After returning to Nanjing in the year of Jisi, before entering the national university, I first visited Master Yun Gu at Qixia Mountain. We sat facing each other in a room, and for three days and nights, I did not close my eyes. Yun Gu asked, ‘The reason why ordinary people cannot become saints is because they are entangled by delusions. You have sat for three days without a single delusion arising. What is the reason for this?’ I replied, ‘I have calculated with Confucius that honor and disgrace, life and death, all have a predetermined number. Even if I want to have delusions, there is nothing to delude about.’ Yun Gu laughed and said, ‘I thought you were a hero, but it turns out you are just an ordinary person.’ When I asked why, he said, ‘A person who cannot be without thoughts will ultimately be bound by yin and yang. How can one be free from numbers? Only ordinary people are bound by numbers; the extremely virtuous are not bound by them; the extremely wicked are also not bound by them. You have been predetermined for twenty years and have not moved a bit, are you not an ordinary person?’ I asked, ‘Then can one escape from this number?’ He said, ‘Destiny is created by oneself, and fortune is sought by oneself. The “Book of Songs” and the “Book of Documents” say that what is definite is a clear teaching. My teachings say that if you seek fame, you will gain fame; if you seek wealth, you will gain wealth; if you seek children, you will gain children; if you seek longevity, you will gain longevity. Lies are the great precepts of Shakyamuni, how can the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas deceive people?’ I further said, ‘Mencius said, “If you seek, you will obtain it.” Seeking is within me. Virtue and righteousness can be earnestly sought; how can fame and wealth be sought?’ Yun Gu said, ‘Mencius’s words are not wrong, but you have misunderstood them. Do you not see that the Sixth Patriarch said, “All fields of blessings do not leave the mind. From the heart, seeking will have no barriers.” Seeking is within me; not only can I obtain virtue and righteousness, but I can also obtain fame and wealth. Gaining both internally and externally is beneficial. If one does not return to introspect and only seeks outwardly, then seeking has its path, and gaining has its fate. Losing both internally and externally is therefore of no benefit.’ I asked, ‘What does Confucius predict for my lifetime?’ I answered truthfully. Yun Gu said, ‘Do you think you should obtain a degree? Should you have children?’ After reflecting for a long time, I said, ‘I should not. Those who obtain degrees generally have good fortune; my fortune is thin. I also cannot accumulate virtue and good deeds to build a solid foundation for blessings; moreover, I am impatient and cannot tolerate others. Sometimes I overshadow others with my talents and intelligence, speaking lightly and carelessly. All of these are signs of thin fortune; how can I expect a degree? The more filthy the land, the more creatures are born; the clearer the water, the fewer fish there are. I like cleanliness; harmony can nurture all things, but I am prone to anger; love is the root of life, and patience is the root of non-procreation. I cherish my reputation and often cannot abandon myself to save others. Additionally, excessive talking consumes energy, I enjoy drinking excessively, and I like to sit up all night without knowing how to preserve my essence and spirit; all these are reasons for not having children. There are many other faults that I cannot enumerate.’ Yun Gu said, ‘Is it only the degree that you should not obtain? There are probably many things you should not have! Know that fortune and misfortune are all created by the heart. Wise people understand that this is all self-inflicted. Foolish people attribute everything to fate. For example, those who can possess a fortune of a thousand gold must be people with a fortune of a thousand gold; those who can possess a fortune of a hundred gold must be people with a fortune of a hundred gold; those who should starve to death must be people who are destined to starve. Heaven does not add or subtract anything based on one’s material; it merely adjusts according to one’s original quality. For instance, a person with a hundred generations of virtue will certainly have a hundred generations of descendants to protect their blessings; a person with ten generations of virtue will certainly have ten generations of descendants to protect their blessings; a person with three or two generations of virtue will certainly have three or two generations of descendants to protect their blessings. Those who have no descendants after a single generation of blessings have extremely thin virtue. Now that you know this, you should strive to change your fate of not obtaining a degree and not having children. You must accumulate virtue, be kind and compassionate, be tolerant of all, and cherish your spirit. Everything from the past is like yesterday’s death; everything in the future is like today’s birth. This is the meaning of rebirth. The physical body still has a number; how can the moral and ethical life not move heaven? Tai Jia said: ‘Heaven’s calamity can still be avoided; self-inflicted calamity cannot be escaped.’ The “Book of Songs” says: ‘Always speak of fate, and seek more blessings for yourself.’ If Confucius predicts that you will not obtain a degree or have children, this is a calamity from heaven, which can still be avoided. Now that you actively do good deeds and accumulate virtue, this is the fortune you create for yourself; how can you not enjoy it? The “I Ching” advises gentlemen to seek auspiciousness and avoid misfortune.
If one says that heaven’s decree is constant, how can auspiciousness be pursued? How can misfortune be avoided? The first chapter states: ‘A family that accumulates goodness will surely have surplus blessings; a family that accumulates evil will surely have surplus calamities.’ Do you believe this? I believe his words and bow to accept his teachings.
Deeply believe in cause and effect, and feel free to share.
