Chinese
难悉知一切人意，长跪叉手，白佛言：“佛天中天！佛至尊至重，天上天下最尊，一切众生见此火者，无不恐怖。此何等火？愿佛为一切众生，说此何等之火。” 佛语阿难：“此今饿鬼，先世不逢佛，亦不闻法，亦不见比丘僧，亦不知世间有罪福，生为饿鬼。”如今见佛，奔趣归向，皆为头面着地，长跪叉手，白佛言：“佛天中天！至尊至重，天上天下怜愍一切众生、蠉飞、蠕动有形之类，佛为一切众生之父母。使我堕饿鬼，佛度我，我亦如一切众生之类。” 佛亦知饿鬼先世所种，佛为一切众生故，问饿鬼：“前世所种行，今为饿鬼？”饿鬼曰：“先身虽见佛，不知有佛；虽见法，不知有法；虽见比丘僧，不知有比丘僧。我亦不作福，教他人亦不作福，作福有何等福？不作福有何种罪？见人作福，言恒笑之。见人作罪，意常欢喜。” 佛问饿鬼：“生此饿鬼之中以来，至今更历几百年岁？”饿鬼报言：“我生中七万岁。” 佛问饿鬼：“生中七万岁，食饮何种？为得何食？”饿鬼报言：“我先世种行至恶，遇值小水，即化不见。至于大水，便为鬼神、龙、罗刹所逐，言：‘汝先世种恶，今何以来近此江海？’虽值大龙普天放雨，谓呼得雨渍其身，方便砾石热沙，或值炭火以堕其身。” 现代汉语译本： 难悉知一切人的心意，（饿鬼）长跪合掌，禀告佛说：‘佛啊，天中之天！（对佛的尊称）佛是至尊至重的，天上天下最为尊贵，一切众生见到这种火焰，没有不感到恐怖的。这是什么火？希望佛为一切众生，解说这是什么火。’ 佛告诉阿难（Ananda）：‘这些是饿鬼，前世没有遇到佛，也没有听闻佛法，也没有见到比丘僧（bhiksu-samgha，出家僧团），也不知道世间有罪有福，所以才转生为饿鬼。’如今见到佛，奔跑前来归向，都以头面触地，长跪合掌，禀告佛说：‘佛啊，天中之天！至尊至重，天上天下怜悯一切众生、蠉飞蠕动有形之物，佛是一切众生的父母。我堕落为饿鬼，希望佛能救度我，我也像一切众生一样。’ 佛也知道饿鬼前世所种下的因，佛为了所有众生的缘故，问饿鬼：‘前世种下什么行为，今生才成为饿鬼？’饿鬼说：‘前世虽然见到佛，却不知道有佛；虽然见到法，却不知道有法；虽然见到比丘僧，却不知道有比丘僧。我也不做善事，教他人也不做善事，（我以为）做善事有什么福报？不做善事有什么罪过？见到别人做善事，常常嘲笑他们。见到别人作恶，心里常常欢喜。’ 佛问饿鬼：‘自从转生到这饿鬼道中以来，至今已经过了多少百年？’饿鬼回答说：‘我生于此已经七万岁了。’ 佛问饿鬼：‘在这七万年中，你吃喝什么？能得到什么食物？’饿鬼回答说：‘我前世种下的行为极其恶劣，遇到小水，立刻化为乌有。遇到大水，便被鬼神、龙（naga）、罗刹（raksasa）驱赶，说：“你前世种下恶因，如今为何靠近这江海？”即使遇到大龙在普天降雨，也无法得到雨水滋润身体，只能遇到砾石热沙，或者炭火落在身上。’
English
English version: Difficult to fully know the minds of all people, (the hungry ghost) knelt with palms together, and said to the Buddha: 'Buddha, the Buddha among heavens! (a respectful title for the Buddha) The Buddha is the most supreme and revered, the most honored in heaven and earth. All beings who see this fire cannot help but be terrified. What kind of fire is this? May the Buddha explain to all beings what kind of fire this is.' The Buddha said to Ananda: 'These are hungry ghosts who, in their previous lives, did not encounter the Buddha, nor did they hear the Dharma, nor did they see the bhiksu-samgha (community of monks), nor did they know that there were merits and demerits in the world, and therefore were reborn as hungry ghosts.' Now, seeing the Buddha, they run and turn to him, prostrating with their heads to the ground, kneeling with palms together, and saying to the Buddha: 'Buddha, the Buddha among heavens! The most supreme and revered, in heaven and earth, have compassion for all beings, including all creatures that crawl and wriggle. The Buddha is the parent of all beings. I have fallen into the realm of hungry ghosts, may the Buddha deliver