法苑珠林 62.23

62.23

Furthermore, the Saṃyuktaratnapiṭaka-sūtra says: In the past, there was a brāhmaṇa who served a shrine deity, worshipping it day and night. The deity asked him, "What do you seek?" The brāhmaṇa said, "I now seek to become the master of sacrifices for this deity." The deity said, "Over there is a herd of oxen. Go ask the one walking at the very front." He then followed the deity's words and went to ask the ox, "How is it with you now? Is it suffering or joy?" The ox then replied, "It is extreme and great suffering. The goad stabs my two flanks; the wooden yoke breaks my spine. Harnessed to pull the loaded cart, it is heavy and there is no rest." He then asked again, "By what cause did you receive this ox's body?" The ox answered him, "I was once the master of sacrifices to this deity. Giving free rein to my desires, I consumed the offerings of the deity's sacrifice. At the end of my life, I became an ox and suffer this torment." Having heard these words, he returned to the deity. The deity asked, "Do you now wish to become the master of the deity's sacrifices or not?" The brāhmaṇa said, "Seeing this matter, I truly dare not do so." The deity said, "When people do good or evil, they themselves receive their retribution." The brāhmaṇa repented of his faults, immediately cultivated various virtues, and reformed his past evils. Furthermore, the Saṃyuktaratnapiṭaka-sūtra says: In the past, there was an old man whose family was extremely wealthy. This old man desired to eat meat. Devising a cunning expedient, he pointed to a tree at the edge of the field and spoke to his sons, saying, "The reason our family estate is prosperous and wealthy is due to the grace and blessings of this tree spirit. Today you ought to take a sheep from the flock to offer as a sacrifice." Then the sons, obeying their father's instruction, immediately slaughtered a sheep to pray and give thanks to this tree, and set up a shrine under the tree. Later, when the father's life span ended and he died, pursued by his karmic deeds, he was reborn among the flock of sheep in his own household. At that time, the sons wished to sacrifice to the tree spirit, so they took a sheep, which happened to be their father. When they were about to kill it, the sheep wept and laughed, saying, "What spiritual power does this tree possess? In the past, because I craved meat, I falsely made you offer sacrifice, and together with you I ate this meat. Now, paying for the calamitous guilt, I alone must suffer it first." At that time, an arhat came by begging for food. Seeing that the deceased father had received the body of a sheep, he lent the host the spiritual eye to observe it for himself. Knowing that it was his father, his heart was filled with grief and distress; he immediately destroyed the tree shrine, repented his faults, cultivated merits, and killed living beings no more.