法苑珠林 67.41

67.41

Nineteenth, there are also sentient beings who are orphaned and destitute from youth, having no parents or brothers, serving as servants to others, and making a painful living. When grown into adulthood, they are wrongfully struck by calamity, bound by officials, locked in prison with no one to send provisions, impoverished and starving in distress, with nowhere to make an appeal. What transgression caused this? The Buddha said: In their past lives, they took pleasure in capturing and taking eagles, vultures, hawks, harriers, bears, brown bears, tigers, and leopards, keeping them chained and caged, depriving these creatures of their parents and siblings, who constantly suffered acute grief, shrieking with broken hearts that moved human sentiments; yet [the captors] could not properly care for them, leaving them constantly starving until their bones stood out and skin clung to their frames, seeking death but unable to die. Therefore, they incurred this retribution.