me, and may I be like all other beings.' The Buddha also knew the causes planted by the hungry ghosts in their previous lives. For the sake of all beings, the Buddha asked the hungry ghost: 'What actions did you plant in your previous life that have caused you to become a hungry ghost in this life?' The hungry ghost said: 'In my previous life, although I saw the Buddha, I did not know there was a Buddha; although I saw the Dharma, I did not know there was a Dharma; although I saw the bhiksu-samgha, I did not know there was a bhiksu-samgha. I also did not do good deeds, nor did I teach others to do good deeds. (I thought) What merit is there in doing good deeds? What demerit is there in not doing good deeds? When I saw others doing good deeds, I often laughed at them. When I saw others doing evil, my heart was often filled with joy.' The Buddha asked the hungry ghost: 'Since being reborn into this realm of hungry ghosts, how many hundreds of years have passed?' The hungry ghost replied: 'I have been born here for seventy thousand years.' The Buddha asked the hungry ghost: 'In these seventy thousand years, what do you eat and drink? What food can you obtain?' The hungry ghost replied: 'The actions I planted in my previous life were extremely evil. When I encounter a small amount of water, it immediately vanishes. When I encounter a large amount of water, I am chased away by ghosts, gods, nagas (dragons), and raksasas (demons), who say: "You planted evil causes in your previous life, why do you now approach this river and sea?" Even if the great nagas send down rain across the sky, I cannot obtain rain to moisten my body, but only encounter gravel, hot sand, or burning coals falling upon me.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
佛问饿鬼：“生中七万岁，由来饮食何等？”饿鬼报佛言：“或有世间父母、亲里，称其名字，为作追福者，便小得食；不作福者，不得饮食。”诸饿鬼叉手白佛言：“从来饥渴。佛天中天慈愍一切众生，今赐饿鬼小饮食。” 佛语阿难：“捉钵取水，用布施饿鬼。”阿难便捉钵取水，与饿鬼。 饿鬼白佛言：“今此一钵水，不饱一人，况乃八万四千！” 佛语诸饿鬼：“八万四千捉此钵水，至心布施佛及诸弟子。”诸八万四千饿鬼捉此钵水，长跪布施：“以我先世不布施，今生饿鬼中。如今无所有，持此钵水，布施佛及诸弟子，使诸饿鬼缘此功德远离三恶道，后所生得师如佛无异。”饿鬼过水与阿难，阿难捉水与佛尝一口，过与千二百五十弟子各尝一口。 佛语诸饿鬼：“入大江饮水，并可洗浴。”江海龙、鬼神遮不得洗浴、饮水。佛语海龙王及诸鬼神：“无极之水，何以爱惜？”诸龙、鬼神言：“不惜此水，以饿鬼不净故。”佛语海龙王、鬼神：“卿身自从无数劫以来，亦作此身，爱惜无极之水，卿后还作此身，以悭贪故，生为饿鬼。”诸海龙王、鬼神闻佛言，尽还入海，听诸饿鬼尽得饮水饱满、洗浴。还出，绕佛三匝，为佛作礼，叉手白佛言：“佛天中天！知当来过去，何时当 现代汉语译本 佛陀问饿鬼：‘你们出生以来已经七万岁了，一直以来都吃些什么？’饿鬼回答佛陀说：‘有时世间的父母、亲戚，称念我们的名字，为我们做追福的事情，我们就能稍微得到一些食物；不做这些善事，就得不到饮食。’