Chapter 248 Related to Hungry Ghost Road

One evening, after meditating, Venerable Mulian walked by the Ganges River and saw all the living beings in the realm of hungry ghosts, each of whom received different retribution for their sins.At this time, all the hungry ghosts saw the Venerable Mulian, and they all became respectful, and asked the Venerable the cause and condition of their own retribution. A ghost asked: I often have headaches, what is the reason?Mulian replied: When you were a human in your previous life, you liked to hit people on the head with a cane, so now you are retribution of hungry ghosts, and you will be retribution of hell in the future.

A ghost asked: I have a lot of property but like to wear tattered clothes. What's the matter?Mulian replied: You once gave alms and cultivated blessings when you were a human being, but you regretted it later, so now you are retribution of hungry ghosts, and you will also be retribution of hell in the future. A ghost asked: I often live in no fixed place, I always sleep in the streets and alleys, how can this happen?Mulian replied, "When you were a human being, a guest came to stay with you, but you refused to accept it."When the guest no longer wants to stop, you are very angry again, so now you will be retribution from hungry ghosts, and you will be retribution from hell in the future.

A ghost asked: I can't eat five buckets, and I am always hungry. What mistake did I make to be so?Mulian replied: When you were a human being in the world, you always invited people to eat because you never got enough to eat, so now you are retribution from hungry ghosts, and you will be retribution from hell in the future. A ghost asked: My stomach is as big as a urn, and my throat is as thin as a pinhole. I can't swallow food. What crimes have I committed before to receive this kind of retribution?Mu Lian replied: You were the leader of the settlement when you were a human being, but you used your power to oppress the people, beat people casually, and forced others to provide you with good food, so now you will be retribution by hungry ghosts, and you will be retribution by hell in the future.

A ghost asked: My male genitals are sore and rotten, and the pain is indescribable. What crime did I commit to cause this?Mulian replied: When you were a human being, you committed adultery in a pure place like a Buddhist temple, so you received this retribution, and you will also receive the retribution of hell in the future. A ghost asked: I have many sons, all of whom are well-groomed and lovable, but they all died young. When I think about it, my heart breaks. What is the reason?Mulian replied: When you were a human being, you were very happy to see your sons killed, and you ate the meat of the killed living beings with them.Because of the killing, your sons will all get the karma of short life and early death, but because you are happy with their killing, you now feel the pain of sorrow, and you will go to hell to receive the retribution in the future.

A ghost asked: "There is a big dog with sharp teeth and red eyes that often comes to bite me. What's the matter?"Mu Lian replied: When you were a human being, you liked to hunt with dogs and harmed all living beings. A ghost asked: There is a person who always takes a sharp knife and cuts my flesh until all my flesh is gone. After a while, my flesh regenerates again, and this person will come to cut me again. My flesh really hurt me to death, what crime did I commit?Mulian replied: When you were a human being, you liked to kill and cut the flesh of all living beings, and you didn't have any compassion. Therefore, you will go to hell in the future after receiving this retribution.

A ghost asked: I am in pain all over my body, what is going on?Mulian replied: When you were a human being, you liked to catch fish, and you often threw the fish you caught in the net on the sand, causing them to suffer a lot and die, so now you are receiving this kind of retribution, and you will go to hell in the future suffer. A ghost asked: I have always been stupid and know nothing, why is this so?Mulian replied: When you were a human being, you liked to half-persuade and half-force people to drink, making people drunk and confused, so you are stupid now, and you will be punished in hell in the future.

A ghost asked: I often feel hot and thirsty. When I see the Ganges River on the road, I want to plunge into the river to quench my heat and thirst. The muscles will also fall off to expose the bones.Although I was very thirsty, as long as I drank a sip of water, the five internal organs in my abdomen would be scorched, and the pain was unbearable.What crime have I committed?Mu Lian replied: When you were a human being, you liked to set fire to mountains, forests, rivers and marshes, and harm the lives of all living beings, so now you are receiving this retribution, and you will go to hell to be punished in the future.

A ghost asked: I often feel hungry and thirsty, and I want to go to the toilet to get stool to eat, but the strong ghost in the toilet always hits me with a cane, making me unable to approach the toilet. Why is this happening?Mulian replied: When you were a human being, you were the abbot of the Buddhist temple. You had other monks as guests, and you were very stingy not to invite people to eat. retribution, and will go to hell to be punished in the future. A ghost asked: I have some smelly and dirty things stuck all over my body. When I am so hungry and thirsty, I will automatically eat these filthy things. Have I committed any crimes?Mulian replied: When you were a human being, you were a Brahman who practiced the Brahma Dharma. One day, a practitioner came to beg for food from you after lunch time.You thought of a way so that he would not beg for food from you again.So you take his bowl, first put the excrement on the bottom, and cover the top with rice.The Taoist took the bowl back to his residence, washed his hands and face, and prepared to eat, but at this time the rice in the bowl was so dirty and smelly that no one dared to approach him.Therefore, if you get this retribution now, you will fall into the dung mili hell to be punished in the future.

A ghost asked: I always have a copper bottle on my shoulder, which is full of copper juice. My hand will automatically grab the copper ladle to scoop out the copper juice and pour it on my head. It is really painful. What is it? what reason?Mulian replied: When you were a human being, you were the weina who was in charge of monk affairs in a Buddhist temple. You hid a bottle of crisps and shared them with the old resident monk after the guest monk left.You must know that this bottle of crisps is the public property of the temple, and everyone has a share. Because you are stingy with the common property of the Sangha, you have received this retribution, and you will go to hell to receive retribution in the future.

A ghost asked: I have been either climbing the sword mountain and sword tree hell, or falling into a fire pit or a boiling soup pot hell, and constantly suffering all kinds of suffering. What is the reason for this?Mu Lian replied: When you were a human being, you were the abbot of the Temple of the God of Heaven. You often cooked and slaughtered cattle, sheep, and pigs to sacrifice to the God of Heaven. If the gods say it, it will be auspicious.Because you spread such evil words to deceive your parents and people, you will be punished in hell. A ghost asked: I often keep swallowing iron pills, why on earth?Mulian replied: You were a novice when you were a human being. One day you used clean water to make stone honey paste.Taking advantage of your work, you secretly knocked out a small piece of hard and large stone honey, because the monks did not eat, and you stole this bite first, and you got the hell reward of swallowing iron pellets.

After the Venerable Mulian and the hungry ghost finished talking about their past lives, they returned to Mount Jijabori.