Petavatthu(Ghost stories)41

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41. THE STORY OF THE RAJAH'S SONS (4.6)
While the Teacher(Buddha) was staying at Jetavana, he told this story.

It is said that the king of Kosala, who lived at Savatthi, had two amiable sons then in the prime of youth. In their unrestrained youthful passion they committed adultery; and after death were reborn as petas who were being crushed in a trench. During the night they used to lament with a dreadful noise; when the people heard it, they were terrified. Since this was the case, they(people) gave a great donation to the company of monks at whose head was the Buddha, saying, "This ill omen must stop." Then they told the Lord Buddha what was taking place. He said: "Disciples, you will not have any end of hearing that noise." He told them the cause of it and spoke the following stanzas :

1. "There is a city called Savatthi at the slope of tb.e Himalayas, In that place were two princes, sons of a. king; so have I heard.

2 . "Wanton in lusts they found delight in the enjoyment of desire. They were greedy for present pleasures; they did not consider the future.

3. "They left their human state and passed from this world to the next. Although unseen, they cry aloud the wickedness which they committed in the past;

4. "Saying: 'Many people are served with gifts, We have not been able to provide for ourselves a blessing which brings a warding happiness.

5. " 'What wicked deed then may it have been for which we passed from our royal family and were reborn in the realm of the petas, afflicted with hunger and thirst?

6. "They who have been lords here, will not be lords over there; men both high and low will wander about tortured with hunger and thirst.

7. "By knowing that this distress had its origin in the wantonness of rulers, a man may renounce the arrogance of lordship and thus become a heaven-goer, After the breaking up of the body the wise man is reborn in the bright world."

Thus the Teacher narrated the fate of these petas, and assigned to them a gift made by these people teaching Dhamma as was his will.