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貪惑為罪。是人罪畢。遇畜成形。名為魅鬼。
「貪惑為罪」：惑，就是誑惑，打妄語，講大話造的罪業，墮無間地獄。「是人罪畢」：等地獄罪滿了。「遇畜成形，名為魅鬼」：就是遇畜生——或者狐狸精啦，或者黃鼠狼啊，或者貓狗啊，這都有精怪的。我見著過這個貓，有一個鬼附到身上。喔！牠的本事可大了。這麼在地下一跳，就可以跳起來十幾尺高，跳到房頂上去；從房頂上又跳下來，來回跳，又呱呱叫，這樣子。我都見過的。
狐狸，本來是一種畜生，但是牠的靈魂可以出來，跑到人身上去。藉著這個人身，牠就會講話，這是狐狸精。黃鼠狼也會這個樣子，牠把牠自己這個靈魂出去了，附到人身上，也會講話的。這種怪類現象多得很。
所以這魅，就是迷魅，把人迷住了。牠一到人的身體上，人的這個心就被牠給迷住了，什麼也不知道了，好像睡著了似的，所以這叫魅鬼。
貪恨為罪。是人罪畢。遇蟲成形。名蠱毒鬼。
「貪恨為罪」：恨就是瞋恨，貪這個瞋恨。這十個鬼，每一個鬼都有一個貪字。它都是由這個貪而造成的這個鬼的身。貪恨，貪這個瞋恨；瞋恨哪，就無緣無故加罪於人，造這一種的瞋恨的罪業，墮落無間地獄。等這無間地獄罪了了的時候，「是人罪畢」。「遇蟲成形，名蠱毒鬼」：遇蟲，他無論遇著什麼蟲，這一種的鬼在廣東——中國的廣東也有這種的蠱——這叫蠱。說，「給他中蠱了」。蠱，這是一種蟲子做的藥。這種藥品放到茶裡，你喝了之後，你永遠就要聽他的招呼；如果不聽他招呼，你就會死的，這叫中蠱。你要想解除這個蠱毒，一定要給你放蠱的這個人，才可以解除。但是你想叫他解除，他不會解除的。
在南洋一帶，在新加坡、泰國這些個地方都有；在越南，也都有這蠱毒。這蠱毒，也是有一種鬼；這種鬼就專門做這個蠱毒。它很靈的，非常之靈。如果中了蠱，一定要它給一種咒，念這種解蠱的咒，你就沒有事了。如果不念呢，啊！那就不得了了，那你就永遠都要服從它的。
最好笑的就是南洋那一些個女人，或者這個廣東啊，有一些個外江的人到那邊去，她歡喜這個男子了，就和他結婚。結婚之後，她就給這個男子下蠱；下上蠱，這個男子如果要離開她就會死的，所以這個男子永遠也不會離開她的。
在中國有這些個法術的，有很多人；不過這都是屬於邪術的。
貪憶為罪。是人罪畢。遇衰成形。名為癘鬼。
「貪憶為罪」：這就是怨恨；怨恨，他就常常想著這種怨恨。總想這種怨恨，於是乎就想要報復；想報復，於是乎就會造罪業。這造了罪業，就墮落無間地獄。「是人罪畢」：等這個罪業圓滿了，沒有了，那麼他這個有罪的人得到自由了。可是得到自由了，他「遇衰成形」：遇這個衰——衰，就是或者遇著這個人沒有運氣，或者遇著無論任何的畜生，老衰了——他就借牠這個形相，就變成一個癘鬼。癘鬼有的時候藉這個衰成形，有的時候也是你這個人運敗時衰了，沒有運氣了，就遇著這種癘鬼。
癘鬼，非常厲害的。他可以隨時都取人的生命；他要人的生命，就好像探囊取物，在他自己袋裡往外拿東西一樣，隨時都可以把人生命害死的，所以這叫癘鬼，非常厲害的。
貪傲為罪。是人罪畢。遇氣成形。名為餓鬼。
「貪傲為罪」：傲，做就是傲慢，自己總很驕傲的。所以人對人不要有驕傲心，不要有這一種傲慢，傲漫人，對人一點禮貌沒有；見著人也不睬，一點禮貌也沒有。
在中國的三國（演義）上，有一個狂士；這個狂士就去見曹操去——中國有一個曹操。曹操預先就對大家講，說：「等他來了，我們誰也不出聲，誰也不睬他，看他能講個什麼？」這個狂士叫什麼名字呢？叫左慈。他來見這個曹操。曹操這兒有幾十人，大家都不起坐，好像沒看見他來似的。你說這個人怎麼樣？這個人就哭起來了。曹操問他說：「你哭什麼啊？」他說：「我見著這麼一幫死人，我怎麼不會哭呢？這一些個人，不都死人了嘛！所以也不會講話，也不會動彈了！這都是死人嘛！」所以把曹操罵得也不敢怎麼樣子他了。曹操那時候最有勢力，有生殺之權，所以對這個左慈就不禮貌。這就是一種慢——傲慢，驕傲。
人一驕傲，也會造罪的。造罪墮無間地獄之後，這個罪業了了。則「過氣成形」：他遇著這一股氣——無論什麼氣，他會成一個形。這個形叫什麼呢？「名為餓鬼」：叫餓鬼；他成一個餓鬼形。怎麼樣叫餓鬼呢？餓鬼就是沒有東西吃。他咽喉細如針鋒，肚大如鼓。不是有個甕形鬼？那個肚子比大缸都大，比大甕都大，可是咽喉最細的，所以也吃不著東西，這叫餓鬼。你說，要是看見這麼一個鬼，是不是很醜怪的？是不是很很難看的？這是餓鬼。
待續
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Sutra:
If it was greed for deception that made the person commit offenses, then, after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters an animal, and he is called a mei ghost.
