Be Clear about Cause and Effect: Good Will Be Rewarded with Good (Part 1)
 
The ancients believed that one's fate, whether it be misfortune or blessings, were all connected to karma, and all resulted from one's actions; everything was arranged according to the heavenly principles. Heaven always blesses the good and often looks after and helps kindhearted people, as if gods are assisting them in accomplishing what they do. There have been countless examples since ancient times to show how one's fate took a good turn as a result of one's virtuous acts. The following is the story of Zhao Xiong (1129 – 1194 AD) in the Southern Song Dynasty.
 
Zhao Xiong was a kind and honest person since childhood. He was not very bright in his studies and was not very articulate. His parents thought it was good enough for him just to know a few written characters. Zhao Xiong could not remember many of the stories from classical works that the teacher taught him, but he did remember one such story about Wang Zeng (978 – 1038 AD), a famous prime minister during the Northern Song Dynasty.
 
In the story, Wang Zeng's father respected paper with characters on it all his life and did a lot of good deeds. One day he saw Confucius in his dream. Confucius said to him, "You have respected written paper all your life and done many good things. You have accumulated many merits and virtues and should be rewarded with a precious son to glorify your household." Indeed, he later had a son, Wang Zeng, who took first in all three levels of the imperial examination. Zhao Xiong thought, "I've been dumb my whole life. It is most likely that I did not cherish paper in my previous life and I mustn't have done enough good things. I must do more good things from now on." He held such a respectable thought and was very sincere and committed. Of course he was rewarded. His writing became better and better, very much different from what it was like before. One day, Zhao Xiong was getting ready to go to Lin'an, the capital city, for the imperial examination. Several people made fun of him, but he did not take it to heart.
 
As he traveled to Lin'an, he saw a skeleton by a grove. He thought of King Wen in the Western Zhou Dynasty, who would always bury the deceased he came across. So he asked his servant to dig a hole and the two of them buried the skeleton in the soil. When the examination results were published, he was a successful candidate at the provincial level. When it came to the time for all successful candidates at the provincial level to take the national level examination, Zhao Xiong was reluctant to attend, thinking, "I was lucky to be successful in the provincial examination. I'm not good enough to sit this exam with all other successful candidates." His servant kept urging him to take the examination, so in the end, he went reluctantly. Unexpectedly, the candidate next to his booth suddenly got sick and kept moaning. Zhao Xiong was the only one who went to help him. After he got back from helping the sick man, he hurriedly finished his exam paper. The examiner thought his writing was very good for its ancient style. As a result he was again successful in the examination. On the day of the imperial examination at the imperial court, Zhao Xiong remembered a few of his early writings and he wrote even more smoothly. When results came out, he was ranked fifth. When the news of his achievement spread to his hometown, his parents and all the local people were surprised. They said, "Zhao Xiong's writing must have been very good in the first place, but we were not good enough to see this. Now that he has gone to the capital, his talent has gotten recognized." People knew that the examiner would reward those successful candidates whose writings were good. What they did not realize is that things are decided by the gods, and Zhao Xiong's success resulted from his fate and his virtuous actions.
 
Zhao Xiong was first appointed to be the head of a county and was later promoted to be the governor of Western Shu. He was aware that he received his official post as a result of accumulating virtue, so he never dared to do anything that defied Heaven and reason. He humbly learned from others and appointed people on their merits only; he never embezzled any public funds and personally led people to build dikes and dams so that people would not have to worry about floods. In the five years that he served in Western Shu, Zhao Xiong did countless things for the people.
 
At that time, Emperor Xiaozong (1127 – 1194 AD) had very strict regulations about reporting to the emperor in person. Even though Western Shu was thousands of miles away, Zhao Xiong still had to go and report in person. Emperor Xiaozong cherished people with merit and respected scholars. Even if they were successful candidates in the imperial examinations or had been recommended based on their moral conduct, Xiaozong still called them to the court to talk to them. He would either ask them about classical works or about knowledge or things both from ancient times and the present. Only if his answers were satisfactory would the person be given the post.
 
There was a well-known scholar called Zhen Longyou, who was recommended as a person of talent. Zhen Longyou was usually very clever and was always eloquent in speech and wrote with ease. However, when Emperor Xiaozong asked him, "Your name is Longyou. What is the meaning of it?" This time, he could not think of anything to say. Seeing that he was speechless, Xiaozong asked him again, "Your name is Longyou; it must have some meaning. Tell me about it." Still Zhen Longyou could not think of anything to say, and he felt as if he had become dumb. The officials present all urged him to say something, but Zhen Longyou simply could not say anything in reply. Seeing that he could not answer the question, Xiaozong ordered his guards to help him out of court. As soon as Zhen Longyou had left the court, he suddenly remembered what to say and his voice returned as well. He was very annoyed with himself and said, "It means that I wish Your Majesty to be like Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun, and I, as your subject, can make friends with the dragon-like animal and the dragon. What's so difficult about saying that? I'm really ashamed." One has to believe in fate.
 

