Forced to be Parted ...

This (real) story was shared with me some weeks back. It rings in my ears now and so… I thought of writing it down before going to school.

The context is in Taiwan, and the story time-line stretches from about 30 years back till quite recently.

So… About 30 over years ago…
A married couple got together happily and in a few years time they got two baby boys, their ages only a few years apart.

In the boys’ young nurturing years, it may be noted..
Boy A : Very naughty. Caused many troubles at home and in school. Being caught stealing once. Rather rebellious.
Boy B : Very obedient. Study very hard and always get very good results. A model student.

Boy A had given the couple much headache. The couple had no idea how to handle the situation and was feeling quite lost.

有人说…
不懂就问人咯。
不然，也可以问神嘛。

Indeed, the couple approached a medium for explanation (for their child’s bad behaviours) and directions (to overcome the problem).

In brief, the medium said :
你这两个孩子，一个是来报恩的、一个是来讨债的。

And when enquired deeper, the medium refused to make it clear which is which.

So, the interesting couple went back home to observe.
While Boy A got from worse to worst, Boy B got more and more promising by days.

They were quite certain Boy A was the one that came to their family as their son to 讨债. That worried them quite a bit.
And this dear Boy B must be with them to 报恩. Boy B was their pride.

They made an unthinkable decision (but in those olden days, I was told such decision was quite common). What was it? They decided to give Boy A away. Yes, to give their bone-blood-flesh away to someone as a foster-child.

Oh well, the decision was made and Boy A was really given away to another couple (with no son) and literally disappear from their lives.

From then on, the couple’s lives only got happier, no more complaints received, only loads of praises about Boy B kept pouring in.

Many happy years had past.

Boy B continued to grow and later got himself a place in an university doing medical course. Not unexpectedly, he later graduated with flying colours too.

So.. Who says life isn’t a bed of roses??!! (Although roses have torns hor)

There were big plans for Boy B’s future too.

大家只是感觉到什么是前程似锦。
两位老人家也很安慰、感觉很幸福。

But.. just at such wonderful moment, Boy B was diagnosed with a rare illness. Immediate medical attention was needed. The medical expenses were so costly. But never mind, Boy B had got a dream to live okay! The parents sold one of their properties to cover the medical expenses.

Boy B’s condition did not improve and treatments dragged on. The couple needed to sell away some lands and properties they had to pay for the medical charges. But… As the weeks and months went by… the ultimate : the couple got to sell the house they were staying to cope. Downgrading was the only option then.

When their material wealth was thinned till such extent …
Not to mention that their mental conditions were challenged so extensively…
Not to mention how their pride, their hope seemed to be fading right in front of them…
Not to mention..

Okay, let me come back..
Just when blah blah blah…
Boy B passed away.

The old couple was left behind with nothing-ness.
How would they be able to cope with the sorrows and poverty state at such old age??

Just when things seemed so bleak, Boy A came back to them and acknowledged them. Boy A had no grudges that he was once being given away. Boy A took the responsibility to take care of his biological parents unconditionally.

到底谁是来报恩？
而谁又是来讨债？
是我们肉眼凡胎来判断的吗？

Boy B 耗尽父母的家产，而在父母最无助的时候悄悄的离开。同时也把他们两老的毕生希望砸碎。

Boy A 却在父母最无助的时候悄悄的回来。没有计较、没有丝毫埋怨，只有尽心尽力来照顾父母两老，让他们从拾对人生的希望。

- - - - - -

When any two people come together, as family members, as relatives, as friends, as colleagues, as… erm.. anything in fact, yes… even as enemies… and so on.. , there is a reason why.

Let’s call this 缘.

The fact remains 善缘、孽缘 no one knows ; 报恩、讨债 no one knows for sure too.

So how?

Simple.

若是善缘和报恩的话，我们就当珍惜与感恩。
废话！Who don’t know?! Haha…

若是孽缘和讨债的话，我们亦当甘愿与感恩。
废话！Type wrongly right??!! Not really. Let me try..

孽缘也是我们的前世因果。
如果没有甘愿来承受，反而变本加厉，
那么这段孽缘并没有了断。
也就是说来世一定还会在相遇。

如果我们能甘愿来承受，
慢慢的就会自然了断这孽缘。
若有更高的智慧的话，说不定还可以把孽缘变成善缘。

In short, when things aren’t going the way we want it (especially in any human inter-relationships of all sorts), and if the only things we do are merely complain, curse, lament… and hope that things will suddenly become better. Mm.. Rather unlikely, unless…

若要有转机，明理的人要先开始。