In Wu’an City, Hebei Province, a widely known tale about greed and a young monk from Wuji Village has been passed down for generations. Although he was not truly a monk, this story from the Ming Dynasty serves as a poignant reminder of the age-old belief: Good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds invite retribution.
A deceitful innkeeper’s greed leads to wealth
During the Ming Dynasty, a man named Li owned an inn in Shanxi Province. One day, an old monk came to stay while traveling to raise funds for building a temple. Over time, the monk and the innkeeper became acquainted. Trusting Li, the monk began leaving his collected donations in the innkeeper’s safekeeping, as traveling with large sums was inconvenient.
However, as the silver donations grew, Li’s greed overtook him. Seizing the opportunity while the monk was away, Li fled back to his hometown in Wu’an, taking both his own savings and the monk’s silver. When the monk returned to the inn, he discovered it had been sold, and the innkeeper had vanished. Overwhelmed with despair, the monk passed away.
Using the stolen funds, Li established himself as a prosperous landowner. He amassed a vast fortune, including extensive farmland and numerous houses, becoming one of Wu’an’s wealthiest men. Yet, his ill-gotten wealth would soon attract karmic consequences.
A dream warns of karmic retribution
One afternoon, Li was napping when he dreamed of the monk he had wronged. The monk appeared carrying a sack of coins and demanded the return of his silver. Suddenly, Li awoke to his servant announcing the birth of a son. Startled, Li recognized the boy as the monk’s reincarnation, who had come to claim his due.
Li’s wife suggested naming the newborn, but Li, still shaken by the dream, absentmindedly replied: ‘Let’s call him ‘Little Monk.’’ The nickname stuck, and soon everyone referred to the boy as ‘Little Monk.’
The boy’s extravagance leads to ruin
From a young age, Little Monk displayed unusual behavior. He rarely cried or laughed, but found great amusement when hearing dishes break. His father, indulgent in his old age, ordered servants to break plates daily to entertain him. This practice gave rise to a local belief that breaking plates is a sign of impending financial ruin.
As Little Monk grew older, his habits became even more peculiar. Fascinated by the idea of reaping what one sows, he once instructed farmhands to plant ingots of silver in the fields, believing they would grow into treasures. When no sprouts appeared, the farmhands, who had stolen the buried silver, claimed the soil had “burned the seeds.”
Little Monk’s reckless spending knew no bounds. During the bustling Huangliang Dream Temple Fair in Handan, he ordered servants to scatter silver coins along the road to clear a path for his carriage. The spectacle diverted everyone’s attention, turning the fair into a chaotic scramble for coins.
The family fortune dissipates
Despite knowing his son’s purpose was to claim karmic retribution, Li could not bear to chastise him. Near the end of his life, Li advised Little Monk: “Never sell the Yangyi Reservoir. Its daily water sales can sustain you for life.” Yet, Little Monk began selling off the family’s properties after Li’s passing to fund his lavish lifestyle. The reservoir, too, was eventually sold, and with it, the family’s last stable income.
Within a few years, Li’s immense fortune was entirely squandered. This tale, preserved through generations in Wu’an, serves as a powerful moral lesson: Justice prevails, and those who commit wrongdoing will inevitably face consequences.
Translated article
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