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As Above So Below
Chinese legend about the reincarnation of a scientist and his wives
During the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, there existed a remarkable scholar named Shao Shimei, who had achieved great success by ranking among the top three in the imperial examinations. Throughout his life, an intriguing name, “Gao Xiaohuai,” had continuously echoed in his mind. Despite not knowing the identity or connection of this person, the name had become deeply etched in his memory, impossible to forget or erase.One fateful day, while embarking on a business trip, Shao Shimei happened upon a small village named Gaojiazhuang. To his astonishment, the surroundings felt inexplicably familiar, as if he had just departed from there the day before. This uncanny sensation triggered the recollection of the enigmatic name that had lingered in his thoughts since childhood: Gao Xiaohuai. Driven by curiosity, he approached a villager and inquired about the existence of a person named Gao Xiaohuai in the village.
The villager responded affirmatively, stating that indeed such a person had resided there, but passed away many years ago. Intriguingly, Shao Shimei further inquired about the date of Gao Xiaohuai’s demise and discovered that it coincided with his own birthday.
In an instant, Shao Shimei experienced a revelation, a profound realization that he had been Gao Xiaohuai in his past existence. Like a floodgate being unbarred, memories of his previous life surged forth. He recollected his tenure as the village head, a role he had upheld for numerous years. His tenure had been marked by unwavering care for the villagers, coupled with a commitment to honesty and integrity. His reputation as an exceptional and principled village official was well-earned.
During a period of ailment, a hazy episode had unfolded. Amidst his foggy state, he witnessed two figures clad in blue uniforms, resembling officers, approaching him. Guiding him to shut his eyes, they gently lifted him, one on each side, soaring away together. The wind’s melody echoed in his ears as they journeyed. Eventually, the blue-clad men urged him to unveil his eyes, revealing an unfamiliar, diminutive chamber adorned with bustling maidservants.
Shao Shimei was reincarnated as a baby
It turned out that he had been reincarnated as a baby. His life as Shao Shimei had begun. Because he had been kind to the people and done a lot of good deeds in his previous life, he lived a prosperous life in this new incarnation. He was born into a wealthy family, received a good education from an early age, married when he was the right age, and had a happy family. Unfortunately, his wife died early. Before she passed away, she held his hand and said that they would be husband and wife in her next life as well.
In the next life, she would be reincarnated into the Dong family in Guantao County, living by the riverbank, in the third house. His wife predicted that Shao Shimei would become an official in the future, but he would be removed from office and live alone in Xiao Temple to study Buddhism. “When that happens, come find me,” his wife said before closing her eyes.
After his wife passed away, Shao Shimei did indeed become an official and served as the magistrate of Wujiang County. However, before he could be dismissed from his post, he resigned due to illness. After returning to his hometown, he visited friends in Guantao County and stayed in a nearby temple called Xiao Temple.
That day, he was looking through the scripture collection in the temple, when suddenly the words of his wife came to his mind. Could it be that his wife had been reincarnated nearby? Shao Shimei quickly went out and walked along the riverbank until he found Dong, the girl who had been his wife now reincarnated, living in the third house by the river. He later happily remarried her again.
Unfortunately, a dozen years later, Shimei’s wife Dong fell seriously ill. When she was on the brink of death, she said that in her next life she would be reincarnated into the Wang family in Xiangyang, living by the river with two willow trees in front of the door, and she instructed Shao Shimei to come find her again. Shao found his reincarnated wife, Wang Shi, in Xiangyang and married her. The couple lived a happy life together and even had two children.
The story of Shao Shimei’s three marriages was widely circulated during the Qing Dynasty. People exclaimed that their destiny had been set in stone before they had come into the world. This story was translated from Chinese EpochTimes.
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