These are the parts of this text relevant to this book, with only as many notes as are necessary here. Further notes, textual remarks, etc. can be found in Collins (1993b); and an Introduction in Collins (1993a).

Honor to the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully enlightened One! Bowing to the excellent Buddha, (who is) to be revered by gods and men, to the Teaching which originates from the Happy One, and to the virtuous Monastic Order, I will undertake (to tell) briefly the story of Māleyya, replete with supreme(ly good) advice and edifying for all.

In the past, the story goes, in the island of Tambapanni, (also) called the isle of Lankā, where the (three) Jewels were established, a certain elder by the name of Māleyyadeva, famous for the excellence of his supernatural power and knowledge, lived in Rohana province supported by (alms given in) the village of Kamboja. The elder repeatedly brought back news of the beings roasting in hell: recounting (this news) to their relatives he inspired them to make merit by almsgiving and the like, and he made them aim for heaven as the result of the merit they acquired and by transferring merit to those (hell-beings).