經律異相 47.71

47.71

Formerly, a great householder (*gṛhapati*) engaged in lending money as his business. There were two men who borrowed ten thousand coins, and repaid them when the time came. Later, the two men said to one another again, 'Let us each borrow another hundred thousand, and not repay it afterward.' A cow tied behind the fence said to the two men, 'In a past life, on account of owing this master one thousand coins and failing to repay the debt, I have been reborn as a cow three times and am still not done with it. How much more so for you, who intend to take a hundred thousand—your guilt will have no end.' The two men were astonished, and it happened that day had already dawned. The master came out, and the two men recounted the cow's words. The master thereupon released it into the herd and no longer put it to labor, making a vow of transference: 'May this cow, from this day forth, never again receive this animal body. If there be any remaining debt, I entirely give it as a donation.' After the cow died, it was reborn among humans (from the *Avadāna-sūtra*).