The law of cause and effect exists between Heaven and Earth, and what we reap in this life depends on what we sowed in our past lives. Mankind goes through reincarnation, playing different roles and forming relationships in each lifetime, resulting in different destinies.
How a monk helped resolve a grievance through a dream
During the Song Dynasty, Shen Ergong, from Anji County, Huzhou, had been reciting Buddhist scriptures for 20 years.
Shen Ergong had a dream before the Jin soldiers attacked Anji. A monk told Shen in his dream: “You killed someone in your past life, and the retribution will soon arrive. Your family can take refuge elsewhere, but you must stay in your house. If you see a tall man with a sword breaking into your house, do not be afraid and ask him immediately: ‘Are you Li Li from Yanshan Prefecture?’ Stick out your neck and see if he cuts off your head. If he doesn’t, then your grudges will be resolved.”
The Jin soldiers arrived a few days later, and Shen’s family took refuge in a remote mountain. Shen Ergong was alone at home, and the scene described by the monk indeed happened. Shen Ergong followed the monk’s instructions. The man put away his sword and asked: “How do you know my name and where I come from?” Shen Ergong told him about his dream.
Li Li gasped and saw a Buddhist scripture on the table. He found out Shen Ergong had been reading it for 20 years. Li Li then took a scroll of scriptures with him and often studied them.
The grievance in the Tang Dynasty was resolved in the Song Dynasty
During the Song Dynasty, there was a man named Zhang from Lin-An. He visited a dilapidated temple and saw an old Buddha statue without hands and feet. Zhang took the Buddha statue home and worshipped it.
About a year later, the Buddha statue occasionally made sounds. The statue informed Zhang ahead of time of the good and the bad things that would happen, which went on for 30 years.
During the Jianyan period of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty army invaded Lin-An, and Zhang took shelter in a dry well.
In a dreamlike state, Zhang saw the Buddha statue coming to him to bid farewell. The statue told him: “You are in trouble and will die. I won’t be able to save you. This is because you killed a man during the Huang Chao Rebellion (Tang Dynasty). His name is Ding Xiaoda; he has reincarnated and will be here tomorrow to seek avenge.” Zhang was very scared upon hearing that.
A man with a spear came to the well the next day. He yelled out loud and commanded Zhang to come out. Zhang crawled out, and when the man was about to kill him, he quickly shouted: “Aren’t you Ding Xiaoda?”
The man was shocked and asked: “How do you know my name?”
Zhang told him about the Buddha statue and its prediction. Ding Xiaoda was at a loss and threw the spear on the ground. He said: “It is better to resolve the animosity between people instead of creating it. You killed me in the past, and I want to kill you now. The next time we reincarnate, you’ll kill me again. When is this cycle of revenge going to end? I will release you today, but if you stay here, other soldiers will kill you. You’d better stay with me.”
Ding Xiaoda followed Zhang for a few days; then, they parted ways after he was out of danger.
Translated by Elaine and edited by Laura C.
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