Ki t c h e n G o d ’ s

Re ve l a t i o n t o

Yu J i n g Yi

1
 Foreword
Mr. Yu Jing Yi was born in Jiangxi in the third year of Jia Jing Era
during the Ming Dynasty (1524 AD), and passed away in the 40th
year of Wan Li Era (1612 AD). His real name was Yu Dou, alias Liang
Cheng, and he died at the ripe old age of 88.

The book entitled ‘Kitchen God’s Revelation to Yu Jing Yi’ is a

record of his life, revealing the karmic truth about destiny, family
welfare in great detail! Talented and knowledgeable, Yu passed
the imperial exam as a ‘Xiu Cai’ when he was 18, and set up
Wen Chang She School with some friends to teach students. He
preached to his students about doing good and cherishing paper
and words. He thought he was kind, since he was taken to be a
gentleman in others’ eyes. He was respected for his knowledge
and moral accomplishment. However, he was poverty-stricken all
his life. Worse, he had 9 children, but most of them died young,
and only one son and one daughter survived. The only surviving
son went missing when he was only 8 years old. Yu, frustrated and
dejected, began to question heaven and earth, “I did nothing evil,
so why did you punish me like this?”

Subsequently, because he venerated the Kitchen God diligently,

the latter pointed out his misdemeanour with compassion. He told
Yu that, though he did good things, his mind was full of vices, i.e.
unclean. Furthermore, his good deeds were all for show and had
no substance. Enlightened, Yu turned over a new leaf and changed
his name to Jing Yi (meaning a clean mind), and vowed to do good
deeds from the bottom of his heart.

Since then, he won a great deal of respect with his good deeds and
pure morality.

2 2
 3 years later, the First Aide to the Emperor--Mr. Zhang Jiang Ling--
recommended him to teach in the Imperial College out of respect.
A year later, Yu passed the imperial exam as a ‘Jin Shi’, and met
his long lost son by pure chance. His wife, who was blind, could
see again after getting back the long lost son. Yu’s course mate
Luo Zhen recorded his life—the undaunted spirit to change for
the better, and the twist of fate that followed—so that it could be
passed down to future generations as a good role model.

According to the ‘Treatise on Cause and Effect’, “You reap what

you sow, be it blessing or disaster. Karma is real and it follows you
wherever you go.” According to I Ching (the Book of Changes),
“A family practising good deeds is always blessed, while one that
practises evil is doomed.” And adds that, “Gods favour only the
benevolent.” All these books point out the truth about karma—
doing good deeds always summons good karma, while doing bad
deeds, bad karma. Once we understand this, we must plant good
seeds, do good deeds, utter good words, and be a good person to
attract supreme karma.

Since Huazang Jingzong Society adapted ‘Kitchen God’s Revelation

to Yu Jing Yi’ into a television series, it has been receiving a great
deal of acclaim. Now, Mr. Terry Lim, a full-time Buddhist artist
in Malaysia, has spent a year to recreate the book into a comic,
and willingly relinquished his copyright to facilitate worldwide
circulation. I sincerely wish that those who read this book or comic
can embrace the law of karma, stop all evil deeds and practice only
good ones to change their destiny, enjoy good health and a blissful
family life, and advance in their careers!

By the Venerable Wu Dao

Written in Shijiazhuang, Hebei
Dated: 11-4-2013

3 3
 Foreword
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in this world preach a lot of things.
Some sermons are easy to understand, and some are difficult.
However, all their teaching aims to bring out the true, good nature
of sentient beings, the pinnacle of which is epitomised by the
Buddha’s sublime wisdom and compassion. A person’s true nature
is basically pure and clean, without a starting point or an end-
point. All emotions, be they happy or sad, arise from delusions,
and are just reflections in the mirror. The emotions reflected
might be different, but the mirror remains pure and clean. These
delusional emotions are a product of karma.

Good deeds beget good karma, and evil deeds summon bad karma.
There is no running away from it. Hence Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
always stress on karma education in order to re-establish the true
nature of sentient beings and rekindle humanity. Karma education
can deliver sentient beings from affliction to achieve pure
happiness, and let them become saints and sages.

The book ‘Kitchen God’s Revelation to Yu Jing Yi’ narrates the

story, during the Ming Dynasty, about Yu Jing Yi’s encounter with
the Kitchen God, who admonishes him to turn over a new leaf and
change his fate. It is a true Extra-sensory Perceptions (ESP) account
that explains the law of karma, akin to the ‘Treatise of the Most
Exalted One on Cause and Effect’ as well as ‘Liao Fan’s 4 Precepts’.
Reading these 3 texts side by side and practising what is prescribed
within is a good way to strengthen the readers’ belief in karma so
as to avoid trouble and usher in auspices in life.

Drawing has been a highly commendable art form since time

immemorial. It is also a good way to educate sentient beings.
According to the ‘Chronicle of Historical Paintings’, “The painter

4 4
 educates and helps people, and earns the same merits as the
6 great Confucian books.” Personally, I think that a craft should
function as a vehicle to educate and help people, otherwise it loses
its meaning.

Moreover, a craft that does not benefit people but causes great
harm instead should not be propagated. During the Tang Dynasty,
Wu Dao Zi, who was hailed as the ‘God of Painting’, completed
a painting of the 10 Kings of Hell in a temple in Changan. The
painting was so powerful that Changan butchers stopped their
business for 3 months! Such powerful education! Thus, when a
craft is put to good use, it can enlighten people and serve as a
powerful education.

Mr. Terry Lim is a full-time Malaysian comic artist and a Buddhist

devout who understands the positive power of his craft. A true
artist, he has published numerous comics on Buddhist teaching. His
latest comic—‘Kitchen God’s Revelation to Yu Jing Yi’—took him a
year to complete. He is willing to waive the copyright to encourage
widespread circulation. When he invited me to write the foreword,
I obliged gladly, taking the opportunity to talk about karma and the
power of art.

I hope readers would benefit from Yu Jing Yi and emulate his strife
to terminate all bad thoughts, purify the heart and attain sublime
achievement so as to change their fate and find their way to the
Pure Land.

By the Venerable Ding Hong

Written in Zheng Jue Jing She
Dated: 3-4-2013

5 5
 Artist’s Foreword
Before he went to nirvana, Buddha had instructed that practitioners must
not sell Buddhism for profits, hence Buddhist comics are free. Since they
are not for sale, how do Buddhist comic artists survive? Basically, we are
employed by sponsors to do it, and they have the right to waive copyrights to
ensure free circulation. As a Buddhist comic artist, I can only take on the job
as a side line since sponsor fees are usually not enough to make ends meet. I
have to take up a job in the advertising industry to survive.

Times change, and so does reading habit. The new generation have gradually
lost interest in reading texts. In order to accommodate such a change, it is
wise to convert sutras into comics, on the proviso that the contents stay
intact, so as to facilitate the acceptance of Buddhism by the general public.
The propagation of Buddhism through comics, coupled with the Net, can
ensure fast penetration of the dharma into all walks of life, and around the
world thereof!

The Buddha said, “Spreading the dharma gives the greatest merits.” Comic
sponsors represent the soul of Buddhist comics, and deserve the best part of
the merit. Without their funding, I would be forced to engage in other forms
of artistic job and would not have drawn all these Buddhist comics. I feel that
I do not deserve all these accolades since I am commissioned to do my job.
It is the sponsors who have given birth to all these Buddhist comics, and we
must be grateful to them.

It is indeed a great blessing for me to serve the Triple Gems. With sincerity
and trepidation, I have given my best efforts to contribute to the dharma!
I am grateful to the sponsors for waiving the copyrights so that different
nationalities and ethnicities can reprint the comics or share
them on the Net to boost circulation. However, they must
not change the contents without prior approval or
make any money out of them.

Last but not least, I hope that these comics can spread
far and wide through the ages.

Mr. Terry Lim

6
 Kitchen God
Cook with virtues and ascend to heavens with altruism
7
This picture of the Kitchen God may be cut out and
placed on a clean area in the kitchen for veneration.
 Content
Foreword by the Venerable Wu Dao 2

Foreword by the Venerable Ding Hong 4

Artist’s Foreword 6

‘Kitchen God’s Revelation to Yu Jing Yi’ Comic 10

Annotation 1: Lord Wen Chang’s Tract on the

First Step to Non-abidance 101

Annotation 2: The Venerable Yin Guang’s

Revelation of Guanyin Dharma 103

Explanation on ‘Kitchen God’s Revelation to

Yu Jing Yi’ 105

The ‘Heart & Destiny’ Poem 147

9
During the Jia Jing Era of the
Ming Dynasty, in Jiangxi.

10
10
Spattering…

Oh!

Oh no!

m!
Boo

The boat
is drifting
away!

11
11
 Dad!
Boom! Mum!

My son…

Where are
you?

Come
out
now!

My
son…
Don’t
frighten
me!
12 12
 Let’s pray that
our son did not
Oh!
fall into the sea
in this terrible
thunderstorm!
Mrs. Yu

!
Boom

Crying

Yu Dou,
alias Liang Cheng
13
 I sired 9 children,
but 7 of them
died young.

I’m left with

only one
son and one
daughter,
even my only
son has now
gone missing,
and I don’t
know if he’s
dead or alive…

14 14
Dear god, I have
what been doing
good
wrong deeds,
have I
done?
so why do
you punish
me like
this?

1515
 o o m !
B

h !
Splas

Yu’s home

16 16
Excessive grief
has damaged
her eyes, I’m
afraid she Dr. Zhang,
might be blind how is my
for the rest of wife?
her life…

t? !
Wh a

1717
 Dr. Zhang,
I’m
financially
tight,

can I
owe the
consultation
fee…

Alright,
Teacher
Yu…

Wind blowing---

Crying…

18 18
 Since our son
went missing,
we haven’t
heard any
news about
him…

our only
daughter has
been sick
since she
was a child…

And now
your
eyes…
sigh!

19
19
 our son Honey,
has 2 don’t
moles on blame
his left yourself…
sole,

as long
as he’s
still alive,

we can
always
find him
Sigh…
with this
identity…

20 20
 Dear
Kitchen
I am quite God…
a smart
intellectual,

who
does
good
deeds.

