(Clearwisdom.net) In the summer of the Qingli year in the Song Renzong era, there was a terrible drought in the capital. Admonishing Official Wang Su requested Emperor Song Renzong to pray for rain personally. The Emperor said, "The director of astronomy claimed that it would rain on the second day of this month, so I will prepare to pray for rain on the first day."
Wang Su responded, "I am not the director of astronomy, but I am sure that it will not rain that day." The Emperor asked why. Wang Su answered, "Your majesty, you prepare to pray for rain when you know that it will rain soon. Thus you do not have any sincerity. How can you move the heavens without any sincerity? That's why I know it will not rain."
The Emperor said, "Then I will go to Liqun Taoist Temple to pray for rain tomorrow." Wang Su said, "The temple is so close to the palace. Could it be that you are afraid of the burning heat and are unwilling to go on a long journey?"
The Emperor was flushed. He said, "Then I will go to the Western Taiyigong." Wang Su asked the Emperor to issue the order so that the common people would know about the situation.
The next day, the Emperor, as well as Wang Su, proceeded to the Western Taiyigong.
the sun was hot, and dust filled the sky. The Emperor looked anxious.
After the prayer was done and the Emperor was on his way back to the palace, he looked back at the sky over the Western Taiyigong and saw that a cloud was starting to form. After only a moment, there was thunder, lightning, and pouring rain. The Emperor had not yet reached the palace.
The next day, very pleased, the Emperor said to Wang Su, "Thanks to you it rained a seasonable and timely rain!" He also mentioned that the night before—in the rain—he had burned incense until midnight to express his gratitude to the heavens and that he was soaked as a result.
Seeing that the Emperor had served the heavens so respectfully and reverently, Wang Su was very happy. He urged the Emperor to pay attention to his health. The Emperor said, "My thought then was that, if it did not rain, I would sacrifice my body as an offering. So there is nothing to be worried about."
Both the Emperor and the official showed so much solicitude to the common people, and served the heavens with complete sincerity and reverence. How could the heavens not be moved?
Category: Traditional Culture
