During the Song Dynasty, there was a treasure temple in Hangzhou. The temple had a monk named Zhichuan who managed its finances. Zhichuan was known for strictly adhering to monastic rules and meticulously handling the donations given to the temple. He never misappropriated or used any of the temple’s funds for personal gain.
A tempting proposition
One day, a monk quietly approached Zhichuan, asking to borrow 10,000 coins from the temple’s funds for a short period. In return, the monk promised to repay the principal and an additional 3,000 coins as interest. Initially, Zhichuan was reluctant, but he eventually gave in to the persistent persuasion and lent the money. A few months later, the monk repaid the loan with the promised interest. Zhichuan thought: “This interest is not the temple’s property; it is my personal gain.”
However, Zhichuan soon realized that the money originated from the unauthorized use of temple funds. He decided he couldn’t use the interest for personal purposes and instead used the 3,000 coins to buy incense for the temple. Believing he had resolved the issue by not spending the money on himself, Zhichuan felt he had done nothing wrong.
A warning in a dream
Zhichuan kept a cat, which eventually passed away. Shortly after, he had a peculiar dream where his spirit left his body and arrived at an official’s office. A dignitary in golden-purple attire greeted Zhichuan with respect and familiarity. When Zhichuan asked why he was being treated with such respect, the dignitary explained that he had been punished in a previous life for his sins by being reborn as a cat. The cat lived in the temple and was well cared for by Zhichuan, for which the dignitary was grateful.
The dignitary then issued a stern warning: Zhichuan had committed a grave sin by misappropriating temple funds and earning interest from it. Despite returning the principal and using the interest to buy incense, the act of misusing temple funds could not be erased. The dignitary revealed that this sin would lead to severe punishment in the afterlife unless Zhichuan accepted a punishment of 13 strokes in the mortal world to atone for his wrongdoing.
Upon waking, Zhichuan realized the gravity of his actions. Although he was a respected monk, he understood he needed to atone for his mistake. He decided to donate all his personal belongings to the temple. He spent over a year in penance and rigorous ascetic practices, hoping to avoid the public disgrace of being punished by the authorities.
A sudden turn of events
One day, the county official of Qiantang visited the temple with his family. Coincidentally, all the other monks were away for a ceremony, leaving no one to greet the official. Angered, the official entered the abbot’s room and stepped on cat feces, further infuriating him. His attendants found Zhichuan in the repentance hall and accused him of neglecting his duties. The official, in his rage, ordered Zhichuan to be beaten with 500 strokes.
By the thirteenth stroke, the official’s anger suddenly dissipated, and he left the temple. Zhichuan understood that divine forces had orchestrated the events, and he accepted his punishment as a means to atone for his sin. From then on, Zhichuan used this experience to warn other monks about the importance of honesty and integrity when handling temple funds.
The moral lesson
Zhichuan’s story illustrates a crucial principle: misappropriation of funds is a serious wrongdoing, regardless of the intentions behind it. Even if one uses the gains for good deeds, the initial act of misusing the funds remains a sin. This story serves as a reminder that good intentions cannot justify improper actions, and every deed, whether good or evil, will have corresponding consequences.
Translated by Joseph Wu
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