I am
careful
with my
words,
so why
are
gods so
unfair…

Where is
justice?

and give me
such a harsh
punishment?

2121
 Time flies.
I would write a petition and ask when I pray When I am
him to report my predicaments to the Kitchen past 40,
to the Jade Emperor. God on
Chinese New
Year’s eve,

I have been doing

that for a few years,
and have not got
any response…

And so, days turn

to years,

22 22
 I am still struggling in life and
underachieving, despite my
ambitions… and I am getting
poorer. The future looks bleak…

2323
 At the end of
the year when
Yu was 47…

Boss, please
help out,
Chinese New Teacher
Year is just Yu,
around the
corner…

Teacher,
it’s better
you take Your
it back…
clothes is
please worthless,
take it
back…

24 24
 Liang
Mr. Zhang, it is Cheng,
Chinese New
Year the day after
tomorrow. I only I can’t
need some money lend you
to buy fish for the money
anymore…
family,

please
lend a
helping
hand…

I’m sorry,
you have not
cleared your
old debts…

2525
 Nobody wants
to help when
I need it the
most…

I have made friends

with the wrong
company…

Wind blowing---

26 26
dear Kitchen Today is
God, please New Year’s
pass it on eve, so I am
to the Jade writing this
Emperor… petition,

I, Yu Dou, has
been quite
knowledgeable
since I was
young,

I was made
a ‘Xiu Cai’ at
the age of 18,
passing every
exam with
flying colours,

27 27
But his adult life
Yu Dou was
saw him getting
expected
poorer and to have
poorer… since he a bright
was such future,
a bright
kid.

He was forced
to teach in a
private school
to make a
living.

28 28
 At the same
time, he
formed the
Wen Chang She
School with
more than a
dozen friends,

And do good
deeds per ‘Lord
Wen Cheng’s
Tract on the First
Step towards
Non-abidance’.
(Annotation ❶ )

2929
 Together, they
learned to—

Cherish
words

Words are
used to pass
down sages’
teaching,
and must be
cherished.

Freeing animals But classical Texted

textbooks paper must
and Buddhist be burnt
scriptures respectfully
must not be when they
burnt. are of no
use,

and must not

be thrown away
disrespectfully.

30 30
 No Obscenity

No Killing
No Verbal
abuse

With
years
I am
of good
supposed
deeds,
to have
a bright
future.

3131
 I took the
imperial exams
yet disasters
7 times, all to
struck my
no avail…
family one
after another…

We have born 9 children,

but 4 sons and 3 daughters
died of diseases,

32 32
 and we loved our third son so
much, he had 2 moles on his
left sole and was so smart.

Unfortunately, he went missing at 8 when

he was playing out there. There has been
no trace of him ever since.
We are
who is left with
weak and only one
daughter,
sick.

33 33
 made my All these
wife go family
blind. tragedies,

Dear Kitchen
God, I
have been
venerating
you for so
many years,

why
didn’t
you
bless my
With decades of
family?
underachievement,
Yu Dou and his
family became
destitute…

34 34
 Do you
have to
drive me
up the
wall?

Honey,
calm
down,

you might
offend the
Kitchen
So be God…
it… Sobbing

3535
 I am
dear burning a
Kitchen petition to
God, you,
please ask
the Jade
Emperor
to help us

and change
our bad luck
to good luck,
and disasters
to blessings.

We will be
eternally
grateful.
Thank
you.

36 36
 Chinese
However, my New Year’s
home is so eve, time for
deserted… celebration
and ushering
the New Year.

Other people
celebrate
the reunion
dinner with
sumptuous
food,

but we
are so
desolate,

37 37
 eating
leftover as
our reunion
dinner…

After so Honey,
many don’t be
setbacks, depressed…

All my
aspirations
have been
dashed…

Honey, There is
cheer always a
up… way out.

38 38
Weeping…
If we go on
like this,
we have to
starve…

Honey...

Wind blowing---

3939
 Wind blowing--
Knocks on
the door…

It’s
already Swish!
so late.
Who
can it
be
now?

40 40
 Oh, it is a
black-robed
elder with a
headband…

ing---
Wind blow

4141
 Sir, it’s
very
Please windy
seek outside,
shelter
in my
house…

What’s
your
I’m Yu Dou,
name,
alias
sir? Liang
Cheng.

I would like
to express I’m Zhang,
my sympathy I came
because I from afar.
heard you
sigh.

42 42
 Why are
you so sad,
Teacher Yu?

It’s a
Sigh…
long
story…

I study and
do good
deeds all
my life,

but I’m He has an

still an
extraordinary
under-
temperament
achiever.
written on his
he must be face,
somebody
special…

I can’t
even keep
my family
intact…

4343
 I had 9
children,
but is left
with only
one sick
daughter,

and my wife
lost her sight
because of grief
and crying too
much

and now, we are

going to starve.

44 44
 Then Yu told Zhang
Actually,
about burning his
I knew
petitions to the
all about
your Kitchen God.
family.

Huh--?

Your problem is—

your thoughts
are full of
vices!

4545
 You do
vices?!!
and your good
petitions are deeds
for
filled with show
resentment, only,

I’m afraid
there’s sacrilegious
going to to heavens,
be more
punishment
for you!

Mr. Zhangs’ words—

Thoughts full of vices

Do good deeds for show only

Hit the nail on the head, revealing Yu’s root

cause of disasters for the past 30 years!

46 46
 It is said that
every good
deed big
or small is
recorded by
gods,

I have
complying vowed to
with the do good
rules and deeds for
regulations 30 years,
of Wen
Chang She,

4747
 To make
you see
your
problems,

How
could all
that have
I have
been for
to be
show?
direct…

Your Let’s look

wrapped
friends and at the first
things and
students precept—
wiped tables
with used often glue
paper. windows,
Cherish
Words

48 48
 You should
not tarnish
or throw
way used
paper,

You would
only tell
them when
they have
finished
doing that:
and should
burn it
respectfully.

You see
but you
that
never
happening
stop
every day,
them.

What’s
the point You would
in doing only pick up
that? used paper
on the way
and burn
isn’t them,
that
just for
show?

4949
 Isn’t
that for
show?

Though Wen Chang She frees animals every

month, you are just going through the motion! Let’s look at
the second
precept—

Teacher
Yu, we are Freeing
freeing
would
animals
animals
you be on the
joining first,
us?

50 50
I would be That’s
great!
delighted
Freeing
to join
animals is a
you!
good deed,

The village
folks are
As the so keen to
teacher in participate.
Wen Chang
She, how
can I not
go?

If
others
That’s not don’t
then
compassionate go,
you
from the wouldn’t
heart! do it!

5151
 When you say no
killing, it’s just
lip service. You
have no heart to
protect lives!

......

Isn’t freeing
animals
an act of
protecting
lives?

Your
aren’t family
they are cook
lives? prawns
and crabs
often,

52 52
 Er…

They are
killed
on the
chopping
board,

isn’t that and

pain and fried in
suffering? a wok,

You free
is your
animals
vow outside,
of no but kill
killing animals
clean? at home,

5353
Let’s look at the How did he
third precept— know that so
clearly…?

No Verbal
Abuse

No verbal
abuse means
no lying,
slandering,
sweet talking
and profanity.

54 54
 You have
and the gift of
listeners are the gab,
impressed
by your
oration.

You are You know

so used that your
to joking, words
hurt.

sneering
at others
without
self-
control.

5555
 Sharp
words are
like knives,

and they
offend
heaven and
earth,

and yet you You make

don’t search countless
yourself and verbal
still think offences
that you are every day,
kind,

56 56
 Who are you
trying to cheat?
Do you think you
can cheat gods?

You can’t
refute,
can you?

5757
 You may
but the
not have
thought done Let’s look at the
lives in anything
your obscene,
fourth precept—
heart.

No
Obscenity

When
you see a
beautiful
woman,

you
stare,

58 58
 Nothing
happens and your
because mind
the woman wanders.
does not
make the
move.

In retrospect,
if the woman
had made the
move,

would you
be able to
resist?

5959
 You are an And you
abomination dare to
to heaven claim
and earth, that you
are not
obscene!

because
you are
a total
liar!

What is
this?

How
could
he…

How could
he read my
mind like a
book?

60 60
 All your You can’t
annual even keep
petitions your oath,

have been
dutifully let alone
reported other
to the Jade things.
Emperor.

He has
ordered the
Day Watch
Deity to
observe, but
sad to say,

He cannot
find any
How did substantive
he know? good deeds
Don’t tell to record!
me he is…

6161
 When you
I’m afraid These bad I cannot are all alone,
there’ll thoughts even your heart is
be more are deep- begin to full of vices--
punishment! rooted count
and have them…
been
recorded
in heaven,

6262
 You should be
running instead
of asking for
blessings!

Sir, you have read my What!

mind like a book, I’m so
ashamed of myself…

I’ve been deceiving myself

for 30 years…

I am ignorant
of karma,
have been
harbouring
so many bad
thoughts

and thinking
that heaven
has done
me great
injustice
instead.

6363
 I didn’t
even try
to find out
my own
faults.

Instead,
I kept
pouring my
resentment.

As it
turned
out, it
was my
own
ignorance,

that has
caused all
my misery
for the past
30 years…

64 64
 If you can
see what’s
happening
in the
unseen
world,

Please
help me...
you
must be
a deity!

You read
When you sages’ books
hear good
and know
advice,
you get that you
emotional. should do
good deeds.

6565
 You are gratified
seeing others do
good deeds, and
wish to be a good
person.

But your
problem is that
you don’t really
take things to
your heart.

Your faith is
weak, and
you don’t
persevere.

Hence all the

good deeds you
have been doing
for 30 years are
superficial.

66 66
 None
of them
really
counts!

and your
mind is
full of
vices

that
linger on
and on.

but you dare

Your heart
to ask for
is so evil,
heavenly
blessing.

It’s just like

looking
forward to a
good harvest
on bramble
ground.
Isn’t that
ridiculous?

