LOST IN PAST LIVES - PART 2

The sound of funeral gongs echoed steadily, Kien's eyes filled with tears. The image of Mr. Hoa kept repeating the story of his disappearance but Kien did not believe it. Then when the news came that Mr. Hoa died in the pond in front of the house, the psychic who lived in the same place as Kien had a similar death. , making Kien gradually realize everything. That the rumors about ghosts that people often talk about in the past are not some kind of semi-sacred deity, is because in ancient times, people with poor intelligence deduced it for themselves. But all the rumors about the invisible realm, about ghosts from past lives following, about ghosts of the dead, about predestined lives. About the things that Kien did not believe before, did not believe to the point of hating him, now it has come true.

In the middle of the house, dozens of strong men, old and young, were trying their best to roll up the coffin containing Mr. Hoa's body. Raise it up and then lower it a few times.

A person hosting the ceremony shouted:

- Elevate!

Immediately, dozens of men seemed to be waiting, straining to lift the coffin as high as possible.

The host continued to chant:

- Summer!

Dozens of men continued to follow suit, the coffin was placed neatly in the same place without moving an inch.

That action was repeated three times, then the host changed the command again:

- Spin!

Immediately, the mandarin's robes turned their heads out. People believe that this procedure is the procedure to send the dead person out of the house. And begins the path to the other world...

Dozens of men worked hard, sweat already soaking the back of their shirts. Mr. Hoa's body was lying dead in the middle of the pond, so it was one and a half times heavier than a normal person. The coffin was heavy, so more people had to cooperate.

Kien wore mourning clothes and a mourning scarf, with red eyes and a cane for his father. Opposite, Kien's mother was screaming and crying bitterly, Kien's younger brother had a stiff face, his eyes looked around bewilderedly, at the age of over ten years old, the feeling of losing his father was still there. hasn't been ingrained for too long. His face was expressionless, not a single tear fell, but Kien did not bother to blame him.

After the memorial service, the three members of Kien's family had to watch Mr. Hoa's body under a flickering lamp all night.

People believe that when a person dies, the soul is still very weak and must still rely on the body. Therefore, if you want the deceased to live a good life in the afterlife, then in the first days of death, you must protect the deceased's body from being touched by evil spirits, until the body falls to the grave, then the soul is released. The new soul is strong enough for the process that follows.

In particular, the most evil and ferocious objects have the concept of black objects, which people consider to be messengers of the underworld such as black cats, crows, or pig-like birds, so they must be absolutely chased away. Otherwise, once these things get close to the body, the soul will leave this earthly place, immediately the soul will disperse, disappear, and even the other world cannot reach it.

I stayed up all night, and by the next morning I felt like I was going to collapse.

At exactly six o'clock in the morning, the head of the Vu family, Mr. Tuan, was present, leading a young monk in his early thirties into the middle of the ceremony.

The young monk sat down in the middle and performed the requiem ceremony for the dead person. On both sides of the family, relatives lined up in two long rows, kneeling with hands clasped on both sides, preparing to join the master in the ceremony of salvation.

Mr. Tuan first spoke in a deep, authoritative voice:

- Now that Uncle Hoa has died so unexpectedly, I, as the head of the family, must make this matter clear. Everyone who drowns has very bad karma. They die in front of their pond, and in the early morning. This shows that there must be a reason related to spirituality, not just...

Mr. Tuan smacked his lips and continued:

- When Master Thich Quang Nhien passed by Ha Yen Pagoda, I heard that he was a person who often preached on the platform and had a profound understanding of Buddhism, so I, the head of the Vu family, took the liberty to invite him here to practice. passing away ceremony for Mr. Hoa, and by the way, I would like to ask you to see if Mr. Hoa's death was a normal death or not, or was it a kind of devil that harmed his life, was it due to a good-hearted person? maliciously cast evil charms...

- My Vu family has always lived in this Ha Yen village, accumulating good deeds, but there are also many people who are jealous and hate others, doing things that are not humane...

Mr. Tuan said this, his eyes turned outward, his words contained very clear implications.

The story is that in this Ha Yen village, there are five to six families fighting for power, of which the Vu family is one of them.

Although Mr. Hoa is not the head of the Vu family, he is still a young man in the family with the right to have a say. His personality has always been hot-tempered and reserved, so many times he has made enemies with people of different surnames. Then there are also people who are angry because of anger, sometimes saying: "If I have amulets and wormwood, one day I will have to cast a spell to kill the whole Vu family, that vile and inhumane type..."

