【Description】
The ancients said: “All beings have a spirit, and it is because of that spirit that life is born.” Since ancient times, stories have been shared about the connection between humans and animals. In this video, Grandmaster JinBodhi tells the heart-warming story of a bride and a deer.
A newlywed woman spent seven times the regular price to save a deer that had been hunted down. How would the wise deer repay the bride’s life-saving grace in the future?
Please sit back, relax, and listen carefully to the profound meaning contained in this simple story.
【You will learn】
- A story about the cause and effect of “virtue has its awards”
- Insight into animals’ spirituality and gratitude.
【Featured aphorism】
- Saving a life during a critical moment is an act of immeasurable merits and virtues.
【Content】
There was a family living in the mountains. It was the sixth day after the son had gotten married. They were supposed to pay respect to their ancestors. It was a family tradition. Each place has its own custom regarding a couple’s new marriage. Their’s was to go together to pay respect to their ancestors.
In the middle of the ceremony, a deer entered the scene and hid under the worship altar. It looked scared. A big ruckus ensued. A hunter arrived with his hunting dog and bow and arrows, looking to capture the deer. “I was hunting that deer, hand it over.” The softspoken bride was a kind, smart lady. It was the day she joined her new family and was introduced to her new ancestors, and a deer hid under her new ancestors’ altar. “Coincidence? More like divine’s will,” she thought. “Of all the days you could have appeared. This must be an auspicious sign!”
That triggered her sense of compassion. People are usually selfish, but this bride was different. She was going to save that deer. The hunter kept demanding the deer. “The deer is under your altar. Give it to me.” The bride tried to convince her in-laws and husband: “The deer is under our ancestors’ altar. It belongs to us now; the deer is part of our family.”
“You want to keep it? Then pay me”, the hunter said. “Good, let’s talk about money. How much?” “20 silver ingots.” “That is a rip off! You could buy 10 pigs with that! Dream on, you bloodsucker!” “I don’t care. If you want it, then pay up. If you don’t pay me, I won’t leave. Or you can give me back my deer.”
The bride’s in-laws didn’t have enough silver. They’d had to borrow money for their son’s marriage. They couldn’t afford to pay the hunter for the deer. They were going to let that hunter have that deer. The bride wasn’t going to let that happen. “We can’t let a potential good deed slip by!” she thought. “I will pay”, she said. The dowry provided by her family was 15 silver ingots. She wanted to pay by using her dowry. She had that money with her. “Take it, that is all I have.”
The hunter knew he was ripping them off. He knew how much a deer cost, only about 2 silver ingots. If he refused to back down, he might lose everything. “Good, pleasure doing business with you.” The deer was saved. The deer was quite smart. When it saw the hunter had left with his dog, it came out from its hiding place and made its escape.
The story quickly spread across the village. All the villagers thought the bride was beautiful, but not very bright. They saved a deer but it ran away, and they spent a lot of money. It is like buying a bicycle at the price of a car; you got what you wanted, but lost something more expensive. How could the bride do this? The villagers thought her simpleminded, as she wasted that much money.
The bride just ignored them; she was that broadminded. She was very healthy. Years later, she gave birth to a healthy baby. About 3 years after that, she left her child in a basket while she was tending the farm. She was alone that day, with a lot of farm chores to do. While she wasn’t looking, a deer approached the basket, lifted it with its antlers and ran off with the child inside. At first, it was moving slowly, as if it wanted to be seen. The whole family chased after the deer. They wanted to get the child back.
The deer could run faster, but it slowed down so that the bride and her family could catch up. It kept its distance, not too close and not too far. The chasing lasted about 10 minutes. Suddenly, there was a loud collapsing noise. A landslide was happening on the mountain where the villagers lived. The landslide swept away many houses, including theirs. It was gone in an instant. Everything was gone, nothing was left. The deer stopped running and put down the basket. That was when they knew the deer had lured them to a safer place. It was a savior!
Don’t ignore a good deed just because it seems small. Saving a life is a deed that creates lots of merits in return. This is a touching story. I believe everyone can learn from it too.