（五）
(5)
昔有一比丘被擯，懊惱悲歎涕哭而行，道逢一鬼，此鬼犯法亦為毘沙門天王所擯。時鬼問比丘言：「汝有何事涕哭而行？」比丘答曰：「我犯僧事，眾僧所擯，一切檀越供養盡失，又惡名聲流布遠近，是故愁歎涕泣耳。」鬼語比丘言：「我能令汝滅惡名聲大得供養。汝可便立我左肩上，我當擔汝虛空中行，人但見汝而不見我身。汝若大得供養，當先與我。」彼鬼即時擔此比丘，於先被擯聚落上虛空中行。時聚落人見皆驚怪，謂其得道，轉相謂言：「眾僧無狀抂擯得道之人。」時聚落人皆詣此寺呵責眾僧，即迎此比丘住於寺內，遂大得供養。此比丘隨所得衣食諸物，輒先與鬼不違本要，此鬼異日復擔此比丘遊行空中。正值毘沙門天王官屬，鬼見司官甚大驚怖，捐棄比丘絕力而走，此比丘遂墮地而死，身首碎爛。此喻行者宜應自修所向，不應恃託豪勢，一旦傾覆，與彼無異也。
Once, there was a monk who had been expelled from his monastery. He was deeply upset, weeping and sighing as he walked along the road. On his way, he encountered a ghost. This ghost had also broken the rules and had been banished by Vaiśravaṇa, the Heavenly King.
The ghost asked the monk, "Why are you walking along crying and sighing like this?"
The monk replied, "I broke the monastic rules, and the community of monks expelled me. I've lost all the offerings from my supporters, and my bad reputation has spread far and wide. That's why I'm so sad and weeping."
The ghost said to the monk, "I can help you get rid of your bad reputation and win back plenty of offerings. Just stand on my left shoulder, and I'll carry you through the air. People will see only you, not me. If you get lots of offerings, you must share them with me first."
So the ghost lifted the monk onto his shoulder and carried him through the sky above the very village where the monk had been disgraced. When the villagers saw him, they were amazed and thought he had attained spiritual powers. They told each other, "The monks treated this man unjustly—they expelled a true sage!"
The villagers went straight to the monastery and reproached the monks. They welcomed the expelled monk back and housed him in the monastery, and he soon received abundant offerings.
As promised, the monk gave the ghost the first share of everything he received—whether food, clothing, or other gifts.
One day, the ghost again carried the monk through the air. But this time, they ran into the officers of Vaiśravaṇa, the Heavenly King. The ghost was terrified at the sight of the official, and in a panic, he dropped the monk and fled with all his might. The monk fell to the ground and died, his body and head shattered beyond recognition.
This story teaches that practitioners should rely on their own efforts and virtues, not on powerful connections or external support. For if that support collapses, they will meet the same fate as the monk in this tale.