PureInsight | December 13, 2007
[PureInsight.org] Ji Xiao Lan
was a famous scholar in the Qing Dynasty. He wrote a book called
"Cases of Yue Wei Cao Tang," which recorded many stories about good and
bad always being rewarded. In the fourteenth volume, he recorded
two cases describing how two evil theories had misled people into
disastrous consequence and retribution. The stories are also a
lesson for today's people.
There was a bridge in the north of Fujian Province in China. A
fence of railings was built encircling the bridge to prevent people
from falling off the bridge. As Fujian was a rainy region throughout
the year, a canopy was built on the bridge for people to take shelter
from rains. A man named Qiu Er Tian told an astonishing story:
A man was caught in a rain at midnight while walking on the
bridge. He rushed into the canopy. After a while, he saw a
sight. Led by an official holding a documentary folder, several
constables escorted some criminals walking towards the canopy to take
shelter from the rain. Upon hearing some noises which came from
shackles and manacles, the man realized that it was people of authority
who escorted the prisoners. He was too scared to make any
noise. He quietly withdrew to a corner and watched them.
Suddenly, a prisoner cried out in tears. The official scolded him
severely, "Now you know the consequences and are frightened. But
it's too late to regret. You deserve the punishment for what you
did in the past when you were alive. What are you crying for?"
The prisoner said, "I was misled by my teacher. He always scolded
those people who believed in the gods and heaven. He taught us
that the heavenly rule of good and bad always being rewarded was
nonsense. I took his teachings for gospel truth. I believed
that there was no retribution and punishment for bad doings after a
person passed away. So I did whatever I wanted. I seized every
chance to gain advantage by trickery, indulged my selfish desires,
harbored ill intent, and harmed other people to benefit myself.
Since, as I was taught, there would be no praise or blame for bad
doings and all things would come to an end upon death, I did not need
to care about it or be frightened for what I'd done. I really did
not know the consequences until I dropped down to Hell after I
died. Now I really know that there is a kind of Hell. I did not
realize the fact of retribution until this moment. I was cheated
by my teacher. I am very sad and full of feelings of both remorse
and shame."
After the prisoner finished his tearful plaint, another prisoner
started to say, in tears, "You were cheated by your teacher. I
was cheated by a sorcerer. The sorcerer told me, 'When a person
does a bad deed, he can pray to god by donating some money to
accumulate merit to offset the karma. Even if he passes away and
goes to the Hell for doing bad, he can ask a sorcerer for help. A
sorcerer can chant the scriptures to release his soul from sin.'
I took what he said on trust. I thought that it was not necessary
for me to be frightened any more for bad deeds, because there would be
no punishment. I could donate some money to accumulate merit to
balance against any bad deeds when I alive. Even if I went to
Hell after death, I was not afraid of it. I could enjoin my
family members to get a sorcerer to recite the scriptures for me to
offset the karma. Then I would not get punished. Under this
belief, I swindled money out of people and indulged in all sorts of
evildoings. I did not know the consequence until I went to Hell.
The Kind of Hell awards and punishes a soul according to his good and
bad deeds. The good and bad deeds cannot offset each other.
Although I had donated some money when I alive, I did it for my own
selfishness purposes. Therefore, there was no merit at all.
Now I was being punished one by one for every single bad thing that I
did when I alive. I'm so regretful now. If I hadn't been misled
by the sorcerer, I would not have committed so many bad deeds."
He cried bitterly after telling his story. All of the other
prisoners also burst into tearful crying.
Upon hearing their stories, the man who had withdrawn into the corner
realized that these people were dead. Their lessons were
astonishing and still can apply to today's people. It reminds
people to follow the heavenly rule.
Translated from:
http://xinsheng.net/xs/articles/gb/2007/11/16/41886.htm