6767
 From now
you must on, when an
nip it in evil thought
the bud! arises, you
must harbour
only good
thoughts,

You must give

your best in
everything
you do, easy
or otherwise.

and do
If you can’t do good
good deeds, deeds for
feel happy the sake
when you of doing
see others do good.
them.
68 68
 First—
Second—

Be Patient
Persevere

You are
Persevere bound to
amidst good encounter
and bad problems in
times, doing good
deeds,

so you
don’t be must
lazy, and be able
never to bear
deceive insults.
yourself.

69 69
 you are If you
sure to get can
unexpected persist,
results.

You have
venerated
me
respectfully.
To pay
you
back,

I have
come here
to transmit
this
message to
you.

Hold
on!

If you
persist, you
may still
be able to
change your
fate.

70 70
 Oh!

the
Kitchen You
must
God! be….

7171
The Kitchen God
has revealed
himself to me!

The next day,

on the first day of
Chinese New Year

72 72
 I hereby
venerate
heaven and
earth, and
Jing Yi vow to
change and
I hereby do good
change deeds!
my
name
to…

Let me repay
the grace of
the Kitchen
God for
reinventing
me.

7373
When I started to repent, I encountered
delusion and doubt. I advanced and retreated,
without making much progress.

I, Yu Jing
Yi, hereby
make a
I will give it sacred oath
all I’ve got to Guanyin
to advance Bodhisattva.
and harbour
pure
thoughts.

74 74
 I chanted Guanyin
If I still
Bodhisattva’s name
100 times a day to forgive
get Her blessing. myself,
(Annotation ❷ )

Then send
me to
hell for
eternity!

Since then, I dared not

cheat on my thoughts,
and I acted and said
things as if heaven and
earth was watching me.

7575
I would do anything, big or small, within my
power to benefit others even if the latter
was not aware of my good deeds.

I would take every opportunity to do

good deeds to accumulate blessings.

I advised people I met to abide by the

law, to be diligent and humble, and
promoted the law of karma.
76 76
 I recorded what I did every month, and
reported it to the Kitchen God.

I persevered
like that and
transformed
myself
completely.

7777
 When I moved,
happiness followed.
When I stayed still,
no thoughts would arise.

78 78
 The
invigilator
was the 3 years later, in the
First Aide 2nd year of the Wan
to the Li Era, there was an
Emperor-- imperial exam.
Zhang
Jiang Ling

He wanted to get a good

teacher for his child among
the exam students.

I used to be down in the dumps,

but I had transformed.

7979
 I was surprised that
In the end Mr. Zhang employed me all exam students
as his son’s teacher, so I moved to recommended me.
the capital with my family.

Subsequently, First Aide Zhang, impressed with

Yu’s morality and knowledge, recommended
him to the Imperial National University.

80 80
2 years later, he passed the exam, and
scored a ‘Jin Shi’ (the best grade in
ancient times) a year later.

One day, Yu
visited an old
Congratulations eunuch—
for getting a
‘Jin Shi’! Mr. Yang

I'm forever Having

grateful to suffered
Mr. Zhang's many
support. setbacks,

Yang’s house

8181
 I must
For what I am
thank
today, though
First Aide
just a meagre
Zhang.
achievement,

It’s good
Daddy!
Daddy! Thank to be
you, appreciative,
sir.

and your
success
is well-
deserved.

pay
respects
to dad

8282
 pay
Good
respects
Good! to boys!
Good! Teacher
Yu.

pay
respects
to
Teacher
Yu.

Ha Sir, your
ha! sons are
clever and
lovely.

I adopted
True. them from
all over the
place.

Oh-- I have to
depend on
them when
I grow old.
8383
 Why does
this boy look
familiar?

Teacher
Yu!

Teacher Yu,
Are you
I invited
alright? Teacher you today
What’s the Yu… because…
matter?

Can I talk Sir, please

to this boy forgive my
in private rudeness…
for a
while?

84 84
 How old Sure,
are you, please
son? go
ahead.

Oh! Do you
remember Sir,
where your I’m 16.
hometown
is?

I’m from
a place to
the right of
the Yangtze
River.

8585
 and was When I was
separated 8, I got on a
from my boat to play
family.

Subsequently,
I was adopted
by dad…

My Can you still

remember
home is your
near the surname and
jetty, your home?

my
parents
loved
me very
much…

86 86
 Sir, I have
a son I vaguely
who went remember
missing I have 4
when he brothers
was a
boy, and 4
sisters,

whose
situation
was
exactly
the same
as your
son!

Can he That kid

take off his has 2
shoe for moles
on his
identification,
left
please?
sole.

But most of
them have
passed away,
leaving me
and a sister…

8787
 OK, son,
do as
you’re
told.

88 88
 You are
really my
son!

Dad…

Thank you,
heaven,
thank you!

8989
 My son…
we miss
you so
much…

Dad…

It’s a good thing

What a
you two have
Thank reunited. Son, go coincidence!
back with your
you, father,
dad! join your
family.

Thank you,
sir, for It’s
everything! fate!

90 90
 Honey,
look who
I brought
back!

g--
Squishin

You
are…

Forgive
me,
mom,

for breaking
your heart T
for going
blind
because of e
non-stop
crying…
9191
 Are
you my
son?!

Yes,
mom…

Sob…

Sob…

My
son, I
miss
you so
much…

92
92
 Mom, I
will never
leave you
again…

My son, my
dear son…

I missed you
so much that
my hair has Oh
turned grey, no!
and I lost my
vision…

Mom,
you’re
crying
blood!

93
93
 Honey…

I’m
alright…

Mom, this
non-filial son
has caused
you great
agony…

Deeply
touched,
the son
held his
mother’s
face and
licked her
eyes…

94
94
Oh!

......

Jing Yi,
I can see
the both
of you…!

Honey!

Mom!

95
95
 I can’t
believe
that I can
still you
in this
lifetime…

My vision
has
returned!
Our
daughter
called you
mom! Did
you hear
It’s a That’s that?
miracle! right!

Dear
sister…
Mom…

Oh
!

Daughter…

96 96
 We owe the
Kitchen God
this grand
reunion.

The Kitchen
God is our
benefactor,
he has given
us a new
life…

9797
 Overwhelmed, Yu Jing Yi
resigned from his job. First
Aide Zhang thanked Yu with
a huge stipend for teaching
his son well.
98
The karma of turning over a
new leaf is incredible.
In Buddhism, sincerity
commands Extra-sensory
Perception episodes.
Even a sad destiny can be
turned around when we
change our thoughts!
98
 When Yu returned home, he did
good deeds even more aggressively.

His son had 7 filial sons with

different scholastic achievement.

9999
 Yu’s village folk and junior,
Mr. Luo Zhen, recorded Yu’s
encounter with the Kitchen
God as a good lesson for future
generations. Mr. Yu lived
healthily until age of 88.

And his act of turning

over a new leaf to
change his destiny is
propagated…

Everybody agrees that

Mr. Yu changed his
destiny because he did
good deeds selflessly.

100 100
Annotation❶ Lord Wen Chang’s Tract on the First
Step to Non-abidance

Lord Wen Chang said, ‘I have been a high-ranking government

officer in 17 lives, and I have never abused civilians or mistreated
my peers. I have helped people, saved orphans, tolerated others’
mistakes, promote ‘Yin Zhi’ (doing good deeds in the quiet). If you
practice my way, heavens will bless you.’ He added, ‘In the olden
days, during Lord Yu’s governance, the city gate was widened to
accommodate 4-horse carriages. Lady Dou picked fruits from high
above the trees to feed hungry people. There was one guy who
buried dead snakes and became a prime minister subsequently.

Do good deeds from the heart to accumulate blessings. Help others

and do good deeds quietly so that you can benefit others and
yourselves to collect merits. Help the country and the population
with benevolence. Practice equality and be tolerant of others. Be
loyal and filial to the emperor and your parents. You can follow any
of the 3 religions, all of which teach us to help people, save lives,
respect our elders and support the poor. Be strict on ourselves but
tolerant of others. Help the needy by the roadside, donate coffins
to the dead so that their corpses are not exposed.

If we are rich, help our relatives and give alms to the poor. When
we sell things, make sure we weigh them in a fair and just manner.
Treat our servants kindly. Print scriptures and build temples.

101
Donate Chinese medicine, food and water to the poor. Free animals,
stop killing them and live on a vegan’s diet. When we walk, make
sure we don’t step on small animals like the ant. Never set fire to
woods on the hills. Light up lanterns to facilitate night walking for
others, and build rafts to carry people across rivers. Never catch
fish and prawns, or kill a ploughing cow. Never throw away written
paper.

Don’t covet other people’s properties or envy their skills. Don’t

commit adultery with other people’s wives or daughters. Don’t
instigate fights. Don’t slander others. Don’t advise spouses to
divorce. Don’t create disharmony among brothers and families.
Don’t abuse your power and mistreat kind people.

Don’t bully the poor just because you are rich. Get close to good
people and keep away from bad company. Do your best to divert
disasters. Praise good deeds and don’t talk about bad ones. Practice
what you preach. Clear brambles and move away rocks on the
roads. Build roads and bridges.

Give alms to help others. Do things according to heavens’ way,

and don’t offend people with your words. Do all good deeds but
never an evil one. You will be protected by heaven and earth
against all disasters. Karma is real: it may get back to you or your
descendants. Practice ‘Yin Zhi’, and everything good and auspicious
will come your way!

102
A n n o tat i o n ❷ T h e Ve n e ra b l e Yi n G u a n g ’s
Revelation of Guanyin’s Dharma

The Venerable Yin Guang said, ‘Guanyin Bodhisattva or

Avalokitesvara, has made a sacred oath to save sentient beings
from agony whenever She hears their desperate cries for help.
When do-gooders who benefit others chant Her name, upon
encountering disasters such as wars, flood and fire, hunger,
locusts, epidemics, robbery, enemies, wild beasts, snakes, evil
spirits, monsters, diseases from bad karma, framing in crime
etc., they will be protected and kept out of harm’s way.

People with evil thoughts may chant Her name, but they
will not experience any real-time blessings, and their acts of
calling Her name will only accumulate blessings in the future.

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas only encourage good thoughts.

