Destiny can be changed, do not let it control you!

Almost 500 years ago in China, a father sat down to write to his son. He wanted his son to know what had transpired in his life. Many years before, when he was very young, he went to a temple and met a very distinguished person. He naturally paid his respects to this man who in turn asked him: "You are supposed to pass the imperial examination next year, why are you not studying?"

Mr Liao Fan, then asked the man for his name, where he was from and how he was able to know what Mr Liao Fan was supposed to do. The man introduced himself as Mr Kong and he told Liao Fan that he knew how to predict what was going to happen and that he was supposed to teach this art to him.

Liao Fan went home and told his mother everything what happened earlier. His mother then told him to invite Mr Kong to their house to test him to be certain that what Mr Kong is telling is the truth.

They then invited Mr Kong to their home and then asked him to predict for the immediate future and everything that Mr Kong predicted turn out exactly as he said it would and so Liao Fan asked Mr Kong to predict his entire lifetime.

And after making a few calculations, Mr Kong then inform Liao Fan that he will pass such and such an examination on a such and such a day and also attain a certain position, he will not have a son and finally he will die at the age of 53 on the 14th day of the eight lunar month between 1 to 3 o'clock in the morning.

Many years later Mr Liao Fan was up for promotion, Mr Kong then predicted that he will not be given a promotion until he receive what would be equivalent in today's measurement system, to about 9150 liters of rice, but when Liao Fan only received about 700 liters of rice, his name was placed for a promotion and although everything has turned out as Mr Kong's prediction, Liao Fan began to doubt some of Kong's predictions. But then, due to a change of personnel, the promotion was turned down and it took few more years until Liao Fan was promoted. From then on, he finally understood everything is destined and he stopped worrying about many things.

A few years later, Liao Fan when to a mountain to meditate with a Zen master. Both of them sat there for 3 days and 3 nights without sleep, food or water. After meditating, the master then said to Liao Fan that he was surprise to see such a young man to have accomplished this level of meditation and asked how did he managed to do it.

Liao Fan then honestly explained to the master that he already knew everything that was destined and so there was nothing for him to worry of anymore. The Zen master then began to laugh and said that he thought Liao Fan was someone extraordinary but actually he is only an ordinary person after all.

The master then asked Liao Fan if he had done anything to change his destiny and Liao Fan replied that he was not aware that destiny could be changed. The master then explained to him that destiny could not bind those who cultivate great kindness or those who are thinking only of others and who have given up thoughts of selfishness.

Next, the master then informed Liao Fan that he needed to correct his faults and to seek from within, then also told him that all fiends of merit are within one's own heart. If one seeks from the true mind within, one can be in touch with all that one wishes for.

The master, Venerable Yun Gu then asked Liao Fan to tell him exactly what has been predicted on him and Liao Fan told the master everything that Mr Kong had predicted before that, which include that he will not have any son or receive an imperial appointment.

Venerable Yun Gu then asked Liao Fan why did he feel that he does not deserve a son nor an imperial appointment and he replied that he was very quick-tempered, very impatient, unkind and he was overly critical of others. Asides, he said he was also harsh in his speech, hurt others in his words and carelessly hurt others and he does not care about others at all.

Venerable Yun Gu then explained to Liao Fan that such faults were the cause of why he was not getting what he wanted all this while and why his life was so difficult. The master then taught Liao Fan about the cause and effect (karma) which is the basic underlying principle to changing our destiny.

The master also taught Liao Fan that he needed to regret all his faults and begin changing his thoughts and behavior. Breaking away from our lifetime bad habits are not easy, it will take some time before we complete the change. The most important thing is we should begin now.

Liao Fan did as what the master has taught him to do and follow diligently all the teachings and advice of the master. Asides, Venerable Yun Gu also taught Liao Fan on paying homage to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. Liao Fan also wrote down on a paper his wish to pass the imperial examinations and his pledge to perform 3000 virtuous deeds.

Passing the examination was not part of his destiny, the master taught him in addition to practicing kindness and good deeds, he also need to chant a mantra which is the most suitable method for him to practice. He also has to seek purity of mind and stop having wandering wishful thoughts in process.

Liao Fan followed exactly what Venerable Yun Gu had taught him and the following year he took his imperial examination and upon release of the results, his placement was better than had been destined. He had already started to change his destiny. He was able to see the results so fast as he was practicing so diligently based on the teachings of the master. He watched his every single faults and kept track on all his merits but it still took him 10 years to complete his vow of 3000 good deeds.

As he did all his good deeds, he always dedicated his merits to others and one day he made his second wish to have a son and again pledged to complete another 3000 meritorious deeds. He was destined not to have a son. After a few years his wife gave birth to a son.

With this, Liao Fan work even harder to accomplish as many meritorious deeds as possible in order to enable him to further improve his destiny. His wife also helped and joined in to perform more good deeds.

As the result of he and his wife's continuous good deeds, Liao Fan made it to the higher level of the imperial examination and he was soon appointed to a position of high authority and he again vowed to complete another 10,000 more meritorious deeds.

However, his wife was worried that since her husband has been promoted to a higher position and is now residing in a government residence it would be impossible for them to complete the 10,000 meritorious deeds as they would not be able to see as many people as before.

And this made Liao Fan worried as well. One night when he was asleep, he had a dream in which a heavenly being came to him assuring him that his 10,000 deeds has been accomplished. Liao Fan woke up in the next morning wondered how could he had accomplished that number of deeds and couldn't understand it.

Shortly after that when another Zen master was passing through the city, Liao Fan invited him to his official residence and posed this question and the dream to the master who then explained that if one does a good deed with a true sincere heart without any expectation of rewards, then by just one deed can be worth of 10,000 deeds.

Then the master again asked Liao Fan if he has done anything recently which regards to the people. He then replied to the master that he had recently approve the reduction of taxes on the people. The visiting master then explained that by reducing the taxes had indeed enabled him to accomplish his 10,000 meritorious deeds in a matter of time.

That means, we will be able to attain everything when we are sincerely trying to help others and this is what had Venerable Yun Gu has been trying to explain to Liao Fan previously.

Therefore, as explained above in this story, we should not abide by our destiny because our destiny can be changed provided that we regret our faults and made all necessary reforms possible as well as to perform as many meritorious deeds as possible in order to improve our destiny. Besides, we must also practice diligently in the Buddha and mantra recitation everyday in order to help purify one's mind.

The key to this practice is regularity and any disruption of this practice will eventually reduce its effectiveness. Without interruption, we will soon feel an increase in our purity and wisdom.

Diligent practice, together with unwavering belief and vows can assure fulfillment of our wish to reach the Western Pure Land of Infinite Life and Infinite Light. We hope everyone of us will practice accordingly.

Homage to Amitabha Buddha.