Uttara very upset, prompting him to threaten, “If you do not agree, I shall leave this world permanently!”
Fearful of the threat, she relented and said, “Do not speak of suicide! From now on, whenever you want to provide food for ascetics, I shall prepare whatever you need for their sustenance. Is that fine with you?”
Uttara’s mother’s offer made him agree to postpone his ordination, and instead invite the Brahmins and the Sangha to his house frequently for meals.
Unbeknownst to Uttara who frequently traveled outside, his mother was irritated by their presence and would often scold them, “Every one of you, who do not engage in the production of goods nor services, can only rely on the donations of believers to stay alive. The sight of you irks me greatly!”
Following her outbursts, she would also dump the food prepared by Uttara on the ground and chase the ascetics away. Whenever Uttara returned home, she would tell him, “My child, while you were away, I served many ascetics with good food!”
This pleased Uttara very much and made him believe that his mother had been a generous donor.
Shortly after her wicked acts, Uttara’s mother passed away, but became a hungry ghost due to her heavy karmic debt. After her death, Uttara followed through with his resolution to become a monk. As he was a very diligent practitioner of the Dharma, he soon attained the enlightenment state of Arahant. One day, while meditating in a cave next to a river, he encountered a hungry ghost with a dry and charred mouth. Suffering from hunger, thirst and pain, the ghost said, “My son! I am your mother.”
Refusing to believe this claim, Uttara said, “That is not possible. My mother was a generous donor who supplied many ascetics with alms. She could not possibly be cast into the realm of the hungry ghosts!”
The ghost replied, “My son! Due to my miserly tendencies, I refused to provide alms while you were traveling. After my death, I became a hungry ghost and went without taking a single drop of water nor a mouthful of food for the next 20 years. Whenever I approach a river, its waters would recede from me; and whenever I approach a fruit tree, it would wither. Oh, my suffering has been indescribable!”
Uttara asked, “Why did come to this?”
His mother replied, “Although I did supply alms previously, I acted with an unwilling heart, and sometimes I even berated the ascetics, hence my actions had led to such a predicament. If you could display penance for my sins on my behalf by organizing a banquet for the Buddha and the Sangha, this would alleviate my current state.”
Uttara took pity on his mother and persuaded donors to fund a banquet for the Buddha and the Sangha. At the end of the banquet, Uttara’s mother appeared before the Buddha, displayed penance, and listened to a sermon given by the Buddha. After the sermon, the ghost was filled with regret, completing her sentence as a hungry ghost, and transformed into a floating spirit dressed in a bejeweled robe and a majestic crown. She then approached Uttara and said, “My negative karma reserves are not yet fully expended, so I cannot leave the ghost realm yet. Please hold another banquet to provide food and bedding for the Buddha and the Sangha on my behalf, so that I may finally leave this realm.”
So Uttara organized another banquet where he prepared food and bedding for the Buddha and the Sangha. At the end of the banquet, the ghost appeared once more before the Buddha and displayed penance for her sins sincerely.
That night, the ghost ended her lifetime in the ghost realm and was reborn in the realm of Tusita Heaven. The newly created deva was curious about her past life and used her supernatural powers to examine her past life. Upon doing so, she discovered she had Uttara to thank for her blissful state of enjoyment. So she dressed up in her heavenly regalia, gathered heavenly flowers, descended to the human realm, approached the site where the Buddha and the Sangha resided, and donated the flowers to the holy men and women. The Buddha gave an enlightening sermon about the Dharma, which enabled her to attain the enlightenment stage of Sotapanna. Filled with great joy, the deva performed 3 clockwise circumambulations around the Buddha and flew back to her heavenly abode.
The Buddha then told the tale of Uttara’s mother, enabling certain members of the Sangha to renounce their miserly tendencies, hence attaining the various enlightenment stages of Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami and Arahant. Some of them resolved to become future Pacceka-Buddhas and Buddhas. All who attended the sermon followed the Buddha’s teachings with joy, and henceforth could not be tricked into forsaking Buddhism.
Taken from Book Five of the Avadanasataka
The Metaphor Chapter of the Lotus Sutra states, “Greed is the principle reason behind various forms of suffering.” The cause of suffering arises whenever we allow greed to flourish. There is a saying which goes, “When a bodhisattva gives, he does so with impartiality.” Donating is a great counter to greed. It allows the giver to let go of the self, expand their magnanimity, and distribute benefits by leveling the field. Hence, frequent donation keeps greed in check, cuts the path to a multitude of defilements, and creates an ever broadening path in life.