Evil people who chant their holy names but refuse to turn
over a new leaf will not get any blessings, because the most
important thing in chanting these holy names is to—

Banish all evil thoughts.

Practice all good deeds but never do a single one bad.

103
Harbour a pure heart, speak kind words, and do good deeds!

Even if we are unable to practice all that, we must be kind and

advise other people to do good; or rejoice when we see people do
it. Praising good deeds is a form of verbal merit too. If we are
envious when we see others do good deeds that is the thought
of an evil person, which will only generate demerits and short
life. So, beware! Do not be a hypocrite and do good deeds just
for fame, an act that makes heaven and earth angry! People
with the abovementioned mistakes should make amends.
People who do not make such mistakes should advise others
who do to make amends.

104
 The Venerable Jing Kong’s
Explanation on ‘Kitchen God’s
Revelation to Yu Jing Yi’
During the 1978 Huazang exam seminar
in Taiwan

105
Home practitioner Mr. You Xi Yin once said that ‘Liao Fan’s 4
Precepts’ is an account of extra-sensory perception and merit
system. The merit system used by Liao Fan has been published
in ‘Ancient Annal of Moral Education’, which is basically a record
of extra-sensory perception based on his merit system. It not
only teaches us on dharma practice but also strengthen our faith.
‘Kitchen God’s Revelation to Mr. Yu Jing Yi’ is a complementary
book to ‘Liao Fan’s 4 Precepts’ because it covers other things not
told in the latter. Both books represent excellent reading and
should be venerated as Buddhist sutras. Every reader should
self-inspect themselves after reading the books, especially in this
modern era. We must learn from them to avert disasters and
beckon auspices.

（一） 怀才不遇，行善不昌

明嘉靖时。江西俞公。讳都。字良臣。多才博学。十八岁为
诸生。每试必高等。

Mr. Yu lived in the Jia Jing Era of the Ming Dynasty, the same era as
Mr. Yuan Liao Fan. During that era, a major event in Buddhism took
place—the publication of ‘Da Zang Sutra’ book. In the olden days,
Buddhist scriptures existed in folded texts. When a folded text is
bound together with treads, it becomes a book. The first Buddhist
book published in such a way was ‘Da Zang Sutra’ during the Jia Jing
Era, hence it was also called ‘Jia Jing Zang’.

106
‘Jia Jing Zang’ refers to the time the book was published. The
publication of ‘Jia Jing Zang’ was organized by the Venerable Han
Shan, aka De Qing. Since he organized the book in Jinshan, ‘Jia Jing
Zang’ was also known as ‘Jinshan Zang’. That was a major event
in Buddhism because a folded scripture was transformed into a
book for the first time. Recently, the reprint of the second edition
of ‘Zhong Hua Da Zang Jing’ in Taiwan is actually a version of ‘Jia
Jing Zang’, which has been in circulation for 500 years. Such a big
event in both the nation and the Buddhist circle has undoubtedly
converted a big group of followers to Buddhism.

During the Jia Jing Era, there was this scholar by the name of Mr.
Yu Dou, alias Mr. Yu Liang Cheng, who was very knowledgeable
and became a Zhusheng at the age of 18. Zhu Sheng means Xiu
Cai. The phrase 每试必高等 denotes his intelligence.

年及壮。家贫授徒。与同痒生十余人。结交昌社。惜字放
生。戒淫杀口过。行之有年。前后应试七科。皆不中。生五
子。四子病夭。其第三子。甚聪秀。左足底有双痣。夫妇宝
之。八岁戏于里中。遂失去。不知所之。生四女。仅存其
一。妻以哭儿女故。两目皆盲。公潦倒终年。贫窘益甚。自
反无大过。惨膺天罚。

This paragraph states that Mr. Yu Jing Yi was down in the dumps
in his middle age. He was getting old and found it hard to get
by. He had to teach in a small school with not too many pupils.

107
He formed a private school called Wen Chang She with a dozen
of friends. 同痒生 means school mates in the same grade. Wen
Chang She is a type of school where like-minded friends teach ‘Lord
Wen Chang’s Tract on the First Step to Non-abidance’.

The first part of ‘An Shi Compendium’ currently in print is actually

‘Lord Wen Chang’s Tract on the First Step to Non-abidance’, which
was a study priority among pupils in ancient times. It was taught
to children from 7 to 8 years old by teachers and parents. The
Venerable Yin Guang, in his ‘Complete Works of Yin Guang’, told
us to teach our children ‘Lord Wen Chang’s Tract on the First Step
to Non-abidance’ as well as ‘Extra-sensory Perception’ when they
reach schooling age. These 2 texts are short and enlightening.
There are only about a thousand over words in both books.

Wen Chang She pupils practiced the precepts in ‘Lord Wen Chang’s
Tract on the First Step to Non-abidance’ diligently—to cherish
words and paper, free animals, stay away from obscenity, stop
killing and telling lies etc.

行之有年 means the group of friends who started Wen Chang

She practiced Lord Wen Chang’s precepts for years. During all this
while, Mr. Yu took the Imperial Exam 7 times but did not succeed
(As a Xiu Cai, he wanted to become a Juren). He had 5 sons, but
4 of them died young. Only the third son survived, but he went
missing too. His third son was the most clever among all his
children, but went outside to play at the age of 8 and disappeared
without a trace. Mr. Yu had 4 daughters, but 3 of them died.

108
Though he had 9 children in all, he was left with only 1 daughter,
discounting the son who went missing. His wife cried and cried
over the children until she turned blind.

公潦倒终年。贫窘益甚 means Mr. Yu found it increasingly hard

to get by. 自反无大过 tells us that, upon self-inspection, he was
sure he did not commit any great misconduct, so why did the gods
punish him like that? It looked as if the gods did not want to bless
him.

（二） 灶神现身。列举意恶遭殃

年四十外。每岁腊月终。自写黄疏。祷于灶神。求其上达。
如是数年。亦无报应。至四十七岁时。

年四十外。It is a Chinese custom to venerate the Kitchen God

in the last month of every lunar year. The Kitchen God goes
to heaven during the month to report every family’s right and
wrongdoings to the Jade Emperor, and hence the couplet of ‘cook
with virtues and ascend to heavens with altruism’ beside the
Kitchen God’s altar. In this time of the year, Mr. Yu would write
and burn a petition to the Kitchen God so that the latter could
bring it to the Jade Emperor, but there was no response at all
after a few years. Then extra-sensory perception happened to
Mr. Yu when he was aged 47.

109
除夕。与瞽妻一女夜坐。举室萧然。凄凉相吊。

除夕means the 30th day of the last month or Chinese New Year’s
Eve. This sentence describes the desperate situation of the Mr. Yu
family.

忽闻叩门声。公秉烛视之。见一角巾皂服之士。须发半苍。长
揖就座。口称张姓。自远路而归。闻君家愁叹。特来相慰。

At the age of 47, on Chinese New Year’s Eve, Mr. Yu was looking
at his wife and daughter sadly. Suddenly there was a knock on
the door. He lit a candle and opened the door to see a man in 角
巾皂服. 角巾 is a broad brand worn by hermits in ancient China.
It was also worn by Buddhist and Taoist practitioners. 皂服 is a
black robe. 须发半苍 describes the hair and moustache of the
guest—half of it had turned silver. The guest must be fifty or
sixtyish. 长揖就座 means making a bow courteously to invite
the guest to sit. The guest told Mr. Yu that his surname was Mr.
Zhang, and had come a long way. He heard sighs and wished to
comfort Mr. Yu. He was stating the reason for his uninvited visit.

公心异其人。执礼甚恭。

Mr. Yu was surprised to see the stranger, and was impressed by

his demeanour. So he treated the stranger with great respect. In
these desperate times, no friends even bothered to visit him.

110
Today was New Year’s Eve, and everybody was having reunion
dinner. Who had the time to visit and comfort him? He was very
grateful to the stranger for visiting him with words of comfort.

因言生平读书积行。至今功名不遂。妻子不全。衣食不继。
且以历焚灶疏。为张诵之。

He was consumed with grievances. After all, he was getting old

(aged 47), and he did not manage to get the slightest fame or
fortune. In ancient China, the best way for scholars to succeed is
to work in the government sector. The more knowledgeable the
scholar, the higher the rank, and with it, the higher the salary.
Scholars who did not make it in the government would be poor,
very much like Mr. Yu. Moreover, he had been struck with great
misfortunes. So he poured his grievances to the stranger: how he
had been studying hard and following Lord Wen Chang’s way, not
doing any bad deeds, how he could not even feed his family, his
missing son, his children who died young and so on. He narrated
his praying to the Kitchen God and burning a petition on every New
Year’s Eve, and he told Mr. Zhang what he wrote in the petitions.

张曰。予知君家事久矣。

Mr. Zhang said that he had known everything about his family for a
very long time, and that he did not need to narrate it.

111
君意恶太重。考务虚名。满纸怨尤。渎陈上帝。恐受罚不止
此也。

This paragraph has not been mentioned in ‘Liao Fan’s 4 Precepts’,

so a little explanation is necessary. These matters were not unique
to Mr. Yu because Mr. Yuan Liao Fan had encountered them too.
Liao Fan met the Venerable Mr. Yun Gu, while Mr. Yu met the
Kitchen God, and both transformed their destiny. Mr. Zhang told Mr.
Yu that ‘his thoughts were evil’, and that he took Imperial Exams
‘for the sake of fame and fortune’. And his annual petitions were
full of complaints, without any sign of remorse, which was highly
sacrilegious to the jade Emperor! Mr. Zhang was afraid that there
would be more punishments for Mr. Yu, with pending disasters that
were even greater.

公大惊曰。

Alarmed, Mr. Yu was wondering how this stranger could have

known so much about him, even things that only he himself knew.

闻冥冥之中。纤善必录。予誓行善事。格奉规条。久矣。
岂尽属虚名乎。

Mr. Yu was not convinced with what Mr. Zhang said. He countered,
‘I heard that heaven and earth watches everything and knows even
the smallest good deed. I have been teaching in Wen Chang She for

112
years, vowing with all the pupils to do good diligently. Everybody
adheres to Lord Wen Chang’s precepts, including me. There has
never been a violation. Is all this just for show?’