In this village of Ha Yen, the family is divided into factions, then divided into sects. Buddhists and Christians, each side has a unique idealism that no one obeys. There are times when young men in clans, because of arguments and quarrels, carry sticks and sticks to chase and fight each other. So even though they normally look very harmonious, on the inside they just need to show off and immediately someone will play tricks on them, then someone will use dirty tricks to seriously harm each other.

Regarding what happened in Ha Yen village, Kien is the only one in the Vu family, but is not interested in these things. As for Mr. Tuan's faction, whenever there is an opportunity, they immediately find an excuse to take advantage of it and point it at others to regain their position. Therefore, the story of Mr. Hoa's death, with an unknown reason, was an even bigger excuse for Mr. Tuan's men to take advantage of and assassinate other people. In this Ha Yen village, the Nguyen family is one of the most hated surnames by the Vu family.

This time, Mr. Tuan wanted to point the finger at none other than his arch-rival, the Nguyen family. As long as the Nguyen family is exposed and makes the whole village hate it, then in this Ha Yen village, not only will the Vu family be able to hold their heads high, but the Nguyen family will no longer have a place to live in this village. At that time, the Vu family's victory will satisfy their long-standing wish...

Master Thich Quang Nhien nodded, he picked up the hammer and put it down in front of him. Started using a small wooden stick to tap steadily and then recited the Sutra of Transcendence...

Every now and then, the teacher would pick up a bunch of gold coins and throw them in front of him...

The ceremony lasted for two or three hours, at which point suddenly Master Thich Quang Nhien opened his eyes wide and shouted loudly:

- Lift off the coffin lid!

The teacher used a wooden stick to point directly at Mr. Hoa's coffin with a serious expression.

Mr. Tuan immediately took the opportunity to say:

- That's what I told you, it's not wrong that someone is playing tricks...

The young man named Vu quickly ran to pick the lid of the coffin...

Dramatic!

The lid of the coffin was quickly opened, inside was Mr. Hoa's body, white and bloated, unable to see his face. The body was thoroughly cleaned, Mr. Hoa's eyes were previously smoothed into place, and his hands were placed down.

Yet now inside the coffin, Mr. Hoa's eyes were wide open and his two stiff hands were reaching up. As soon as the lid of the coffin opened, the scene inside was revealed, immediately making many people startled and turned pale. Some children even cried out of fear...

Mr. Tuan stammered and said:

- It's obvious that I personally stroked Mr. Hoa's eyes, but why is it like this now...

Mr. Tuan sat down on the ground in horror.

The lid of the coffin was closed, obviously fastened with nails, and the coffin was kept open all night. So there could be no reason for someone outside to sneak in and pry the lid of the coffin. It would take dozens of people to pull this trick. So there can only be one answer to explain, which is that the corpse itself opened its eyes, raised its hand...

Master Thich Quang Nhien closed his eyes, his hand continuously touching the rosary in a circular motion.

The teacher smacked his lips and said:

- This donor's death has a hidden meaning, just as this donor thought. This death was not due to an accident, but was actually caused by the unjust karma of the devil.

When Master Thich Quang Nhien said this, the entire group of people turned pale, and the atmosphere of mourning became even more intense. It was clearly a normal funeral, but now it's led to a story of ghosts harming people's lives...

Master Thich Quang Nhien called his family members, including Kien, aside to ask:

- When the homeowner died, did he or she have previously created resentment against people in the underworld?

Mrs. Huong, Kien's mother, clasped her hands and cried, saying:

- Dear teacher, my family has never been involved in these spiritual matters. But I don't know what the devil is like...

Master Thich Quang Nhien clasped his hands and mouthed:

- If you want me to eliminate this karma, you must clearly tell me the cause so that the cause and effect can be clearly understood, and then I can solve it... You should think carefully to see if your grandfather had it before. What is spiritually offensive or not, and where and how it happens. No matter how small the details are, you must clearly explain them to me, then I can solve this karmic problem...

The teacher fiddled with the rosary, continuously reciting Buddhist scriptures in his mouth. I myself am also sweating right now, because I also have the feeling that things are not simple at all.

Mrs. Huong kept crying, sat up and then collapsed again. The atmosphere of mourning was thick, making Mrs. Huong even more panicked. Then, after a while, because she was too tired from staying up all night and thinking too much, Ms. Huong fainted...

Kien quickly helped Mrs. Huong into the inner room to rest, then came back out.

At this moment, thinking about Duy's resentment, Kien thought he should not hide this matter. The death of the woman who worked as a medium in Kien's dormitory, as well as the death of Mr. Hoa, are also very likely related to Duy's death.

- Sir...

Kien suddenly stood in front of teacher Thich Quang Nhien, his voice hesitant and hesitant, and finally told Duy's story clearly to teacher Thich Quang Nhien.

