English
English version The woman then told the man, 'Do not stay here, you should leave quickly.' The man asked, 'For what reason, is something going to happen?' The woman replied, 'I have already told you, why do you ask again?' The man thought to himself, 'Before, the people of Shravasti, merely observing the four precepts of the Buddha, my spirit was still afraid of them to such an extent. Now I have taken refuge in the Three Jewels, observed the five precepts, and practiced the ten good deeds, my mind is not lax, what is there to fear!' So he stayed for the night. The man-eating ghost saw the majestic spirit protecting the precepts hovering beside him, and left the pavilion forty miles away, not returning for the night. The next day, the man continued on his way, and saw the bones of the people eaten by the ghost scattered in a mess. His hair stood on end, and he felt fear and regret. He retreated and thought to himself, 'In my own country, my family's clothing and food were very sufficient. I was deceived by this person in vain, saying that the Buddha is in Shravasti. I have not seen anything wonderful, but instead I have seen bones lying everywhere, and even more evil thoughts have arisen.' He thought it would be better to return to that woman, take her back to his homeland, and live together as before, wouldn't that be happy. He immediately returned to the pavilion, and then asked the woman to stay for the night again. The woman said to the man, 'Why have you come back?' He replied, 'The journey was not successful, so I came back, let me stay for one more night.' The woman said, 'You are doomed, my husband is a man-eating ghost, he will be back soon, you leave quickly.' This man did not believe her, so he stayed and did not leave, his mind became even more confused, and lustful thoughts arose again. He no longer believed in the merits of the Buddha's Three Refuges, the power of the five precepts, and the ten good deeds. The heavenly gods left, and no longer protected him. The ghost came back, and the woman was afraid that the ghost would eat this man, so she took pity on him and hid him in a jar. The ghost smelled the human scent and said to his wife, 'Did you get meat? I want to eat it.' The wife said, 'I did not go out, where would I get meat?' The wife asked the ghost, 'Why didn't you come back last night?' The ghost said, 'Because you let the honored guest stay, causing me to be driven away.' The man in the jar became even more terrified, and no longer remembered the meaning of the Three Refuges. The wife said, 'Why can't you get meat?' The ghost said, 'Precisely because you took in the Buddha's disciple, the heavenly gods drove me out.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