张曰。即如君规条中惜字一款。君之生徒与知交辈。多用书
文旧册。糊窗裹物。甚至以之拭桌。且藉口曰勿污。而旋焚
之。君日日亲见。略不戒谕一语。但遇途间字纸。拾归付
火。有何益哉。

So Mr. Zhang used some of Lord Wen Chang’s precepts to point out
Mr. Yu’s wrongdoings. ‘Lord Wen Chang’s Tract on the First Step to
Non-abidance’ places great significance on cherishing words and
paper (because words carry with them culture and truth), a precept
of which was held in high regards by Wen Chang She. Mr. Zhang
said, ‘You did not practice the precept as it should be practiced.
Your pupils use old books or written paper to glue windows.’ People
in this modern era are used to glass windows, and may not know
that, in ancient times, windows used to be glued paper.

In ancient China, people used written paper to glue windows and

wrap things, which was highly disrespectful. Nowadays, with so
many choices of wallpapers, nobody uses written paper to glue
windows anymore. However, people still use written paper to wrap
things. When somebody commits a religious crime, you must advise
him against it, thought it might cause some resentment. It’s just like
you are unable to pull somebody out of fire. We have to start with
ourselves by setting a good example. If you advise people not to

113
commit religious crime, they will tell you that you are superstitious.
Everybody uses written paper and newspaper to wrap things. If
they can do that, why can’t I? How many people understand this
truth with a deep meaning?

The principle of cherishing words and paper carried a deeper

meaning in the olden days. In those days, texts were printed
from pieces of wooden blocks etched in writing, and the printing
process was very costly! Each word was etched carefully on a
block of wood, very different from today’s typesetting and photo-
engraving. Hence only good, popular articles were made into
books in those days. Old books must be patched up, and only
unsalvageable books were burnt respectfully. It is a respectful way
to cherish words and paper.

The greatest respect must be shown to the Triple Gems of Buddhism,

one of which is Buddhist scriptures. Though printing techniques
have improved tremendously, we must still respect scriptures,
an act that brings blessings. People who do not know this keep
wrapping things with scriptures, but they are just throwing away
their blessings! We know it, so we must not do that. Try not to wrap
things with printed paper or newspaper. We should do it with Kraft
paper or wrapping paper.

Now that we understand the painstaking efforts of ancient sages

in education, we should do it respectfully. If you still do not
understand the reason for cherishing words and paper, just avoid
wrapping things with printed paper and newspaper, and you will

114
enjoy endless blessings! If you are thinking of doing that only when
you have properly understood the principle of cherishing words and
paper, I am afraid it is already too late by then. You might be gone
by then, so you will not be able to do it. Just follow the words of
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and forget the principles behind them.
That is the way of the blessed.

Mr. Zhang said, ‘When you see pupils gluing windows or wrapping
things with written paper, you never bother to advise or stop them.
You only pick up written paper on the roads and burn them. Isn’t
that for show?’

社中每月放生。军随班奔逐。因人成事。倘诸人不举。君亦
浮沉而已。其实慈悲之念。并未动于中也。

This paragraph is about freeing animals. ‘Doing good deeds should

spring from the heart. You just follow people who free animals.
If they do not do it, you will not do it too. Is your heart truly
compassionate? Do you really want to free animals? No! You do it
because you see others do it. It does not come from your heart!
Even when you do it, you do not do it wholeheartedly, so where is
the merit? You are not benevolent and compassionate at all, but
you keep putting on a show of benevolence and compassion to
others!’

115
且君家虾蟹之类。亦登于疱。彼独非生命耶。

Your family cook prawns and crabs, which are lives too! You still
eat the flesh of sentient beings. People in Wen Chang She are not
vegans but go on vegetarian diet only a few days in a month.

若口过一节。

This refers to lies, slandering and frivolous speech, which Mr. Yu

frequently committed.

君语言敏妙。谈者常倾倒于君。

Mr. Yu was eloquent and knowledgeable, but spoke sarcastically

with subtle words. Hence everybody was impressed by him. He was
so eloquent that he could make unreasonable things reasonable—
he was good at distorting facts.

君彼时出口。心亦自知伤厚。

He spoke with great satisfaction, but deep down, his conscience

told him he was not doing the right thing. He was too sarcastic and
competitive. Luckily, he still had a conscience, which would be an
instrument to change his fate. If not, even if the Kitchen God gave
him some good advice, he would not have accepted it! Mr. Yu’s

116
conscience made him teachable and salvageable. At age 47, when
the Kitchen God pointed out his wrongdoings, Mr. Yu was rudely
awakened!

但于朋谈惯熟中。

This means among old friends.

随风讪笑。不能禁止。舌锋所及。触怒鬼神。阴恶之注。不知
凡几。乃犹以简厚自居。吾谁欺？欺天乎。

This is the fault of lying. Mr. Yu wanted to win whenever he talked,

which was bad. In ‘Liao Fan’s 4 Precepts’, the final chapter talks
about humility, the opposite of which is non-tolerance. There is
this adage which says: complacency generates harm, and humility,
great benefits. Mr. Yu was complacent and competitive, and heaven
and earth did not like that, and hence the phrase 阴恶之注。不知
凡几。According to ‘Di Zang Sutra’, ‘In Jambudvipa, every thought
that arises in all sentient beings is a sin!’ Mr. Yu was not aware of it,
and kept thinking of himself as a good, benevolent man. ‘Who are
you kidding? Can you cheat the gods?’

邪淫虽无实迹。君见人家美子女。必熟视之。心即摇摇不能
遣。但无邪缘相凑耳。君自反身当其境。能如鲁男子乎。遂
谓终身无邪色。可对天地鬼神。真妄也。

117
This paragraph points out Mr. Yu’s most serious evil thought—
obscenity. Though Mr. Yu did not have any actual act of obscenity,
he had the intention. Luckily, he did not have the opportunity.
Mr. Zhang asked Mr. Yu to self-inspect. Given the opportunity,
could Mr. Yu resist the temptation? 鲁男子 is a literal quote
from ‘Confucius’s Family Teaching’. During the Warring Periods,
there was this man in Lu Kingdom who was really unaroused
by beautiful women, making him an epitome of ‘no obscene
thoughts’ that can withstand the scrutiny of heaven and earth.
But Mr. Yu could not do that. He still held obscene thoughts, and
so he was into self-deception.

此君之规条誓行者。尚然如此。何况其余。

Mr. Zhang added, ‘This is one of Wen Chang She’s precepts, yet
you could not adhere to it, let alone the rest!’ As such, what Mr.
Zhang said about Mr. Yu was all true. He tried to do good deeds
for show only. Mr. Yu’s wrongdoings were quoted one by one, so
he could not refute.

君连岁所焚之疏。悉陈于天。

All the petitions you wrote were passed by the Kitchen God to the
Jade Emperor.

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上帝命日游使者。察君善恶。数年无一善行可记。

We must believe in one particular verse in the final chapter of

‘Liao Fan’s 4 Precepts’ — ‘There are gods above us’. In this world,
which is full of evil spirits, monsters and demons, people with evil
thoughts will definitely go astray. Heretic temples and shady altars
really hamper the spread of true dharma.

Evil spirits etc. do exist! Here, we can see that the Jade Emperor did
not ignore Mr. Yu and sent the Day Watch Deity to check on him. It
was too bad nothing good about Mr. Yu could be recorded.

但于私居独处中。见君之贪念。淫念。嫉妒念。褊急念 高己
卑人念。忆往期来念。恩雠报复念。憧憧于胸。不可纪极。
此诸种种意恶。固结于中。神注已多。天罚日甚。君逃祸不
暇。何由祈福哉。

This verse of revelation is the most important, and we must believe

in it. Though Mr. Zhang was talking about Mr. Yu, the verse is
actually an advice for all readers. Heaven and earth inspected Mr.
Yu every day but could not find any good thoughts in him. Though
he did not commit any acts of greed, anger and delusion, but his
thoughts were full of greed, anger, delusion, envy and arrogance.
高己 means looking highly on oneself, and卑人means looking down
on others. 忆往期来 means thinking about the past and looking
forward to the future. 恩仇报复 are bad thoughts about revenge.
All these bad thoughts constitute Mr. Yu’s 意恶 or evil thoughts.

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Among the 3 bad karmas of actions, words and thoughts, the last
one is the worst, because bad actions and words come from evil
thoughts. Dharma practice centres round the mind. If the mind is
pure, actions and words will naturally be kind. If the mind is evil,
it will be expressed as evil deeds and words. Looking at Mr. Yu, we
can see that he seemed to be very cautious in his speeches and
actions, but there was no change in his evil thoughts, which were
what heaven and earth was looking at. The Kitchen God spoke the
truth when he said that Mr. Yu would experience more disasters
later. ‘You should be running instead of asking for blessings!’

公惊愕惶悚。伏地流涕曰。君即通幽事。定系尊神。愿求救
度。

Mr. Zhang had exposed all of Mr. Yu’s hidden secret thoughts! Afraid,
Mr. Yu knelt on the floor and pleaded in tears, ‘If you know all these
things, you must be a god. Please help me!’ This paragraph shows
that there still remained a little good in Mr. Yu. Little it might be, but
enough for the Kitchen God to help him. Without the little good, he
would not have encountered the Kitchen God. So, be advised!

张曰。君读书明理。亦知慕善为乐。

That was the only chance for Mr. Yu to turn over a new leaf. He was
a scholar, so he should know what was true, and should admire
good deeds and kind words.

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当其闻一善言时。不胜激动。见一善事时。不胜鼓舞。

Mr. Yu had a little good left in him, but just a little. He had too many
worries and bad habits.

但旋过旋忘。

He would forget something good in a flash.

信根原自不深。

His problem was that his belief was too weak, and his bad habits
too strong.

恒性是以不固。

He had no fortitude and patience, so he was easily influenced by

external factors.

