Love Divine
The others were shocked at the fact that Tai-Lung was alive, but Po calmed their fear. "The Master has said not to pursue him or persecute him. He is the servant of the Master as well," Po said. Seeing that Tai-Lung wasn't attacking them, they decided to trust Po. About a week after their return, the Master told Po to do several things. One was to see a man in the town square. His name was also Xingfu. Po remembered this man. He was a fox, cunning yet kind to the people. He was also very wealthy and had many children, but when the Master told Po to see him, he could only imagine that something was wrong. "What's happened to Mr. Xingfu?" Po asked Master Shifu. Shifu sighed.
"A lot of tragedies have befallen Mr. Xingfu since you've been gone. He's lost his house, his several children, his wealth, and now he's sick. If the Master has told you to go there, then do it. He needs someone's help," Shifu said. Full of compassion, Po went to see Mr. Xingfu. When he got there, there were two highly learned and educated people, one a pig, the other an elephant. Po looked at the fox and he looked terrible. Boils and scars littered his face. Yet, through all the pain that was seen on him, Mr. Xingfu had the strength to smile at Po as he sat down in front of Xingfu. They were all silent for a while, then Mr. Xingfu said,
"I wish I was never born." He went on and on questioning why the Master did this to him and why he allow this to happen to him. The pig replied first.
"We know that the Master doesn't punish those who are true and pure of character, and he punishes those who don't do his will. If you are punished, then it maybe of something you've done wrong," the pig said. Normally, due to his experience with the Master, Po would agree with the pig. Yet, there was something off about his reasoning. Before he could say anything, Xingfu replied,
"What have I done to upset the Master? I've done no wrongdoing or harmful thing seen on Earth or under the earth." Then the elephant accused Xingfu.
"How can a person know if he has or hasn't sinned against the Master of the Universe? Only by the afflictions made on him can he accurately assess that he has wronged the Almighty Master."
"See my actions, see my heart, see my mind, for I have done nothing wrong nor done any sin. I am innocent. What reason does the Master have for punishing me?" Xingfu argued. Then they looked at Po. Po was silent for a while thinking about it. He didn't want to accuse Xingfu of anything because he didn't know what he did. That's when it hit him.
"I think you two are wrong to accuse Xingfu of evil, and you two have done wrong against the Master," Po said, shocking all of them. "The truth is, unless we hear from the Master himself, we do not know why you're going through all these things. We can't pretend to know the Master's mind, for who can understand it? Even my time with the Master has left me wondering more and more about his knowledge, character, and wisdom. Maybe you haven't done wrong. Maybe this is a test to see if you will trust the Master. But there is something I personally have against you, Xingfu. I won't pretend to speak for the Master when the Master hasn't spoken through me yet. But you should never question the wisdom of the Master. Yes, we are all confused as to why these things were done to you, but we must trust the Master that he will either tell us why this has happened or cause some greater good to come out of it. And you should never blame the Master for evil that falls on us because the Master does not cause the evil to fall on us. He has said, 'I only bless.'" Then Po turned to the pig and the elephant. "You two say you know the Master. No mortal can fully understand the Master. Even the servants of the Master can't understand what the Master is doing. We must simply trust and obey for there is no other way to be fulfilled and happy in the Master."
They were all awed by the wisdom of Po's words. Then Po saw a storm coming. They were inside of a house and Po heard the Master say, "Go tell Xingfu to stand in the storm, and I will talk to him." So Po told Xingfu what the Master told him. It was then that the storm turned for the worst as the thunder clapped and the rain whipped around. But through it all, a gentle small voice was heard by Po and the others. Po could hear the Master questioning Xingfu. Standing there in meek humility, Xingfu wisely listened to the Master. After questioning him, Xingfu finally understood the wisdom of the Master. Xingfu bowed and said.
"I spoke of things too great for me to comprehend. I have spoken without knowing, for you know everything," Xingfu humbly said. Then Po and the others heard the Master say,
"Other than Po, you two have not spoken of me what is right and Po and Xingfu have. Therefore, you must apologize to Xingfu and he shall pray for your sake. But as for my servant Po, you have spoken with wisdom and knowledge." Then the rain and storm cleared away. The pig and the elephant bowed their heads in shame and asked for forgiveness from Xingfu, who quickly forgave them. Then Xingfu spoke to Po as the two left.
"How did you know what to say? Why didn't you accuse me like the others?"
"Unless the Master has spoken to me or through me, I can't tell you what you've done wrong. Only the Master has that knowledge and he chooses who to share it with," Po smiled. They both parted and went their own ways. "Master?"
"Yes, Po?"
"Why did all of those things happen to Xingfu?"
"There are those who say people will only keep my laws if they are blessed like I've blessed Xingfu. So, I put Xingfu through a test to see if he would be loyal to me and he has. And you have stayed true to me by speaking with wisdom," The Master answered.
"I did actually believe that he was guilty, for a moment," Po confessed.
"Many people judge by what they can see, but I don't see how mortals see. Mortals see what is on the outside, I see what is in the heart," the Master answered. Po nodded and went back to the Jade Palace. Tigress was waiting for him on the steps.
"Where were you?" She asked.
"I was doing a task for the Master," Po replied. Tigress frown a bit.
"And you didn't take me?" Tigress asked, feeling left out. Po scratched the back of his head.
"I'm sorry. I forgot, honestly. But by the way things went, I don't think you would like it very much," Po said. Then he explained about Xingfu. Tigress nodded. "I'll try to remember to bring you on the next task," Po promised.