Commentary:
If it was greed for deception that made the person commit offenses, then, after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters an animal, and he is called a
mei ghost. Deception refers to the karma of telling lies which causes one to fall into the unintermittent hells. This kind of ghost takes its shape when it encounters an animal—perhaps a fox spirit or a weasel, or even a cat or a dog. It's possible for animals to have these weird essences attached to them. I've seen a cat that was possessed by a ghost. It could perform some great stunts. It could jump more than ten feet in the air and land on the top of the house. Then it would leap off the house and land on the ground; it would go through this routine over and over. It also howled and wailed. A fox that is possessed in this way can in turn possess a person. Although it's an animal, it can send out its soul and enter a person, and talk through him or her. A weasel can also do this. It sends out its spirit and possesses someone. Then it can speak through the person it has possessed. There are a lot of these strange manifestations. This is called the
mei ghost. When it possesses a person, the person's mind becomes totally confused by it, and he loses his sense of awareness. It's as if he were asleep.
Sutra:
If it was greed for hatred that made the person commit offenses, then, after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters worms, and he is called a gu poison ghost.
Commentary:
If it was greed for hatred that made the person commit offenses, then, after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters worms. All ten of these ghosts are described in terms of their greed. Ultimately, it is greed that creates their forms as ghosts. This one was greedy for hatred. Full of hatred, he would attack people without reason, and so he committed offenses involving hatred. That caused him to fall into the unintermittent hell. When he finishes working out his punishments in the hells, he becomes a ghost, and he takes shape when he encounters worms.
He is called a gu poison ghost. This
gu poison is found in Canton Province in China. People use it to put hexes on other people. They take the
gu poison from these worms and make it into a medicine. If they slip a pill of this medicine into your tea, then, ever after that you must obey their every instruction. If you don't you'll die. That's to contract
gu poisoning. In the Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and so forth,
gu poisoning is common. There is a ghost behind such poisoning—it is his specialty. His potions are extremely potent.
The only way to undo such a hex is for the person who put it on you to recite a mantra designed to release you from it. But if he won't do that, then you're in real trouble. You are forever in his control. One amusing use of it is by the southern women who hex the northern men from Canton Province to whom they take a fancy. After they marry, the wife puts a hex on her northern husband so that if he ever gets the idea in his head to leave her, he will die. So those northern men are very faithful to their southern wives. A lot of people have this trick played on them. But you should be clear that this is a deviant trick.
Sutra:
If it was greed for animosity that made the person commit offenses, then, after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters degeneration, and he is called a pestilence ghost.
Commentary:
If it was greed for animosity that made the person commit offenses, then, after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters degeneration. "Animosity" means that he's always thinking about things that happened in the past and remembering them with resentment. Because he's always wanting to get even, he commits offenses. From these crimes, he is forced to fall into the unintermittent hells. After the offenses are paid for and disappear, the criminal is free. But his freedom is such that when he encounters degeneration he takes shape. It may be a debilitated person or any kind of animal that is feeble and old. He borrows the physical forms of such beings and become "a pestilence ghost."
Sometimes, rather than taking over a person who is debilitated, he possesses a person who then becomes debilitated. This kind of ghost is terrible and fierce. It can wipe out a human life as easily as it can pull something out of its pocket.
Sutra:
If it was greed to be arrogant that made the person commit offenses, then after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters gases, and he is called a hungry ghost.
Commentary:
If it was greed to be arrogant that make the person commit offenses, then after he has finished paying for his crimes, he takes shape when he encounters gases. He was a really haughty individual. Therefore, people should not look down on others. People should not be haughty and self-satisfied, or be totally lacking in courtesy towards others. A person like this doesn't even acknowledge others when he encounters them—he's downright rude.
During the Three Kingdoms Period in China, there was a cocky Taoist named Zuo Ci who went to see General Cao Cao. Cao Cao prepared everyone in advance of the visit, saying that when the Taoist walked in, no one should look at him. When the Taoist arrived for his appointment with Cao Cao, none of the several dozen attendants who surrounded the General stood up. It was just as if they hadn't even noticed that he had come in. So what do you suppose Zuo Ci did? He started to cry. Cao Cao asked. "What are you crying about?"
He replied, "How could you expect me not to weep when I encounter a whole group of dead people? They are all dead, aren't they? That's why they can't speak or move, isn't it?"
After that scolding, Cao Cao was at a loss. This happened at the time when Cao Cao was in his greatest days of power. That's why he was rude to Zuo Ci. And what he displayed was the kind of arrogance being discussed here.
A person who is arrogant will commit offenses, and after his term in the unintermittent hells, he will take shape when he encounters gases. The kind of gas doesn't matter—any kind will do for him to use to make his appearance. This kind of ghost
is called a hungry ghost. "Hungry ghosts" are just what their name implies—ghosts that don't have anything to eat. Their necks are as skinny as needles, and their bellies are as big as barrels. Since their throats are so thin, they can't swallow any food. If you were to see such a ghost, wouldn't you consider it ugly?
To be continued
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