A Blessing Is No Coincidence

MASTER JINBODHI TELLS A STORY

Translation by Qing Yuan

Illustration by Li Guo Jing

A hillside resort collapsed as the earthquake shook the ground violently. Many people were buried in the rubble and shrill cries for help rang out. Devastation was all around.

An infant was left orphaned. Chun Lan, a cleaning lady who worked at the resort, heard his cries. She saved him, feeding and sheltering him as best she could under the circumstances.

Days later when the damaged roads were once again passable, the infant’s frantic grandparents came in search of him. Weeping, they thanked Chun Lan over and over. Chun Lan was sobbing too. She had lived for days without knowing the fate of her own family.

When Chun Lan finally reached home, she was overjoyed to find her husband, baby girl and parents-in-law safe. They were just as overjoyed to see her. Their house had survived the earthquake. They all sobbed with relief, hugging one another.

One day the old couple visited Chun Lan. They told her, “Our grandson could not have survived without you feeding and caring for him during the disaster. We would like to sponsor your child’s education as an expression of our deep gratitude for your kindness.”

At first Chun Lan declined the offer, saying that it was far too generous. But after much persuasion, she finally accepted it, touched by their sincerity. Chun Lan’s daughter went on to graduate from nursing school and began working at a hospital.

Meanwhile, the old couple’s grandson had grown up too. One day, he was on his way to work when he had an accident that left him in critical condition. A nurse witnessed the accident and jumped into action. Finally the ambulance arrived and transported him to a hospital. The doctor told his family that the nurse’s lifesaving measures had been the key to his survival.

Two days later, while Chun Lan was visiting her daughter at the hospital, she met the grandmother of the infant she had saved. The woman had come to visit her grandson. They were surprised and delighted to see each other. They chatted for a long while. It was only then they realized that the nurse who saved the old lady’s grandson was Chun Lan’s daughter.

Reflection

A blessing is no mere coincidence. Good luck is not a whim from the heavens. Selfless thoughts and acts of compassion are what allow blessings and providence to light up one’s experience of life.