Petavatthu(Ghost stories)1.3

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1.3 Ghost With Rotten Mouth

While the teacher(Buddha) was staying at squirrels sanctuary (Kalandakanivapa) in Veluvana monastery, he told this story :

Once upon a time in the days of the Lord Kassapa(earlier Buddha) two men of good family, under his instruction, left the worldly life. Abounding in the practice of morality and living with austere penance, they lived harmoniously at a certain settlement in a village.

Then a certain monk of evil disposition, who found delight in slander, came to their abode. The elders received him kindly and on the second day went with him to collect alms. The people who were rendering the elders the highest possible obedience and serving them with rice gruel, boiled rice, and other foods. And he thought "Nice is this villages a resort for alms, and the people, endowed with faith, give savoury food. Here is shade too and water. One can live happily here; but not as long as these monks are dwelling in the same place. Well then, I shall so act as to do for them so that they come not again to stay here". And he slandered them the one to the other. They both became gradually suspicious and thought, "It may, after all, be so" and lost trust, avoided each other, and soon, without telling each other, each went to a pleasanter place.

The people asked the slanderous monk, "Reverend sir, where are the elders gone ?" He replied "All night they were quarrelling with each other ; they went out & left without heeding my words, as I said 'Do not quarrel, be harmonious' ; and among other things I added 'Those who are such are only happy with big fight' ". Then the people said "Just let the elders go; for our sake, however , you stay here and have no regrets". He agreed saying, "All right". While dwelling there he considered after a few days "Through greed for a dwelling, I made these monks leave. Alas ! I have been done evil". Overcome by deep regret and having fallen ill, in a short time he died and was reborn in Avichi hell. Later he was born in this Buddha period not far from Rajagaha as a peta(ghost) with a rotten mouth. His body was gold coloured but worms coming out here and there from his mouth, were devouring it, as it emitted a foul smell. Then the venerable Narada, coming from Vulture's Mount (Gijjakuta) , saw him and asked him in this stanza about his deeds :

1. "You have a beautiful, heavenly complexion ; floating, you are standing in the air. Yet worms are devouring your mouth which has a foul smell; what acts did you do in past?".

The peta(ghost) replied

2. "A monk I was, but wicked and of ill speech; though I lived in austerity, I did not control my speech; so I obtained my complexion from austerity but due to ill-speech , I received a rotten mouth."

3. "Now this has been seen by yourself Narada. they who are compassionate and virtuous would say : 'Do not backbite nor speak falsely. Then you will become a yakkha(angel but of lesser degree) enjoying as you will."