Karmic Retribution is Closely Associated with Ones Actions

“Good is rewarded with good, and evil is met with evil” is an old maxim passed around by Chinese people. People in ancient times also recorded such examples to caution people in the world. Those who believed in and followed the maxim were called “families who accumulate virtue and will be prosperous.” Those who didn’t believe it were called “families who accumulate karma and will face tribulations.” There is also another ancient Chinese saying, “Blessings and misfortunes never come without reasons, they only come to the people themselves; karmic retribution is closely associated with your deeds.” The following story should serve as a reminder to today’s people.

In the first year of the period of Zhenyuan during the Tang Dynasty (785 A.D.), the governor of Danyang county，Wang Qiong, had sought promotion for three years, but he had been rejected every time. Therefore, he was very angry. He went to see Taoist [Someone who cultivates according to the "Tao" or "way of the universe"] Ye Xuzhong, who was already over ninety and lived in Mt. Mao. He stayed with Ye Xuzhong and began a fast. He begged Ye to send a written request to the Lord of Heaven to check his fortune in the future.

Ye reluctantly sent a written request to the Lord of Heaven. The request flew up to the sky following the incense smoke and disappeared in the air. After the time it takes to eat a meal, the request fell down to the earth, and there were comments in red at the end of the missive: “Accepting one hundred grams of gold caused the losses on your salary for three years; killing two innocent people by mistake will incur extra punishment after your death.”

One year later Wang Qiong died from acute disease.