The Story of the "Host of the Two Ladles House"

When I was very young, my mother told us that we must be good people, have compassionate hearts, and always think of others first. She always used to tell us a true story that happened in my great grandma's home village, in which a kind-hearted person was rewarded for his goodness.

There was a wealthy family with the last name of Yang. Grandpa Yang was a generous person to begin with, but Mr. Yang was even more generous than his grandpa. Whenever there were Buddhist monks or Taoists who came begging for food, he would provide big bowls of food for them. If any poor people asked him for help, he always said yes with a smile. If people came back to return his favour, he always refused. But because he had saved them in urgent times, people always wanted to repay him; how could people not pay him back?

Mr. Yang thought, "When people come to ask for help, it indicates that they are in difficulty. If I took their repayment in the same amount that I gave them, it would still be hard for them to get by." He thought of an idea. He made two gourd ladles, one twice big as the other. He used the big ladle to lend grain out, and he used the small ladle to measure the returns. At the beginning, no one noticed, but after a long time, people all found out about his thoughtfulness, and named him respectfully, "Liang Piao Jia" (the "Host of the Two Ladles House"). He soon became famous with this name.

One summer at wheat harvest time, when he was 80 years old, Liang Piao Jia walked to his wheat field to take a look. Suddenly, thunderstorms with lightning flashes approached, but Liang Piao Jia was very calm. He lay down on the ground and everything in his life was clearly displayed in front of his eyes. At this time, a thunder-like voice came to his ears, "Gods of thunder, lightning, and water, Listen! Liang Piao Jia is in his wheat field. Pass over his field; do not let a single drop fall on him!" Right after he heard this voice, he heard the storm fall all around him on the ground. After a long time, the rain stopped. Liang Piao Jia rose up from the ground and saw that his wheat field was dry, without a single drop of water, while others' fields were inundated with muddy rain and bent wheat. His relatives all came looking for him, and he told them the story excitedly...

I would like to tell everyone through this personal account of Liang Piao Jia that good is rewarded with good -- this is an absolute truth. Gods are watching every good or bad deed performed by people in the human world.

Source: http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2002/5/28/22525.html