The thoughts you harbor — whether good or evil — shape the outcomes of the destiny you experience in life. Ji Xiaolan, a renowned scholar during the Qing Dynasty, recorded several stories in his Notes of Lord Ji that illustrate the undeniable truth of karma, where fate‘s rewards and retribution follow the smallest of actions with uncanny precision.
An elderly man’s compassion saves his life
In the summer of 1733, 10-year-old Ji Xiaolan accompanied his grandmother, Madam Zhang, to escape the heat at a family estate south of Cangzhou. The estate’s Shui Ming Pavilion sat on a riverbank, offering a clear view of the Wei River, where boats sailed quietly below.
One day, as Ji gazed out the window, he saw dozens of men and women boarding a ferry. Just as the boat was about to depart, a young man suddenly punched an elderly man, knocking him into the shallow water near the shore. Soaked and furious, the old man struggled to his feet and began cursing the attacker as the ferry drifted away from the dock.
Moments later, the river — swollen from recent heavy rains — rushed with powerful waves. Out of nowhere, a grain-laden boat sped downstream like an arrow and collided head-on with the ferry. The impact shattered the wooden vessel, throwing all the passengers into the churning waters. Tragically, none survived — except for the elderly man who had been knocked overboard earlier. His anger quickly turned to gratitude as he clasped his hands together, repeatedly chanting prayers of thanks.
Curious onlookers asked the old man where he had been headed. He explained: “I had heard that a relative of mine accepted 20 taels of silver to sell his adopted daughter as a concubine. Determined to stop this injustice, I mortgaged a few acres of my poor farmland to raise the money and planned to redeem the girl today. I never expected…”
The crowd murmured in amazement. “That punch must have been guided by divine intervention!” one man exclaimed. Moved by the story, they quickly arranged another ferry to take the elderly man across the river so he could complete his mission.
Greed and cruelty lead to a tragic end
Madam Zhang, Ji Xiaolan’s grandmother, often shared stories about karmic justice. One such tale involved a man from Cangzhou who forced his widowed sister-in-law into remarriage and sold his two nieces into a brothel. The villagers were outraged but felt powerless to intervene.
One evening, after collecting ill-gotten wealth, the man loaded a boat with mung beans and set sail for Tianjin to sell his goods. As dusk fell, he sat on the boat’s edge, washing his feet. Suddenly, the rope securing a salt-laden ship on the opposite bank snapped, sending the vessel careening across the river. The two boats collided, and the impact sheared through the man’s legs like a knife. He screamed in agony for days before succumbing to his injuries.
When a servant from Ji Xiaolan’s household reported the incident, he exclaimed: “Such a tragic and bizarre misfortune!” But Ji’s grandfather, Zhang Xuefeng, remained calm and replied: “This is not strange at all. It would have been strange if he hadn’t met such an end.”
The balance of karma remains unbroken
Both stories reveal how the universe metes out consequences with unfailing accuracy. As the ancient Chinese classic Shang Shu states: “Those who follow the path of virtue will find prosperity, while those who act against it will face misfortune, like shadows following the body or echoes answering a sound.”
Translated by Elaine
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