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The Law of Cause and Effect: Flirtation Is a Sin
(Clearwisdom.net)
Zhao Yongzhen was born during Emperor Zhengde's reign (1505 - 1521 A.D.)
in the Ming Dynasty. When he was a teenager, he met a man who was gifted in
fortune telling. The man looked at Zhao's face and told him, "You have
accumulated a lot of virtue from previous lives. If you participate in the
provincial civil service examination at the age of 23, you will surely win first
place. If you will continue to cultivate your kindness diligently, you will go
to very high places. The world will be at your command." Zhao Yongzhen
followed the man's advice and took the provincial civil service examination when
he was 23, but he did not even pass the examination, let alone win first place. One night he had a dream in which he was summoned to meet the Imperial Deity
of Wenchang, a Chinese deity in charge of education and examinations. In the
dream, the Deity reproached him furiously, "You were supposed to win first
place in the provincial civil service examination, but you peeped at your maid
out of lust and flirted with the girl next door. This is the reason why you have
been deprived of the honor!" Zhao Yongzhen anxiously defended himself. He
said, "Although I had sexual fantasies about them, I didn't touch them or
have sex with them. How could it be that what I did counts as a sin of lust? Do
I deserve such severe punishment?" After having heard Zhao's defense, the
Imperial Deity of Wenchang reproached him again, "Do you really believe one
does not commit the sin of lust until he takes an action? As long as you
harbored lustful thoughts, or as long as you were sexually aroused by those
women, you must face the punishment, even if you did not actually touch those
women. Moreover, you have failed to treat those women with proper respect. What
did you mean by flirting with them? What did you mean by patting them on the
shoulder and touching their hands? Ask yourself what you were thinking in your
mind. Because you are lustful in mind, you did not think twice before you
flirted with those women. As a result, they have flirted with you in return and
started to fantasize about romance and sex. Heaven has deprived you of your
first place in the provincial civil service examination, yet you still do not
repent your sin! You are even defending your sin with your wit! Therefore, I am
afraid that bigger disasters will befall you!" Finally Zhao Yongzhen realized what a terrible sin he had committed. He fell
on his hands and knees and burst into tears. He sincerely repented and pledged,
"I realize my mistake. I pledge to never fantasize about women or have
lustful thoughts. If I should indulge myself in any lustful thoughts, I will
willingly submit myself to heavenly punishment. I will be willing to be put to
death." The Imperial Deity of Wenchang saw that Zhao Yongzhen had sincerely repented
for his sin and had made a serious pledge. He told Zhao, "I can see that
you are sincerely repentant. If you will truly restrain yourself from having any
lustful thoughts and if you will advise the world's people to refrain from lust
in their thoughts, words and deeds, I will reinstate your first place and bless
you with enormous good fortune." Then the Imperial Deity of Wenchang
pointed at Zhao's heart with a pen. Zhao was shocked and woke up from the dream
right away. As Zhao recalled the details of the dream, he felt fortunate that he had
accumulated a lot of virtue in his previous lives and that he had the enormous
good fortune to listen to the Imperial Deity of Wenchang's criticism and advice
in person. Otherwise, he would have continued to flirt with women throughout his
life without even knowing it was a terrible sin. After that, he often reminded
himself of the dream and was vigilant at all times about his speech, behavior
and thoughts. He also started to cultivate kindness and do a lot of good deeds. Because Zhao Yongzhen truly repented of his sin and because he had truly
fulfilled his pledge, he won the first place at the next provincial civil
service examination at the age of 26. (The provincial civil service examination
was held every three years.) After that, he became all the more diligent in
cultivating his virtue. He wrote a poem encouraging people to guard their
chastity and to refrain from lustful thoughts and behavior. After four years, he
accumulated even more virtue and won the first place in the imperial civil
service examination. Later Zhao Yongzhen was made a feudal lord responsible for
guarding a region. Among his offspring, those who followed his advice about lust
all attained wealth and success in their careers. First published in English at http://www.pureinsight.org/pi/index.php?news=3315 |