Petavatthu(Ghost stories)34

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34. THE STORY OF THE FRAUDULENT DECISIONS (3.9)
While the Teacher was staying at Veluvana monastery, he told this peta story of the fraudulent decisions.

At that time king Bimbisara kept the feast on six days of the month. Many people imitated him and commemorated the feast. The king asked the men who came from time to time into his presence, " Well now, is the feast day observed or not observed by you?" Then a certain man who had been appointed to a magistracy, a slanderous and dishonest individual, who received bribes and was brutal, but who was afraid to say, " I am not a feast-keeper," said, "Sire, I am a feast-keeper." Then a companion addressed him, when he had gone from the royal presence; "Friend, what was kept by you today?" He replied: "Friend, out of fear I said that when face to face with the king; I am feast­keeper." Then his comrade said to him: "If it be merely a half-feast; let that be so to you today; take the feast­vows." He assented, went homeward, washed his face and devoted himself to the half feast. During the night when he reached his dwelling, his span of life was cut short by a stake blown down from his poor abode through a high wind.

Then after death he was reborn in the hollow of a mountain as a mansion-peta, for he, although he observed a half-feast during one night only, obtained his reward, receiving a suite of ten thousand maidens and enjoying deva­attainment; but as a result of fraudulent decisions and in consequence of his lie, with his own hands he himself cut off and devoured the flesh of his own back.

The venerable Narada, on his descent from Vulture's Peak, saw him and addressed him with these four stanzas:

1. "You wear garlands, crown, and bangles, and your limbs are rubbed with sandal ointment. You have a serene countenance, and you are radiant, lustrous as the sun.

2. "This non-human retinue appears to me as your attendants; these ten thousand maidens are your servants.

3. "They wear bracelets of shells and are adorned with golden fillets; you are powerful, and your appearance is thrilling.

4. "With your own hand you cut off the flesh of your own back and eat it. Now what wicked act was committed by body, speech, or mind? For what deed do you devour the flesh of your back ? "

The peta told his story in these four stanzas:

5. "To my own harm I acted in the world of the living, with slander and lying, with fraud and deception.

6. "There I went into the assembly and when the time came to speak the truth, I opposed the good, the right and turned to unrighteousness acts.

7. "So does he who becomes backbiter devour himself, as I today feed upon flesh from my own back.

8. "Narada, you yourself have seen this fact: Compassionate are they who speak appropriate words. Do not slander, do not speak falsely otherwise you be backbiter indeed."