(Minghui.org) Since ancient times, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism have always taught people to follow the heavenly principles, cultivate kindness, and conduct oneself according to virtuous values. While doing good deeds should not be seen as a means of personal gain, and positive results may not always be obvious, there are countless examples in history of good deeds bringing good rewards—embodying the saying, “what goes around comes around.” The following are several examples from China’s history.
Pei Du Escaped Death by Being Honest
Pei Du (765-839) lived in the Tang Dynasty and was from a poor family. As a young man he lived and studied in a temple honoring the Mountain God. A passing Daoist foretold that he was doomed to die a violent death.
One day, Pei Du found a life-saving jade belt and returned it to its owner—a young lady named Han Qiongying. As he bid her farewell, the temple behind him suddenly collapsed, and he narrowly escaped with his life.
Later, Pei Du traveled to the capital city to sit for several imperial examinations, and received the top marks. He later married Han Qiongying, and served during the reign of four emperors (Emperor Xianzong, Emperor Muzong, Emperor Jingzong and Emperor Wenzong), becoming a renowned chancellor in the Tang Dynasty.
The Story of Dou Yujun
Dou Yujun (874-955, also known as Dou Yanshan) in the Late Jin period was another example. His father died when he was very young, and he was raised by his mother, to whom he was very filial. However, due to karma from doing bad things in his previous life, he remained childless even into his late 30s.
Thanks to the warning and advice from his grandfather in a dream, Dou Yujun became totally committed to doing all kinds of good deeds to reduce his bad karma and to accumulate virtue.
Even though he served in various official posts, he lived frugally, and helped everyone he came across who was in need of help. He also set up charitable schools and sponsored students from poor families.
Later, he had five sons, and all of them became prominent men who served in high positions in the imperial court.
It said in The Three-Character Classic: Dou Yanshan had a good approach; he taught his five sons, and they all became upright citizens with outstanding reputations.
Yuan Liaofan
Yuan Liaofan (Yuan Huang 1533-1606) in the Ming dynasty, was well-known for his book Liao-Fan’s Four Lessons, which he wrote to teach his son. The principal idea behind these lessons is that one’s destiny can be changed through conscious cultivation of kindness and humility.
Yuan Liaofan was born into a Traditional Chinese Medicine family. Once, while gathering herbs on a mountainside at the age of 16, he arrived at Ciyun Temple and met an elderly man with an ethereal Daoist aura, who foretold his destiny. Later, he took a different direction in life by pursuing a career in the civil service via the imperial examinations.
His encounter with the Daoist master influenced him to have consideration and respect for others.
Let us now take a look at several stories that happened in the Qing dynasty.
An Ill-fated Scholar Was Granted a New Dawn
A young scholar from Yangxian (present day Yixing in Jiangsu Province) accompanied his friends to take the imperial examination for selecting tribute students. Having performed quite well the previous year, he was confident that he would do the same again. As a result, he spent most of his time at the inn, composing poetry and chatting with others.
Among the group at the inn was a face reader. The young scholar asked him if he would be successful in the examination. The face reader replied, “Actually, I meant to tell you earlier, but I was a bit hesitant. You won’t have a chance, and your life will also be in danger in three days. You’d better return home quickly.”
“Can I possibly avoid such a danger?” the young scholar asked anxiously.
“It’s hard to say. Time is really pressing,” the face reader told him.
The young scholar became depressed, and wanted to pack up and return home immediately. However, his friends persuaded him to stay.
One evening, just before the examination, the young scholar went out for a walk and heard someone crying from some distance away. He followed the crying sound to a shabby house, and saw a woman with two small children in her arms, sobbing her heart out.
As it turned out, her husband had been taken away for failing to pay back 50 taels of silver he owed, and he intended to sell his wife to pay the debt.
Upon hearing this, the young scholar immediately returned to the inn and brought back 70 taels of silver.
“This is all the silver I have, which you can use to pay off the debt. If there is any left, you can use it create a small business to earn a living, so you won’t be in debt anymore.” The woman was extremely grateful for his kindness.
After returning to the inn, he recalled the face reader’s warning, and had a troubled night.
Early the next morning, he heard someone knocking at the door. It turned out to be the woman and her husband, who came especially to express their deep gratitude. The young scholar got up, offered them words of encouragement, and saw them on their way.