众饿鬼合掌对佛陀说：‘我们一直以来都饥渴难耐。佛陀是天中之天，慈悲怜悯一切众生，现在请赐予饿鬼们一些饮食。’ 佛陀告诉阿难：‘拿着钵取水，用来布施给饿鬼。’阿难便拿着钵取水，给予饿鬼。 饿鬼对佛陀说：‘现在这一钵水，连一个人都不能饱，更何况是八万四千个饿鬼！’ 佛陀告诉众饿鬼：‘八万四千个饿鬼拿着这钵水，以至诚的心布施给佛陀以及各位弟子。’这八万四千个饿鬼拿着这钵水，长跪着布施：‘因为我前世不布施，今生才堕入饿鬼道中。如今我一无所有，拿着这钵水，布施给佛陀以及各位弟子，愿各位饿鬼凭借这个功德远离三恶道，将来所出生的老师如同佛陀一样没有差别。’饿鬼将水递给阿难，阿难接过水给佛陀尝了一口，然后分给一千二百五十位弟子每人尝了一口。 佛陀告诉众饿鬼：‘进入大江中饮水，并且可以洗浴。’江海中的龙、鬼神不能阻止你们洗浴、饮水。佛陀告诉海龙王以及各位鬼神：‘无尽的水，为什么要吝惜呢？’众龙、鬼神说：‘不是吝惜这些水，而是因为饿鬼不干净。’佛陀告诉海龙王、鬼神：‘你们自身从无数劫以来，也曾做过这样的身体，吝惜无尽的水，你们以后还会做这样的身体，因为悭吝贪婪的缘故，转生为饿鬼。’众海龙王、鬼神听了佛陀的话，都回到海中，听任众饿鬼尽情地饮水饱满、洗浴。之后，饿鬼们出来，绕佛三圈，向佛陀作礼，合掌对佛陀说：‘佛陀是天中之天！知道未来和过去，什么时候才能……’
English
English version The Buddha asked the hungry ghosts: 'For seventy thousand years since your birth, what have you been eating?' The hungry ghosts replied to the Buddha: 'Sometimes, when worldly parents and relatives call out our names and perform meritorious deeds for us, we can get a little food; if they don't perform meritorious deeds, we cannot get any food.' All the hungry ghosts, with their palms together, said to the Buddha: 'We have always been hungry and thirsty. The Buddha, the most honored among gods, is compassionate to all sentient beings. Please grant us hungry ghosts a little food and drink now.' The Buddha said to Ānanda (a principal disciple of the Buddha): 'Take your bowl and fetch water to give to the hungry ghosts.' Ānanda then took his bowl, fetched water, and gave it to the hungry ghosts. The hungry ghosts said to the Buddha: 'This one bowl of water is not enough to satisfy even one person, let alone eighty-four thousand!' The Buddha said to the hungry ghosts: 'Let eighty-four thousand of you take this bowl of water and, with sincere hearts, offer it to the Buddha and all the disciples.' These eighty-four thousand hungry ghosts took the bowl of water, knelt down, and made the offering: 'Because we did not give alms in our past lives, we are now reborn as hungry ghosts. Now that we have nothing, we offer this bowl of water to the Buddha and all the disciples, so that all hungry ghosts, through this merit, may be far away from the three evil realms, and the teachers we encounter in future lives will be no different from the Buddha.' The hungry ghosts passed the water to Ānanda, who took the water and gave the Buddha a sip, and then passed it on to the one thousand two hundred and fifty disciples, each of whom took a sip. The