PureInsight | September 6, 2007
[PureInsight.org] Yan Gong
lived in Yangzhou and was from Yuanzhou originally. He came from a
well-to-do family and was the only child. His parents loved him every
much and gave him everything he asked for.
When he was 18 years old, he asked his parents for 50,000 yuan to
purchase stuff in Yangzhou. His parents, of course, granted his
wish. Yan Gong took the money, left home, got on a boat and
headed north to Yangzhou.
Soon, there was another boat in the river which was carrying many
turtles headed for the market. Yan Gong wanted to buy all the turtles.
The owner said, "It costs one thousand yuan for one turtle." Yan asked
how many were there. The owner answered that there were 50 of them. Yan
used all the money he had and bought 50 turtles. He then put all
the turtles back into the river and let them live. As a result, he went
to Yangzhou empty-handed. The man who sold his turtles for 50,000
yuan was all too happy that he had made such a good sale. Unfortunately
his boat sank and he drowned in the river not long after he sold the
turtles.
Meanwhile, in that evening, 50 men dressed in black came to the home of
Yan Gong's parents to ask to stay a night. They gave Yan Gong's father
50,000 yuan. One of them said, "Your son is in Yangzhou and wanted us
to bring you the money. Yan Gong's father was suspicious about the
whole thing. He suspected that his son was probably dead. Therefore, he
kept asking them about his son. They told him that Yan Gong was fine in
Yangzhou, but he did not need the money, so the money was sent back
home. Yan's father did not quite believe it and, more strangely, the
money was all wet. The following day, the 50 men left.
A month later, Yan Gong returned home and the parents were very happy.
They asked him the reason for sending the money back home. Yan Gong
denied it. His father had to tell the whole story and Yan told the
story of the 50 turtles. After they understood that those 50 men were
really the metamorphoses of the turtles, the whole family moved to
Yangzhou. They built a house and concentrated on writing the Lotus Sutra*. The Yan family was more prosperous from then on.
(From：Ming Bao Ji (03:40 provisional) )
* Lotus Sutra-- The teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha in his later years.
Translated from:
http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2007/9/1/48063.html
