The laws that govern the universe are based
on the cycle of cause and effect.(天道好還)
During the Qing dynasty in China, there was
a famous minister and scholar named Ji Yun. He wrote a book in which he
recorded true stories that he had either heard or witnessed. One such story is
summarised below:
I have a colleague named Liu. He was once
stationed in Shandong Province, but has since returned to the capital. We are
good friends and often meet up.
One day, while chatting with Mr Liu, he
told me a true story that he had heard in Shandong Province.
Ancient Chinese people believed that, like
humans, animals could achieve immortality through a special cultivation
process. During this lengthy process, their abilities would grow stronger, and
at a certain stage, they could transform into human form.
In Shandong Province, there was an ordinary
family consisting of a husband and wife with a daughter. Their daughter was 18
years old and extremely beautiful.
She met a young man and fell in love with
him. He exhibited many strange behaviours, which influenced her.
After being warned by a Taoist priest, the
father discovered that the young man his daughter loved was actually a fox
spirit in disguise. He knew that this situation could not continue or his
daughter's life would be in danger.
Following the priest's advice, he found the
fox spirit's lair and captured a fox cub.
Holding the fox cub, the father went to see
the young man his daughter loved.
He said to the young man,
'I know your true identity. I want you to
leave my daughter alone. If you refuse, I will kill this fox cub.'
The young man — the fox spirit — replied to
the father.
'I agree to your terms. I am willing to
leave your daughter alone. Please release my family.'
The honest father hadn't expected the fox
spirit to deceive him.
After he released the fox cub, the young
man arrogantly declared that he would continue to stay with his daughter.
The father said to the young man,
'You are a dishonest person. Why did you
deceive me?'
The young man mocked the father.
'You live in a society where people deceive
each other all the time.
You're so old; how could you believe me so
easily? You should blame yourself for being so foolish as to be deceived by
me.'
Upon hearing the young man's mocking words,
the father was furious and devised a plan.
When the young man arrived at his house
looking for his daughter, the father secretly poisoned his drink.
The young man didn't discover the father's
scheme. After drinking the poisoned beverage, he suffered great harm and
hurriedly fled back to his den.
A few days later, in the middle of the
night, a terrible thing happened.
The house shook as if hit by an earthquake
and the shrill cries of foxes echoed outside.
An aged voice entered the house.
'You killed my child! I'll kill your whole
family!'
Hearing this, the father mustered his
courage and retorted loudly.
'Was your son the fox who bewitched my
daughter? He promised to leave her alone, but broke his word, which is why he
drank the poisoned beverage. You shouldn't blame me for this tragedy.'
After the father had finished speaking,
hurried sounds, like a discussion, could be heard outside. About five minutes
later, the aged voice returned.
'I've already checked with my wife, and
it's true that this happened because my son broke his promise.'
Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, said that
the universe operates according to the cycle of cause and effect. I believe
this statement perfectly explains why my son was poisoned.
He is responsible for this tragedy.
You were deceived by him, and so he drank
the poisoned beverage. We shouldn't blame you for this.
If we harmed you because of this, we would
suffer great calamity.'
After he had said this, the shaking of the
house subsided and the surroundings returned to normal.
Having heard his friend's account of the
incident, Ji Yun offered his thoughts:
'That old fox's insight far surpasses that
of his child.'
The idiom translates directly as: The
universe operates according to the law of cause and effect.
It serves as a reminder that the universe
has its own laws of operation and that a person's good or bad deeds will
ultimately come back to them.
Dear friend, what insights or thoughts did
you gain from this story? Do you believe in cause and effect? Have you ever
been treated maliciously by someone you treated kindly?
I hope this story gives you some new
insights.
天道好還(The laws that govern the universe are
based on the cycle of cause and effect.)
