大方便佛報恩經 2.23

2.23

"'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."