The Reckoning of Karmic Retribution

(Minghui.org) When I studied philosophy in the past, I learned that everything in the human world abided by the rule of cause and effect, either directly or indirectly. However, having been brainwashed by modern science, I did not really believe in karmic retribution like the generations before me had.

But whether one believes in karmic retribution or not does not alter the principles that exist.

I later encountered several events and personally experienced the saying of "what goes around, comes around,” was true, and I began to respect and honor this universal law, which dictates karmic retribution. Now, I always remind myself to be kind and do good things, so as not to accumulate bad causes and effects.

A few years ago, I divorced my husband out of my own selfishness. At that time I was grumpy, self centered, inconsiderate, and bossy. My ex-husband had a very demanding job that required that he work overtime and take business trips. Sometimes he did not even have time to eat and sleep. Yet I did not consider his busy schedule, and instead argued with him because he did not have time to pay attention to me. When he came home late and tired after working a long day, I would be upset with him for not spending time with me.

I felt that we were supposed to spend time together, but since he was so busy and I felt resentful, it turned into a constant fight. In the end, we were both mentally and physically exhausted. I had more free time than my husband so I could rest after our fights. But he was so busy at work that even if he did not rest the night before, he had to go to work early in the morning.

I now know that I was unfair to him. I was self-centered and unaware of the harm I was doing to him and our marriage. Believing that I was the victim, I did not realize that he needed consideration and care too. Eventually, he could not bear the pain of our marriage. He turned silent and avoided coming home, which I could not tolerate. We both felt pained by our relationship and decided to end our marriage. After the divorce, I felt vexed and hated my ex-husband.

But even in such a miserable state, I was given the opportunity to practice Falun Dafa. The principles of Falun Dafa, Truth-Compassion-Forbearance, resolved all my resentment toward my ex-husband and I came to understand the true purpose of being a human. Looking back at my behavior toward him, I realized that I had behaved very selfishly. The teachings in Falun Dafa helped me consider things from his perspective. I learned to think of others, and over time I became more thoughtful, gentle, and forgiving.

I find that even though I understand that what I did in the past was wrong, I am still repaying the resulting karmic debt. Yet with Truth-Compassion-Forbearance in my heart, I now have a very good second marriage.

Though my current husband loves me very much, he had a bad temper. Just like my personality before I practiced Falun Dafa, he tended to be irritable and self-centered. He would yell and curse at me for small things that weren't to his liking. I got very mad several times, as well, and almost wanted to divorce him. Then I thought of Teacher's words: "One should not fight back when being punched or insulted."

I am a practitioner. Tolerance for practitioners is not to endure in tears but simply not to be moved by anger. I knew that I should not be angry at him, but I could not understand why he hurt me. Then one day, a sentence in Zhuan Falun solved my doubts:

"Man can easily commit wrongdoing in delusion, and Buddhism calls this karmic retribution. Therefore, when some people have some tribulations or misfortune, they are repaying their karma in accordance with the retribution of their karma." (Zhuan Falun)

I suddenly understood that what my current husband did to me was the same thing I had done to my former husband. He did not consider and care for me and thought of himself as the victim. His verbal abuse and mean behavior was very similar to how I behaved toward my ex-husband. It seemed to be a case of karmic retribution in this lifetime: Once, my selfishness hurt others, and now I was suffering the same treatment.

This experience was teaching me a lesson: As a practitioner, I should be tolerant, considerate, and understanding of other people’s difficulties. I should not impose on others.

So I applied the principles of Falun Dafa in my new marriage and did not behave like I did with my ex-husband. Evil for evil will only cause more suffering, thus resulting in new karma. Realizing this, I chose to endure the hardship with no regrets and forgive my husband. By remaining tolerant and reasonable, he reviewed his shortcoming and we were able to reconcile and save our marriage.

The ancients said, “Do not disregard small good deeds or commit small bad deeds.” I personally experienced karmic retribution in two marriages, so I wanted to share my experiences and provide an example of the rule of cause and effect. There is no such thing as coincidence. Therefore, in order to protect ourselves from misfortune, we should have a kind heart and do good deeds.

Some people do not believe in retribution and commit wrong deeds recklessly. Countless pairs of eyes from higher beings have recorded their crimes, and they will need to repay the debt one day. So, I conclude with the old saying, “Sin from nature may be forgiven, but crime from self may cause misfortune and hardship in one's life.”