冥報記 2.17

2.17

Yuan Dabao of Henan was an assistant in the Court of Judicature and Revision during the Zhenguan era. Throughout his life he did not believe in matters of cause and effect. He was close friends with his colleague Zhang Sance and would often say to him: 'Whichever of the two of us dies first shall return to report whether cause and effect truly exist or not.' In the eleventh year, Yuan accompanied the imperial cortege to Luoyang, fell ill, and died. Sance was in the capital and did not yet know of it. One night he dreamed that Yuan came and announced to him: 'I have already died. In life I did not believe that good and evil bring retribution; now I know for certain that it is not false. That is why I have come to inform you. You should strive to cultivate meritorious deeds.' Zhang asked him what it was like, and he replied: 'The causes of netherworld retribution cannot be spoken of, nor can the rest be told; I only report to let you know that it definitely exists.' Zhang awoke and told his colleagues. Two days later, news of the death arrived. When Zhang verified the date, the dream had occurred the day after his death. (Zhang related this to Lin himself.)