大方便佛報恩經 2.23

2.23

『爾時，施主聞是說已，心驚毛竪，悶絕躃地。以冷水灑面，良久乃穌。復更問言：「雖是汝食，是何人肉？」爾時餓人聞是語已，舉聲大哭，憂恚斷絕，報施主言：「不可言也。痛哉！痛哉！怪哉！怪哉！大施主！我今情實相語。我所擔者，或言是父，或言是母，或言妻子，或言兄弟，宗親骨肉。」爾時，諸飢餓人各各以情實自說因緣：「大施主！更無餘事。我等以飢餓因緣故，還相噉食耳。」

"'At that time, when the donor heard this explanation, his heart was terrified and his hair stood on end; he fainted and collapsed to the ground. Cold water was sprinkled on his face, and only after a long time was he revived. He asked again: "Although it is your food, whose flesh is it?" When the starving people heard these words, they wept aloud, overwhelmed by sorrow and grief, and told the donor: "It cannot be spoken of! How painful! How painful! How dreadful! How dreadful! Great donor, I will now tell you the truth of my feelings. Those whom I carry are said by some to be their father, by some their mother, by some their wife or children, by some their brothers, their kinsmen and flesh and blood." At that time, each of the starving people spoke the truth of their situation: "Great donor, there is no other reason. It is solely due to the cause of starvation that we turn and eat one another."