Chapter 20 - Harm Caused By Ghosts And Evil Spirits

In chapter six, The Tathagata's Praises, of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Original Vows Sutra, there is this account:

"There are men and women who become bedridden and are unable to get well, yet who cannot die in spite of their wishes. At night they dream of wicked ghosts, of family and relatives, of wandering on dangerous paths with ghosts, of being weighed down by ghosts, or roaming with ghosts and spirits. Such conditions can continue for days, months, even years while the sufferers deteriorate and cry out painfully in their sleep. All of this is happening while the degree of severity of their karmic deeds is being resolved. They cannot die, yet they have great difficulty getting cured. The ordinary eyes of men and women cannot recognize such things."

This speech from the sutra clearly indicates that ghosts and spirits can influence the health of humans. "Being weighed down by ghosts or roaming with ghosts and spirits" implies that ghosts and spirits can cause mischief and harm; therefore, one should not underestimate their behavior. From my own experiences, I know that there are good and evil spirits, just as there are good and evil men. Good spirits help people to do good deeds, while evil spirits help men to do evil. Wars take place in the world of spirits just as they do in the visible world. Before discussing the main theme ofthis chapter, I would like to share this true example.

One day while I was at my shrine chanting the Diamond Sutra, a stranger came to see me. This young man was in his thirties, with an angular face, large ears, and glistening eyes. Tall and straight, there was a heroic quality about him. This young man came straight to the point,

"Mr. Lu, my sister was hospitalized in the P'u T'i Hospital in Taichung, and she often attended Dharma lectures given by the Shan Kuo Buddhist Society. A Mr. Chan of the society told my sister some of the mystical things that you have experienced. My sister especially asked me to look you up because she thinks that you might be able to help me. My last name is K'e, and I am a teacher in the Taoyuan Middle School."

"What can I help you with?" I asked curiously. The young man in front of me looked healthy and was without any signs of illnesses. "Mr. Lu, I know I look healthy. In fact, I have seen many doctors and none of them thinks that I am ill. I have had all parts of my body examined and all kinds of tests done-including testing my brain waves. All tests were negative. But I am in extreme pain, and also I am afraid to get married. My girl friend has asked me to marry her but knowing my condition, I have said no to her. I will have to bear this pain and live my life alone."

There was misery in his face and tears in his eyes.

"What is wrong with you then?"

So he told me the whole story exactly as it had happened. One day about five years previously, while he was teaching in the classroom, he suddenly felt a buzzing sound, as if a swarm of bees was approaching him from afar. Then his head started to hurt. The headache and giddiness rapidly accelerated, and when he could not tolerate them any more, he passed out on the floor. Watching him, the students were panic-stricken. However, five minutes later, he gradually came to himself. The sudden pain and dizziness had completely vanished. He was baffled by the incident and so was the school doctor after examining him. Mr. K'e had always been very healthy; he did not even catch cold easily. His face was ruddy, and there was no sign of anemia. Why did he pass out? Mr. K'e did not pay too much attention to that first incident, but the attacks began to occur frequently.

Each time, before he passed out, he would hear the buzzing from afar, growing closer and louder. Then his head would start to hurt. After falling unconscious for five minutes, he would wake up again. He got to the point that, whenever he detected the buzzing sound of the bees, he would instantly drop his chalk, run back to the dormitory and wait for the blackout. Five minutes later, he would walk back to the classroom to resume his class. During the past five years, he had sought out many traditional and western doctors and taken all kinds of pills, injections, and electric therapies-all to no avail. Some doctors told him,

"This is a psychological illness due to fatigue and nervousness. Just don't think about it; it will get better on its own."

Others said, "These are the symptoms of epilepsy, you should consult a neurologist!"

The neurologists said, "Your electroencephalogram is normal, and we can't find anything wrong."

He had even passed out in front of the doctors, yet they were at a loss what to do. Mr. K'e's illness stupefied even the medical doctors.

Talking with Mr. K'e, I took from the bookshelf my copy of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Original Vows Sutra and opened it to chapter six, The Tathagata's Praises. I asked him to read the paragraph which I quoted at the beginning of this chapter. When he finished, he looked up and said,

"Mr. Lu, do you think that spirits have caused my illness?"

"That is right. Although most modern men do not believe in this, I think that in your case, spirits are at the root of your illness. I believe this based on my own experiences in the world of spirits. Science can prove the existence of many kinds of radiation in space, and broadcast stations transmit their frequencies around the world. Although the world of spirits has not been empirically confirmed by science, we cannot arbitrarily deny its existence. Radiation existed long before it was discovered by man. The transmission of televised images and sounds utilize frequencies we cannot touch, hear, or see. It is wonderful that scientists have made great discoveries and brought about changes day after day. Science, however, cannot negate the existence of that which it does not yet have the tools to detect."

"What you say makes sense, but can you cure me?"

"I can give it a try. I hope I have the ability to heal you."

While we were discussing the world of spirits, he suddenly cried out.

"Here it comes, here it comes, the buzzing sound is coming."