Suddenly, he heard a loud noise. He turned around and saw his room collapsing. A wall had crashed onto his bed, shattering it into pieces.
The next day, when the face reader saw him, he took a close look at his face and said, “You must have done something good last night as your face is showing much virtue. You won’t die and you will be successful in the examination, and destined to succeed in further imperial exams, too. You already died once under a collapsed wall!”
The scholar sighed with gratitude upon hearing these words. He was indeed successful in the exam, and was later admitted to the Hanlin Academy.
Helping others is helping oneself. When a person helps others selflessly, he or she will eventually be rewarded by Heaven’s arrangement.
Wang Sheng Decided to Abandon Evil and Do Good
Young scholar Wang Sheng was very deceitful in his conduct and acted against basic morality. One year, he sat for the autumn imperial examination and wrote a beautiful article, rich both in style and expression. The local examiner wanted to place him in the top group.
However, on the day of ranking submission, he was unable to find Wang Sheng’s exam paper, which only slipped out of his sleeve later. The local examiner felt very sorry for Wang and promised that he would definitely recommend him when the chance arose.
Later, the local examiner was transferred to the Ministry of Personnel, and Wang Sheng continued with his studies. When he went for another imperial examination, the former local examiner happened to work in the selection department. He was pleased to see Wang Sheng and was planning to find him a suitable official position.
Unfortunately, the examiner was compelled to resign due to the death of his father, resuming his post only after completing the three-year mourning period. By then, Wang Sheng had been chosen as a senior trainee. Recognizing his potential, his former local examiner selected an official position for Wang Sheng, and the young man was expected to take up the position very soon.
However, a few days later, Wang Sheng had to return to his hometown to fulfill the traditional three-year mourning due to the passing of his mother.
Feeling deep pity for Wang Sheng’s unfortunate and troubled life, the examiner recommended him to work as a private tutor in the provincial governor’s household. However, before Wang Sheng could assume the position, the governor was removed from his post.
Wang’s life was full of remarkable opportunities, yet all of them came to nothing. Feeling bitter and frustrated, he fell ill and was confined to bed for three years.
One day, reflecting upon his own conduct over the years, he came to the realization that his misfortunes were not accidental, and they happened because of his bad conduct in life, causing him to accumulate much karma. He decided to completely rectify himself and only do good deeds with a righteous heart.
From that day onward, he gradually regained his health and practiced kindness throughout the rest of his life. He often talked to people about the principle of cause and effect, reminding them to do good deeds, and never do things against the heavenly principles.
Thanks to his kindness and good deeds, his family enjoyed riches and honor for several generations. As the saying goes: What goes around comes around.
A Tea Shop Owner Makes a Complete Change
Qian Guangsheng owned a tea shop. Known for his meanness and unpleasant conduct, he had accumulated up to 6,000 taels of silver from his business dealings. Qian had an imposing build, and everyone called him the “big rich man.”
One day, a fortune teller arrived from out of town, and everyone said he was incredibly accurate. People surrounded him, and Qian went to take a look as well. The fortune teller was reading the fortune of a man surnamed Zhao at the time.
“You have a thick and broad scalp and a high, straight nose ridge, which originally indicate a fortunate visage. However, it seems that dark energy has invaded your forehead. I wonder if you have done something bad. I’m afraid your life will come to an end in a month.” The fortune teller’s words angered the man, who paid the fee and left in a rage.
With his good looks, Qian Guangsheng approached the fortune teller and asked him for a reading. The fortune teller looked closely at Qian and said, “You have a solid body, and have accumulated much wealth. However, because your philtrum is short and your facial skin is thin, so your lifespan is limited. You can only live up to thirty- five.” Qian quietly replied that he’d turned thirty-five that year.
“Please forgive my frankness, but your life will come to an end in one hundred days, and you had better make end-of-life arrangements sooner rather than later,” the fortune teller told him.
Feeling troubled and annoyed, Qian thought, “I still have one hundred days left. I’d better see if his reading for Zhao was accurate first.”
