Liao-Fan: What is half goodness and full goodness? In the I Ching, Book of Change it is said.
Narrator: When a person does not accumulate kind deeds, he or she will not attain good fortune. When one does not accumulate evil deeds, he or she will not bring about great adversity.
Liao-Fan: The accumulation of kind and evil deeds greatly determines our future. If we are diligent in doing kind deeds, it is like collecting things in a container, and with diligence, it will soon be full, and we will have our reward of good fortune. If we are eager in the accumulation of evil deeds and gather that with great diligence, then the container of evil will soon be full and disasters will surely befall. If we are somewhat lazy in our collecting, either in kindness or evil, then the container will be left half filled, and neither good fortune nor adversity will come swiftly. This is one explanation of half goodness and full goodness.
Liao-Fan: Once there was a poor lady who went to visit a Buddhist temple, and wished to make a donation. However, she was so poor that she had only two cents, so she gave these to a monk. To her surprise, the temple's abbot himself came forth to help her repent for past offenses and dedicate her merits in front of the Buddha. Later on, the same lady was chosen to enter the imperial palace and became a concubine to the emperor. Clad in her riches, the lady once again went to the temple to donate, this time bringing thousands of silver pieces to give. To her dismay, the abbot only sent his disciple to help her dedicate her merits. The lady did not understand, and so questioned the abbot:
Lady: In the past, I only gave two cents in donation, and the Abbot personally helped me repent-, today I come with great wealth to give, and the Abbot will not help me perform my dedication, why is it so?
Liao-Fan: The abbot answered her saying:
Abbot: Though the money you gave in the past was scant, it came from a true and sincere heart, and it was necessary for me to repay your sincerity by personally performing your dedications. Today, although your donation is manifolds more, the heart of giving is not quite as true and sincere as before. Therefore, it is fitting and enough that my disciple perform your dedications for you.
Liao-Fan: This is the example of how thousands of silver pieces are only considered as half goodness, and two cents as full.
Liao-Fan: Another example is of Li Jung, an immortal of the Han Dynasty. He was teaching his student, Dong-bing Lyu, the art of transforming steel into gold. They would use this gold to help the poor. Dong-bing asked his teacher:
Dong-bing: Will the gold ever change back to steel again?
Liao-Fan: Li Jung answered him saying.
Li Jung: After five hundred years, it will return to its original form.
Liao-Fan: Dong-bing then said:
Mr. Lyn: In this case, I don't want to learn this art, it will harm those who possess the gold five hundred years from now.
Liao-Fan: In actuality, Li Jung was only testing the goodness of his student's heart, and happy with the results, he said.
Li Jung: To become an immortal, one must complete three thousand virtuous deeds. What you have just said came from a truly kind heart. your three thousand deeds are fulfilled!
Liao-Fan: This was another example of half goodness and whole goodness.
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