從前有位大官，他是佛教徒，虔誠的誦法華經。 此經有七卷，他讀誦前三卷半，很快就記住，一字不忘。可是讀到後三卷半時，總是記不住，自己覺得很奇怪，百思不解。於是請教善知識，是什麼道理？這位善知識證得宿命通，知道宿世的因果。他在定中觀察，曉得這位大官的來龍去脈。便對大官說：「您的因緣很特別，說出來請您不要生煩惱。」大官說：「請善知識直言，好壞沒關係。」善知識說：「您前生是人家送到寺院去放生的牛。廟中的習慣，在陰曆六月六日那一天，將藏經樓中的大藏經及一切經典，統統搬到院中晒太陽，不令經書發霉，或被蟲吃掉。這時，那頭放生的牛，走到晒經處，用鼻子去嗅法華經上部，而下部沒有嗅到。因此因緣，您記住上不法華經，而記不住下部法華經。」
這位大官聽完之後，不以為然，乃向善知識要證據。無平無據，難以相信。善知識對他說：「在某寺的後面，有個牛墓，墓中所葬的牛，就是那頭放生的牛。當時該寺的方丈是位高僧，曉得這頭牛為寺耕田，有了功德，來生為某人，生在某處，詳詳細細寫在白布上，與牛同葬。您如果不信，可以挖開牛墓，一看便知。」這位大官又問：「如何轉生為人呢？」善知識告訴他說：「您前生為牛曾經為寺耕田，布施您的勞力，又兼有嗅法華經的功德，所以今生為人，又做大官。」這位大官才恍然大悟，前因後果，絲毫不爽。從此以後，大護法者，供養三寶，護持佛法。 |
1. Long ago there was an official who was a Buddhist and who sincerely recited the Dharma Flower Sutra...
He was able to memorize the first three and a half rolls of the seven-roll Sutra very quickly and without forgetting a single word. Yet he couldn't remember a word of the last three and a half rolls. Puzzled, he went to seek the advice of an enlightened Master.
This enlightened Master looked into the official's past lives and said to him:
2. "In your past life you were an ox who was sent to the monastery to be liberated."
"On the sixth day of the June, the Sutras in the monastery were set in the sun to air so that they would not become moldy or be eaten by worms. You happened to lumber over and sniff one of the copies of the Dharma Flower Sutra. But you only sniffed the first volume, and not the second. That's why you are able to memorize the first volume and not the second."
3. The official was still rather skeptical and asked if there was any proof of this.
4. The enlightened Master told him:
"Behind the monastery is the grave of the ox that was liberated here. It's written very clearly on white cloth. If you don't believe it, you may dig open the grave and see for yourself."
5. "How did I become a person?" asked the official.
"Through the merit you established by plowing the fields of the monastery and by sniffing the Dharma Flower Sutra, you have now been reborn as a human and have become a high official."
6. Hearing this, the official realized that cause and effect is not off by a bit. He redoubled his vigor in supporting Buddhism and making offerings to the Triple Jewel.
~The End~
| 
