Deep Commentary

The Buddha taught this verse at the Bamboo Grove monastery, regarding a snake-like hungry ghost. Venerable Moggallana, while descending Vulture Peak, smiled upon seeing a massive, terrifying ghost engulfed in flames. Later, the Buddha explained the ghost's origin: during the era of Kassapa Buddha, this being was a jealous thief who burned down the properties of a wealthy man, including a monastery built for the Buddha. Due to this malicious act, the thief suffered in the Avici hell and was subsequently reborn as a burning ghost. The Buddha emphasized that fools remain ignorant of their evil actions until they face the burning consequences. Karma is shaped by repeated actions of body, speech, and mind, with the mind being the master. The law of cause and effect is unerring—good deeds bring good results, and evil deeds bring suffering. A wise person foresees consequences and avoids unwholesome actions. Furthermore, karma spans past, present, and future. Individual karma intertwines with collective karma; a single person's unethical actions, like environmental destruction, can inflict suffering upon many. Thus, building a harmonious society begins with individual moral cultivation and the purification of one's own body, speech, and mind.