Life may be finite, but the soul continuously journeys through countless lifetimes, embarking on a sacred quest to return to its Origin. The challenges and blessings we encounter in the present reflect our past intentions and actions, demonstrating the profound workings of the law of cause and effect and the cycle of reincarnation.
Bai Qi, born in 332 BC during the Warring States period in China, hailed from a noble lineage in the State of Su but migrated with his family to Mei County in the State of Qin. His father was a soldier in the Qin army, which influenced Bai Qi’s upbringing in a military environment. With numerous illustrious achievements, he quickly rose to prominence and gained the favor of the Qin king. Bai Qi is regarded as one of the greatest generals of the Warring States period, known for his military prowess and aggressive tactics on brutal battlefields.
The most notable battle in Bai Qi’s career was the Battle of Changping. In this battle, he commanded the Qin army against the State of Zhao, resulting in the surrender of over 400,000 Zhao troops. However, the Battle of Changping also left a controversial legacy due to his ruthlessness, making Bai Qi both renowned and feared. Despite his victory, Bai Qi remained wary of a potential rebellion from the Zhao forces, so he devised a cunning plan with his deputy general, Wang Hu. That night, Bai Qi secretly ordered ten commanders in the camps to carry out his orders: “The Qin troops must cover their heads with white cloth; if anyone does not have a white cloth on their head, they are Zhao soldiers and must be killed.” The Qin soldiers immediately acted on the command. In just a few moments, over 400,000 Zhao troops, unarmed and defenseless, were brutally slaughtered en masse.
This action revealed Bai Qi’s inhumanity and horrifying brutality. His extreme behavior raised concerns among the King and officers of the Qin, who feared that he could eventually pose a threat to the throne. Ultimately, after Bai Qi disobeyed a military order he found unfeasible, the King of Qin used this as a pretext to order his execution.
After Bai Qi’s death, many eerie stories began to circulate among the people about his reincarnation and karmic retribution, with claims that his soul had fallen into the realm of animal-people. In his previous life, he may have been a powerful and mighty commander, but due to his mass slaughter of so many people, Bai Qi was said to have been condemned to the three evil realms, where he suffered immense torment and was repeatedly struck by lightning as punishment.
In the historical records of the Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, it is mentioned that on a calm, clear day near the end of the Tang Dynasty, a cow was suddenly struck by lightning. Upon inspection, people discovered two characters on the cow’s belly: “Bai Qi.” The Tang Dynasty occurred about 1,200 years after the Qin, meaning Bai Qi had endured torment in hell for that long. However, time in hell does not adhere to earthly measures, so what felt like mere centuries for the living could have been an eternity for him. And it didn’t end there – his name resurfaced during the Ming Dynasty, approximately 2,200 years after the fall of the Qin.
During the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, at the San Mao Temple on Mount Wu Shan, a large centipede, over a meter long and about two-tenths of a meter wide, was struck dead by lightning. On its back were the two characters “Bai Qi.” According to subsequent records, the once-mighty general had been reincarnated as a pig. One day, a butcher discovered the characters “Bai Qi” carved on the pig’s skin while slaughtering it. During the reign of Emperor Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty, a eunuch overseeing the construction of Yongning Temple outside An De Men ordered the sacrifice of a pig. But on the pig’s belly, four red characters appeared: “Qin General Bai Qi.” Terrified, the eunuch had the pig buried immediately.
In just one lifetime as a renowned general, Bai Qi chose the path of brutality instead of that of a good and honorable leader, committing heinous crimes in the process. Consequently, he endured immense suffering in hell for over a thousand years and was reincarnated into countless lifetimes as various animal-people. It is said that after repaying all the evil karma he had accumulated, he was reborn as a human with the chance to change his fate. However, no one could have predicted that the ruthless war general, Bai Qi, would be reincarnated as a frail, weak girl who was easily bullied by others. A beautiful girl from Jiangnan, who, at the age of 17, fell gravely ill and became completely deranged. It is often said that she is the reincarnation of Bai Qi, the general and commander of the Qin State. Due to the countless lives he took, Bai Qi was believed to have been reborn as a frail girl destined for an early death.
Bai Qi’s retribution did not end there; it extended to severe punishments in hell, reflecting the heavy consequences of his actions during his lifetime.
The Heavenly Emperor punished Bai Qi by ordering his head to be taken every 30 years, a punishment that lasted for a full 10,000 years. Throughout history, those who slaughter soldiers have never escaped misfortune, especially those like Bai Qi, who used trickery to bury 400,000 prisoners alive.
In December 2023, Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) issued a powerful message to the world leaders responsible for instigating war, emphasizing the grave repercussions of their actions and the urgent need for change.
“Every day, the devils will grind you into a dust-like substance. Then relentlessly repeat it again, again and again! And you can never stop; you can never run anywhere for I don’t know how long – could be forever because your sin is too great to be absorbed by any merciful Power. They will just spit it out.
I mean, the stuff like what you have done, the sins like what you have created, can never be absorbed by Love Power, Forgiveness. Very difficult. I don’t know if, even if you repent, your sins will be immediately absorbed and destroyed or not. But at least you should try. Try all your might to stop the war, not try all your might to continue or create a new one. No one can help you then, if you continue to create suffering for others.”
General Bai Qi's story serves as a profound lesson about the consequences of brutality and deceit when wielding power without self-cultivation and a commitment to righteousness. Bai Qi’s long journey of karmic retribution reminds us that, although brutality may yield temporary victories in worldly affairs, the soul is eternal and must adhere to the cosmic laws of karma. The choice always lies in our hands; let us strive for goodness and cultivate our hearts to reap the fruits of positive karma.
