By Qing Yan

(Clearwisdom.net) During the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912 A.D.), the White Lotus Society (a Buddhist sect in China) rebelled against the government and started riots in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Hubei Provinces. Many local government officials were promoted for apprehending the White Lotus rebels. There was a county magistrate in Hubei Province who was very anxious to advance in his political career, but he did not have any opportunity to distinguish himself.

One day, the county magistrate received a tip that several dozen people fleeing from the riots took refuge outside the town. He decided that his time had come. He wanted to accuse and execute these refugees as White Lotus rebels and then report his "accomplishment" of apprehending the rebels in exchange for a promotion. His political advisor agreed to the magistrate's plot. The secretary responsible for writing up the cases did not have the heart to frame and kill the innocent refugees, but he gave in to the pressure from the magistrate and wrote up the cases.

Finally, the refugees were wrongfully executed as rebels. Although the magistrate got his promotion, the magistrate and his advisor both died a sudden death shortly thereafter. The secretary was from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. After he saved up some money, he returned to his hometown and started a small business.

In the summer of 1813, the eighteenth year of Emperor Jiaqing's reign, the secretary took a trip to Beijing. When he entered Shandong Province at dusk, he started looking for a hotel, but he took a fall and passed out. He did not gain consciousness until midnight. He felt very sad and frustrated. He hurried back to his carriage and turned south to Yangzhou where he became a Buddhist monk. His servant begged him to think twice, but he refused to listen. When his son heard the news, he begged his father to return home. The secretary told his son what had happened after he passed out. It turned out that he was taken to Hell for an interrogation.

In his dream, the secretary was blocked by two men in government officials' clothing. They arrested him and told him that he was needed for an interrogation. The secretary did not know what was going on, but he left with the two officials. They came to an ancient government building where he was surrounded by ancient Chinese policemen that each looked fearsome. The official sitting behind the desk looked very authoritative. It appeared that he was the King of Hell. The two officials knelt down and reported to the King of Hell that they had brought in the secretary. The King of Hell pounded his fist on the desk and shouted, "Are you the man who killed innocent lives in Hubei Province?" The secretary denied it, but the King of Hell threw a scroll at him. It was the very case report that the secretary had written. It says, "We have apprehended a group of White Lotus rebels and executed them after a thorough investigation." The secretary defended himself, "I indeed wrote this case report, but it was the magistrate's advisor that drafted the report. At the time I suspected that those people were innocent, so I refused to write up the case report. However, the magistrate went on a temper tantrum and forced me to write the report. He claimed that he would take full responsibility for the report. He added that he would find someone else to write the report if I wouldn't do it. That was why I wrote up the report."

The King of Hell ordered the magistrate and the advisor to be brought out. Next he saw two dark shadows being brought into the court. A ghost guard used a fan to blow out the smoke surrounding the two dark figures. In a short while, their identities were revealed. They were indeed the magistrate and the advisor. The King of Hell interrogated them. When their confessions matched what the secretary had said, the King of Hell ordered them removed from the court and to continue roasting them over the Fires of Hell. Next the King of Hell said to the official next to him, "Although the secretary was forced to write up the case report, dozens of innocent lives were killed as a result. He chose to stay in his post out of selfishness instead of quitting his job and fighting for those innocent lives. It is unforgivable. What kind of retribution should we send him?" The official replied, "We will hand him to the officials in Shandong Provice in the coming autumn." Then the King of Hell had the secretary taken out of the courthouse.

He then met an old friend that had passed away. He told his old friend why he was brought to Hell and begged him for help. His old friend told him that there is no escaping karmic retribution. He also advised him to become a Buddhist monk, stop all wrongdoings, and improve his morality. He said this might be the only way to reduce his karma and obtain Heaven's forgiveness. This was the reason why the secretary was determined to become a monk. Heaven is compassionate. When a person decides to stop his wrongdoings and improve his morality, Heaven will give him a chance to repent.

It is a fact that each person must be responsible for his actions. When a person does a good deed, he will be rewarded. When a person does a bad deed, he will face karmic retribution. There is no greater sin than blaspheming against the Buddha Fa. Falun Gong practitioners follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. They are genuine cultivators of the Falun Gong Buddha cultivation school, but they face the wicked Chinese Communist Party's brutal persecution. Those who assist the wicked Chinese Communist Party in its crimes of persecuting kindhearted Falun Gong practitioners and those who help the Chinese Communist Party persecute Falun Gong practitioners in exchange for self-gain, have committed terrible sins that have enraged Heaven. They do not realize that what awaits them is the most frightening karmic retribution. If they sincerely want to stop their crimes, change themselves, and make up for the sins they have committed, perhaps there is still a ray of hope for them.

Posting date: 3/14/2007
Original article date: 3/14/2007
Category: Open Forum
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/2/22/149351.html

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