Cause and Effect
356. When mountains surpass a certain level of height, clouds and rain will hover over them. When water runs deep, the rain dragon will roam about. When a man of noble character (Junzi) has achieved high attainments in his cultivation, his benevolence and compassion will spread to the four corners of the world. Those who do kind deeds unassumingly will reap apparent rewards, and those who have hidden virtues will enjoy remarkable reputation over time.
Scroll 35: Wen Zi
357. People who are virtuous will be blessed with good and auspicious fortune. People who made enemies with others will suffer untold consequences. Thus, no other virtues can replace benevolence, and no other misfortunes can be worse than ruthlessness.
Scroll 42: Xin Xu
358. According to the book of Shi Jing: “The disasters suffered by the civilians were not cast upon them from heaven. People might talk pleasantly in front of each other, but behind their backs, they tried all means to bring down one another due to resentment. Thus mutual rivalries were the major cause of all disasters.”
Scroll 4: Chun Qiu Zuo Shi Zhuan, Vol. 1
359. When wise and competent ministers work together, harmony will prevail, leaving an air of auspiciousness. When treacherous officials are in power, abnormal phenomena will prevail, courting calamities to strike. When auspiciousness is prolonged, the nation will enjoy peace and stability. When too many strange disasters continue to strike, the fate of the nation will be at stake.
Scroll 15: Han Shu, Vol. 3
360. Toward the end of any declining dynasty, the rulers indulged in licentious pleasures and degraded the Way of the sage-rulers. The lords revolted, neglected moral teachings and abused corporal punishment. If punishment was not fair, social ills would arise and cause immoral practices to gather momentum, while hostilities and hatred accumulated over time and there were mass discords between the upper and lower societies. The balance of the Yin and Yang energies was disrupted and a lot of abnormal and menacing phenomena would appear as a result. These are, in fact, the causes and effects of natural and man-made disasters.
Scroll 17: Han Shu, Vol. 5