The Consequences of Jealousy (Part 2)
 
Treacherous Official Li Linfu is Struck by Lightning
 
The treacherous minister Li Linfu of the Tang Dynasty was a very jealous man. If any minister was more capable than he was, or if any official caught the eye of Emperor Xuanzong, Li would make every attempt to eliminate them. On the surface, Li would associate with the target using sugarcoated conversations, but scheme behind their back. Contemporaries called Li, “one with a mouth of honey and a stomach of blades.” Li Linfu forced other loyal prime ministers at the time, including Zhang Jiuling, Pei Yaoqing, and Li Shi, out of their positions. To consolidate his power and influence, he strived to censor free speech, framed upright people, conducted numerous large-scale arrests and eliminated dissidents.
 
One time, Emperor Xuanzong was looking afar from behind the curtain of the Qinzheng (“diligent government”) Building. An officer of the Ministry of Defense, Lu Xuan, passed underneath the building on horseback. The emperor made a few passing compliments of Lu’s demeanor. When Li Linfu heard about this the next day, he demoted Lu to be the governor of Huazhou. Not long after Lu assumed the position, he was accused to be of poor health therefore he was unfit for the position. Lu was demoted again.
 
Li Linfu was a prime minister for 19 years. Capable and loyal ministers were eliminated one by one, by either death or demotion. At the same time, those sly people who curried his favor were promoted one after another. Li Linfu monopolized his power to ruin the country and harm the people. The prosperous times of the Kaiyuan Era were lost. Next came the An Lushan rebellion, which devastated the Tang Dynasty. After Li Linfu died, the common folk finally could relax and truthfully claim that “death cannot wipe out the crimes committed by Li.” Many people reported Li’s attempt at rebellion. Emperor Xuanzong finally recognized Li’s true form and began to reduce his impact, confiscate his wealth, and exiled his relatives. At the end, Li Linfu’s reputation was swept away and his family was left destitute.
 
According to Tai Shang Gan Ying Pian Li Zheng, (Examples of Supernormal Phenomena, a book about maintaining mortality), in 1174 AD during the Song Dynasty, a woman in Hanzhou was struck by lightning. The woman’s body had red words that wrote, “Li Linfu was a disloyal minister. He is destined to reincarnate as a prostitute for three lives, a cow for seven lives. After these karmic retributions, he will forever be an aquatic life.”
 
How Can a Man Outsmart Heaven?
 
In the book Examples of Supernormal Phenomena, Su Dazhang, who passed the first level of imperial examinations, was about to participate in the second level examinations. Su, who lived in the Song Dynasty, was known in the townships for his superb understanding of the I Ching, or Book of Changes. One night he dreamed that he was ranked No. 11 in the upcoming exam. He told his dream to a fellow student that studied I Ching. This student, who was also taking the same examination, was quite jealous that he did not have such an auspicious dream himself when he had much better knowledge than Su. He went to report to the official overseeing the examination, claiming that Su must have bribed one of the officials reviewing the exam papers, otherwise, how could Su be so certain he was to be ranked No. 11?
 
After all the students' papers were graded, the official in charge pulled out the paper that was ranked No. 11. As was the convention at that time, the students' names were covered up on the papers they turned in. The official in charge became angry after reading the paper. The paper discussed the I Ching, which was Su's specialty. He interrogated the officials who had graded the paper, “Now how can you explain this? Did any of you take bribes from Su, the I Ching expert, who was so confident that he would end up with a rank of No. 11?” All the officials were quite dumbfounded. They had to come up with another paper from the remaining candidates to replace this I Ching paper.
 
Finally, on the day the results were announced, when all the candidates' names were uncovered, to the astonishment of the official in charge, the newly selected paper that now ranked No. 11 was Su's, while the jealous student who had made up lies to frame Su for bribery had been swapped out from his original 11th position. As a result, Su passed this second level of imperial examinations. The following year, Su passed the third and final level of the imperial examinations, while his fellow student who had made up false charges against him ended up humiliated and passed away. People reminded each other that the Heavenly law was fair and retribution was just.
 
Jealousy is a negative emotion caused by not accepting the fact that others can exceed us in the quality of their character, skills, achievements, or situations. When one badmouths others or does things to hurt others out of jealousy, this demonstrates a lack of kindness in one's heart. This also creates karma for oneself, which will result in retribution. To be respectful and compassionate is a basic principle. When others accomplish things, we are glad for them. When others exceed us, we learn from them. When others need help, we do our best to help them. To truly treat others kindly so they can feel we are sincere, we have to be generous, which is the opposite of being jealous.
 
妒嫉的恶果 (下)
 
奸臣李林甫转世遭雷击
 
唐代奸臣李林甫嫉贤妒能，凡是大臣中能力比他强和受到唐玄宗重视的官员，“必欲百般去之”。他表面上甜言蜜语相结交，背后却阴谋暗害，时人称他“口蜜腹剑”。同时为宰相的张九龄、裴耀卿、李适之等忠臣先后被他排挤罢相。为了专权固位，他竭力阻塞言路，诬陷好人，屡兴大狱，排除异己。
 
有一次，唐玄宗在勤政楼上隔著帘子眺望，兵部侍郎卢绚骑马经过楼下。唐玄宗看到卢绚风度很好，随口赞赏几句。第二天，李林甫得知这件事，就把卢绚降职为华州刺史。卢绚到任不久，又被诬说他身体有病不称职，再次降职。
 
李林甫当了十九年宰相，一个个有才能的正直的大臣全都遭到排斥，或杀或贬，一批批钻营拍马的小人都受到重用提拔。李林甫专权跋扈、祸国殃民，这个时期，“开元之治”的繁荣景象已荡然无存，接著出现的就是“天宝之乱”（天宝是唐玄宗后期的年号）。李林甫死后，人们才松了一口气，都骂他“死有余辜”。这时多人告发李林甫与番将阿布思谋反，唐玄宗终于认清其面目，称其“嫉贤妒能，举无比者”，遂追削李林甫官爵，籍没其家产，子婿流配。李林甫最后落得家破人亡、身败名裂的下场。据《太上感应篇例证》记载：宋朝淳熙初年，汉州有个女子被雷击死，这女子身上写有红字说：“李林甫为臣不忠，阴贼善良，三世为娼，七世为牛，这些报应受完之后，永远沦入水族之中。”
 
人算怎如天算巧
 
《太上感应篇例证》中记载了这样一个故事：宋朝三山秀才苏大璋，以研究《易经》闻名乡里。戊午年参加郡里乡试期间，梦见自己中了第十一名举人，就把这个梦告诉了自己一起研究易经的一个学友。这个学友也和他一同参加乡试，觉得自己比苏大璋学问好多了，怎么自己没做到这种好梦，很是嫉妒，就向主考官报告说苏大璋自称有把握能录取为第十一名，肯定与某考官有勾结，私下有约，行贿受贿无疑。希望主考官追查此事。
 
到判完卷的时候，主考官来到考房，拿起第十一名的“糊名”（考生的名字看不到）考卷，一看上面果然做的是一篇关于《易经》的文章。主考官大怒，对其他考官们讲：“如果真象那位学生说的那样，各位先生怎样解释你们的评选？”众考官面面相觑，只得从备选的考卷中另选一篇，换掉了第十一名的考卷。
 
等到揭榜之日，把糊名拆开，主考官大吃一惊，原来，被换掉的恰好是苏大璋的那位学友，换上的正好是苏大璋。苏大璋因祸得福，被取为第十一名，第二年又考为进士。而他的这位学友无颜见乡里亲朋，回家后郁郁而终。大家都说天地公道，报应不爽。
 
妒嫉是一种消极情绪，是对品行、才能、荣誉、境遇等优于自己者的心理不平衡。当一个人有妒嫉、整人害人、言语伤人等种种思想行为出来的时候，已是心行不善，会令对方遭受痛苦，也是给自己造业，这个回转来的果报是很自然的。做人要懂得尊重和敬爱，看到别人有好事，要为别人高兴；看到别人胜过自己，要虚心学习；在别人需要帮助时，还应尽心尽力，帮助他、促成他的好事。要具备豁达的心胸和容人的雅量，不能有丝毫嫉妒障碍，才能给人以温暖、感化，真正做到善待他人。