"If you want to know your past life, just look at what has happened to you in this life. If you want to know your next life, just look at what you have done in this life." This verse about Cause and Effect is more or less known by anyone who has had any contact with Buddhism. But, do you really believe in karma? Is there really this thing called Reincarnation? It is very hard to understand and to believe unless it actually happens to oneself, and is seen and heard with one's very own eyes and ears.

Mrs. Hung had heard that I possess special power of knowing the future and can help people in solving their problems. So she made an appointment by phone and came to the Purple Lotus Society one afternoon for help. I looked at her question sheet in front of me, and this is what was written:

"Hung Jing-hua, female. Age thirty-three. Found breast cancer one year ago and had it removed. Yet some is still left and now is again spreading. What can be done to pull out its roots?"

I lifted my head and took a hard look at this pretty, and a little bit shrewd-looking, lady. I imprinted her image in my mind and silently murmured her name. Hung Jing-hua, Hung Jing-hua..., very soon my consciousness entered the depth of Samadhi and melted in the universal light. With sincerity I prayed to my Personal Deity, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, to guide me, to let me know how to help this lady.

In deep Samadhi I saw many images. At first I saw a young scholar riding a horse on his way to the capital for the national exam. I then saw him passing through a village and, in front of a farmhouse, he asked for a room to stay. The farmer and his wife treated him kindly, gave him food and drink, and told him to stay overnight. In the morning, the farmer and his wife went to work in the rice field, and told the daughter, who was sixteen or seventeen, to take good care of the scholar. As the scholar had breakfast, he tried to verbally seduce the teenage girl, but it didn't work. He then tried to take the girl by force. The girl fought back, kicking, biting, and clawing, and inflicting some damage on the scholar. Her resistance only angered her attacker and, after raping her, the scholar strangled the girl to death. Crueler than that, he took a knife, cut off the girl's breasts, threw the body into a well, and left in peace.

This scenario of unspeakable cruelty quickly went through my mind. I understood, and was saddened. Such a tender, young age! Like a budding flower waiting to blossom, to see the splendor of the world! And she was destroyed without being giving a second thought! Can she forgive the destroyer? Would she accept a few words of solace from a mediator and just let it go at that? I knew it would be very difficult! Even more difficult would be to convince the scholar of that past life, now Hung Jing-hua in this life, of what I saw. Even if she could accept it as true, would she repent? Would she follow my instructions with sincerity? I considered it over and over. When she saw my eyes had opened, she immediately questioned me.

"Why has this happened to me?" Her tone was hasty and complaining.

In return, I asked her, "In your present life, you are very keen in learning, and you have high intelligence. Yes?"

She said, "Yes! I was always number one in my class, from a very young age to college and to America. When I took the CPA exam, I passed it on the first try, and others had to take it three times." She spoke with pride.

I chatted with her, trying to gain her confidence. She told me about her beloved family and her children. She said she was only thirty-three years old, had a well-paid and satisfying job. She had a very happy marriage, and two adorable, innocent children.

Yet why was fate was so cruel to her? She had cancer. Not only had she had to have her breasts removed, but she had to face the terror of also losing everything. She had a happy and beautiful life. Now it was broken into pieces. She had nothing to look forward to but a broken body awaiting death.

She couldn't accept it. She said with irritation and anger, "Why me?"

I hesitated. Should I tell her what I saw? Would it hurt her pride?

Would it turn her away from Buddha's teachings? I carefully tested my ground. I said, "Do you believe in reincarnation and karma? Do you believe in the existence of gods?"

"No, I don't believe it! Since I was a child I have believed in making my own path. If I work hard, I'll get it. My success depends not on my parents, nor my friends, but on myself. I arrived at my present position from hard work, and I have done this for the past thirty-three years!"

Now I did not dare to tell her what I had seen. I only said, "It is a very difficult case. It has a lot to do with your past life. Your only chance for a complete healing is to repent, to ask the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for forgiveness."

"I don't want to hear about my past karma. I've heard that the talismans you energize are very effective. How much do you charge for one talisman? How much is one healing ceremony? I'll pay you. If you can heal me, you just name the price. I'll be happy to pay you!"

How do I tell her that it is not a matter of money? I thought. From the day I began to provide consultation to help others, I had been following the words of my Guru, Living Buddha Lian-sheng. It is up to the people who seek my service to decide how much they want to pay me. I never ask for anything. My only hope is for people to believe in karma and in reincarnation. I hope all of them have the good fortune to practice the Buddha's teachings. Why is it that they don't believe me? Why don't they give themselves a chance? How can I help them dissolve their bad karma if they don't believe in reincarnation and repentance? How can Buddhas and Bodhisattvas wash them clean by pouring down the Light? It is difficult! It's really impossible to save them from their own sins!

At last I told her what I saw. She listened in silent disbelief, her head tilted a little. I explained to her the Law of Cause and Effect, hoping she would understand that physical diseases are not only caused by visible things. When a ghost comes to disrupt your peace or to get even with you, you can incur all kinds of incurable diseases. To increase her self-confidence I told her the successful case histories of some people I had treated. I explained to her what "attached spirits" are, and explained "avenging," etc.. She listened in silence. I felt that the credibility of my words was being strongly questioned; my outstretched hands gradually slid down. It seemed that, in her eyes, I had become some kind of extortionist.

"Now only a miracle can save you. Are you willing to believe that?" I said, not willing to give up. Her eyes showed impatience. She stood up. "Thanks for your help." She carelessly handed me the red envelope and left unhappily.

I sighed deeply in my heart and felt sorry for her. For a long time I sat silently in front of my desk, thinking about what had just happened. Karma is so very exact! I had no idea that a person's life could be so bound up with one's past life. She was a scholar in her past life, so she is good in learning in this life; she killed in a past life, so she lost her breasts to cancer in this life! Between heaven and earth, karma works relentlessly! Goodness begets goodness, and evil begets evil. There are times when it may appear as if karma has not been at work, but it will only be a matter of time before karma strikes! So be cautious. Be cautious.

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