The Broken Hearted Doe

*Note: I did not write this story. It is an extract from a Buddhist book. Please don't be discouraged - take the time to read it.


Xu Zhen-jun or Xun was also known as Jingzhi. He was a local of Runan during the Jing Dynasty. When he was young, he enjoyed hunting.

One day he went up a hill and saw a young deer. He shot it with his arrow. Suddenly he saw a doe running towards her injured fawn without any thought for her own safety. She licked its wounds with her tongue and looked extremely sorrowful. Not long after that she laid down and died.

Mr. Xu took the deer home. After slitting open the chest and stomach of the doe, he found that the liver was shattered and the intestines were all broken into little bits. When he witnessed this pitiful sight, he was grief-stricken and cried loudly. Feeling deep remorse, he destroyed his bows and arrows and vowed not to hunt anymore.

All animals love their offspring. They feel extremely sorrowful when they are torn apart from their loved ones. The doe loved her injured son deeply and could not bear to leave him. Because of this extreme pain and sorrow, she died piteously. Oh dear! In this world, is there anything more pitiful than this?



Animals - are their lives for us to take?



For what reason do we deserve to live more than they?