Petavatthu(Ghost stories)1.1

Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Petavatthu>>Khettupam-Petavatthu-Vannanna

1.1 Resemblance To Cultivated Farm

While Lord Buddha was staying at the Kalandaka-nivapa(squirrel's grove) in Veluvana monastery near Rajagaha(presently Rajagir in Bihar, India), he told this story. At Rajagaha there was an immensely wealthy man known by the name of Mahadhanasetthi. He had an only son, who was amiable and charming. When he grew up, his parents thought "If our son spends a thousand per day, even in hundred years, this wealth will not come to an end". They did not teach him a skill, thinking "Since the learning of a skill would be a fatiguing exertion, let him with body and mind comfortably enjoy his wealth." Instead, when he was come of age, they procured him a charming bride, but totally lacking in Dhamma. With her he passed the time, given to enjoyment , delighting in and hankering after pleasure. At the death of his parents he gave lavishly to dancers, singers and others, thus wasted his wealth he became poor. He managed to live by borrowing money. But when he could no longer secure a and was pressed by his creditors, he gave them field and farm, house and his other possessions, and became a beggar, and started living in the place for poor & orphans in the same city.

Now one day some robbers met him and thus addressed him "Look here, man, what do you get out of this hard life? You are young and active. Come with us and make a comfortable living by stealing. The thieves gave him a large club; as they entered a house in which they had made a breach, they stationed him at the opening saying " If anyone else comes here, strike him and kill him." He mentally dull and could not knowing friend foe, stood there and awaited only the approach of others.

Now the people of the house got up running very quickly and looking this way and that, saw the man standing at the breach. With the words, "Here they are, the rogues, the thieves, " they seized him, and brought him before the king, saying "Lord, this thief was caught house-breaking." the king commanded the town-watch "Cut off his head". They took him in custody and led him to the place of execution, flogging him with whips as he went along after the execution-drum. At the same time the populace shouted "This plundering robber has been captured in this city".

Now at that moment in the same city, a town dancer, Sulasa by name, was standing at the window of her storied house. She saw him led along, and since she had been acquainted with him in the past, she felt sympathy for him, who had attained great prosperity in this very town. She sent out modak(laddus/spherical round sweets) and water and had this message delivered to the town-watchman  "May your honour wait until this man has eaten these sweets(modak) and drunk the water".

Now while in this same city the venerable Moggallana (one of Buddha's foremost elder monks), with the help of the illumination of his meditative divine insight , noticed this man's predicament , his mind was moved with compassion, and he thought "since this man has not accomplished any merit, but done wickedness, he will be reborn in hell; now , if I go and he gives me the sweets and the drink, he will be reborn among the terrestrial devas(earthly angels).  Let me help this man". He accordingly appeared before the culprit as the drink and sweets were being brought for him. When he saw the elder monk, his mind was at ease, and he thought "What benefit shall I get from eating these sweets if I am put to death? Now these will become provisions for my journey to the other world. " So he had the sweets(modak) and the water given to the elder monk. When Moggallana saw that his misery had grown into joy, he sat down, ate and drank and arose and went his way.

The man however, was led by the headman to the place of execution and beheaded. On account of the pious act done to the elder Moggallana, unsurpassed field of merit was received by him and he was worthy of rebirth in the angel world (deva's world). However at that time his affection went forth to the dancer Sulasa as he thought " I attained this gift thanks to her". and so at the moment of death his mind became impure and he was reborn in a lower (but happy) state and became a tree-god in (hanging)roots of a large banyan tree of dense shade in a jungle.

Now it came to pass that he seeing the dancer Sulasa in her garden, he took her to his abode who stayed happily there for a week. Her mother was lamenting,  so she asked him to take her back. Upon return, when people asked her , she told them that due to the good deed of donation done to the elder monk Moggallana,  the man has attained a happy after life. The people were full of wonder and said "The Arihants are truly incomparable field for making merit, even a small act of good done unto them gives men rebirth among devas(angels)".

Monks narrated the whole episode to the Lord Buddha, who spoke these stanzas in explanation of this :

1. "Like cultivable farms are the Arihants(liberated/enlightened ones); the donors are like the farmers;  resembling  seed is the gift ; from this great is the fruit that comes thereafter."

2. "This seed and cultivated field are for the benefit of petas(ghosts) and  the giver. With this the petas are gratified, the givers also increase in piousness with this act."

3. "For doing meritorious act of donation here on earth and thus honouring the petas, to heaven indeed he goes as his destination, since he has done a good deed".

At the end of discourse, including the man(now deva), the Sulasa, eighty four thousand beings converted to Dhamma(the righteous path shown by Buddha).