四十里外，露宿震怖，于今不安，故不得肉。”妇闻默喜，因问其夫：“佛戒云何悉所奉持？”鬼言：“我大饥极，急以肉来，不须问此，此是无上正真之戒，非吾所敢说也。”妇言：“为说之，我当与卿肉。” 鬼类贪残，欲食无止，妇迫问之，因便为说三自归、五重戒：一曰慈仁不杀；二曰清信不盗；三曰守贞不淫；四曰口无妄言；五曰孝顺不醉。鬼初说一戒时妇辄受之，五戒心执口诵，男子于瓮中识五戒，随受之。天帝释知此二人心自归佛，即选善神五十人，拥护两人，鬼遂走去。 到明日，妇问男子：“怖乎？”答曰：“大怖！蒙仁者恩，心悟识佛。”妇言男子：“昨何以回还？”答曰：“吾见新久死人骸骨，纵横恐畏，故屈还耳。”妇言：“骨是吾所弃者也，吾本良家之女，为鬼所掠，取吾作妻，悲穷无诉，今蒙仁恩，得闻佛戒，得离此鬼。”妇言：“贤者今欲到何所？”男子报言：“吾欲到舍卫国见佛。”妇曰：“善哉！吾置本国及父母，随贤者见佛。”便俱前行，逢四百九十八人，因相问讯：“诸贤者从何所来，欲到何所？”答曰：“吾等从佛所来。”问言：“卿等已得见佛，何为复去？”报言：“佛日说经，意中罔罔故尚不解，今还本国。” 两贤者具说本末，以鬼畏戒，高行之 现代汉语译本 ‘四十里外，露宿震怖，于今不安，故不得肉。’（我住在四十里外，露宿野外，心中震恐害怕，到现在还感到不安，所以没有得到肉。）”妇人听了，心里暗自高兴，于是问她的丈夫：“佛的戒律是什么？你都奉持哪些？”鬼回答说：“我非常饥饿，赶快把肉给我，不要问这些。这些是无上正真之戒，我不敢说。”妇人说：“你为我说说，我就给你肉。” 鬼这类东西贪婪残暴，想要吃东西没有止境。妇人逼迫他问，鬼于是就说了三自归（皈依佛、皈依法、皈依僧），五重戒（五戒）：第一是慈悲仁爱不杀生；第二是清净诚信不偷盗；第三是守护贞节不邪淫；第四是口里没有虚妄的言语；第五是孝顺父母不醉酒。鬼刚说第一条戒律时，妇人就接受了。五条戒律心中牢记，口中诵读，男子在瓮中听懂了五戒，也跟着接受了。天帝释（佛教护法神）知道这两个人心生皈依佛的念头，就挑选了五十个善神，拥护这两人，鬼就逃走了。 到了第二天，妇人问男子：“害怕吗？”男子回答说：“非常害怕！蒙受您的恩德，我心里领悟认识了佛。”妇人问男子：“昨天为什么返回？”男子回答说：“我看见新近和很久以前死人的骸骨，纵横交错，感到恐惧害怕，所以就返回了。”妇人说：“那些骨头是我丢弃的。我本来是良家女子，被鬼所掠，娶我为妻，悲伤穷困无处诉说，现在蒙受您的恩惠，得以听闻佛的戒律，得以离开这个鬼。”妇人问：“贤者现在想要到哪里去？”男子回答说：“我想要到舍卫国（古印度王国）去见佛。”妇人说：“太好了！我舍弃本国和父母，跟随贤者去见佛。”于是两人一同前行，遇到四百九十八人，互相问候：‘各位贤者从哪里来，想要到哪里去？’回答说：‘我们从佛那里来。’妇人问：‘你们已经得见佛了，为什么还要回去？’回答说：‘佛每天讲经，我们心中迷惘，所以还不理解，现在要回到本国。’ 两位贤者详细地说了事情的经过，说明鬼害怕戒律，品行高尚。
English
English version ‘Forty miles away, I slept in the open, terrified and uneasy, so I couldn't get any meat.’ The woman was secretly pleased to hear this, and asked her husband, ‘What are the Buddha's precepts that you uphold?’ The ghost replied, ‘I am extremely hungry, quickly bring me the meat, don't ask about these things. These are the supreme and truly correct precepts, I dare not speak of them.’ The woman said, ‘If you tell me about them, I will give you meat.’ Ghosts are greedy and cruel, their desire to eat is endless. The woman pressed him to ask, and the ghost then spoke of the Three Refuges (taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha) and the Five Precepts: first, compassion and kindness, not killing; second, purity and honesty, not stealing; third, guarding chastity, not committing adultery; fourth, no false speech; fifth, filial piety and no drunkenness. When the ghost first spoke of the first precept, the woman accepted it immediately. She kept the five precepts in her heart and recited them. The man in the jar understood the five precepts and accepted them as well. Sakra, Lord of the Devas (a Buddhist protector deity), knowing that these two had developed the intention to take refuge in the Buddha, selected fifty good spirits to protect them, and the ghost fled. The next day, the woman asked the man, ‘Are you afraid?’ The man replied, ‘Very afraid! Thanks to your kindness, my heart has awakened and recognized the Buddha.’ The woman asked the man, ‘Why did you return yesterday?’ The man replied, ‘I saw the bones of newly and long-dead people, scattered in disarray, and I was terrified, so I returned.’ The woman said, ‘Those bones were discarded by me. I was originally a woman from a good family, abducted by a ghost who took me as his wife. I was sad and impoverished with no one to turn to. Now, thanks to your kindness, I have heard the Buddha's precepts and can leave this ghost.’ The woman asked, ‘Where does the worthy one wish to go now?’ The man replied, ‘I wish to go to Shravasti (an ancient Indian kingdom) to see the Buddha.’ The woman said, ‘Excellent! I will abandon my homeland and parents and follow the worthy one to see the Buddha.’ So they went together and met four hundred and ninety-eight people, who greeted each other: ‘Where do you worthy ones come from, and where do you wish to go?’ They replied, ‘We come from the Buddha.’ The woman asked, ‘You have already seen the Buddha, why are you returning?’ They replied, ‘The Buddha preaches the sutras every day, but we are confused in our hearts and still do not understand, so we are returning to our homeland.’ The two worthy ones explained the whole story in detail, explaining that the ghost feared the precepts and that their conduct was noble. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 人，意乃开解，俱还见佛。
Chinese
佛遥见之，则笑，口中五色光出，阿难长跪：“佛不妄笑，将有所说。”佛语阿难：“汝见是四百九十八人还不？”对曰：“见之。”佛言：“此四百九十八人，今得其本师，来见佛者，皆当得道。”五百人至佛所前，为佛作礼，一心听经，心开意解，皆作沙门，得阿罗汉道。 佛言：“犯酒戒者，则是客舍主人，与此女人累世兄弟也；然此二人是四百九十八人前世之师也。世人求道，要当得其本师及其善友，尔乃解耳。” 佛说经竟，诸比丘皆大欢喜，前为佛作礼而去。 佛说戒消灾经一卷 现代汉语译本： 人，如果能够领悟其中的道理，最终都能见到佛。 佛远远地看见他们，就笑了，口中发出五色光芒。阿难（Ananda，佛陀的十大弟子之一）长跪说道：‘佛陀不会无缘无故地笑，将要有所说法。’佛告诉阿难：‘你看见这四百九十八人了吗？’阿难回答说：‘看见了。’佛说：‘这四百九十八人，如今找到了他们的本师（根本的老师），前来见佛，都应当能够得道。’这五百人来到佛陀面前，向佛行礼，一心听经，心意开解，都出家做了沙门（Shramana，佛教出家人的通称），证得了阿罗汉（Arhat，断尽烦恼，证得解脱的圣者）的果位。 佛说：‘犯酒戒的人，就是那家客舍的主人，与那个女人是累世的兄弟。然而这二人是四百九十八人前世的老师。世人求道，一定要找到他们的本师以及善友（良师益友），才能得到解脱。’ 佛说完这部经，众比丘（Bhiksu，佛教出家男众）都非常欢喜，上前向佛行礼后离去。 《佛说戒消灾经》一卷
English
English version: People, if they can understand the meaning, will eventually see the Buddha. The Buddha saw them from afar and smiled, and five-colored light emanated from his mouth. Ananda (one of the ten principal disciples of the Buddha) knelt down and said, 'The Buddha does not smile without a reason; he is about to say something.' The Buddha said to Ananda, 'Do you see these four hundred and ninety-eight people?' Ananda replied, 'I see them.' The Buddha said, 'These four hundred and ninety-eight people, now having found their original teacher (fundamental teacher), have come to see the Buddha, and all of them shall attain enlightenment.' The five hundred people came before the Buddha, paid homage to the Buddha, listened to the sutra with one mind, their minds opened and understood, and they all became Shramanas (Buddhist renunciates), attaining the state of Arhat (a perfected person who has attained nirvana). The Buddha said, 'The one who violates the precept against alcohol is the owner of that inn, and he and that woman are brothers in countless lifetimes. However, these two are the teachers of the four hundred and ninety-eight people in their previous lives. People seeking the Way must find their original teacher and good friends (beneficial companions) in order to be liberated.' After the Buddha finished speaking this sutra, all the Bhiksus (Buddhist monks) were very happy, stepped forward to pay homage to the Buddha, and departed. The Sutra on Eliminating Disasters through Precepts Spoken by the Buddha, one volume. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------