Zhao was serving as a clerk in Jiangdu County, an area badly hit by a serious drought. When Zhao was ordered to help distribute relief rice to aid refugees, he listed many fictitious households and embezzled over 50 bushels of relief rice, and was put to death within a month for his crime.
Seeing this, Qian Guangsheng became really anxious. One night in a dream, he met his servant who had already passed away.
The servant said, “Thanks to my honesty and loyalty, I was offered a job, tasked with escorting wrongdoers to the underworld. There are four names on the list and yours is one of them. I’m going to Danyang first, then coming back for you. Please quickly arrange what you need to do, as I will return in three days.”
Qian Guangsheng woke up in feeling shocked. As his thoughts went to his young children and the many things he had to arrange in the limited time left, sadness engulfed him and he began crying.
An old neighbor heard the noise and came over to ask what happened. He said to Qian, “Life and death are major issues. Crying and feeling sad won’t help. I heard that Master Jubo is an enlightened eminent monk. You’d better go seek his guidance immediately. There may still be a slim change for you.”
Qian Guangsheng went to see Master Jubo straight away and explained the reason for his visit, begging Master Jubo to help him.
“Life and death are governed by destiny. How can one possibly escape them?” Master Jubo said to Qian, “Yet with sincere devotion to the Buddha and a commitment to virtue, blessings and longevity will surely be provided. You must abandon all wrongdoings and turn to goodness. It may even be possible to reverse fate and gain heavenly protection.”
After Qian returned home, he tried his best to do good deeds and kept chanting sutras and reciting the Buddha’s name each day. He said to his family members, “I’ve seen how Zhao was put to death for embezzling the relief rice. There is still a bad drought in our area, and I want to use our savings to help the people who are suffering.” He then ordered his servant to spend 3,000 taels of silver to buy rice to help the local people.
Sure enough, Qian Guangsheng indeed escaped death. His children followed their father’s will and aspirations by acting with kindness and respecting the Buddha. Not only did their tea business flourish with more shops, they also opened a big fabric store.
Qian Guangsheng lived over 100 years and looked much younger than his age. On the day of his 100th birthday, even though he was only a businessman, several thousand people, including local officials and gentry, came to offer their congratulations, saying he was a man who was blessed in every way.
Qian told his children and grandchildren, “I was destined to die at the age of 35. Thanks to the guidance of Master Jubo, I changed my ways, and have lived more than 100 years by now, surrounded by children and grandchildren and enjoying wealth and honor. I’m extremely grateful for the divine blessings. You must always follow the heavenly principles, hold fast to your innate kindness, and never act against it!”
Wang Hua Was Blessed for His Integrity and Uprightness
During the Ming dynasty, Wang Hua worked as a private tutor in the household of a wealthy man. His integrity, fine character, and excellent knowledge won great appreciation from his employer.
Because the rich man was childless, he devised a plan one day and instructed his concubine to present herself in Wang Hua’s room, bearing a piece of paper with the words “I long to have offspring in the human realm.”
The pretty young concubine asked Wang Hua, “What do you think of the idea?”
Without any hesitation, Wang Hua picked wrote on the paper in reply: “I am afraid that this would offend the deities in heaven.”
Wang Hua maintained his integrity and upheld morality. Later, he served as Minister of Official Affairs in the imperial court and fathered his own children.
Wang Yangming Was Able to Talk at Five After Advice from a Wise Man
Wang Yangming from the Ming Dynasty was said to have remained in the womb for fourteen months before being born. According to legend, his grandmother dreamt that he was sent by a deity on a white cloud, so he was named Yun (cloud).
Even at the age of five he was unable to speak and it was only after his name was changed from Yun to Shouren following the guidance of a wise mentor, that he was able to talk.
People blessed with good fortune should always act according to the heavenly principles, while those with bad fortune should in particular stop doing anything against the laws of Heaven. All conditions arise from the mind. Blessings or disasters depend on the direction of one’s heart.
Doing good deeds and showing kindness cannot only keep one from misfortunes and disasters, but also allow one to accumulate virtue and goodness for one’s future generations.
Holding fast to the heavenly principles in the heart, one will undoubtedly have a bright future.
(Note: The contents of this article draw on sources such as Taishang Ganying Pian: Treatise of the Exalted One On Response and Retribution, Zuo Hua Zhi Guo, and others.)