When Zhao Xiong arrived at the capital city to report to the emperor after his appointment expired and after hearing the story of Zhen Longyou, he thought, "Zhen Longyou is today's top scholar, who can give ten answers to one question, and yet he was unable to say a word in front of the emperor. I have little talent and less learning and am not very articulate. How am I going to cope?" He put on the court dress and gauze hat and got ready for the meeting. He saw that it was still early, so he bent over on the desk and fell asleep. He seemed to see a heavenly being descending from the sky, who was wearing a multicolored dragon gown, with an eight-treasure jade belt around his waist. There were also two servants behind him. Zhao Xiong courteously welcomed him. The god said he was Lord Wenchang and told Zhao Xiong, "The Heavenly King knows that you cherish written paper and are good at accumulating virtue. During your term of office, you cared about the people and took pity on them regarding everyday issues, so he ordered me to come to help you today. At the court when the emperor asks you, 'Did you travel through the gorge? What's the scenery like?' You can say, 'The mountains and trees on both sides are in harmony, and the cuckoos are singing all day long.'" The god and his servants then stepped on a cloud and went back to heaven. Zhao Xiong suddenly woke up and showed courtesy to heaven. He could still vaguely see the figures in the far distance. When he went to court, the emperor indeed asked him, "Did you travel through the gorge? What's the scenery like?" Zhao Xiong immediately replied, "The mountains and trees on both sides are in harmony, and the cuckoos are singing all day long." Emperor Xiaozong was very pleased with his answer and kept nodding his head.

明识因果　善有善报 (上)
 
古人认为，人的命运与祸福，都是有因有果，一切取决于自己行为的结果，一切都逃不出天理的安排。然而天道佑善，常眷顾、帮助善良的人，使其做事有如神助。自古以来积德改运的例子不胜枚举，以下是南宋的赵雄行善得报的故事。


赵雄生来朴实厚道，读书识字不十分聪明，说话也不是很伶俐，他父母也认为像他这样也就知道些字罢了。对于先生讲的一些典故，赵雄很多都记不住，只牢牢记住了先生讲的这样一个故事：说王曾的父亲一生敬重字纸，积德行善，一日梦见孔圣人对他说道：“汝一生敬重字纸，积德行善，阴功浩大，当赐汝一贵子，大汝门户。”果然生出王曾，中了三元。赵雄想道：“我一生愚笨，多是前生不惜字纸，不积善之故。以后一定要多行善事。”果然善念虔诚，自有报应，笔下的文章越写越顺，与原先大是不同。一日，赵雄便要赴临安来科举，周围有人嘲笑他，他也不与人争论。
 
赵雄赴科举路上，一日见树林之下，一具骸骨暴露在地，想到西周时文王遇枯骨，必然埋以土泥。于是叫仆人借得锄头一柄，主仆二人将此骸骨埋于土泥之中。考试揭榜后，赵雄中了举人。到了会试之时，合天下举子都纷纷而来，赵雄想到：“自己这样水平中举已属侥幸，怎再参加会试？”遂不想进场，在仆人一心撺掇之下，才勉强进场。谁知隔壁号舍里的那位举子不期突然患病，不住声唤，只有赵雄急忙去安抚照顾，后回来匆匆写了卷子，考官却认为颇有古风，揭榜之日，又得高中。廷试之日，赵雄又记起了几篇旧策，文笔也越发顺畅，中第五甲。消息传到家乡，父母、乡里都很吃惊，人们议论说：“看来赵雄的文章原本好，我们这里人都不识得。今到了皇都地面，方才撞著识主。”人们都知道场中试官，都要中那文章好的举子，但不知暗中自有神明作主，这都是举子命运和德行所招。
 
赵雄先任县尉，后升到西蜀太守。他因自己从阴德上积来的官位，并不敢做一毫伤天害理之事，虚心向贤人请教，任人唯贤；不贪赃私；带人修筑堤坝，使百姓免于忧患；在蜀郡五年，不知做了多少方便百姓之事。
 
那时孝宗皇帝辞朝之法甚严，就在西蜀不远万里，也要来见。孝宗重贤礼士，但无论是因科举或是因德行孝廉被荐举之人，孝宗都要进行召对，或问圣经贤传，或问古今学问事体，若对得来的，方可就职。时有著名才子甄龙友被人荐举，孝宗召其问道：“卿名龙友，何义云然？”甄龙友日常里聪明过人，口若悬河，笔如泉涌，此时在金銮殿上却一句也答不出。孝宗见他不言不语，只得又说一句道：“卿名龙友，定有取义，可为奏来。”甄龙友怎么也想不出，嗓子好像也哑了。孝宗连问二次，并不见答应。两旁近侍官一齐催促，甄龙友愈答不出。孝宗见一句也答不出，就命近侍官扶出朝门。刚出朝门，甄龙友一下想起了，口也不哑了，懊恼地说：“愿陛下为尧、舜之君，臣得与夔、龙为友。这一句有什难答？真令人惭愧。”不得不相信是命运所使。
 
赵雄任满来京辞朝，见有甄龙友对答不来这一件事，想道：“甄龙友是当今第一个才子，问一答十之人，在皇帝面前一字也说不出，况我学疏才浅，口嘴又不伶俐，如今怎样回答？”穿戴好朝衣幞头，又看时间太早，于是伏于桌上睡去，恍惚之间，见一尊天神下降，身上穿五彩嵌金衮龙袍，腰系八宝白玉带，还有两位侍者跟随，赵雄急忙拜接。神道称是文昌帝君，说：“上帝以汝敬重字纸，善积阴德，做官爱民恤物，今特佑汝。汝入朝之时，皇帝问道：‘卿从峡中来乎？风景如何？’汝但对道：两边山木合，终日子规啼。”道罢，与二童子登云而去。赵雄惊醒，望空礼拜，隐隐如见。入朝时，赵雄出班辞朝，孝宗果然道：“卿从峡中来乎？风景如何？”赵雄急忙奏道：“两边山木合，终日子规啼。”孝宗听后大悦，首肯再三。