【Description】
Find out how a father’s kindness transformed the fate of his family—a family that had been destined for ruin on account of the man’s own son.
【Content】
The Story of Hui Enying:Changing Fate Through Kindness
During the Tang dynasty, over a thousand years ago, there was a noble family with the surname Hui. Many of Hui Enying’s ancestors were officials. In his generation, the family had very few children. So now, only Hui Enying remained. He was the only child. He was frail and sickly from a young age. His father stayed home to care for him, ensuring he survived. He was not allowed to go far. He was sent to the temple to be fostered. He became a lay disciple at the temple.
He married at 16, and his wife was very beautiful. He loved her very much. But after years together, there was no sign of pregnancy. The whole family grew anxious. They prayed to buddhas and gods. They consulted countless doctors. They visited many temples. Finally, at age 30, they had a son. Strangely, the baby cried nonstop after birth. He cried for days on end. The entire family was deeply worried. They sought help everywhere.
In the end, his father recalled the abbot. He asked the abbot to come and help. The abbot said the child was “special” and “unusual.” After examining the child, the abbot patted the baby’s forehead. “You got what you wished for, so why are you still crying?” The child immediately stopped crying. Hui Enying then asked the abbot how “special” and “unusual” the child really was. The abbot simply smiled and said, “I can’t say, I can’t say.” He explained that the secrets of Heaven cannot be revealed, but he gave no reason.
Hui Enying then asked the abbot to give the child an auspicious dharma name. After much thought, the abbot said, “Hua Wu.” “Hua” means “change, ” and “Wu” means “nothing.” He even explained a bit more: “Turn big problems into small ones, and small problems into nothing.” When Hui Enying heard this, he was confused and didn’t understand. The abbot did not explain further.
This child had been in poor health since infancy. He was often sick and weak. He visited many doctors and took much medicine. When he caught a cold, it lasted half a year. He took medicine daily, at great expense. When he turned five, things changed. Hui Enying recalled that his own health improved after he was sent to the temple. So he decided to do the same for his child; to let him grow up at the temple. Wouldn’t that be more auspicious?
The old abbot refused because he “didn’t like the child.” You see, Hui Enying donated a large sum to the temple every year. Still, the abbot insisted he would not take the child in. “Fate has its own course. Accept it. My decision is fate’s decision. It’s karma. I simply cannot interfere. Only you can help your own child. Understand?” The old abbot spoke many hard truths. He said it was time for them to repay their debts, and the child would collect them through his medicine.
Where did their debts come from? The abbot told them more. Hui Enying’s ancestors were corrupt officials who got rich embezzling money that didn’t belong to them. These are the debts they were paying. In the court, there was a high official named Lu. He was framed by one of Hui Enying’s ancestors, and both Lu and his family were sentenced to death by the emperor. All Lu’s adult femily members were beheaded. Afterward, their descendants were exiled to the countryside to suffer.
The official Lu, who was beheaded, felt deeply wronged after death. In hell, his complaints reached the King of Hell, who promised him justice. Lu vowed revenge, and the King of Hell promised to assist. As a result, Hui Enying’s child was born weak and sickly. The family’s entire fortune would be spent buying medicine for the sick child. Hui Enying felt despondent after hearing the old abbot’s story. He immediately hung his head in despair. He was bedridden for three days. In the end, he realized he must clear his karma.
After all, he had been raised with Buddhist teachings. In this life, he had finally encountered the debt collector, and he could do nothing but repay his debt. He spent days at home contemplating this. His hair turned white, and he aged 10 years. From then on, he changed his approach. Inspired by Buddhist teachings, he understood how karma works, and vowed to repay his debt. He knew nothing lasts forever, especially the riches he inherited, which were acquired immorally. Beyond the ill-gotten wealth, his ancestor had also caused the death of Lu’s entire family. He vowed to do his best to make amends.
His child was destined to cause trouble wherever he went. Once, while playing with fire with the village kids, he accidentally set the neighbors’ houses on fire. There, he ended up burning down the entire row of houses. The villagers were furious and demanded compensation. Hui Enying knew it was a debt he had to pay. Unlike officials who would arrest villagers demanding compensation, Hui Enying not only paid willingly, he paid more than he was required to, willingly. That pleased the villagers.
They said Hui Enying’s future generations would benefit from his thoughtfulness. Everyone believed the Hui family would continue to prosper. Besides that, Hui Enying also built bridges to help villagers cross rivers easily, and donated to the poor whenever they asked for his help.
After several years, his mischievous child suddenly changed. The previously weak and sickly child became healthy, free from sickness and misfortune. He also studied well and grasped lessons easily. After another year or two, he passed the entrance exams and became an official. Thus, their family’s fate changed.
This child was expected not only to spend all his family’s wealth, but also to die young, bringing ruin to the family. That was their karma. But what about Hui Enying? He understood the law of karma. By performing many acts of charity, his family avoided downfall, his child grew healthy, topped the entrance exams, married a good wife, and had several children. The Hui family prospered once again. Do more good deeds and accumulate merit to receive beautiful blessings.