富翁乐善好施却九子夭亡 菩萨解惑方知原由

清朝时的状元王文简，他的祖先王翁是一位富豪，家资殷富、乐善好施。

王翁结婚后，妻子接连生下九个儿子。不幸的是，这九个儿子都是愚钝之辈，没有一个是聪慧的。

乾隆年间，当地发生大饥荒。百姓食不果腹，不少人饿死了。王翁十分同情乡民，于是便将全部家财拿来赈济他们，因而保全了无数人的性命。可是，他自己却因散尽家财，而家道中落。

更不幸的是，一年之内，王翁的九个儿子居然接连夭折，无一幸存。夫妇俩悲愤不已，心中疑惑：散尽家财全力救人，因何落得子嗣尽绝的下场？

于是，王翁夫妇便写了一道疏文，在菩萨像前焚烧，祈求菩萨解惑，文辞中充满了哀伤幽怨。

当天夜里，王翁梦见菩萨悲悯地对他说：“你所生的九个儿子是九魔转世，都是败家子。因为你的祖上作了大恶，虽然隐匿不被人所知，但上天派下九子来败你家。因你倾家荡产赈济灾民，积下了大德，所以天帝特意命有司收回九魔。不久之后，将另降文人振兴你家。如果你能更加勤修善德，二十年后，将派文曲星降生你家。以后勿再埋怨忧伤。”

夫妇俩醒来后，方知二人皆做了同样的梦。从此，他俩扶危济困，努力帮助他人。

不久之后，王家妻妾数人先后怀孕，接连生了五个儿子，个个天资聪慧，在学堂里颇有声望。传到王文简时，他高中状元，官至尚书。王家子孙个个家世显赫。
（事据《夷坚志》）

Rich Man to Poor Man: An Inspiring Story From the Qing Dynasty

Wang Wenjian was the greatest intellectual with the highest imperial examination marks during the Qing Dynasty. His ancestor, Wang Weng, was wealthy and did much for charity. Here is the story of Wang Weng.

During the Qianlong period, a famine occurred and many people died of starvation. Wang Weng was very sympathetic to the villagers and gave up his belongings to help them. Many people were able to be saved. However, he himself fell into poverty having given all his wealth away.

Unfortunately, Wang Weng’s misfortune continued as one by one, his nine sons died over the course of a year. Wang Weng and his wife were very sad and wondered why they gave up all their family wealth to save people and were rewarded by becoming childless. The couple decided to write a prayer, burning it in front of a Bodhisattva statue and praying to the Bodhisattva to give them an answer. The prayer text was full of sadness and sorrow.

That night, Wang Weng dreamed that the Bodhisattva said to him compassionately: “The nine sons you gave birth to were actually reincarnations of the nine demons, and they were all prodigals. Your ancestors had done great evil deeds that were hidden and unknown to others; Heaven sent the nine sons to ruin your family.”

“You, however, spent all your family possessions to help the famine victims, accumulating great virtue, so the emperor of Heaven ordered the messenger to take back the nine demons. Soon, some intellectuals will descend to revitalize your family. If you can be more diligent in developing moral virtue, then 20 years later, the Star of Wisdom will be sent to your home. Don’t be sad anymore.”

After waking up, both the couple realized that they had dreamed the same dream. From then on, they helped the poor and worked hard to help others.

Soon, Wang Weng’s wife and his several concubines became pregnant in succession and gave birth to five sons. All his sons were intelligent and well-known in school. Wang Wenjian, one of his sons, scored highest in the imperial examination and held a ministerial position in the Qing Dynasty. The Wang descendants all became prominent members of society.

Translated by Joseph Wu and edited by Helen

https://visiontimes.com/2020/03/07/rich-man-to-poor-man-an-inspiring-story-from-the-qing-dynasty2.html