Correcting One's Wrongdoings Changes One's Fate
 
In the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD), a man named Zhang Weiyan in Jiangyin, Jiangsu Province, was a learned man and a skilled writer. He was quite well-known in his region. In the era of Wanli in year 1593, he entered but failed the imperial examinations, which were held once every three years. Under the bulletin displaying the exam results he cursed the judges, feeling they did not recognize people who had true knowledge.
 
At that moment, a Taoist passed by and heard him. He smiled and said, "I can tell that your writings must be bad!" Zhang Weiyan then vented his anger on him, "Why do you laugh at me? You have not read my articles, how do you know that my writings are bad?" The Taoist said, "I heard that the key to writing is that one needs to be at peace and maintain a calm heart. You are now cursing the judges. You must be very angry. How can you write a good article if this is what your character is like?" Zhang Weiyan thought what the Taoist said was very rational, so he sincerely asked for help.
 
The Taoist said, "Your writing certainly needs to be good. However, if you are destined to fail, even good writing will not help you. The fundamental solution is to change yourself." Zhang Weiyan asked him, "How can I change myself?" The Taoist replied, "If you can follow the principles of heaven and do good deeds, then what reward can you not attain?"
 
Zhang Weiyan sighed, "I am just a poor scholar. Where can I find enough money to do good deeds?" The Taoist said, "Be compassionate and cultivate your virtue, the most important thing lies in your heart. It requires us to bear kindness in our heart at all times. We need to be more humble and have the mindset ready to help others. The motivation of helping needs to be pure. Follow the heavenly principles. For example, one doesn't need money to be humble. You can achieve this without being rich. Why don't you examine yourself instead of cursing the judges? This action becomes your fault." Zhang Weiyan was moved. He thanked the Taoist.
 
Since then, Zhang Weiyan focused on having compassion and being strict with himself. He cultivated his virtue and became a person with high morality. He established schools in the village, and instructed the local people. He taught them to avoid wrongdoing and perform good deeds no matter how minor the situation. He encouraged people to be kind to each other. He was highly praised.
 
One day three years later, Zhang Weiyan had a dream. He dreamt that he entered a large house. There was a book with names listed, but with many blank spaces. He asked a person standing nearby about the book. That person told him, "This is a list of names that will pass the examination this fall. If a name appeared here and that person has not committed any wrongdoings over the past three years, his name will be kept. The blank spaces are those who could have passed but committed wrongdoings. Therefore their names were removed. During the past three years, you have been kind to others. Your name was added. If you can continue doing this, you will build virtues in the future and receive many rewards. I hope you can be strict with yourself." Indeed, Zhang Weiyan passed the court exams that year. Later he did perform many good deeds for the people.
 
There is a saying that “There is a deity three feet above your head,” meaning that deities are everywhere. A person’s thoughts are monitored by the deities because nothing escapes the Heaven’s arrangements. Heaven will protect kind people. It is natural that those who are kind will be repaid! No matter where you are in society, which profession you choose and what kind of environment you are in, you can be a good person. Do good deeds and keep a compassionate heart at all times, and virtue will grow. One can then enjoy a bright future.
 
悔过自新　行善改运
 
明朝时江苏江阴有个叫张畏岩的人，学识丰富，很擅长写文章，在当地颇有名气。万历甲午年，他参加科考结果榜上无名，于是就在榜前骂主考官有眼无珠，不识有才学的人。
 
这时候有一位道人在旁听了，便微笑说：“这位相公，我看你的文章一定很差！”张畏岩立即又迁怒于道人：“你凭甚么笑我？你没读过我的文章，怎么知道不好？”道人说：“我听说做文章的关键在于要心平气和，现在听你骂考官，你的心中非常不平，文章又怎么可能写好呢？”张畏岩听了觉的很有道理，于是诚心向他请教。
 
道人说：“文章固然要好，如果命中注定榜上无名，文章虽然精巧，也没有甚么帮助的。最根本的问题是要转变自身才行。”张畏岩问：“怎样转变自身呢？”道人说：“如果能够秉承天命行善，还有甚么福报不能得到呢？”
 
张畏岩叹息著说：“我是个贫穷的读书人，哪有钱做善事？”道人回答：“行善修德，重要的在于心，要求我们心中时刻存有善念，在品德上更加谦虚谨慎，常存帮助别人的心。行善的动机要纯，一切遵天理而行。比如谦虚做人的例子，这并不需要花钱，你完全可以做到。那为甚么不反省自己，而要骂考官呢？这就是你的过失了。”张畏岩因此感动悔悟，向道人致谢。
 
从此之后，张畏岩一心向善，严格要求自己注重修身，成为一位品德高尚的人。他还给乡里人办学讲学，教化他们勿以恶小而为之，勿以善小而不为，并常向周围人劝善，受到人们的称赞。
 
三年后的一天，张畏岩做了一个梦，梦到进了一间很高大的房子，里边有一本名册，名册里有好多空格缺名，就问旁人：“这是怎么回事？”那人告诉他：“这是今年秋榜录取的名册。原本名册有名的，如果这三年当中他没有过失，他的名字才得保全。这些缺行，都是本应中举的人，因有缺失所以将名字除掉了。你这三年来，修身向善，可以补进去，如果能坚持不懈，将来更是福德无量，希望你能自爱。”这一年的科考，张畏岩果然中榜，后来为官为百姓做了很多好事。
 
有句话说“举头三尺有神灵”，是说神明无处不在，人的一切思想行为，神明都在监察著，因为一切都逃不出天理的安排。天道佑善，因行善利人而蒙恩多福，也是理所当然的了！其实人无论身在任何一个阶层、行业、环境，都可以做好人、行善事，任何时候都能够保持善念，他的福份才会往更长来延续，才会拥有光明、美好的未来。