He first pressed both his hands over his ears, then rolled up his eyes. He was sitting on the sofa, but his body slowly slouched and leaned to one side, then rolled off the sofa onto the stone floor below. He was also raving words that were hard to understand. I lowered my head to try to listen to what he was saying and realized that his voice now sounded like a woman's.

I suddenly remembered that my spirit master, Mr. Three- Peaks-Nine-States, had taught me a demon-subjugating mantra called the Great Brahma Diamond Mantra. So I pressed my thumb over a spot at the crown of Mr. K'e's head and silently chanted the mantra,

"Om chin lin zhi yin ji mi su do lu ling kang."

I silently chanted this mantra seven times and wrote a magic symbol six times on his crown spot with my thumb. Mr. K'e slightly opened his lips and spoke in an affectedly sweet voice,

"Sir, please let me out." "Who are you? Why are you possessing the body of Mr. K'e? I will let you go after you tell me the truth." The woman spirit spoke through Mr. K'e's mouth.

"Five years ago, Mr. K'e was my neighbor. I became ill and passed away. On the day of my funeral, Mr. K'e was walking by my house and saw my picture. He expressed that he felt pity for me. Since he had sympathy for me and I did not have any place to go, I went to find him."

"How old were you then? What was your name?"

"I was nineteen and my name was Ch'en Hsiang Lan."

"Since you don't have any place to go to, why don't I chant the Spirit Retrieval Mantra to retrieve your spirit. You may attach yourself to a branch of camphor or willow tree and help me run errands in the spirit world. When you accumulate enough merits, I can help you to be reborn in the human realm or in a heavenly realm. Do you agree to it?"

"It is fine, but Mr. K'e .."

"Mr. K'e has not done you any harm. He just pitied you; you have taken him too seriously. If you want him to be well, the best solution is for you to quickly release yourself from him. If you continue to be infatuated with him, don't blame me if I have to use the Five Thunders Mudra to break you into pieces! If I did, it would be hard for you to be reborn again."

"All right, sir, I am willing to take a camphor or willow branch to be my body and help you run errands. But you cannot chain me up!"

Thus I chanted the Spirit Retrieval Mantra, placed a piece of willow tree on top of the crown spot on Mr. K'e, and uttered the incantation, "Willow Spirit Willow Lady, grown by the side of an ancient grave in the wilderness, I now invite you to join the spirit troop, so you won't have to bear the winds and hails any more. During the eight festivals and the arrival of the four seasons, I will make offerings to you. I will light incense for you every day. Chichiheheyangyang. The sun rises in the east, and the spirit axe releases you. Quickly depart from where you are. In the name of the Primordial Ultimate Correct Dharma, disciple Lian Shen quickly retrieves the soul."

I chanted the incantation three times altogether, then took the willow branch off Mr. K'e's head and placed it under the shrine table, in a spot that people usually cannot see.

Mr. K'e woke up and I spoke to him,

"You are all cured now. You can return to Taoyuan."

Mr. K'e shook his head in disbelief.

"Was there a young lady by the name of Ch'en Hsiang Lan who was a neighbor of yours five years ago? She was nineteen at the time."

"Oh yes! But she died. She was quite pretty. Does she have anything to do with my condition? How do you know about her?" Mr. K'e asked in surprise.

I related the incident from beginning to end. Mr. K'e left, not quite convinced. Several weeks later, a letter came from him. He wrote,

"Since that day, I have not heard any more buzzing sounds, and I have not had any more headaches or dizziness. My bright future has reappeared in my life. This is a miracle. Mr. Sheng-yen Lu, I will forever be grateful to you. There is, indeed, a world of spirits in this Universe."

I did not write back to him. Ch'en Hsianz Lan is now staying in my Buddhist shrine. Although she is a ghost her nature is not bad, and she is making great progress in her spiritual growth. She has also been a great help to me. From this true story, we know that spirits can exert great influences on us. They can affect the thoughts and behaviors of living persons. The spirit of a deceased scientist can even render help to a living scientist to inspire him in his inventions. This kind of activity is the sixth sense in the subconscious. From studying the above case history, I found out that the souls of Mr. K'e and Ch'en Hsiang Lan vibrated in similar frequencies, and it would be easy for them to perceive each other's thoughts. Mr. K'e's sympathy for Ch'en Hsiang Lan provided a guidance for her soul to seek him out. Mr. K'e was like a radio receiving the frequencies sent out by Chen Hsiang Lan, who was like a radio transmitter.

The principle is the same behind most so-called mischief caused by spirits. The differences lie in the karmic causes and consequences. Love and hatred from previous lives continue to develop and be avenged in this life. There is also the so called Ch'ung Sha-an affront by noxious energy. This case of Mr. K'e is an example of being effected by Yin energy. What I have written here is fact. If someone chooses not to believe in it, there is nothing I can do about it. But, under the vast sky, there are all kinds of unheard-of-but-true stories. Some of the happenings I have come across are a hundred times more unusual than this one!

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