故生平善言善行。都是敷衍浮沉。何尝有一事着实。

That is the problem. We, dharma practitioners at home or in

temples, should ask ourselves whether we face the same problem.
We are happy to see good deeds done and kind words spoken, but
tend to forget about them after that. We have the same problem
as Mr. Yu. I am not just talking about us, but everybody. Mr. Yu

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was born in the Ming Dynasty, a contemporary of the Venerable
Han Shan and the Venerable Lian Chi. During the times of the
Buddha, the people then were the same, without exceptions. If our
good was strong, we would achieve Buddhahood. But how many
people can become a Buddha?

Think again. After the Buddha achieved enlightenment, why did He

keep preaching the dharma for 49 years? It is exactly because of all
these problems! Talk about it every day, listen to it every day, and
it will become a second nature. False good will become true good!
Even if some pretend to be good, they will become a really good
person in the end. We must give advice every day, if not, a person
would turn bad again in 3 days!

A lot of dharma practitioners wanted to build a temple to practice

the dharma under the same roof. I was interested in the concept
initially, but lost interest subsequently. Why? Look at the outcome.
Everybody was so full of bodhisattvas’ way before the temple was
constructed. Once the construction was completed, they began
to fight among themselves for fame and fortune, and turned into
enemies. I have seen a lot of such temples, and there are hardly
exceptions.

In the olden days, why did monks organize various small seminars
in forest monasteries every day? Why didn’t the Buddha take a
break, but preached the dharma every day? According to sutras,
he had 1,255 disciples following him! It’s true, if we don’t preach
the dharma every day, fights and arguments will arise. Hence the
Buddha preached every day for 49 years without a break. Had he

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taken a day off, there would be problems among his huge group of
followers.

In Buddhism, this is called ‘xun xi’ (continuous preaching). It helps

the little good in most people grow. With ‘xun xi’, people with a lot
of good might just achieve instant enlightenment. Thus we must
preach the dharma every day!

The ‘Extra-sensory Perception’ text is a bit short. In ancient China,

teachers talked about it alternately every month. They taught
‘Extra-sensory Perception’, ‘Lord Wen Chang’s Tract on the First
Step to Non-abidance’ and other books that advised people to
do good. Such teachings were very popular then, and it is a pity
that they do not exist anymore. Even with constant preaching and
teaching, some hearts just cannot be saved. If we do not do it
constantly, matters would become even worse!

Therefore, we have to give seminars on good virtues and karma

everywhere. I would like to advise new speakers to talk about books
of virtues and karma first. Talks on the dharma and their materials
can come later. Just talk about books of virtues everywhere you
go. We should talk about books of virtues once a day for not more
than 7 days in order to popularize the topic. We can re-edit talk
materials such as ‘Lord Wen Chang’s Tract on the First Step to Non-
abidance’, ‘Extra-sensory Perception’ and ‘Liao Fan’s 4 Precepts’
to fit nicely into the 7-day schedule. We can promote good virtues
among peers and set the foundation for everybody to practice
Mahayana dharma.

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Without this foundation, learning more difficult sutras is just a
waste of time. Without a strong foundation, it would be very
much like Mr. Yu Jing Yi, who was unrealistic and doing good deeds
for show, and unable to change bad habits and evil thoughts.
How can we avert big disasters then? Whatever little good Mr. Yu
Jing Yi had, we have it too. But we have not encountered the bad
karma like he did yet. This is because our bad thoughts are not as
bad as his. If we are just like him, we would be devastated. The
cause and effect will manifest itself without fail!

Ancient sages said that ‘what goes round comes round’. Unless
we can achieve a pure mind and get rid of the ‘4 forms’ and
‘4 opinions’ prescribed in the ‘Diamond Sutra’, it is hard to
achieve enlightenment. If we cannot get rid of the ‘4 forms’, we
will still fall victim to karma, no matter our dharma practice is
done at home or in the temples. We can only transcend above
reincarnation when we leave bigotry and all worldly woes. Hence,
we should use Mr. Yu Jing Yi as a mirror to self-inspect ourselves.

This paragraph says that Mr. Yu was weak in his faith, and that all
his supposedly good words and deeds were all done for show, with
no actual substance in them.

何尝有一事着实 means whatever good things he did were not

done wholeheartedly.

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且满腔意恶。起伏缠绵。犹欲责天美报。

责天 means blaming heavens for not blessing him.

如种遍地荆棘。痴痴然望收嘉禾。岂不谬哉。

This section talks about a parallel. You have planted brambles in

your fields, yet you are looking forward to a good paddy harvest.
Isn’t that ridiculous? This represents an absolute karma mismatch.
After reading it, readers should self-inspect seriously, make
amends, plant your feet firmly on the ground and start practicing
good thoughts.

Then read ‘Liao Fan’s 4 Precepts’ again, follow his way to eradicate
evil and do good, cultivate the virtue of humility and change your
bad habits. The book keeps telling us that we can experience good
effects within 3 years. If we do it diligently, sincerely and honestly,
good effects can even be felt in half a year.

君从今后。凡有贪淫。客气。妄想。诸杂念。先具猛力。一
切摒除。收拾干干净净。一个念头。只理会善一边去。若有
力量能行的善事。不图报。不务名。不论大小难易。实实落
落。耐心行去。若力量不能行的。亦要勤勤恳恳。使其善意
圆满。

This book gives us a very practical forewarning, urging us to inspect

ourselves all the time. We practitioners must do it diligently so

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that we can see the karmic effects clearly throughout the process
of our practice. This will help strengthen our faith and wisdom, and
keep our feet on the ground in our pursuit of the dharma. Since we
talked about ‘Liao Fan’s 4 Precepts’, a lot of peers told me that they
have learnt a great deal from it. It has helped them realize their
own faults and make amends thereof. If a person do not know his
own faults, it is much harder for him to turn over a new leaf. It is
thus highly beneficial to know one’s faults and bad habits.

The Kitchen God—Mr. Zhang pointed out Mr. Yu’s problems one by
one, and the latter was immediately convinced! Fortunately, Mr. Yu
had the heart to change, so that he could encounter the Kitchen
God as a form of extra-sensory experience.

In this paragraph, the Kitchen God was actually teaching Mr. Yu the
way to change his own destiny. In this world, we must understand
our own problems and turn over a new leaf to change our fate.
Don’t blame god or the people around us, because it is all our own
doing. If we can do more good deeds, we can enjoy good karmas.
So this paragraph is very important—we must transform our minds
to change our fate.

君从今后 means from now on. The Kitchen God told Mr.
Yu, ‘Henceforth, whenever a greedy, obscene, delusional
or unbecoming thought arises, banish it straightaway.’ That
represented complete repentance by nipping all unclean thoughts
in the bud. Think about it. It is easy to say, but much more difficult
to do. Who does not want to have a pure mind? Yet unclean

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thoughts keep arising day after day! This is called ‘karma-anjana’, or
‘bad forms of karma’, a phenomenon due to accumulation of bad
habits and thoughts over time. We must be conscious of it because
it is not a good thing.

Consciousness is the root to reformation. If we are not conscious

of a problem, we will not be able to correct it. If we are conscious
of it, then there is hope to correct it. Therefore, the Buddha said,
‘We should not be afraid of a thought, but we should be afraid of
the fact that consciousness comes too late.’ By ‘thought’ is meant
greed, obscenity, delusion and all sorts of unclean thoughts. When
these thoughts arise, be conscious of them straightaway. Ask
yourself, ‘Why do I still get this form of bad karma?’ When you ask
yourself that question, consciousness springs to bring light and
shame.

Which direction shall we take? 收拾干干净净。一个念头。只理

会善一边去。This is the initial way to practice consciousness, to
eradicate evil thoughts and to cultivate only good thoughts. This is
a very good way, like chanting ‘Namo Amitabha’. Note that we not
only have to change our minds, we must change our actions too.

When we do good deeds, what kind of attitude should we hold? Do

not wish for payback. When we help somebody, do not wish for a
returned favour. We should hold the attitude that helping others is
our obligations, even though we may be resented in the process.
We must cultivate a clear conscience! It does not matter if people
misunderstand or doubt us.

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Just do your best. Don’t back track just because some people blame
you for some good deeds. Why are we blamed for doing good
deeds and treating other people kindly? According to the ‘Diamond
Sutra’, this arises because of our past bad deeds, and people who
blame you are actually helping you dissolve your bad karma. It is a
blessing in disguise!

Hence, don’t get disappointed. Just do good deeds and think

good thoughts. 不论大小难易。实实落落。tells us to do it in a
pragmatic manner. Just do it practically and make yourself happy.
耐心行去。Doing good deeds, big or small, requires a lot of
patience too. So do it for one day, one year and your whole life.
Furthermore, you should make a sacred oath to do it in every life,
because that is the way of bodhisattvas, which is within our power
to commit. 若力量不能行的。亦要勤勤恳恳。In other words,
even if something is not within my power, I must still maintain the
heart to do it.

In Buddhism, the term 功德圆满 means that only a pure heart

and pure mind will generate ‘full merit’. It does not mean that all
good deeds must be done perfectly, because certain things are just
within our power to accomplish. In this case, even if we cannot fulfil
a good deed, we have the will to do it, and it constitutes full merit.
Hence, in Buddhism, it is the mind that counts. Full merit depends
on the state of your mind, not the good deed itself. If your mind
and heart is not pure, you can do as many good deeds as you wish,
but you cannot get full merit.

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第一，要忍耐心
First, we must have patience

Nothing can be achieved without patience. Patience is one of the

‘6 ways of bodhisattvas’. It is called ‘sad-paramita’ in Sanskrit.
Patience can also be taken as the joy of bearing insults. Everybody
knows that it is extremely to bear insults. In ancient texts, there
is this popular quote by scholars—‘I would rather be killed than
insulted!’ Scholars in ancient China would rather die than to bear
insults. When Buddhism penetrated China, translators used ‘joy of
bearing insults’ for ‘sad-paramita’. If one can bear insults, nothing
matters anymore. The ability to bear insults is a form of good
karma, and the converse is true. We must cultivate patience.

第二，要永远心
Second, we must have an ‘eternal heart’.

‘Eternal heart’ is actually fortitude or perseverance. When we

make an oath, stick to it. No matter the environment or adversity,
fulfil the oath with actions, and full merit will be achieved in the
long run.

