“Once upon a time, mendicants, Suppabuddha used to be a financier’s son right here in Rājagaha. On his way to visit a park, he saw Tagarasikhī, an independent Buddha, entering the city for alms. When he saw this he thought, “Who is this leper wandering about with his leper’s robe?” Before leaving, he spat on the ground and turned his left side to Tagarasikhī. As a result of that deed he burned in hell for many years, for many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of years. And as a residual result of that same deed, he became a leper right here in Rājagaha, a poor person, destitute and pitiful. But owing to faith in the teaching and training proclaimed by the Realized One, he undertook ethics, learning, generosity, and wisdom. After undertaking these things, when his body broke up, after death, he was reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm, in the company of the gods of the thirty-three. There he outshines the other gods in beauty and glory.”

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“As a clear-eyed man would avoid rough paths, so long as strength is found; an astute person in the living world, would shun bad deeds.”

Heartfelt Sayings 5.4 The Boys

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time, between Sāvatthī and the Jeta Grove, several boys were tormenting some fish.