Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. Now on that occasion the Venerable Lakkhaṇa and the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna were dwelling on Mount Vulture Peak. Then, in the morning, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna dressed and, taking bowl and robe, he approached the Venerable Lakkhaṇa and said to him: “Come, friend Lakkhaṇa, let us enter Rājagaha for alms.”
“All right, friend,” the Venerable Lakkhaṇa replied. Then, as he was coming down from Mount Vulture Peak, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna displayed a smile in a certain place. The Venerable Lakkhaṇa said to him: “For what reason, friend Moggallāna, did you display a smile?”
“This is not the time for that question, friend Lakkhaṇa. Ask me that question when we are in the presence of the Blessed One.”
Then, when the Venerable Lakkhaṇa and the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna had walked for alms in Rājagaha and returned from their alms round, after their meal they approached the Blessed One. Having paid homage to the Blessed One, they sat down to one side, and the Venerable Lakkhaṇa said to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: “Here, as he was coming down from Mount Vulture Peak, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna displayed a smile in a certain place. For what reason, friend Moggallāna, did you display that smile?”
“Here, friend, as I was coming down from Mount Vulture Peak, I saw a skeleton moving through the air. Vultures, crows, and hawks, following it in hot pursuit, were pecking at it between the ribs, stabbing it, and tearing it apart while it uttered cries of pain. It occurred to me: ‘It is wonderful, indeed! It is amazing, indeed! That there could be such a being, that there could be such a spirit, that there could be such a form of individual existence!’”
Then the Blessed One addressed the Bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus, there are disciples who dwell having become vision, having become knowledge, in that a disciple can know, see, and witness such a sight. In the past, Bhikkhus, I too saw that being, but I did not speak about it. For if I had spoken about it, others would not have believed me, and if they had not believed me that would have led to their harm and suffering for a long time. “That being, Bhikkhus, used to be a cattle butcher in this same Rājagaha. Having been tormented in hell for many years, for many hundreds of years, for many thousands of years, for many hundreds of thousands of years as a result of that kamma, as a residual result of that same kamma he is experiencing such a form of individual existence.”
(The remaining suttas of this subchapter follow the same pattern as the first. As in the Pāli text, so in translation here only the phrases that differ are given.)
… “Here, friend, as I was coming down from Mount Vulture Peak, I saw a piece of meat moving through the air. Vultures, crows, and hawks, following it in hot pursuit, were stabbing at it and tearing it apart as it uttered cries of pain.”…
“That being, Bhikkhus, was a cattle butcher in this same Rājagaha….”
… “I saw a lump of meat….”
“That being was a poultry butcher in this same Rājagaha….”
… “I saw a flayed man….”
“That being was a sheep butcher in this same Rājagaha….”
… “I saw a man with body-hairs of swords moving through the air. Those swords kept on rising up and striking his body while he uttered cries of pain….”
“That being was a hog butcher in this same Rājagaha….”
… “I saw a man with body-hairs of spears moving through the air. Those spears kept on rising up and striking his body while he uttered cries of pain….”
“That being was a deer hunter in this same Rājagaha….”
… “I saw a man with body-hairs of arrows moving through the air. Those arrows kept on rising up and striking his body while he uttered cries of pain….”
“That being was a torturer in this same Rājagaha….”
… “I saw a man with body-hairs of needles moving through the air. Those needles kept on rising up and striking his body while he uttered cries of pain….”
“That being was a horse trainer in this same Rājagaha….”
… “I saw a man with body-hairs of needles moving through the air. Those needles entered his head and came out from his mouth; they entered his mouth and came out from his chest; they entered his chest and came out from his belly; they entered his belly and came out from his thighs; they entered his thighs and came out from his calves; they entered his calves and came out from his feet, while he uttered cries of pain….”
“That being was a slanderer in this same Rājagaha….”
… “I saw a man whose testicles were like pots moving through the air. When he walked, he had to lift his testicles onto his shoulders, and when he sat down he sat on top of his testicles. Vultures, crows, and hawks, following him in hot pursuit, were stabbing at him and tearing him apart while he uttered cries of pain….”
“That being was a corrupt magistrate in this same Rājagaha….”