The Burden of the Bovine Form

Venerable Yongning, a monastic who sought deliverance through the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, shares a profound account of the karmic retribution faced by those reborn as cattle. This interview was recorded by Chief Writer Shi Fajing on May 15, 2023.

Venerable Yongning speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. In a past life, I enjoyed immense wealth and prestige, yet today, I find myself reflecting on the heavy price of those actions—a price paid in the form of a bovine body. Many, many spirits of cows are constantly being saved by Practitioner Su. As they shed their animal coats and return to human form, it is only then that they truly realise they were once human beings who committed grave sins and are now repaying those debts through the life of a cow. If not for the Causal Conditions that allowed them to encounter Practitioner Su, they would have to continue living as cattle until their karmic debts were fully settled. Only then would they have a chance to escape that form.

The Compassion of Practitioner Su

Today, through the Dharma-Body Visualisation Deliverance performed by Practitioner Su, I have witnessed many of these cow spirits being saved. In truth, Practitioner Su has always been engaged in the deliverance of these spirits. Whenever Practitioner Su travels and happens to see a cattle truck passing by, he immediately employs his ability of Dharma-Body Visualisation Deliverance. He helps these cows shed their animal skins, restores them to their human forms, and then guides them toward the golden light, helping these spirits break free from the cycle of being cattle so they no longer have to endure that life.

Today, from the spiritual space, I looked upon the world and saw so many cows. Across the entire Earth, there is a vast number of them. Their existence is largely to serve the needs of humanity—providing meat for consumption, leather for use, bones for processing, and milk for drinking. Every part of their bodies is utilised; to humanity, they are considered a very useful animal.

The Spirit Within the Hide

I looked into each of these cows and saw that within every single one is a spirit. Each spirit entered the body of a cow carrying the weight of their past sins. No matter how high their power or status was in the past, they must now obediently remain within the bovine body to undergo their retribution. They no longer have the opportunity to act as they once did, throwing their weight around and manipulating the world with their authority.

Among the vast herd, I noticed one cow that was truly unique. While all the other cows were grazing, this one did not eat a single blade of grass. Yet, strangely, it remained just as robust and strong as its companions who were eating incessantly. I asked this cow, 'Why do you not graze like the others?' Within the body of this cow was a man dressed in hospital patient clothing. He replied, 'I have lost even the blessings required to eat grass.'

A Life of Greed and Deception

I asked him what had happened, and the cow continued: 'I was once a government official and a businessman. Whether in politics or commerce, I was incredibly successful, and I accumulated vast amounts of wealth. But I was never satisfied. I used many illicit means to steal from the state, and I engaged in many unscrupulous business dealings. At that time, I truly earned a staggering amount of money. Many women stayed by my side for the sake of that wealth, even though many of them were nearly fifty years my junior. They were willing to accompany me and satisfy my every demand, all just to extract money from me.'

'Everything I obtained through illegal means in that life must be repaid, and it must be repaid twofold. In truth, by the time I was in the human world, I had already exhausted all my blessings. By the time I reached eighty-five, my money began to disappear in inexplicable ways. Situations naturally arose that forced me to spend it. In particular, the many illnesses that plagued my body rapidly drained my wealth. Furthermore, those women who coveted my assets used every possible method to strip me of my property. In less than two years, through their relentless plundering, all my wealth was gone. I was left with less than a thousand dollars, and not a single person by my side. I was filled with resentment and sorrow. Finally, suffering from heart failure, I departed the human world all alone in an intensive care unit.'

The Cycle of Retribution

'After undergoing retribution in the hells, I began my life as a cow. This is the second time I have been a cow; I died once and was reborn as a cow again. Both times, I have had little desire to eat grass. It is a natural feeling—I simply do not want to eat, because I have exhausted even the blessings of being able to graze. My owner could do nothing about it, so he began injecting drugs into my body to force me to grow despite not eating, all so he could sell me. Even worse, while other cows are slaughtered quickly upon entering the abattoir, my bovine body possessed more resilience than the others. It took two attempts to kill me, and so I suffered the agony of being slaughtered one extra time compared to the others.'

'Now, I have been saved. I no longer have to be a cow. Seeing so many others heading toward the golden light, I want to follow them immediately. I deeply regret the sins I committed in the past. I sincerely repent and beg for forgiveness.' After the cow finished speaking, he quickly returned to his former human appearance and followed the golden light, departing forever, no longer needing to remain in the body of a cow.

A Final Reflection

The laws of karma and cause and effect are never empty. Whatever cause one plants, one must inevitably reap the corresponding fruit. This cow is but one among many; every single one of them has their own story of karmic retribution. I truly hope that people can wake up, realise the terrifying nature of the laws of karma and cause and effect, rectify their hearts and minds, cease all evil, and practise Goodness. Do not commit any evil; diligently practise all Goodness.'

Namo Amituofo."