法苑珠林 57.39

57.39

隋冀州臨黃縣東。有耿伏生者。其家薄有資產。隋大業十一年。伏生母張氏避父。將絹兩匹乞女。數歲之後母遂終亡。變作母猪。在其家生。復產二肫。伏生並已食盡。遂使不產伏生即召屠兒出賣。未取之間有一客僧。從生乞食。即於生家少停。將一童子入猪圈中游戲。猪語之言。我是伏生母。為於往日避生父眼取絹兩匹乞女。我坐此罪變作母猪。生得兩兒被生食盡。還債既畢更無所負。欲召屠兒賣我。請為報之。童子具陳向師。師時怒曰。汝甚顛狂。猪那解作此語。遂即寢眠。又經一日。猪見童子。又云。屠兒即來何因不報。童子重白師主。又亦不許。少頃屠兒即來取猪。猪踰圈走出。而向僧前床下。屠兒逐至僧房。僧曰。猪投我來。今為贖取。遂出錢三百文贖猪。後乃竊語伏生曰。家中曾失絹不。生報僧云。父存之日曾失絹兩匹。又問。姊妹幾人。生又報云。唯有一姊。姊與縣北公乘家。僧即具陳童子所說。伏生聞之悲泣不能自已。更別加心供養猪母。凡經數日猪忽自死。託其女夢云還債既畢得生善處。兼勸其女更修功德。

East of Linhuang County in Jizhou during the Sui dynasty, there was Geng Fusheng, whose family had modest wealth. In the eleventh year of the Daye era of the Sui, Fusheng's mother, Lady Zhang, secretly took two bolts of silk without her husband's knowledge and gave them to her daughter. Several years later, the mother died and was reborn as a sow in their own house. She gave birth to two piglets, which Fusheng ate completely. When she stopped bearing, Fusheng called a butcher to sell her. Before she was taken, a traveling monk came begging for food from Fusheng, and stayed briefly at Fusheng's house. He took a boy into the pigpen to play. The sow spoke to the boy, saying: 'I am Fusheng's mother. In past days, out of sight of Fusheng's father, I took two bolts of silk to give to my daughter. For this sin, I was reborn as a sow. I gave birth to two piglets, which were both eaten by Fusheng. Having now repaid my debt, I owe nothing more. He wishes to call a butcher to sell me; please inform him of this.' The boy recounted everything to his master. The master was angry and said: 'You are completely delirious! How could a pig speak such words?' and went to sleep. After another day, the pig saw the boy and said again: 'The butcher is coming soon; why did you not inform him?' The boy reported it again to his master, but again was dismissed. Shortly, the butcher came to take the pig. The pig leaped out of the pen and fled beneath the monk's bed. The butcher pursued it to the monk's room. The monk said: 'The pig came seeking refuge with me; I will now redeem it.' He then produced three hundred cash to redeem the pig. Later, he quietly asked Fusheng: 'Did your family ever lose any silk?' Fusheng replied: 'When my father was alive, we once lost two bolts of silk.' The monk asked again: 'How many sisters do you have?' Fusheng replied: 'Only one older sister, who was married into the Gongcheng family north of the county seat.' The monk then recounted all that the boy had said. Hearing this, Fusheng wept uncontrollably, and henceforth cared for and provided for the mother sow with exceptional devotion. After several days, the sow suddenly died of itself. She appeared in a dream to her daughter, saying that having completed the repayment of her debt, she was reborn in a good realm, and urged her daughter to cultivate further merit.