Lessons On The Principle of Cause and Effect: A Child With Little Intelligence

Master Lotus is a well-known monk from Chinese history. The following is a story of how he revealed some deeper reasons behind the life of a young retarded boy.

Her face carved with fatigue and sorrow, a kind mother came to the Lotus Master with a teenage retarded boy. Though she accepted the retarded child as he was, she wanted to know what her predestined relationship with the child was, and why she had to suffer the pain together with the child.

She believed in the theory of “cause and effect” [This is a reference to the principle of karmic retribution – that one’s lifetime is arranged according to the good and the bad one has done in previous lives], but felt it hard to accept until she found out the real reasons behind it. With undoubted love and care for the child, she went through inevitable frustrations and sufferings. All mothers would like to see their children bright and happy.

The Lotus Master sighed and said to her, “Your kid was very clever in one of his former lives. In that life, he abused his intelligence by focussing his entire career on illegal business. His endeavours in selling marijuana and opium not only made many people addicted to poison, but also lots of families bankrupt from buying expensive drugs. At last he himself died of drug abuse.

Since he created so much karma in that life, he was transformed into animals for many following lives. In this life, he has become a retarded person as his retribution. He will need to pay back what he did to handicap many others before.

As to you and your husband, you must pay your debt as his crime helpers in that life. Though not working as the leaders and decision makers, you both assisted him in conducting many illegal affairs. Therefore you are connected in this lifetime with a mutual debt.”

This couple and the retarded child were “connected” in such a way to pay back their debts in previous lives. With different roles and relationships, they were here to undertake their responsibilities and retributions. The “cause and effect” theory is so intricate and rational. The sad and heavy story makes me realise one more lesson: Sooner or later, Cause will definitely take Effect.

Translated from: http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200301/16068.html