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Maudgalyāyana frequently traveled not only to the Buddha Realms but also used His supernatural powers to visit the hell realms, observing the consequences of beings’ good and bad actions. One day, Maudgalyāyana was walking along the banks of the Ganges River. As the evening sky darkened, He decided to stop and sat quietly on the riverbank. Later, many hungry ghosts gathered near the river, hoping to drink water to quench their hunger and thirst. However, a fierce guardian ghost wielding an iron rod appeared, driving them away. Maudgalyāyana sat calmly, observing the different punishments they endured, and called them over. The hungry ghosts approached and began asking Him about the causes of their suffering. The first ghost asked: “Venerable One! In our previous lives, we were humans, but now we have fallen into this miserable existence as hungry ghosts, constantly suffering from hunger and thirst. We’ve heard that the water of the Ganges is cool and refreshing, yet whenever we attempt to drink it, it turns boiling hot. If we take even a sip, it burns our insides, and the guardian ghost strikes us with an iron rod, driving us away. Venerable One, what deeds did we commit to deserve such suffering?” Maudgalyāyana, using His supernatural insight into the past, present, and future, replied: “In a past life, as a fortune teller, you spoke more lies than truth; you gave praise or criticism based on whims, pretending to know, deceiving people for personal gain. This is why you now face this karmic retribution.” The second ghost asked: “Venerable One! I am constantly attacked by fierce beasts that devour my body. After they eat all my flesh, the wind blows over my bones, and my body regenerates, only for the beasts to attack me again. What did I do in my past life to deserve such a dreadful punishment?” Maudgalyāyana replied: “In your past life, you slaughtered innocent chicken-, duck-, pig-, and sheep-people as sacrifices. As a result, you now endure this punishment.” The fourth ghost then stepped forward and asked: “Venerable One! My body is covered with mouths, and blood constantly gushes up from below, making my head swell as large as a bucket. My veins are on the verge of bursting, and my life hangs by a thread. What caused me to suffer this punishment?” Maudgalyāyana replied: “In your past life, you spread gossip and caused harm with your words, you never spoke to benefit others, but only to create suffering. Now, you face the consequences of those actions.” During a conference in 2011, our Most Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) mentioned that Maudgalyāyana discovered His deceased mother was residing in the realm of hungry ghosts. The Jataka Tales primarily recount the previous lives of Shakyamuni Buddha, revealing His various past relationships, including those with His disciples. Notably, His interactions with Maudgalyāyana span 31 lifetimes. In nearly all these accounts, Śāriputra was also present, appearing as a friend, brother, minister, son, or disciple. Although Maudgalyāyana’s liberation would be attained through the Buddha, the karmic debts from a past life were yet to be paid, when He had brutally murdered His own parents. Thus, the cause of His death in this life would also be violent and callous. Attacked in His hut, Maudgalyāyana’s 84-year-old body was almost completely broken; however, He maintained His inner serenity. He dragged His mangled frame in front of the feet of His Beloved Master before His Mahasamadhi, when He consciously decided to leave His physical body. This occurred just six months before the Mahaparinirvana of “World-Honored One,” Shakyamuni Buddha. In the Lotus Sutra, the Worshipped Shakyamuni Buddha predicts that Maudgalyāyana would attain Buddhahood in the distant future, after countless kalpas (eons), and His Buddha name will be “Tamarawood Sandalwood.”
