法苑珠林 69.50

69.50

As the Mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra states: There was a butcher who for seven lifetimes had consistently practiced butchery without falling into the three bad destinies, instead transmigrating back and forth among humans and gods. This was because, prior to those seven lifetimes, he had once offered a meal to a pratyekabuddha; by the power of that merit, he was prevented from falling into the evil destinies for seven lifetimes. However, the sinful karma of butchery that this man committed throughout those seven lifetimes, after the seven lifetimes had passed, was received successively without any escape. Both good and evil are like this. (This is later retribution, fully explained as in the section on the Six Destinies.)