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29. THE STORY OF THE CHAFF (3.4)[]
While the Teacher was dwelling at Savatthi, he told this story concerning four petas,
In a certain village not very far from Savatthi, a fraudulent merchant made his living with false measures and other dishonest methods, adulterating rice. His son and son's wife and his own wife were also evil as the verses tell. Reborn as petas in the Vindhya forest, their sufferings are here told.
Now the venerable Elder Monk Mahamoggallana, on a journey through the mountain, one day reached that place saw them and asked what deed had been committed by them:
1. "One eats the chaff of rice, and this woman eats the blood of her own flesh, while you eat filthy disgusting dung. Of what is this the result? "
In answer to the Elder's question, the wife of the fraudulent merchant thus explained the deeds that were committed by them all:
2. "This one in the past injured his mother but that man was a dishonest trader. This woman ate meat and deceived with a lying word.
3 . "When in human form among men, was a housewife, mistress of a whole family. From the righteous men I hid (my belongings) nor ever gave any of it. With a lie I made concealment, saying, 'There's none of this in my house; if I hide what's there, may dung be my food.'
4 . In consequence of both of this act and of my lying word, my meal of sweet-smelling rice turns into dung.
5. "Deeds are not barren; for an action perishes not. I both eat and drink excrement putrid with worms."
When the elder had heard the speech of this peti, he narrated the news to the Lord Buddha, who made this matter his theme.