The wife of a government official in Changzhou found herself out of favor with her husband, and the couple was struggling to get along and maintain the harmony they once experienced. She became depressed and heartbroken.
One day, a nun from a local temple visited the village. The wife asked the nun for advice on the causes and consequences of marital discord. The nun said: “I am not an official in the nether world, so I cannot check the register of your spouses; nor am I a Buddha or Bodhisattva, so I cannot see the past, present, and future of people. But I do know the truth of karma!”
She further explained to the wife: “Most couples united in love are bound to love each other, and those united in spite are bound to resent each other. Some are united neither by kindness nor grievance, and both are bound to repay each other for what they owe each other. You and your husband are not united by spite, are you?”
The nun elaborated to the wife: “This is determined by Heaven, not by man, but man’s actions also determine it! Although it is said that Heaven is better than man and that Heaven’s destiny cannot be disobeyed, man can also be better than Heaven.”
The nun continued: “That is why the Dharma (Law) is preached to allow people to repent. You have to do your duty as a wife and a mother, to serve your parents and in-laws with filial piety, to deal with your sisters-in-law harmoniously, and to treat your concubines and maids with generosity.”
In conclusion, she said: “Just focus on doing these things for yourself, regardless of what others are doing, and you may be able to salvage your relationship. It is fruitless to ask questions about the causes of one’s past lives.”
The wife acted by the nun’s wise words, and in time, the couple became as harmonious and loving as they had been when they were first married.
The late wife passed this knowledge on as a warning to her daughters-in-law: “The nun’s words have proven to be a divine blessing, paving the way to relieve resentment in the boudoir. If you practice it consistently, it will always work. If it doesn’t work, it must be because you have not persevered.”
Good and evil can be reconciled, but why can’t grudges?
Kee Hiu Lam tells of a rich boy who was seriously ill and died. Soon after, he regained consciousness and told his family.
He said: “My soul has gone to Hell. In the past, I donated money to save two lives and even robbed a woman by force. The man whose life I saved is Cao Cao, and he has posted a bond to protect me, but the father of the woman who was robbed is crying out for justice. Presently, there has been no result issued.”
Two days later, the boy became cognizant again. In desperation, he told the family, “I am finished! The underworld officials said that robbing a woman is a heinous act, saving people’s lives is considered righteous and benevolent, and the two can offset each other.
However, The King of Hades said that these actions could be offset since I saved a person’s life and then robbed the daughter of a saved person. Now, as it stands, it was this man’s daughter that was taken away, and it was the other man’s life that was saved. The life-saving kindness has been repaid, but how will the grievance of the daughter being robbed be settled? Both good deeds and sinful karma cannot always be canceled out.”
The young rich boy said: “It’s better to have one repay kindness for kindness and grievances for grievances in the next life, rather than wait for the time that the underworld pronounces the rewards and punishments according to one’s actions.” After finishing his speech, the young boy died.
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