Session 29: Rebirth, Righteousness, and the Power of Good Deeds

In this session, we witness the extraordinary story of Liu Quan’s wife, who returns to life by inhabiting the borrowed body of Emperor Taizong’s royal sister. We also reflect on the integrity of Xiang Liang and his wife, who humbly reject the gold and silver returned by Emperor Taizong. Inspired by these acts of virtue, the Emperor deepens his support for the teachings of the Buddha throughout his empire.

Session Focus:

We will explore the deeper meanings and causality of doing good deeds—through the intertwined stories of Liu Quan and his wife, Xiang Liang and his wife, and the debate between two ministers on the existence of the Buddha.

Key Questions for contemplation:

Life and death are pre−ordained;

Some have many years, others few.

When Liu Quan came back to the light after taking the pumpkins,

Li Cuilian returned to life in a borrowed body.

Q1: Why was Liu Quan’s wife able to return to life through a borrowed body, when life and death are said to be predestined?

Have you encountered or heard of similar cases in modern times?

The story turns to Lord Yuchi, who went to Kaifeng in Henan with a hoard of gold and silver for Xiang Liang, who made a living by selling water and dealing in black pots and earthenware vessels with his wife, whose maiden name was Zhang, at the gate of their house. When they made some money they were content to keep enough for their daily expenses, giving the rest as alms to monks or using it to buy paper ingots of gold and silver, which they assigned to various hoards in the underworld and burnt. That was why they were now to be so well rewarded. Although he was only a pious pauper in this world, he owned mountains of jade and gold in the other one.

Q2: Why was he so richly rewarded in the immaterial realm?

Why is giving alms to monks specifically highlighted, and what does this imply about cause and effect?

Xiang Liang and his wife just went on bowing to Heaven and refused to take the gold and silver. "If humble folk like ourselves took all this gold and silver it'd soon be the death of us. Although we have burned some paper and assigned it to various stores, it was a secret. Anyhow, what proof is there that His Majesty−−may he live for ten thousand years−−borrowed gold and silver down there? We refuse to accept it."

Q3: Why did Xiang Liang and his wife persist in bowing to Heaven and refuse the Emperor’s generous repayment of gold and silver?

What do you learn from their response about their character and their understanding of merit and virtue?

Q4: How do you interpret the debate between Ministers Fu Yi and Xiao Yu on the existence of the Buddha?

Do you think such philosophical debates still carry meaning in today’s world?

From then on there was a new law: anyone who injured a monk or slandered the Buddha would lose his arm..

Q5: What do you make of this law?

How do you understand its purpose and symbolism?

Q6: Emperor Taizong presided over one of the most prosperous periods in Chinese history.

What qualities or decisions do you think contributed to this prosperity?

How do these stories reflect the values that shaped his reign?