(Minghui.org) I had a discussion with a woman a few days ago, about the heavenly principle of “Good is rewarded with good and evil is met with evil.” She said excitedly, “I really like what you're saying. Heaven knows everything! Let me tell you what happened to my family - it's really strange. My grandson was diagnosed with a heart condition before he was even one month old. The provincial hospitals couldn't do anything to help, so we had to take him to Beijing for treatment, which cost us over 100,000 yuan ($16,350 USD). I was really upset - not over the money, but because I couldn't understand why such things were happening to us. My husband and I were always kind and did good deeds all of our lives. I then asked my son, the child's father, if he'd done anything bad that could have brought us such bad karma. He hesitated at first, but then told us what he'd done.”

She told me that her son failed to pass the university entrance exams after graduating from high school and was not keen to find a job, “He didn't want to do any odd jobs since he hated hard work, so he was unemployed. His father didn't like this, and often nagged him. One day, he left home full of resentment, but then returned with a lot of money. We asked him where he got the money, but he replied, 'Leave me alone, I have my own way of doing things.' He explained that one of his classmates didn't have a job, so he began stealing money and asked my son to hold it for him. He also gave my son some of the stolen money as his share. My son was very happy to do this, since it was an easy way to make money. However, his classmate then died in a car accident. My son got really scared, came back home, and got married.” He kept all of this secret until his mother asked him if he'd done anything bad.

When the woman learned what her son had done, she got very upset and scolded him. Her son said, “Mom, don't be angry; I understand now. I know that my classmate received due punishment when he died. I also know that my own son's heart condition is karma from the bad things I've done. I'll never do these bad things again. I'll support the family by my own hands and effort, and I'll be devoted and respectful to you and dad.”

In China, people often remind those who have taken money from others through illegitimate means, “By taking their money, you'll bear their misfortunes as well.” They also comfort the victims: “Don't take it to heart; by losing money you'll avoid calamity.” They are stating heavenly principles passed on to us by our ancestors. Wealth is connected with both disasters and blessings. For example, if one returns money he found to the owner, people say that this person possesses good character and honesty, and will be rewarded with blessings.

The sad thing is that in a society now imbued with atheism imposed on them by the communist regime, people do not take heavenly principles seriously, nor do they understand the immense, profound nature of these principles. As a result, more and more people stop at nothing to seek illegitimate gains, while fewer refuse to keep the money that they may have found. People have become victims of their own bad deeds. Misled by atheism in today's China, money seems to be the only pursuit; corruption is rampant, and the higher one's position, the more money embezzled. Even people without governmental positions bribe and collude for personal advantage; the absence of morals promotes stealing, fraud and robbery. The general population loves money and believes that it can bring happiness, while they fail to understand the connection between wealth and disasters.

Heavenly principles truly balance loss and gain at all times: Good is rewarded with good, and evil is met with evil. Taking money illegally from others is returned with corresponding misfortunes; if you return found money to the rightful owner, you'll also receive good rewards in due course. Anyone minding their conscience is aware of such exchanges in daily life.

There's a story from the Qing Dynasty. Zhang, an agent in northern China, went to collect debts in the south; however, he lost all the silver (the form of money used in those days) he had recovered. He was extremely upset. Then an old man who'd found his money came over to him, and brought him to his house. He was so grateful to this man for being so considerate and honest, that he wanted to give him half of his own money in appreciation. The old man refused and said, “If I were after money, I wouldn't have brought you to my house. Take your silver and go home now.” Zhang thanked the old man and left. When he got to the riverside, a fierce gale suddenly sprang up, capsizing a boat filled with passengers. Zhang immediately gave the other boat owners the silver he'd recovered and urged them to rescue those who had fallen into the river. Over a dozen people were rescued, and among the survivors was the son of the old man who had returned the money to Zhang.

The ancients used to say, “In prosperity or woe, people invite their own; like shadows, they follow you wherever you go.” Throughout history, those who persecuted good and kindhearted people have come to miserable ends. In the past decades, the Communist Party has turned the good nature of the Chinese people into the “Party nature” by way of deception, hatred, violence and coercive brainwashing and thought reform. As a result, many kind and honest Chinese people have been turned into people who can no longer distinguish good from evil or right from wrong, and do whatever the regime wants them to do.

These last 14 years, Communist Party officials at various levels have actively participated in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners for personal gain. Since the beginning of the persecution, a large number - including those working in the legal system, the public security departments and the 610 Office - have suffered and died from a multitude of illnesses and disasters. Chen Yuanchao, a court chief who was the first to illegally place practitioners on trial in China, died from painful lung cancer on September 2, 2003. Ren Changxia, chief of Dengfeng Police Department in Henan Province, died in a car accident not long after she ruthlessly persecuted four practitioners. Although five people were riding in the same car, she was the only one who died, even though she was sitting in the safest seat in the vehicle.

During the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, many people who were unable to distinguish good from evil have followed the Communist Party out of self-interest. We hope that everyone still engaging in the persecution will take their lives, and the safety of their families, as seriously as possible.