There is a book circulating in Buddhism called The Record of Guanyin’s Miraculous Responses, which recounts a story titled “Mr. Gui Breaks His Vow.” The story goes as follows:
An act of kindness repaid with lies
There was a man named Mr. Shi, a native of Suzhou, who was known for his kindness, generosity, and strong sense of honor. He had a son only after the age of forty, whom he named Shi Huan. On one occasion, Mr. Shi brought silver to Tiger Hill to contribute to the construction of the Guanyin Great Master Hall. As he passed by the Sword Pool, he heard someone crying. Following the sound, he discovered it was his childhood classmate and close friend, a man surnamed Gui.
After asking what had happened, Mr. Shi learned that Gui had fallen into severe debt and, in despair, was preparing to end his life there. Without hesitation, Mr. Shi gave him 300 taels of silver. Deeply moved by this act of kindness, Gui knelt before the statue of Guanyin and made a solemn vow: “I have received Mr. Shi’s great kindness. If I cannot repay you in this lifetime, I vow that in my next life I will be reborn as a cow or a horse to repay this debt.”
Mr. Shi later gave Mr. Gui a jujube orchard on his property for Mr. Gui to reside in. In time, Mr. Gui had a daughter, and Mr. Shi arranged a marriage agreement, hoping that their families would become in-laws through their children. Not long afterward, while digging beneath a jujube tree, Mr. Gui accidentally unearthed over a thousand taels of silver that had been buried by Mr. Shi’s father before his death. From that point on, Mr. Gui’s family circumstances improved.
In contrast, Mr. Shi’s household began to decline. He and his wife passed away one after another, leaving their son, Shi Huan, in increasingly difficult circumstances. Influenced by his wife and grandson, Mr. Gui not only concealed his old debt to Mr. Shi, but also intended to break the marriage agreement between the two families. Eventually, he moved his entire household to Kuaiji.
When Shi Huan became destitute and sought refuge with him, Mr. Gui shut the door and refused to see him. Shi Huan reminded him of the 300 taels of silver his father had once given in a life-saving act of kindness, but Mr. Gui denied everything, insisting there had never been any written agreement or proof.
Several years later, Gui traveled to the capital in search of an official position and advancement. Instead, he was deceived by a swindler and lost more than half of his family’s fortune. Deeply distressed, he took lodging at an inn, where he fell into a heavy sleep and experienced a vivid dream.
Karmic retribution
In his dream, he found himself standing before a grand mansion. There was a hole in the wall, and before he knew it, he had crawled through it on all fours, as though driven by instinct. Inside, the main hall was brightly illuminated, and an elderly man sat behind a desk. Looking closely, Gui realized it was none other than the late Mr. Shi.
Overcome with shame, Gui attempted to bow in respect. But his hands were pressed firmly to the ground, and no matter how hard he struggled, he could not lift himself up. He then walked into the back garden, where he saw his wife and two sons. Looking closely, he was shocked to realize that they had all taken the form of dogs.
When he turned to look at his own reflection, he discovered with horror that he, too, had become a dog. Terrified, Gui demanded an explanation. His wife replied coldly: “Have you forgotten the vow you made before Master Guanyin all those years ago? What more is there to say now?”
Gui suddenly awoke — it had all been a nightmare. Terrified, he quickly gathered his belongings and rushed home. As soon as he stepped through the door, he saw two coffins placed in the main hall, with memorial tablets for his two sons arranged on the table. Shocked and overwhelmed with fear, he hurried into the inner room. There, he found his wife on the verge of death, barely clinging to her final breath.
Mr. Gui called out to his wife in alarm. She suddenly opened her eyes, but when she spoke, it was in the voice of their eldest son: “Father, why did you only return today? Because our family has failed to repay the kindness of the Shi family, and because of the vow you once made, my brother, our mother, and I are all set to be reborn as dogs in the Shi household tomorrow morning. The two male dogs will be my brother and I, the female dog with a tumor on her back, will be our mother.
Father, by the eighth month of next autumn, you too must go to the Shi family and be reborn as a dog, so that the vow you made can be fulfilled. Only our younger sister and the Shi family’s son, who are destined in the afterlife to be husband and wife, have been spared this calamity.”
Having spoken these words, the wife drew her final breath. When Mr. Gui heard this, he was struck with both grief and terror, realizing that it corresponded precisely with what he had seen in his dream. Before he could make proper funeral arrangements for his family, a sudden fire broke out and quickly engulfed the estate, reducing the house and the three coffins to ashes.
Making amends
With no other option, Mr. Gui took his daughter and traveled to Suzhou to seek news of the Shi family’s son. Only then did he learn that Shi Huan had successfully passed the imperial examinations and married the daughter of a provincial councilor. Overcome with shame and remorse, Mr. Gui repeatedly pleaded with the Shi family’s gatekeeper. Only after much insistence was he finally granted permission to see Shi Huan.
No sooner had Mr. Gui stepped onto the Shi family’s grounds than three dogs suddenly darted out from a hole in the wall, circling him and whining mournfully. One of them, as foretold, had a tumor on its back. Overcome with grief, Mr. Gui’s heart felt as though it were breaking. Weeping, he prostrated himself before Shi Huan and recounted everything without concealment.
He pleaded: “Now that my family has been destroyed and I have no one left to rely on, I beg you to show mercy and take my daughter in as a maid. I am also willing to serve as a humble servant for the rest of my life, working to repay your past kindness. I ask only that I be spared the karmic retribution of being reborn as a dog after death. With that, I will be content.” Shi Huan was deeply moved by his words and agreed to his request.
That night, Gui had a dream in which his wife and son appeared to bid him farewell. They said: “Fortunately, you repented in time. The ancestors of the Shi family have already pleaded with the deities on your behalf, and the three of us have been spared from descending into the animal realm.” At daybreak, news arrived from the Shi family that all three dogs had died during the night. From then on, Mr. Gui lived out his remaining years in peace and relative safety.
Reflection
This story is a reminder that vows are not light words and that broken promises carry consequences beyond what one can foresee. At its heart, it is a tale not only of reward and retribution, but of the weight of words and the moral obligation that comes with receiving kindness. What is given is not merely wealth or favor, but a debt of sincerity that should not be cast aside when circumstances change.
In this way, the narrative reflects a simple but enduring principle: Gratitude and integrity are not temporary states, but commitments that quietly shape the unfolding of a life. Once made, a vow is not easily undone without consequences.
Translated by Audrey Wang and edited by Tatiana Denning
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