---
title: "撰集百緣經 · 46 優多羅母墮餓鬼緣"
description: "撰集百缘经是三国时期吴国译经师支谦所译的一部佛教经典。该经收录于大正藏本缘部，主要记述佛陀及其弟子在过去世修行时种种善行因缘故事，通过百则寓言阐释因果业报、六道轮回等核心教义。其内容生动丰富，兼具文学与宗教价值，对研究汉传佛教早期本生类经典及因果思想发展具有重要地位，是了解佛教基础教义与传播历史的重要文献之一。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmczlw0my18x1jj04u1cm09i1"
---

### （四六）優多羅母墮餓鬼緣

> The Story of Uttara's Mother Falling into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

佛在王舍城迦蘭陀竹林。時彼國中，有一長者，財寶無量，不可稱計，選擇高門，娉以為婦，作倡伎樂，用娛樂之。其婦懷妊滿足十月，生一男兒，端政殊妙，世所希有，父母歡喜，因為立字，名優多羅。年漸長大，其父喪亡，兒自念言：「我先父以來，販買治生，用成家業，我今不宜學是法耶？然於佛法，甚懷信敬，今欲出家。」便前白母，求索出家。時母答曰：「汝父既喪，我今便無，唯汝一子。汝今云何，捨我出家？我今存在，終不聽汝出家入道；我亡沒後，隨汝意去。」爾時彼子，不果所願，心懷懊惱，即便語母：「若不聽我，今必投巖、飲毒而死。」時母答言：「莫作是語！汝今何故？必欲出家。從今以去，若欲請諸沙門婆羅門等，我當設供隨汝供養。」兒聞是語，用自安隱，請諸沙門及婆羅門，數數向家而供養之。時彼兒母，見諸道士數數來往，甚懷懊惱，生厭患心，便出惡言，罵諸沙門婆羅門等：「不欲生活，但仰百姓，甚可惡見。」於時其兒，不在家中，其母但以飲食漿水，灑散棄地。時兒行還，便語之言：「汝出去後，我設餚饍，請諸沙門及婆羅門，而供養之。」尋便將兒，示其棄飯漿水之處，「我適供養，尋即出去。」其兒聞已，甚用歡喜。於其後時，母便命終，墮餓鬼中。兒便出家，懃加精進，得阿羅漢果。在河岸邊窟中坐禪，有一餓鬼，其口乾燋，飢渴熱惱，來詣兒所，語比丘言：「我是汝母。」比丘怪言：「母生存時，常好布施，方今云何，返墮餓鬼，受斯報耶？」餓鬼答言：「以我慳貪，不能供養沙門婆羅門，以是之故，受餓鬼身，二十年中，未甞得食及以漿水。設我向河及以泉池，水為至竭，若向果樹，樹為乾枯。我今飢渴熱惱所逼，不可具陳。」比丘問言：「何緣致是？」餓鬼答言：「我雖布施，心常慳惜，於諸沙門婆羅門所，無恭敬心，橫加罵辱，今受是報。汝今若能為我設供，施佛及僧，為我懺悔，我必當得脫餓鬼身。」時兒比丘，聞是語已，甚懷憐愍，即便勸化，辦設餚饍，請佛及僧。供養訖竟，時彼餓鬼，即現其身在於會中，發露懺悔。爾時世尊為此餓鬼，種種說法，心懷慚愧，即於其夜，便就命終，更受身形，墮飛行餓鬼中，頂戴天冠，著諸瓔珞，莊嚴其身，來至比丘所，又復語言：「我故不脫餓鬼之身，汝更為我在所勸化，重設供養并諸床褥，施四方僧，乃可得脫餓鬼之身。」時兒比丘，聞是語已，復更勸化，辦具飲食并諸床褥，施四方僧。供養訖竟，於是餓鬼，復更現身在大眾前，尋更懺悔，即於其夜，取其命終，生忉利天，便作是念：「我造何福，得來生此？」尋自觀察，「緣兒比丘為於我故，設諸餚饍請佛及僧，免餓鬼身，得來生天，我今當還報佛世尊及比丘恩。」頂戴天冠，著諸瓔珞，莊嚴其身，齎持香花，來供養佛及兒比丘。供養已訖，却坐一面，聽佛說法，心開意解，得須陀洹果，遶佛三匝，還詣天宮。