"I'll make sure you remember," Tigress smirked at a nervously grinning Po. Xingfu regained what he had lost and was blessed twice as much.
The next couple of days greatly annoyed Po. The Master had given Po a task that he thought he would greatly enjoy, marrying people. Po was excited to be the ordained minister. A marriage ceremony was a very happy time for him. He absolutely hated divorces, and what he could gather from the Master's talk about divorce, the Master hated it as well. "Does that mean he hates people who get divorced?" Tigress asked one time.
"No, it's like this. Everyone hates a funeral. Why? Because the sadness it brings. We all know it has to happen sometimes, but we're sad nonetheless. Divorce to me and the Master is the same. We hate it because we hate the sadness that it brings. It's sad to see two people who were closer than brothers and sisters fight at each other and ultimately tear away from each other. Now there are those people who should be divorced and never should have married in the first place. And the Master understands the reasons people divorce, like in an abusive relationship or if the marriage wasn't good from the start. It still saddens his heart to see them split, even though he knows that they'll be better separate than together," Po explained.
"So what does the Master like in opposition to divorce?" Tigress asked.
"Reconnecting or... I think the word is reconciliation. Divorce was only made because one or both people in the relationship were too stubborn or hard-hearted to reconcile," Po explained. Tigress nodded.
But Po eventually got annoyed by all the married people. The first one was exciting, as was the second, third, fourth, sixth, ninth. By the tenth one, Po was getting a little annoyed by all these married people. The last wedding he did, he was short and to the point, and when his part was done, he marched up back the mountain of the Jade Palace, grumbling under his breath. Tigress managed to slip out and catch up with him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Po grunted. Tigress stopped him, holding his shoulder and making him turn around.
"Something is wrong," She said crossing her arms, "You're never upset about a wedding."
"I'm not upset," Po replied, "I'm just... annoyed." That only made Tigress more suspicious.
"Of the wedding couples? Why?"
"Why? Why are there so many of these couples getting married all of a sudden?!" Po exclaimed. He realized he was shouting by Tigress's look. Po sighed. "I'm just a little tired, okay? I'm sorry that I shouted at you."
"It's fine. I'm more worried that you're annoyed by the weddings," Tigress said.
"Why does that bother you?" Po asked.
"Because you may not want to do another wedding if you're annoyed by them," Tigress explained. Po gave a reassuring smile.
"I'll be fine. I just need some sleep is all," Po said, yawning a bit. Tigress nodded and left Po alone. Po shook his head when he realized he was staring at Tigress's backside again. That was another thing that annoyed him. He had been looking at Tigress more and more over the days he did the weddings. Po decided to distract himself by talking with the Master. "Master?"
"Yes, Po?"
"I have a question," Po said. "I've been doing these marriages and weddings and I've seen different people and different species marry. I remember one duck trying to marry one pig and the uproar that it brought. Are you okay with these kinds of weddings?" Po asked.
"Yes, a marriage is a special kind of fit for both people. Though some are best staying single, others are best being married. No marriage is just alike, and when marriages try to be like other marriages, it can damage their relationship. A male and a female are the symbols of my design for a loving marriage. Anything else is purely earthly and does not resemble me," The Master explained.
"Does that mean you hate those people?" Po asked.
"How long have you known me, Po? Were you not there when I forgave the people of Mongolia or pleaded to the people of Bol-Lat. I love every person, yet I hate the evil they do. Much like you love Monkey but hate the pranks he does to you," The Master said, making Po laugh.
"But the people in these mixed species marriages wouldn't be able to have kids, right?" Po asked.
"This world isn't like other ones," The Master said.
"What does that mean?"
"It is possible for people of two different species to mate with each other and to have children. The two must simply be in the same class, egg class or the mammal class. That is the only way they'll have offspring," The Master explained. Po was shocked.
"So, wait. Crane and Viper could have a baby?" Po asked.
"Yes."
"How would that be possible? What kind of baby would that be?"
"I've made the people of this world fearfully and wonderfully. If the snake and the bird were to be married and have a baby, they would produce a bird or a snake."
"And if a snow leopard and wolf got married?"
"They would have a wolf or a snow leopard child."
"And a snow leopard and a tiger?"
"They would have a snow leopard or a tiger."
"And a goat and a pig?"
"They would have a goat or a pig."
"And a lizard and a chicken?"
"They would have a lizard or chicken."
"And a bunny and a fox?"
"They would have a bunny or a fox."
"What about a rat and a mountain cat?" Po asked.
"I've made size a limiting factor as well. Because of this, the only way that would work is if the Rat was especially big or the mountain cat especially small," The Master explained, "The size factor isn't as limiting on the egg class as it is in the mammal class. Yet, even when the two become one, because of evil in this world, there will be some with what people in this world would call 'deficiencies'."
"Deficiencies?" Po asked.
"The world's evil is so innate that it affects even the birth of animals. Because of this, there will be some children who are the combination of two species. The Quillin was the combination of a lizard and a dragon when the dragons lived."
"So some .. mistakes can happen with mixed species," Po asked. Then he felt a rumbling through the ground as if his comment had angered the Master.
"These people are not mistakes, Po," the Master answered firmly, "Even with these deficiencies, I can make great work through these people." Po humbly nodded but then asked another question.
"So, what would happen if a tiger and... a panda were to get married," Po asked shyly. He blushed when he heard the Master's warm chuckle. Po and the Master both knew why he asked that question. But to save Po the embarrassment of further confession, the Master simply replied.
"Then they would have a tiger or panda." With that, Po decided not asking any more questions.
Continued...