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In this place called Gohchang in the
Shila Age, there was an inn(called 'Won'
at that time). In this inn lived a beautiful
maid named 'Yeon' having done errands
since her parents died when she was
8.
Yeonee was not only beautiful, but so
warm-hearted that she gave a warm reception
to travelers and accumulated every single
virtuous deed all the times.
She could go to bed very late at night
after heating all the rooms, supplying
food generously and even doing travelers'
laundry. Coming back to her room,
she didn't go straight to bed, studying
hard and thinking over how more kindly
and what to help the visitors the following
day. At the same time, her belief in
Buddha's mercy was so strong that after
cleaning at daybreak, she prayed to
Amitabha, so all the passers-by couldn't
but get touched by her devotion and
warm heart. |
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All the single
men in the neighborhood admired
her secretly. In the village near
the won(êÂ), there lived a rich
man with the last name, Kim, who
never felt sympathy for anyone,
even kicking out a begger. Such
a brutal miser also had the same
desire to get married to her as
the other guys, but even his wealth
couldn't help him win the heart
of Yeonee easily, who had a warm
heart.
One day, he happened to meet a
violent death and went to the
world of the dead. The King of
Hades, after getting bidden a
greeting and ransacking
the name list, managed to find
his name and asked, making an
insidious smile,
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"Well, your time hasn't come
yet, but since you are already here,
do you want to give your things away?
"I don't have anything at the moment."
he answered. The king thought about
something, nodding his head, and talked
to him again, making a smile. "
"Look, son! As you committed many
sins in the world, you are supposed
to be reborn as a cow in the next life.
Your storage room is empty, but the
girl, named Yeonee, living in the won
near your village has accumulated so
many virtuous deeds as to fill up her
storage room. If you possibly borrow
some of hers, you may go back to give
them away." |
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Shocked a lot by what the King
said, he borrowed some of Yeonee's
treasures in the joy of being
alive again, and came back to
the world.
On coming back, he went to meet
Yeonee and told her what had happened
to him, sharing his wealth with
her. She decided to use all the
wealth for Buddha when a stone
Buddhist statue was afflicted
with rain and wind. She asked
Dosunguksa to build a Buddhist
sanctum large enough to protect
the statue.
The construction was so large-scaled
that it took a long time of 5
years to complete the construction.
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Unfortunately, on the last day of
the construction, a worker setting up
the roof with tiles fell down to the
ground from the high roof by mistake.
His body was broken into pieces like
a tile, and his soul turned into a swallow
and flew into the sky.
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