‧Written by Master Sheng-yen Lu‧
(Translated by Monita Chan; edited by Janet Ho and Kai Chung Ho; proofread by Jessie Loh; A US Daden Culture Publication)
I have moved several times while I lived in Seattle in the state of Washington of the United States.
The first time, I moved from “Ballard” to “True Buddha Quarter.”
The second time, I moved from “True Buddha Quarter” to “Phantom Lake.”
The third time, I moved from “Phantom Lake” to “South Mountain Retreat.”
The fourth time, I moved from “South Mountain Retreat” to “New South Mountain Retreat.”
There was a ghost at the basement of my Ballard house, and this ghost was not too friendly to Foqing and Foqi.
When I was moving out, I could even hear them sighing in the basement.
“New South Mountain Retreat” is my last home and it occupies two acres of land. It is a bigger house and two ghosts live there.
Every morning when I wake up, I have to walk along a long corridor. When I pass by the guest restroom located along that corridor, a loud “KA” noise would always sound.
The same thing happens everyday.
As it turned out, the ghosts in the restroom were startled by the light emitting from me.
Initially, there was just only one ghost, but later, another ghost surprisingly moved into “New South Mountain Retreat” when I happened to stay in Taiwan longer than usual.
These two ghosts are not harmful to us.
One of the ghosts would even salute me in military style, because he used to be an American soldier and he knew that I was a former Lieutenant commander. Therefore, every time he sees me, he will salute me.
When his shoes collide, they also generate a “KA” sound.
This ghost helps me a lot.
Every time I perform the transformation of nectar water for offering:
Garuda.
All the ghosts and spirits of the wilderness.
Raksasa and Hariti.
All filled up with nectar.
Om, mu-di-yu, so ha. Om, mu-di-yu, so ha. Om, mu-di-yu, so-ha.
This American soldier ghost helps to maintain order for those coming to receive my nectar offering.
There was once a wandering mangy ghost who wanted to stay in “New South Mountain Retreat.” But, as he had a bad temperament, he was considered unqualified by the American soldier ghost who pulled him out and made him leave.
In fact, there are also ghosts at “True Buddha Quarter,” but these ghosts are my disciples who took refuge in me. They are very good; they know how to cultivate Vajrayana Dharma and help me a lot. All the ghosts in “True Buddha Quarter” can fly and make supernatural transformation. They are already getting close to being “gods.”
I asked them, “Is it good being a ghost?”
They answered, “Good!”
“How is it good?” I asked.
The group of ghosts said, “A ghost has neither form nor body, just spirit. No form or body results in less sickness and affliction. We all have a little bit of supernatural power, are able to transform and fly, and can go anywhere we please. There is so much freedom and we do not want to be bounded by the physical form, which would be very troublesome.”
I said, “Ghosts may reincarnate again to become human beings.”
The group of ghosts answered, “Only a few reincarnate to become human beings due to affinity and karma. In fact, human beings are ghosts and ghosts are human beings; the only difference between them is that one has a physical body and the other does not have. We are happier without the physical body.”
Once, I was going out.
A ghost said, “Remember to bring an umbrella!”
“It is really sunny, why bring umbrella?” I was puzzled.
“It will rain at three o’clock in the afternoon!” the ghost said.
Sure enough, in the afternoon, the sky turned dark.
Three o’clock in the afternoon, the rain started pouring.
The ghost had predicted accurately.
I asked, “How did you know?”
The ghost answered, “Did you not say that ghosts have five supernatural powers?”
