經律異相 45.38

45.38

In the past there was an elder whose wealth was boundless. He had only one younger sister, who was married to a poor husband. The elder brother frequently sent her gifts, gradually coming to resent his sister's visits. She came to borrow flour from her brother. Her brother said: "Go and take it yourself." The sister pressed it down firmly when taking it, but when returning it, she held it loosely as if pouring it. Her brother did not notice, and this occurred on many occasions. When the sister's life ended, she was born in her brother's house as a calf. Her brother loved it dearly, feeding and caring for it to make it fat, intending to slaughter it to sacrifice to the gods. At that time five hundred merchants wished to borrow money from the master with immediate interest. Outside, they successively asked one another: "How much money will you take?" Each told their amount. The last person said: "Just take more; afterwards, since none of us will pay it back, what does the amount matter?" At that time the calf was beside them and spoke in human words: "Why do you people give rise to such thoughts? I am the master's younger sister. Because I cheated my brother when borrowing flour, I have now taken a bovine body to repay my brother's debt." When the five hundred merchants heard these words, there was none who did not tremble with fear. They all took no more money and departed (from the Zhujing zhong yao shi).