Once, a man accumulated too much debt during his life. Upon his death, his creditors filed a complaint with King Yama in the underworld.
King Yama checked his records and confirmed the situation. He decided to reincarnate the man as an ox to pay off his debts. The man pleaded:
– I only borrowed a total of ten coins, but they are very cruel. They make my mother and children pay for the debts, with high interest that is added to the principal. I have been paying for many years, yet the debt remains unpaid. Now, being turned into an ox won’t help. I ask King Yama to let me be their father; perhaps then I can repay them!
King Yama was surprised and asked:
– What does that mean?
– Being an ox is only temporary, but being their father means I will have to worry about them for the rest of my human life. When I die, I will leave them thousands or millions of coins. Moreover, they will strangle people, and when people call out to confront them, they will just curse their father. If it’s like that, then maybe I can finally pay off my debts!