> Thus have I heard: Once, the Buddha was staying in the Bamboo Grove of Kalanda, near the city of Rājagṛha. At that time, there lived a wealthy elder in the land, whose treasures and riches were immeasurable. He chose a woman from a noble family to be his wife and entertained her with music and festivities. In time, his wife became pregnant, and after ten full months gave birth to a son, handsome and extraordinary, rare in all the world. His parents were overjoyed and named him Uttara. As the boy grew older, his father passed away. Reflecting to himself, he thought: “Since my father’s time, we have made our living by trade and commerce to build this family fortune. Should I continue this same way? Yet I feel deep faith and reverence toward the Buddha’s teaching, and now I wish to leave home and become a monk.” So he went to his mother and asked permission to go forth into the monastic life. His mother replied: “Your father is gone; now I have no one but you, my only son. How can you abandon me and become a monk? As long as I live, I will never allow you to leave home and enter the path. Only after I die may you do as you please.” Hearing this, the son’s wish went unfulfilled, and he grew deeply distressed. He told his mother: “If you will not let me go, then I will throw myself off a cliff or take poison and die.” His mother answered: “Do not say such things! Why must you so insist on becoming a monk? From now on, if you wish to invite monks and brahmins, I will prepare offerings and let you support them as you like.” Hearing this, the son felt somewhat comforted. He began inviting monks and brahmins again and again to his home, providing them offerings. But his mother, seeing all these religious mendicants coming and going so frequently, became annoyed and resentful. She spoke harsh words, cursing the monks and brahmins: “You have no will to work for a living—you merely depend on ordinary people! You are detestable to behold!” At the time, her son was not at home. The mother simply scattered and poured out the food and drink offerings on the ground. When her son returned, she told him: “After you left, I prepared fine dishes and invited monks and brahmins to offer them.” Then she took her son to show him the leftover scraps and spilled gruel, saying, “I made the offerings just now, and then they left at once.” Hearing this, the son was very pleased. After some time, the mother passed away and was reborn as a hungry ghost. Her son then went forth as a monk. Diligently and earnestly cultivating, he attained the fruit of arhatship. Sitting in meditation in a cave by a riverbank, he saw a hungry ghost—her mouth parched and dry, tormented by hunger, thirst, and heat—approaching him. The ghost said to the monk: “I am your mother.” Astonished, the monk asked: “When you were alive, you were always fond of generosity. How, then, have you now fallen into the realm of hungry ghosts and received such suffering?” The hungry ghost replied: “Because of my stinginess, I refused to properly support monks and brahmins. For that reason I have received the body of a hungry ghost, and for twenty years I have not obtained even a single morsel of food or drop of drink. If I approach a river or a spring, the water dries up; if I approach fruit trees, they wither. My distress from hunger, thirst, and heat is beyond description.” The monk asked: “What deeds led to such a fate?” The ghost replied: “Though I gave offerings, in my heart I was always miserly. Toward the monks and brahmins I had no reverence and hurled abuse at them. So now I receive this retribution. If you can make offerings for me, honoring the Buddha and the Saṅgha, and repent on my behalf, I will surely be freed from this hungry ghost body.” Hearing this, the monk felt deep compassion. He then encouraged supporters to sponsor a fine meal, and invited the Buddha and the Saṅgha. After the offerings were completed, that hungry ghost appeared in person before the assembly and openly confessed her wrongdoings. Then the Blessed One taught the Dharma to that hungry ghost in many ways. Filled with shame and remorse, she died that very night and was reborn as a flying hungry ghost, wearing a heavenly crown, adorned with necklaces and ornaments. She came to the monk and said again: “I still have not escaped the hungry ghost state. Please again stir up supporters to prepare fresh offerings, along with bedding and mats, and give them to the monks of the four directions—only then can I be freed.” Hearing this, her son, the monk, once more inspired others to contribute and prepared food, drink, bedding, and mats to offer to monks throughout the four directions. When the offerings were completed, the hungry ghost again manifested before the assembly, repented again, and died that very night, to be reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Then she thought: “What meritorious deed did I do to be born here?” Reflecting, she realized: “It was because my son, the monk, made fine offerings to the Buddha and the Saṅgha on my behalf. This freed me from the hungry ghost body and led to my birth here. Now I must repay the kindness of the Blessed One and of my son, the monk.” So, adorning herself with a heavenly crown, necklaces, and ornaments, and carrying fragrant flowers, she came to make offerings to the Buddha and to her son, the monk. After presenting her offerings, she sat to one side and listened to the Buddha teach the Dharma. Her mind opened and she understood; she attained the fruit of stream-entry. Then she circumambulated the Buddha three times and returned to her heavenly palace.

佛說是優多羅緣時，諸比丘等，捨離慳貪，厭惡生死，有得須陀洹果者、斯陀含者、阿那含者、阿羅漢者，有發辟支佛心者，有發無上菩提心者。

> When the Buddha spoke of the causes and conditions of Uttara, the monks, abandoning greed and attachment, grew weary of the cycle of birth and death. Some attained the fruit of Stream-Enterer, some the fruit of Once-Returner, some the fruit of Non-Returner, and some the fruit of Arhatship. Some aroused the mind for Pratyekabuddhahood, and some stirred the aspiration for Supreme Enlightenment.

爾時諸比丘，聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。

> At that time, the monks, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and carried them out with devotion.