切不可自惰。切不可自欺。
Never slacken. Never deceive yourself.

These are 2 very good commandments. Normally, when somebody

makes a sacred oath, he is very hard-working, but tend to slacken

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after a while, ruining his own path to enlightenment. Ancient sages
said that if everybody could keep up the spirit and passion of the
original sacred oath, they would become Buddhas. Thus the spirit
of the original sacred oath is the truest, purest and strongest. There
is also an interesting saying, which goes something like this: ‘During
the first year of dharma practice, the Buddha is right before you.

During the second year, the Buddha is in the Western Heaven.

During the third year, the Buddha is gone.’ It is all due to slackening
and lack of perseverance. How can such practice achieve
enlightenment? Hence we must never slacken.

Do not indulge in self-deception, i.e. do not kid yourself. It is easy to

deceive others, but deceiving oneself is a heinous sin. If we never
deceive ourselves, we can achieve enlightenment. Therefore, we
must read ‘Liao Fan’s 4 Precepts’ and ‘Extra-sensory Perception’
every day, because they are a mirror that we can use for self-
inspection daily. If you want to practice the dharma, you must study
both books sincerely and truthfully for 3 years to set a rock solid
foundation first.

A strong foundation facilitates dharma practice. Many senior

dharma practitioners, who have been in practice for a long time,
wonder why they cannot progress. That is because they are not
serious in their efforts, so they slack and fall back to the trap of
self-deception. So they are full of grievances and begin to blame
this and that. They claim to be practicing the dharma, but their
hearts are not in it.

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久久行之。自有不测效验。

As long as you do it this way and persist, i.e. practice the dharma
in earnest, you will experience extraordinary effects.

君家事我。甚见虔洁。特以此意报之。速速勉持。可回天意。

These are words of encouragement. Mr. Yu believed strongly in the

Kitchen God, and venerated him on the first and fifteenth day of
every month. His respect to the Kitchen God had earned him this
extra-sensory experience. The Kitchen God told Mr. Yu to do as he
said immediately so as to reverse Gods will, i.e. change his own
fate. Fate can be transformed.

Now, think about it with a calm mind. Our lives are not as tragic as
Mr. Yu’s. That is because our mind is not as bad as his. If he could
reverse his bad karma in 3 years, we would take a shorter time to
do that. Maybe it would take us a year or so. Hence, believe in it,
and generate a pure heart.

言毕即进公内室。公即起随之。至灶下。忽不见。方悟为司命
之神。

After the revelation, Mr. Zhang walked into the kitchen and
vanished! Mr. Yu suddenly realized that Mr. Zhang was actually the
Kitchen God. In 1948, Mrs. Zou Bang Dao met Di Zang Bodhisattva in
her house in Nanjing, and talked to Him face to face for quite some

131
time. If you think these are just fables, you are grossly mistaken!
These are the truth, the starting point to fate transformation.

因焚香叩谢。即于次日元旦。拜祷天地。誓改前非。实行善
事。自别其号曰净意道人。志誓除诸妄也。

Mr. Yu met the Kitchen God on the 30th night. The next day was
the Chinese New Year’s Day. He swore to turn over a new leaf and
changed his name from Liang Chen to Jing Yi, meaning a pure mind.
An alias carries a great purpose, serving as a reminder. Mr. Yu
changed his alias to remind himself to keep a pure mind at all times.
That is why when people make an oath to practice the dharma
seriously, they are given a ‘dharma name’ to remind them to do
good. Since it is connected to ‘Dao’ (the way to enlightenment), the
‘dharma name’ is also popularly known as ‘Dao name’.

初行之日。杂念纷乘。非疑则堕。忽忽时日。依旧浮沉。

Dear readers, think about the times when you swore to turn over
a new leaf. It was the same for all of us at the beginning. Mr. Yuan
Liao Fan experienced it, so did Mr. Yu Jing Yi. At the beginning,
there is always progression and regression. So the important thing
is to persevere. If you can exercise fortitude, perseverance and the
will to turn over a new leaf, this problem will disappear gradually.
It is difficult to stop delusions all at once, as exemplified by ancient
saints.

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Thus, listening to sermons is very important. If we want to achieve
a good effect, we must talk about ‘Liao Fan’s 4 Precepts’ for a week,
and do it again next week. Talk about it 10 times or even 20 times
a year, then we can transform most people. Why? Because we urge
them every day! If you just urge somebody once, he will forget it
after a few days. True dharma practice is not easy! We must be
happy if we can transform 10 out of 100 listeners. If we want to
succeed, we have to listen to the same sermon 10 times or even 20
times for a year. I believe that half of the readers reading this will
succeed.

Don’t ever think that ‘Oh, I’ve read this book and that sutra’ and
forget about them. We must know that from the day bodhisattvas
make their sacred oaths to the day of achieving enlightenment, they
still learn every day. They give the same sermon a few times every
year for ‘self-salvation’. You are blessed to have read this book. You
might not be blessed when you read or listen to ‘Hua Yan Sutra’ or
‘Leng Yan Sutra’ because they are too difficult to understand.

This book is totally different. It is so easy to understand that you

can practice it straightaway and see the effect for yourself. You
can lay a strong foundation in 3 years. It would be much easier to
study sutras of higher learning 3 years later. If you find it difficult to
understand sutras of higher learning at the moment, that’s because
your foundation is weak.

I visited China TV this afternoon for some TV production. They

suggested that I should talk about the dharma in a modernized

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way, produce videos and build new style lecture halls to better
propagate Buddhism to the whole world. Those were valuable tips.

Effective teaching of sutras means listening to, talking about and

discussing them every day. After reading this book, we must get
our faith and courage lifted high.

因于家堂所供观音大士前。叩首流血。敬发誓愿。愿善念永
纯。善力精进。倘有丝毫自宽。永堕地狱。每日清晨。虔诵
大慈大悲尊号一百声。以祈阴相。

This paragraph is about praying to Guanyin for empowerment,

since cutting off all evil thoughts on his own strength was not that
easy. Mr. Yu did not have to do much, he just venerated Guanyin
every morning and chanted Her name 100 times a day. We might
be chanting a Buddha’s name more than 100 times a day, but our
hearts are not as pure as his. His chant was absolutely sincere,
while ours might be just meaningless chant. If that’s the case,
even if we chant a Buddha’s name 10,000 times, it might not be
as effective as him chanting only 1 time.

In dharma practice, we must do things with all our heart and

respect. It is a good thing to emulate him and make a sacred oath,
just to urge ourselves. We can chant the name of any Buddha/
bodhisattva, e.g. Amitabha, Guanyin etc. to get empowerment.

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从此一言一动一念一时。皆以鬼神在旁。不敢欺肆。

These words are very important. They tell us how he succeeded

in transforming his fate. His belief that ‘gods were watching him’
is the truth. In fact, wherever we may be, gods and spirits are
always watching us, so beware, do not be frivolous or deceive
yourself.

凡一切有济于人。有利于物者。

物 includes all animals and plants. The sentence means doing

good to help sentient beings in all existing realms.

不论事之巨细。身之忙闲。人之知不知。力之继不继。皆欢
喜行持。委曲成就而后止。随缘方便。广植阴功。

This paragraph describes Mr. Yu’s transformation in action, whereas

the previous one talks about the transformation of his mind. With
the transformation of the mind, his speech and action follow suit.
This is what we learn from him. Henceforth, no matter free or
busy, big matters or small, whether people know about it, I will
carry on doing good deeds that can benefit all sentient beings.
When I do them, I would not think about whether they are within
my ability. I will do what I can, with all my heart. That is the way
to get full merit. I will do whatever is good and right, and forget
about whether I can achieve it. As the saying goes: where there’s a
will, there’s a way.

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皆欢喜行持 means doing something willingly and happily. 委曲
成就而后止 means achieving a good deed tactfully. 随缘方便。
广植阴功 means doing good whenever and wherever possible,
without other people’s knowledge. This paragraph describes the
correct way to do good deeds.

且以敦伦。勤学。守谦。忍辱。与夫因果报应之言。逢人化
导。惟日不足。

The book has been talking about ‘self-practice’ so far, and now it is
about ‘preaching’.

Self-practice’ centres on the mind. When the mind changes, speech

and action will follow.

There are 5 key points in preaching:-

(1) 敦伦. 伦 means moral principles, the essence of Chinese culture.

敦 means execute.

So, 敦伦 means the execution of moral obligations. There are

moral obligations attached to every type of relationship: between
spouses; fathers and sons; siblings; friends; emperors and officials
and so on. If everybody can stick to their moral obligations, it is
called 敦睦伦常.

(2) Study hard—read good books.

(3) Be humble—embrace what Liao Fan describes as humility.

(4) Bear insults.

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(5) Under the law of karma, and preach it sincerely to the general
population.

每月晦日。

晦日means the last day of every lunar month.

即计一月所行所言者。就灶神处为疏以告知。

This sentence tells us about Mr. Yu reporting to the Kitchen God

every month about his good thoughts, speeches and actions. It
means that he asked the Kitchen God to monitor his progress. If
he did not practice what he had promised, he would not be able
to report anything good at the end of the month. That would
bring incredible effects.

Dear readers, we do have to write petitions to the Kitchen God. If

you are venerating the Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva or Amitabha,
it would be more powerful to write petitions to them instead of
the Kitchen God. But do it seriously.

持之即熟。

The 2 sentences that follow describe the incredible effects of

maintaining this good practice.

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动即万善相随。静则一念不起。

This is indeed an admirable frame of mind. How long did he

persist?

如是三年。

He persisted for 3 years! Think about his bad karma. It was so

serious, yet he managed to change his fate in just 3 years! So why
can’t we do it in 3 years? It’s not a long time, and all it takes is
perseverance. Dear readers, I hope you can practice it diligently,
just like Mr. Yu Jing Yi.

