Hungry Ghosts (Afflicted Spirits)

1.) The Skeleton

Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said.

‘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 let out 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 type of individual existence!’

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

Monks, there are disciples who reside having become vision, having become knowledge, in that a disciple can know, see, and witness such a sight. In the past, Monks, 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 discontentedness for a long time.

That being, Monks, used to be a cattle butcher in this same Rājagaha (old capital city of Magadha Kingdom). 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 (unwholesome) Kamma, as a residual result of that same (unwholesome) Kamma, he is experiencing such a type of individual existence.

2.) The Piece of Meat

… 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 let out cries of pain. …

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being, Monks, was a cattle butcher in this same Rājagaha….

3.) The Lump of Meat

… I saw a lump 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 let out cries of pain. …

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being was a poultry butcher in this same Rājagaha….

4.) The Flayed Man

… I saw a flayed man moving through the air. Vultures, crows, and hawks, following it in hot pursuit, were stabbing at it and tearing it apart as it let out cries of pain. …

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being was a sheep butcher in this same Rājagaha….

5.) Sword Hairs

… 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 let out cries of pain

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being was a hog butcher in this same Rājagaha….

6.) Spear Hairs

… 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 let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being was a deer hunter in this same Rājagaha….

7.) Arrow Hairs

… 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 let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being was a torturer in this same Rājagaha….

8.) Needle Hairs (1)

… 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 let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being was a horse trainer in this same Rājagaha….

9.) Needle Hairs (2)

… 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 let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being was a slanderer in this same Rājagaha….

10.) Pot Testicles

… 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 let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being was a corrupt magistrate in this same Rājagaha….

11.) With Head Submerged

… I saw a man with head submerged in a pit of dung….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being was an adulterer in this same Rājagaha….

12.) The Dung Eater

… I saw a man submerged in a pit of dung, eating dung with both hands….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being, Monks, was a hostile Brāhmin in this same Rājagaha. In the time of the Buddha Kassapa’s Dispensation, he invited the male ordained Community to a meal. Having had rice pots filled with dung, he said to the Monks: ‘Sirs, eat as much as you want from this and take the rest away with you’. 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 (unwholesome) Kamma, as a residual result of that same (unwholesome) Kamma, he is experiencing such a type of individual existence.

13.) The Flayed Woman

… I saw a flayed woman moving through the air. Vultures, crows, and hawks, following her in hot pursuit, were stabbing at her and tearing her apart while she let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That woman was an adulteress 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 (unwholesome) Kamma, as a residual result of that same (unwholesome) Kamma, she is experiencing such a type of individual existence.

14.) The Ugly Woman

… I saw a woman, foul‑smelling and ugly, moving through the air. Vultures, crows, and hawks, following her in hot pursuit, were stabbing at her and tearing her apart while she let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That woman was a fortune‑teller in this same Rājagaha….

15.) The Sweltering Woman

… I saw a woman, her body roasting, sweltering, sooty, moving through the air, while she let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That woman was the Chief Queen of the King of Kaliṅga. Of a jealous character, she poured a brazier of coals over one of the King’s consorts….

16.) The Headless Trunk

… I saw a headless trunk moving through the air; its eyes and mouth were on its chest. Vultures, crows, and hawks, following it in hot pursuit, were stabbing at it and tearing it apart while it let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That being was an executioner named Harika in this same Rājagaha….

17.) The Unwholesome Male Ordained Practitioner

… I saw a Monk moving through the air. His outer robe, bowl, waistband, and body were burning, blazing, and flaming while he let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That Monk had been an unwholesome Monk in the Buddha Kassapa’s Dispensation….

18.) The Unwholesome Female Ordained Practitioner

… I saw a female Ordained Practitioner moving through the air. Her outer robe, bowl, waistband, and body were burning, blazing, and flaming while she let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That female Ordained Practitioner had been an unwholesome female Ordained Practitioner in the Buddha Kassapa’s Dispensation….

19.) The Unwholesome Probationary Nun

… I saw a probationary nun moving through the air. Her outer robe, bowl, waistband, and body were burning, blazing, and flaming while she let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That probationary nun had been an unwholesome probationary nun in the Buddha Kassapa’s Dispensation….

20.) The Unwholesome Novice Monk

… I saw a novice Monk moving through the air. His outer robe, bowl, waistband, and body were burning, blazing, and flaming while he let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That novice Monk had been an unwholesome novice Monk in the Buddha Kassapa’s Dispensation….

21.) The Unwholesome Novice Nun

… I saw a novice nun moving through the air. Her outer robe, bowl, waistband, and body were burning, blazing, and flaming while she let out cries of pain….

Then The Perfectly Enlightened One addressed the Monks thus:

That novice nun had been an unwholesome novice nun in the Buddha Kassapa’s Dispensation….

(Reference: SN 19.1-19.21)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares multiple individuals who have been reborn in the realm of afflicted spirits. He provides a large variety of different types of individuals and their conduct that lead to rebirth in the realm of afflicted spirits.