A Grudge Carried Across Lifetimes And The Electric Cord

That afternoon, the air in Mr. Liem's small house seemed to grow thick with heart-wrenching screams. This crying did not come from an ordinary child whining for toys, but were sounds of extreme agony coming from the tender body of a little boy. In the corner of the room, Mr. Liem — a man in his early thirties with a weathered appearance — held a bare electric cord in his hand, his eyes bloodshot, his teeth clenched so tightly that the muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably.

He had seven children. The first six he loved and cared for tenderly; they laughed and spoke with innocence and always came to their father whenever they faced difficulties. But the seventh child, the youngest, was a tragic exception. Whenever the boy made a mistake, even the smallest childish error, Mr. Liem did not offer gentle guidance. Instead, he would grab the electric cord or any hard object and strike the boy. Bruises piled upon bruises, his tender skin raw and bleeding, and the neighbors who saw it all felt deep pity but dared not intervene, fearing the father's blind rage.

One day, after a beating had ended, Mr. Liem slumped into a chair, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat. A strange visitor — who was none other than Master Thich Chan Quang, then still a young monk — stood at the door, his calm eyes observing the entire scene. Mr. Liem looked up, his voice hoarse, full of helplessness and self-doubt:

"Master, why? I love the other six dearly; they are obedient and easy to teach. But this one... The moment I see his face, I cannot control my anger. Whatever he does is wrong, whatever he does makes me want to hit him. I have tried everything — enduring, trying to love him — but the moment I deal with him, I lose control. Why is he the only one who suffers this?"

The visitor stepped inside and sat down across from Mr. Liem. Silence filled the space, broken only by the wind blowing through the window slats. The visitor explained slowly, his voice clear yet steeped in a deep understanding of the laws of the universe:

"Mr. Liem, this is not because you lack the methods of education, nor is it truly because of your temperament. This is a grudge carried across lifetimes. In the past, perhaps in some lifetime, the circumstances were reversed. Perhaps in a previous life, this very child was your father, and he tormented you with great cruelty. Or perhaps it was the opposite — you were once the cruel one, and that karma has now returned to collect its debt."

Mr. Liem was stunned, his trembling hand releasing the electric cord. The image of his son curled up in the corner of the room suddenly appeared in his mind no longer as a pitiful creature to be punished, but as a creditor of karmic debt from a past life. The anger in his heart began to transform into a vague fear mixed with remorse.

"Then... what should I do?" asked Mr. Liem, his voice breaking.

The visitor replied:

"If you continue to use violence, you will create more bad karma. The retribution will repeat itself: in your next life, you will be born into another family, where cruel and harsh parents treat you exactly the way you are treating your child now. That is the law of cause and effect (karmic law), perfectly just. But if you recognize this, you can change. See your child's suffering as part of an old karmic debt to be repaid. Instead of beating him, use love and patience to dissolve the enmity. When you forgive and love, the cycle of violence will come to an end."

From that day on, Mr. Liem began to change. Whenever anger flared up, he remembered the explanation about the grudge from a past life. He would breathe deeply, look into his son's frightened eyes, and struggle to hold back the urge to strike. Though the process was immensely difficult, though many nights he still tossed and turned fighting old habits, gradually the beatings lessened. The child began to feel rare moments of tenderness from his father, and the atmosphere in the house grew lighter.

The Meaning of the Story

This story illustrates the law of cause and effect (karmic law) and karma that spans across lifetimes. Sometimes, the fierce conflicts, even violence, within a family do not arise from present circumstances but are manifestations of unresolved hatred from the past. Practitioners and those with right view need to recognize that responding with violence only creates more bad karma and prolongs the cycle of suffering. On the contrary, awareness, tolerance, and the deliberate effort to dissolve enmity through love are the keys to cutting the chain of karma, bringing true peace to oneself and one's family.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thich Chan Quang.