The Buddha confirms Venerable Mahāmoggallāna's clairvoyant vision of a novice nun suffering in a ghostly incarnation for past unethical conduct in Rājagaha, illustrating the inescapable results of unwholesome kamma.

SN 19.21 A Bad Novice Nun

“Idhāhaṁ, āvuso, gijjhakūṭā pabbatā orohanto addasaṁ sāmaṇeriṁ vehāsaṁ gacchantiṁ. Tassā saṅghāṭipi ādittā sampajjalitā sajotibhūtā, pattopi āditto sampajjalito sajotibhūto, kāyabandhanampi ādittaṁ sampajjalitaṁ sajotibhūtaṁ, kāyopi āditto sampajjalito sajotibhūto. sudaṁ aṭṭassaraṁ karoti. Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi: ‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. Evarūpopi nāma satto bhavissati. Evarūpopi nāma yakkho bhavissati. Evarūpopi nāma attabhāvapaṭilābho bhavissatī’”ti.

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

“cakkhubhūtā vata, bhikkhave, sāvakā viharanti; ñāṇabhūtā vata, bhikkhave, sāvakā viharanti, yatra hi nāma sāvako evarūpaṁ ñassati dakkhati sakkhiṁ karissati.

Pubbeva me sā, bhikkhave, sāmaṇerī diṭṭhā ahosi. Api cāhaṁ na byākāsiṁ. Ahañcetaṁ byākareyyaṁ, pare ca me na saddaheyyuṁ. Ye me na saddaheyyuṁ, tesaṁ taṁ assa dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya.

Esā, bhikkhave, sāmaṇerī kassapassa sammāsambuddhassa pāvacane pāpasāmaṇerī ahosi. tassa kammassa vipākena bahūni vassāni bahūni vassasatāni bahūni vassasahassāni bahūni vassasatasahassāni niraye paccitvā tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena evarūpaṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhaṁ paṭisaṁvedayatī”ti.

Ekādasamaṁ.

Dutiyo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Kūpe nimuggo hi so pāradāriko,
Gūthakhādi ahu duṭṭhabrāhmaṇo;
Nicchavitthi aticārinī ahu,
Maṅgulitthi ahu ikkhaṇitthikā;
Okilini sapattaṅgārokiri,
Sīsacchinno ahu coraghātako.

Bhikkhu bhikkhunī sikkhamānā,
Sāmaṇero atha sāmaṇerikā;
Kassapassa vinayasmiṁ pabbajjaṁ,
Pāpakammaṁ kariṁsu tāvadeti.

Lakkhaṇasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

“Idhāhaṁ, āvuso, gijjhakūṭā pabbatā orohanto addasaṁ sāmaṇeriṁ vehāsaṁ gacchantiṁ.

“Just now, reverend, as I was descending from Vulture’s Peak Mountain I saw a novice nun flying through the air.

Tassā saṅghāṭipi ādittā sampajjalitā sajotibhūtā, pattopi āditto sampajjalito sajotibhūto, kāyabandhanampi ādittaṁ sampajjalitaṁ sajotibhūtaṁ, kāyopi āditto sampajjalito sajotibhūto.

Her outer robe, bowl, belt, and body were burning, blazing, and glowing

sudaṁ aṭṭassaraṁ karoti.

as she screamed in pain.

Tassa mayhaṁ, āvuso, etadahosi:

It occurred to me:

‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho.

‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing!

Evarūpopi nāma satto bhavissati.

That there can be such a sentient being,

Evarūpopi nāma yakkho bhavissati.

such a spirit,

Evarūpopi nāma attabhāvapaṭilābho bhavissatī’”ti.

such an incarnation!’”

Atha kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

Then the Buddha said to the mendicants:

“cakkhubhūtā vata, bhikkhave, sāvakā viharanti;

“Mendicants, there are disciples who live full of vision and knowledge,

ñāṇabhūtā vata, bhikkhave, sāvakā viharanti, yatra hi nāma sāvako evarūpaṁ ñassati dakkhati sakkhiṁ karissati.

since a disciple knows, sees, and witnesses such a thing.

Pubbeva me sā, bhikkhave, sāmaṇerī diṭṭhā ahosi.

Formerly, I too saw that novice nun, but I did not speak of it.

Api cāhaṁ na byākāsiṁ.

Ahañcetaṁ byākareyyaṁ, pare ca me na saddaheyyuṁ.

For if I had spoken of it others would not have believed me,

Ye me na saddaheyyuṁ, tesaṁ taṁ assa dīgharattaṁ ahitāya dukkhāya.

which would be for their lasting harm and suffering.

Esā, bhikkhave, sāmaṇerī kassapassa sammāsambuddhassa pāvacane pāpasāmaṇerī ahosi.

That female novice used to be a bad novice nun in the time of the Buddha Kassapa’s dispensation.

tassa kammassa vipākena bahūni vassāni bahūni vassasatāni bahūni vassasahassāni bahūni vassasatasahassāni niraye paccitvā tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena evarūpaṁ attabhāvapaṭilābhaṁ paṭisaṁvedayatī”ti.

As a result of that deed she burned in hell for many years, many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of years. Now she experiences the residual result of that deed in such an incarnation.”

Ekādasamaṁ.

Dutiyo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Kūpe nimuggo hi so pāradāriko,

Gūthakhādi ahu duṭṭhabrāhmaṇo;

Nicchavitthi aticārinī ahu,

Maṅgulitthi ahu ikkhaṇitthikā;

Okilini sapattaṅgārokiri,

Sīsacchinno ahu coraghātako.

Bhikkhu bhikkhunī sikkhamānā,

Sāmaṇero atha sāmaṇerikā;

Kassapassa vinayasmiṁ pabbajjaṁ,

Pāpakammaṁ kariṁsu tāvadeti.

Lakkhaṇasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

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Qualities:

Harm

Harm

Intention or action that causes injury or suffering to oneself or others. It arises from aversion and heedlessness and destroys trust and safety. The opposite of non-harm, it obscures compassion and leads to regret.

Also known as: injury causing behavior, destructiveness, bad, evil
Pāli: pāpaka
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Suffering

Suffering

Unpleasantness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, i.e. mild or intense suffering that is inherent in conditioned existence.

Also known as: discomfort, unpleasantness, discontentedness, dissatisfaction, stress, pain, disease, distress, affliction
Pāli: dukkha
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Vision

Vision

The corrective clarity that clearly sees into the true nature of things as they actually are.

Also known as: knowledge and vision, seeing clearly, seeing things as they are, seeing the truth, seeing the dhamma
Pāli: dassana, ñāṇadassana, yathābhūtañāṇadassana
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Last updated on July 27, 2026