中國的清王朝有一個著名的大臣，他也是一個非常著名的學者，他的名字叫做紀昀，他寫過一本書，他在這本書中記錄下他所聽見或看見的一些真實發生的故事，其中一個故事的大意如下。
我有一個姓劉的同事，他曾經被派駐在中國的山東省但目前回到了首都，我跟他的關係很好，我們常常聚在一起。
有一天，我跟那個劉姓的官員在聊天的時候，他對我說了一個他在山東省聽到的一個真實的故事。
古代的中國人相信動物與人一樣，都可以透過一種特殊的修練方式讓自己變成不朽。這些動物在這漫長修行的過程中，牠們的能力會愈來愈強大，牠們修行到的某一個階段的時候就可以變化自己的形貌成為人類的形象。
山東省有一個平凡的家庭，這個家庭中有一對夫妻與一個女兒總共三個成員，這個家庭中的女兒已經18歲了，這個女兒長得非常的漂亮。
這個這個女兒認識了一個年輕的男子並愛上了這個男子，這個男子有很多奇怪的行動，這個男子的一些奇怪的想法影響了這個女兒。
經過一個道士的提醒之後，這個父親發現他女兒愛上的這個年輕的男子是一隻狐狸變成的，他知道這個情況不能再繼續下去，不然他的女兒會有生命的危險。
經過這個道士的指點之後，這個父親找到了這隻狐狸變成的妖怪的巢穴，他從這個巢穴中抓到了一隻小狐狸。
這個父親抓著這隻小狐狸然後主動去見那個他女兒愛上的年輕的男子。
這個父親對那個年輕的男子說。
我已經知道你的真實身分了，我希望妳離開我的女兒，如果你不肯離開我的女兒，我就要殺死這隻小狐狸。
那個狐狸變成的年輕男子回答這個父親。
我答應你所提出的交換條件，我願意離開你的女兒，請你放了我的家人。
這個老實的父親沒有想到那個狐狸變的男子會欺騙他。
那個父親把他所抓到的小狐狸放走之後，那個年輕人囂張地表示要繼續跟他的女兒在一起。
那個父親對那個年輕的男子說。
你是一個不守信用的人，你為何欺騙我呢?
那個年輕的男子嘲笑那個父親。
你生活在人類的社會中，人與人之間互相欺騙的事情太多了。
你已經那麼大的年紀了，你怎麼會輕易地相信我的話呢?你應該怪你自己太笨才會被我欺騙。
那個父親聽到那個年輕的男子的嘲笑的話後非常的憤怒，他就想到了一個計謀。
他利用那個年輕的男子來到他家找他的女兒的時候，他偷偷地在那個年輕的男子的飲料中加入了毒藥。
那個年輕的男子沒有發現那個父親的計謀，當那個年輕的男子喝下這杯有毒藥的飲料後，他的身體遭受到很大的損害，他急忙逃回自己的巢穴。
年輕男子離開後的幾天後的一個半夜，突然發生了一件很可怕的事情。
他們住的房子就像是遭遇地震一樣劇烈的震動，房屋外面傳來許多吵雜的狐狸的尖銳的叫聲。
其中有一個蒼老的聲音傳入那個屋子內。
你害死了我的小孩，我要殺了你們全家的人。
那個父親聽到這句話後，他鼓起勇氣大聲回嗆說。
你的兒子就是那隻迷惑我的女兒的狐狸嗎?他原先已經跟我達成協議說要離開我的女兒，因為他不守信用所以他才會喝到加入毒藥的飲料，這件悲劇你不應該怪我。
那個父親說完這些話後，屋子外面傳來的一陣急促的像是在討論問題的聲音。大約五分鐘後，那個蒼老的聲音再度傳入屋內。
我已經跟我的妻子查證過了，這件事情的確是因為我的兒子沒有守信用所以他才會有這個下場。
道家的創始者老子說過一句話，宇宙運行的法則是根據因果循環的規律，我認為這一句話很能夠說明為何我的兒子會你毒死。
這件悲劇的發生的責任在我的兒子身上。
因為你被我的兒子欺騙，所以他才會喝下那杯加了毒藥的飲料，我們不應該因為這件事情責怪你。
如果我們因此傷害了你，那麼我們將會遭受到巨大的禍患。
說完這些話後，房子的震動平靜下來且四周圍恢復平靜。
紀昀聽完這個朋友說的這個事件後，他做出他的評論。
那隻老狐狸的見識，比他那個孩子可要高出不知道多少倍啊。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思宇宙運行的法則是根據因果循環的規律。
這句成語被用來提醒我們宇宙自有它運行的法則，一個人的善行或惡行最終都會回歸到自身，這個人終會得到應有的報應。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢
你相信因果循環嗎?你是否曾經善待在善待他人後卻遭這個人惡意對待的經驗到呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為清-紀昀-閱微草堂筆記-卷13
https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hans/%E9%96%B1%E5%BE%AE%E8%8D%89%E5%A0%82%E7%AD%86%E8%A8%98/%E5%8D%B713