Deep Commentary

This verse was taught by the Buddha at Bamboo Grove Monastery, relating to a pig-headed ghost. According to the story, one day Venerables Moggallana and Lakkhana were descending Vulture Peak. At a certain spot, Venerable Moggallana suddenly smiled. Seeing this, Venerable Lakkhana asked the reason, but Moggallana said he would explain only when they were before the World-Honored One. After alms round, they both returned to Bamboo Grove Monastery and paid respects to the Buddha. Then Lakkhana asked Moggallana why he had smiled. Moggallana related that he had seen with his own eyes a gigantic ghost, nearly a mile tall, with the shape of a pig's head, and from its mouth grew a tail covered with writhing maggots. He had never seen such a bizarre creature. The Buddha confirmed this, saying that he too had seen that ghost while sitting under the Bodhi tree, but had never told anyone for fear they would not believe. Now that Moggallana had seen it, the Buddha spoke. The Buddha then told the past life of this ghost. In the time of Buddha Kassapa, there were two brothers living harmoniously in a monastery, both elderly – one 60, the other 59. The younger served the elder like a novice. One day, a visiting Dhamma teacher came to their monastery. After listening to his teaching, both brothers respectfully invited him to stay and teach. The next day they took him into the village for alms. Later, when the two brothers were absent, the teacher told the villagers that the brothers were quarreling and thus not going for alms. The villagers did not believe him, but in fact the brothers had secretly become jealous and resentful of each other because of the teacher's presence. Each suspected the other of speaking ill of him and telling the teacher to avoid him. After a long time, the brothers happened to meet again in another monastery and shared the same room. They finally confessed and realized they had fallen victim to the teacher's scheme to drive them apart and take over the monastery. They returned to their original monastery, exposed his plot, and expelled him. After death, that teacher fell into Avici hell. Now, after leaving hell, he was suffering as that ghost. After telling this story, the Buddha exhorted: "Monks, a monk must be harmonious in thought, word, and deed." On that occasion, the Buddha spoke this verse.