The Equation of Cause and Effect and the Fearful Rich Man

In a magnificent mansion amid the bustle of the city, Mr. Ba, one of the wealthiest merchants in the region, sat facing a famous fortune teller. The air in the room was heavy, the scent of incense mingling with the anxiety plainly visible on his tense face. After studying his astrological chart, the fortune teller sighed softly, his eyes sweeping over Mr. Ba with a look of pity mixed with judgment:

"Sir, your destiny is very unusual. At present you enjoy wealth and honor, but your later years will be utterly miserable. According to the law of cause and effect (karmic law) and fate, in the end you will become a beggar, alone and destitute."

Mr. Ba turned pale, his lips trembling, the teacup in his hand nearly falling to the floor. He had always believed absolutely in cause and effect (karmic law), for it was precisely because of his generosity and making offerings in a past life that he was wealthy in this one. But that prophecy cut through his faith like a blade. Fear took hold of his mind, clouding his reason. He refused to accept such an ending. A reckless idea formed in his head: "If fate says I will be poor, then I will accumulate as much as I can, seize everything as fast as I can, so that even if I lose it all, I will still have enough left to survive."

From that moment, Mr. Ba changed completely. Instead of upholding business ethics, he began crushing his competitors by every means, exploiting his workers, and even deceiving his customers. Every coin he earned he hid away carefully, not daring to spend it, not daring to help anyone. He believed he was "fighting fate," building a fortress of wealth to defend himself against a dark future.

Many years passed. His fortune grew at a staggering pace, but his heart withered. Friends kept their distance, his children resented him, his marriage fell into discord. One stormy night of wind and rain, Mr. Ba suddenly fell gravely ill. His assets were frozen by lawsuits arising from his earlier illegal schemes. Waking in the hospital, he realized he had lost nearly everything he owned. But what was more terrifying was the loneliness. Not a single person was there to care for him.

Mr. Ba dragged himself out of the hospital with empty pockets and clothes in tatters. He wandered the streets, hungry, thirsty, and full of regret. Only then did a painful truth dawn on him: it was precisely his fear of the karmic fruit of "becoming a beggar" that had led him to sow countless evil seeds of greed and cruelty. His attempt to "fight fate" through ill-gotten hoarding had in fact hastened his own collapse. Had he remained calm, continued doing good, and held fast to his ethics, his later years might have been different. But lacking wisdom, he had misunderstood cause and effect (karmic law), turning what was right at first, believing in it, into a disastrous mistake: selfishness and self-protection at any cost.

Amid the rushing crowds, the small, huddled figure of Mr. Ba became a living testament to the folly of using worldly tricks to contend with the law of the universe.

The Meaning of the Story

This story warns against misunderstanding and misapplying the law of cause and effect (karmic law). Believing in cause and effect (karmic law) is the first step toward right view, but without wisdom, we easily fall into the trap of fear and selfishness. Trying to "fight fate" by hoarding wealth unjustly, abandoning ethics and our responsibility to the community, actually sows further evil seeds, causing the karmic fruit to arrive faster and more heavily. Those who practice need to understand that cause and effect (karmic law) is complex, requiring wakefulness, doing good and avoiding evil, and living responsibly, rather than using schemes to escape consequences.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang.