Past Deeds Determine Today's Experiences
 
There was once a fabric store in Hangzhou. By the time the owner reached 50 years of age, he had had been running the store for several decades. Unfortunately, his greed did not decrease with age.
 
One year, there was a fire in the neighborhood and it affected the fabric store. There was a destitute household of three people living behind the fabric store. They made their living by doing laundry for other people. The only way in and out of their house was the side door of the fabric store.
 
As the raging fire reached their home, the family of three shouted out loud for help. "Open the side door!" They hoped to escape through the side door, which was their only way out.
 
Little did they expect that the fabric store owner blocked the side door with all his might so that he could move his inventory of fabrics out of the warehouse. When all the inventory had been moved and the fire was put out, the poor family had already died in the fire.
 
A year later, the fabric store owner suddenly died. Then one night, his son dreamed of his father, who told him:
 
"I caused the death of the destitute family behind our house. The King of Hell forbids me from reincarnating as a human being in the next life. Instead, I will be arranged to reincarnate as a pig. I have already been born to a farmer's pig in such and such place. There are four piglets in the litter. I am the piglet with spots. Please buy me from the farmer to keep me out of the slaughterhouse." After the store owner made the confession, he began to sob.
 
After his son woke up from the dream, he felt the dream was too real to dismiss. He followed his father's instructions in the dream and found the farmer with the spotted piglet.
 
When the piglet saw the son, it started to whine and acted like it was begging him for mercy. The son bought the piglet from the farmer and prepared a room for him. He also arranged a servant to take care of the piglet. The piglet was bathed daily and served with decadent meals. In other words, the son treated the piglet like his late father.
 
A few days later, the son dreamed of his father again. This time his father told him, "I have committed unforgivable sins in my life as the fabric store owner. Now that I have been reincarnated as a pig, I must not lead a good life like a rich man or I will create even more sins. From now on, do not feed me expensive meals for human beings or bathe me like a human being. Just feed me with regular stock feed. Otherwise, I will face worse karmic retributions in the next life. After I died, I came to understand the law of cause and effect, and I cannot do anything but regret what I have done. You, however, still have time to do the right thing. You must cherish your life as a human being and do only good deeds!"
 
There is a saying: "If you want to know what you have done in your previous life, the answer is in the rewards or retributions you face in the present life. If you want to know if you will have a good life in the next life, look at what you have done in your present life." This is to teach people that good and evil retribution is a heavenly law.
 
欲知未来事　今生做者是
 
杭州城某绸庄，开设已好几十年。主人年纪已超过知天命的五十岁，但是却存心不良。
 
有一年，该处发生火灾，绸庄也遭波及。庄后有一家贫户，全家三口，以洗衣度生活，出入必定要经过绸庄的旁边侧门。
 
当火势猛烈时，贫户一家三口狂呼：「开门啊！」希望由侧门脱出火坑而保全生命。
 
哪里料到绸庄主人为了方便搬运货物，用力堵住侧门，不准打开。等货搬完，火也熄灭后，贫户全家已葬身火窟了。
 
过了一年，绸庄主人突然去世。某天晚上，托梦给他的儿子说：
 
「我害死贫户一家的生命，阴曹不准再投生人间，令我投入猪胎。现在已在某处的农家生产了，猪仔共有四只，身上有花斑的就是我了。你可以向那位农人，将我买回家养，以免遭到宰割。」说完就哭了起来。
 
他的儿子醒后，觉的梦境逼真，就按照梦中指示的地址去找，果然有一头有花斑的猪。
 
小猪见到儿子来，竟哀鸣起来，做出乞怜的样子。他的儿子就用钱买回家，另外准备了一间房间供它住，并且雇了佣人服侍它。每天为猪沐浴洗澡，给它吃最上等的饭菜，对待它就如同当年对其生父一般。
 
过了些天，儿子又梦到其父对他说：「我生前罪恶滔天，死后既然已托生畜类，如果饮食等生活仍然如同活人，只有加重我的罪愆。以后，你不要用上等饭菜饲我，更不用为我洗澡，仅饲养我就可以了。否则，我会更重的偿还自己的罪业。我死后甚么都明白了，就只有后悔。你一定要珍爱人身做善事啊！」
 
古语说：「欲知前生事，今生受者是；欲知未来事，今生做者是」，是让人相信善恶有报是天理。