Buddha said to the hungry ghosts: 'Enter the great river to drink water and bathe.' The nāgas (serpent deities), ghosts, and spirits of the rivers and seas cannot prevent you from bathing and drinking. The Buddha said to the nāga king and all the ghosts and spirits: 'Why be stingy with limitless water?' The nāgas, ghosts, and spirits said: 'It is not that we are stingy with the water, but because the hungry ghosts are unclean.' The Buddha said to the nāga king and the ghosts and spirits: 'You yourselves, from countless kalpas (eons) ago, have also taken on such bodies, being stingy with limitless water. You will still take on such bodies in the future, and because of stinginess and greed, you will be reborn as hungry ghosts.' All the nāga kings and spirits, hearing the Buddha's words, returned to the sea, allowing all the hungry ghosts to drink their fill and bathe. Afterwards, they came out, circled the Buddha three times, paid homage to the Buddha, and, with their palms together, said to the Buddha: 'Buddha, the most honored among gods! Knowing the future and the past, when will we...' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
脱此饿鬼之身？”佛言：“以一钵水故，后当弥勒佛出世，人寿八万四千岁，现诸饿鬼尽得人身，皆得阿罗汉道；其诸众会，闻此布施功德者，皆得正真道意。”诸一切饿鬼绕佛三匝，作礼而去。 维耶离国诸王、大臣、长者、居士、国人无数，五体作礼，自投佛足，归命三宝，香花伎乐，缯盖幢幡，奉迎世尊华遍覆地，寻路供养，日日不绝，至于国城。佛与圣众、天、龙、鬼神往于城门，以金色臂德相之手，触城门阃，以梵清净八种之声，而说偈言： “诸有众生类， 在土界中者， 行住于地上， 及虚空中者， 慈爱于众生， 令各安休息， 昼夜勤专精， 奉行众善法。” 说此偈已，地即为之六返大动，佛便入城。空中鬼神，升空退散；地行鬼神，争门竞出，城门不容，各各奔突，崩城而出。于时城中，诸有不净，厕秽臭恶，下沉入地，高卑相从，沟坑皆平。盲视聋听，哑语躄行，狂者得正，病者除愈。象马牛畜，悲鸣相和，箜篌乐器，不鼓自鸣，宫商调和。妇女珠环，相𢾊妙响，器物𤬪罂，自然有声，柔软和畅，妙法之音。地中伏藏，自然发出。一切众生如遭热渴得清凉水，服饮澡浴泰然稣息；举城众病，除愈解脱，亦复如是。 佛与大众便还出城，垂大慈哀，欲为 现代汉语译本 ‘如何才能脱离这饿鬼之身？’佛说：‘因为一钵水的缘故，将来弥勒佛（Maitreya Buddha）出世时，人们的寿命有八万四千岁，那时所有的饿鬼都能得到人身，并且都能证得阿罗汉（Arhat）的果位；那些听闻这次布施功德的众会，都能得到真正的觉悟。’所有饿鬼都绕佛三圈，行礼后离去。 维耶离国（Vaisali）的各位国王、大臣、长者、居士以及无数百姓，五体投地，将身体投向佛的脚下，归依三宝（Triratna），用香花伎乐、缯盖幢幡，迎接世尊（Lokajyestha），用鲜花遍布地面，沿着道路供养，日日不断，直到国都。佛与圣众、天、龙、鬼神来到城门，用具有金色臂德相的手，触摸城门的门槛，用梵天清净的八种声音，说了这首偈语： ‘所有众生种类， 在这土地世界中的， 行走居住在地上， 以及虚空中的， 慈爱一切众生， 让他们各自安息， 日夜勤奋专精， 奉行各种善法。’ 说完这首偈语后，大地因此六次震动，佛便进入城中。空中的鬼神，升空退散；地上的鬼神，争先恐后地从城门涌出，城门容纳不下，各自奔突，冲破城墙而出。当时城中所有不干净的东西，厕所污秽臭气，都下沉到地底，高低不平的地方变得平坦，沟壑都填平了。瞎子能看见，聋子能听见，哑巴能说话，跛子能行走，疯癫的人恢复正常，生病的人痊愈。大象、马、牛等牲畜，发出悲鸣的声音相互应和，箜篌等乐器，不用敲打自己发出声音，宫商等音调和谐。妇女的珠环，相互碰撞发出美妙的响声，器物瓦罐，自然发出声音，柔和流畅，是美妙佛法的声音。地中的伏藏，自然涌现出来。一切众生如同遭遇炎热干渴得到清凉的水，饮用洗浴后泰然苏醒休息；全城百姓的疾病，都痊愈解脱，也是如此。 佛与大众便返回城外，垂怜大慈悲，想要