醒世姻緣

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

26161

Title

醒世姻緣

Language

zh

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A supernatural tale of karmic retribution where a wealthy merchant's past sins manifest as terrifying nightmares and physical ailments, only to be resolved through Buddhist repentance, the recitation of sutras, and the intervention of a divine judge who reveals his family's tragic history.

Summary up to 500 words

In this tale from *The Dream of the Red Chamber* (or a similar classical Chinese collection), the protagonist Fu Xiyan suffers a grave illness and faces imminent death due to past karmic debts. A monk, Wu Wuxia, intervenes, revealing that Fu's current suffering is retribution for his previous life as a cruel official who harmed others. To resolve this karma, Fu must chant the *Diamond Sutra* one million times under strict supervision. As he chants, his physical condition deteriorates rapidly; he loses appetite, wastes away, and suffers from terrifying nightmares and hallucinations of demons accusing him of past sins. These visions include a king-like deity judging his soul and various spirits demanding repayment for lives taken or harmed in his former existence. Despite the torment, Fu persists with the monk's guidance. After months of relentless chanting, his health begins to recover, his fears vanish, and he gains spiritual clarity. The narrative reveals that his past life's debts were indeed settled through this penance; those who appeared as demons or accusers in his dreams were actually spirits seeking justice for wrongs Fu committed previously. Once the million chants are complete, Fu is freed from his karmic burden. He returns home to find his family has suffered greatly due to his absence and illness. The story concludes with a moral lesson: kindness and repentance can transform destiny, but one must not harm others, even in dreams or out of ignorance. It emphasizes the power of Buddhist practice to cleanse karma and restore harmony between past actions and present consequences.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Classics
• Fiction