經律異相 36.26

36.26

In ancient times in the country of Jibin, there was an elder who was originally very wealthy. After his parents passed away, he constantly provided for several religious persons. Within several years his household verged on poverty, and he had nothing left. He grieved bitterly when he thought of cultivating merit for his parents. His wife said to her husband, "It is better to toil diligently for one lifetime and attain everlasting liberation afterward, bringing boundless merit to your parents far and wide." The elder said, "Indeed." Taking the two of them [as surety], he temporarily borrowed one hundred liang of gold, agreeing that when the gold was spent, they would go to work off the debt. Having obtained the gold, he gave it in charity, and only when it was completely spent did they go to work. The husband was sent to plow the fields, and the wife cooked in the kitchen. While plowing, he struck a large rock resembling the lid of a millstone. He opened it to look, and saw one thousand cauldrons of gold. He immediately covered it up again and did not even return to eat. The elder sent his wife to bring food to her husband; the husband then carried the gold and returned home on his own. The next day, he weighed out the gold and simply repaid the debt. The master and his wife returned home; they gave charity for their parents of seven lifetimes, and used it without exhausting it for the rest of their lives. (Extracted from the first fascicle of the Ten-Fascicle Sūtra of Avadānas)