經律異相 44.34

44.34

昔有一極貧人。善曉鳥語。為賈客賃擔。過水邊飲。烏鳴。賈客怖。作人反笑。到家問言。我在彼飲。時聞烏鳴。我大怖而君反笑何耶。答曰。烏向語我。賈人身上有好白珠。汝可殺之取珠。我欲食其肉。是故我笑耳。曰汝何不殺也。答曰。我坐前世貪人財物故貧為賃擔。若復殺人取物後世受苦。何時當已。我今至死不為此事（出譬喻經）。

Formerly, there was an extremely poor man who understood the language of birds well. He worked as a hired porter for a merchant. Passing by a water's edge, they stopped to drink. A crow cawed. The merchant was frightened, but the laborer laughed instead. When they reached home, the merchant asked: 'When I was drinking there, I heard a crow caw; I was terrified, yet you laughed instead. Why?' The laborer replied: 'The crow said to me: "The merchant has fine white pearls on his body. You should kill him and take the pearls; I wish to eat his flesh." For this reason alone I laughed.' The merchant asked: 'Why did you not kill me?' He replied: 'Because in a past life I was greedy for others' wealth, I am now poor and work as a hired porter. If I were again to kill a man and take his goods, what end would there ever be to the suffering I would undergo in future lives? Even unto death I will never do such a thing.' (Extracted from the Parable Sūtra).