年五十岁。乃万历二年。甲戌会试。张江陵为首辅。

江陵 is actually the name of a place. Mr. Zhang, the chief

invigilator, came from 江陵, so he was called 张江陵 as a show
of respect. In those days, a respectable person is addressed in
his surname plus the place of his origin. For instance, Li Hong Mr.
Zhang of the Qing Dynasty was more popularly called Li Hefei
because he came from Hefei. This routine is commonly used in
Buddhism too. Venerable practitioners are called by his place of
origin or temple instead of his Buddhist name.

For example, the Venerable Zhi Zhe is more commonly called the
Venerable Tian Tai because he lived in Taintai Mountain. Another
example is the Venerable Gui Ji (his Buddhist name), who is more

138
commonly referred to as the Venerable Ci En because he stayed in
Cien Temple most of the time. Mr. Zhang Jiang Ling was the prime
minister then.

辍闱后。访于同乡。为子择师。

As the prime minister, he was also the chief invigilator of

the Imperial Exam. After the exam, he wished to look for a
knowledgeable scholar with good moral value among his
hometown folks as his son’s teacher.

人交口荐公。遂聘赴京师。公携眷以行。张敬公德品。为援
例入国学。

Since Prime Minister Mr. Zhang wanted to get a teacher who

was knowledgeable and morally sound, his hometown folks all
recommended Mr. Yu Jing Yi. There were no public schools in
those days, and rich people employed a private teacher to teach
their children in their study rooms. A rich man who was kind
would probably gather some bright other students who were poor
to study together with his children. Employed as a private teacher
to Mr. Zhang’s children, Mr. Yu finally had a good livelihood and
bid farewell to those poverty-stricken days. So he took his family
with him to the capital city.

Prime Minister Mr. Zhang, impressed by Mr. Yu’s knowledge and

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moral value, recommended him to study at the Imperial National
University, the one and only university in the whole country. It was
a higher learning centre that helped governments cultivate
talents and graduates would automatically become government
officials.

万历四年丙子。附京乡试。遂登科。次年中进士。

In those days, scholars wanted to become government officials.

A Jin Shi (进士) was the highest degree then, similar to today’s
PhD (doctor of philosophy).

一日谒内监杨公。

内监 means a eunuch serving the emperor. One day, Mr. Yu visited

an old eunuch by the name of Yang.

杨令五子出拜。皆其觅诸四方。为己嗣以娱老者。

Yang was a eunuch, so he did not have any children. All his sons
were godsons that he found and saved. He took care of them
so that they could take care of him when he grew old. He had 5
godsons who were all very filial. He summoned them to come out
and said hello to Mr. Yu Jing Yi.

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有一子。年十六。公若熟其貌。

When Mr. Yu saw one of the godsons who was aged 16, he felt that
he had seen and known him before.

问其籍。曰江右人。

籍 means birthplace. 江右 means the region towards the south

of Yangtze River, and includes today’s Jiangxi Province, Jiangsu,
Zhejiang and so on. People around this region were known as
江右人. Mr. Yu came from Jiangxi Province.

小时误入粮船。犹依稀记姓氏闾里。公甚讶之。

The young man could still remember his hometown and

his original surname. He said that when he was small, he
accidentally went to play on a boat that carried food, and it
drifted away, carrying him with it. Mr. Yu was very surprised to
hear that.

命脱左足。双痣宛然。公大呼曰。是我儿也。

The young man was his long lost son! His wife gave birth to 5
sons, 4 died young, and one went missing. They had 4 daughters,
3 dies young, and they were left with one daughter staying
together with them. His wife turned blind due to excessive crying.
He finally found his long lost son.

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杨亦惊愕。即送其子。随公还寓。

Yang was a very nice man. When he knew that the young man
was actually Mr. Yu’s son, he happily gave back the godson to
Mr. Yu.

公奔告夫人。

奔 means run or hurry. Mr. Yu hurried home to bring the good

news to his wife.

夫人扶子大恸。血泪迸流。子亦啼。捧母之面而砥其目。其母
双目复明。

That was the karmic effect of repentance. Think about it, even
today’s medicine, which is so advanced, finds it hard to recover
vision. It is often stated in sutras that ‘devout Buddhists will ask
and be given’, and this is a very good example.

Even Mr. Yuan Liao Fan, who was supposed to be short-lived,

enjoyed a long life. So recovering from blindness is absolutely
believable and not superstitious. We believe what sutras say and
understand the principles behind them, but tend to forget about
everything when we are not reading them. Everything forgotten!
According to sutras, ‘The environment changes with a transformed
mind’. And according to ‘Hua Yan Sutra’, ‘Everything is a reflection
of the mind’. According to ‘Wei Shi Jing Lun’, ‘The mind is the

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dharma, and everything comes from the mind.’ The realm we are in
is a reflection of our minds, so is the body. Hence the power of the
dharma is a phenomenon with a strong basis. Things will change
following mind transformation.

Mr. Yu found his long lost son who was very filial, and that
was a wonderful thing. Of course his wife would cry tears of
overwhelming joy. The filial son lovingly held his mother’s face and
licked her eyes, and that was another wonderful thing. His mother
recovered her vision is another good example of the power of the
dharma.

公悲喜交集。遂不愿为官。

This was a grand reunion for Mr. Yu’s family. He knew that this
was because of his 3 years’ repentance. Just like what the Kitchen
God told him, he would experience totally unexpected effects. The
Kitchen God’s words had come true! Mr. Yu did not wish to become
a government official anymore because he had completely lost
interest in secular matters.

辞江陵回籍。

So he thanked Prime Minister Mr. Zhang and went back to his

hometown.

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张高其义。

Mr. Yu became a Jin Shi, and was qualified to be a high-ranking

official, which was the wish of scholars in those days. Yet Mr. Yu
was willing to give up such a golden opportunity and go home,
and Prime Minister Mr. Zhang was deeply impressed by his
righteousness.

厚赠而还。

To thank Mr. Yu for teaching his children, Prime Minister Mr. Zhang
showered him with valuable gifts and sent him home.

公居乡。为善益力。

Mr. Yu experienced such wonderful karmic effects after turning

over a new leaf for 3 years. It can be imagined that he must
have worked even harder in doing good deeds, though it is not
recorded. He must have continued reporting to the Kitchen God
monthly. He would probably stick to this routine for the rest of
his life. And that is the way to practice the dharma—cultivating a
good mind and eradicating all evil thoughts.

其子娶妞。连生七子。皆育。

Mr. Yu was very unlucky, in that he sired so many children but one
son and one daughter survived. He started to turn over a new leaf

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at the age of 47, and had an extra-sensory perception at the age
of 50. There are a lot of young practitioners in our group, if you
are willing to turn over a new leaf, you will enjoy a bright future!
You can have an extra-sensory experience much greater than that
of Mr. Yu Jing Yi and Mr. Yuan Liao Fan! If you work hard, I am sure
you will get what you wish for 3 years later. So get started. Even
Mr. Yu Jing Yi’s fate had turned for the better after doing as many
good deeds as he possibly could.

悉嗣书香焉。

All the 7 grandsons of Mr. Yu Jing Yi were good at their studies and
achieved scholastic accomplishment.

公手书遇灶神。并实行改过事以训子孙。

Mr. Yu’s encounter with the Kitchen God is true. He turned

over a new leaf after the Kitchen God revealed his bad deeds,
and experienced exceptionally good karmic effects when he
was old. I have mentioned earlier that blessings at old age are
‘true blessings’. Youngsters enjoying a good life is not a form of
blessing. Getting rich when young tends to breed delusion and
the inclination to do bad deeds. Hence we must do more good
deeds when we are young, just like what Mr. Yu Jing Yi did, and
accumulate blessings at old age. That is the way to appreciate
blessings. Mr. Yu wrote down his encounter with the Kitchen God
to teach his descendants.

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身享康寿。八十八岁。

Mr. Yu’s life was also extended to the ripe old age of 88. He had
earned his longevity, which was definitely not predestined. After
all, the kitchen god had told him clearly earlier on—‘You should
be running instead of asking for blessings!’ So we know that he
did not deserve any blessings then. Longevity is one of the 5
major blessings. We know that all his blessings were earned at the
age of 47, when he turned over a new leaf. He serves as the best
example for all dharma practitioners!

人皆以为实行善事。回天之报云。

Mr. Yu’s hometown folks all saw his good karmic effects, and
everybody said that he had earned it by doing good deeds, thereby
changing his fate. He showed a living example to advice the general
public, and by doing that, he had earned a lot of merits.

同里后学罗祯记。

This book was recorded by Luo Zhen, a junior of Mr. Yu from the
same hometown. Everything within what the Kitchen God said,
what Mr. Yu Jing Yi said was true.

Liao Fan and Mr. Yu Jing Yi serve as 2 good examples for both new
and long-time dharma practitioners. Learn from these 2 navigators,
and you can change your fate and achieve true enlightenment.

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The Venerable Mr. Yun Gu is a role example for monks. As the
saying goes, ‘monks must follow accomplished monks, and home
practitioners, accomplished dharma practitioners.’ Both Mr. Yuan
Liao Fan and Mr. Yu Jing Yi are accomplished dharma practitioners,
so it is a good idea to follow them. Just like all Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas, who follow the Buddha and act as His best students.

The ‘Heart & Fate’ Poem

When both the heart and the fate is good, fame and fortune will
follow for life. When the fate is good but not the heart, blessings
will turn into misfortune.

When the heart is good but not the fate, misfortune will turn
to blessings. When both the heart and the fate is bad, poverty,
misfortune and a short life will follow.

The heart that shows benevolence can save the fate. The fate is
a reflection of the heart, so choose fortune or misfortune at your
own free will.

Believing in fate but not cultivating a good heart will disrupt the yin
and the yang. Cultivating a good heart can summon protection from
heaven and earth.

The Venerable Yin Guang’s Annotation

This is a good verse on heart and fate. If you can follow its way,
you can control your own destiny and blessings, instead of
leaving it to gods, heaven and earth.

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 Kitchen God

Cook with virtues and ascend to heavens with altruism

Namo Bhaisajyaguru Buddha
Namo Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva of Great Compassion
Namo Di Zang Bodhisattva of Jiuhua Mountain
I will only become a Buddha when Hell is empty and
all sentient beings are saved.
Namo Di Zang Wang Bodhisattva