After listening, the teacher immediately clasped his hands and chanted the rosary, smacked his lips and said:

- So yes, I also calculated that there is some kind of negative karma, but if it is true it is as she said. It's very possible that this cause and effect cycle is related to the benefactor. Since that's the case, we will automatically find a way to solve it... And now, this body absolutely must not be buried, it must be left for exactly seven days for the teacher to expel the resentment. Only after the karma is attached can be recited. During those seven days, the donor must stay by the teacher's side, setting out thirty-six candles to watch...

Master Thich Quang Nhien finished speaking, retreated to the inner room to prepare, and instructed Mr. Tuan not to let outsiders bother him, so that he and Kien could perform the ceremony to save the deceased's karma together.

Kien hesitated, not understanding why the teacher did that, so he asked:

- Teacher, why do we have to set up thirty-six candles to look after them?

Master Thich Quang Nhien patiently explained:

- This death is very heavy, it is divided into forty-four parts of soul and soul. Last time the benefactor offered a super sacrifice, only eight of the forty-four parts of its soul were removed. The benefactor's virtue was not enough to expel it all, so it only caused the death to lose its visible form, while its entity still existed and was not damaged too much. As a result, because his morality was not enough, that donor harmed others and himself... The homeowner was also implicated because of that...

The teacher paused for a moment and then continued:

- I set out thirty-six candles, precisely because I want to collect these thirty-six parts of its soul, to transcend it so that it can escape. If it is dead, then it must be resolved, and if it has been resolved, it must be resolved completely. arrive. Otherwise, as long as a portion of the soul of the dead remains, it will be enough to kill everyone involved in its karma. Buddhism presides over transcendence, changes causes and conditions, not presides over destruction... So it took me seven days to touch these thirty-six parts of the soul, then bring it back to Quang Tu Pagoda and seal it there, for later. Posting on the platform every day to preach, this karma of death will automatically dispel resentment and immediately transcend, do donors understand?

Master Thich Quang Nhien finished explaining, looking intently at Kien with intensely observing eyes, clearly seeing the meaning on Kien's face.

After hearing this, Kien understood a little bit. It turned out that this death was related to the fact that the medium in Kien's home was not virtuous enough, leading to negative karma, and as a result, even him. Hoa in his hometown had some resentment towards Duy's ghost and was also killed by Duy.

After Master Thich Quang Nhien's explanation, the funeral was temporarily postponed so he could set up a funeral altar. Kien's family must prepare everything in seven days, during these seven days it is absolutely dangerous. Master Thich Quang Nhien repeated over and over again, if only one of the thirty-six candles goes out, it means the altar is broken, then even heaven cannot save... Including at that time even Master Thich Quang Nhien was also in danger, but he also assured everyone that there was nothing to worry about, because seven days of reciting Buddha's name would be absolutely safe, and his virtue was enough to resolve this Vong karma.

Kien sat in front of Mr. Hoa's coffin, continuously clasping his hands and reading the Buddhist scriptures that Master Thich Quang Nhien read aloud outside.

The whole atmosphere was so gloomy and creepy.

Outside the alley, hundreds of people gathered around. They heard that there was a monk holding a forum to save lives and harm, so a large number of people came to watch.

Some people even set up incense bowls and offerings, burn incense and smoke, hoping for great success and bad karma will be resolved.

A day.

Two days.

Three days.

Four days.

Five-day.

Then on Friday, suddenly there was Mrs. Huong's terrifying scream from inside the house. Mrs. Huong's face was sad and she cried and ran out of the house, then fell to the ground trying to run. In the middle of the street, Mrs. Huong fell to the ground in front of the house and fainted. Mr. Tuan saw something strange and immediately ran into the house to follow the situation.

Just a moment later, Mr. Tuan's startled cry echoed out:

- Oh my god, teacher...

With just one cry like that, the group of young men named Vu couldn't help but jump into the house to see what was going on. Moments later, three or four young men had bloodless faces and ran out of the house in terror.

Only Mr. Tuan's voice, although a bit shaky, still echoed clearly:

- You... you took the teacher's body out... then one guy ran to Ha Yen Pagoda to tell that side, while Kien and Thang picked them up and took them to the commune clinic, quickly...

Mr. Tuan's voice trembled with fear as he urged the three or four young men who dared to stop and assign tasks.

Inside the house, two young men took turns carrying Kien and Thang, Kien's younger brother, on their backs, rushing into the crowd and running towards the commune clinic. The two remaining young men, along with Mr. Tuan, gradually trembled while carrying the body of Master Thich Quang Nhien and gradually appeared before the eyes of hundreds of people.

The teacher's body turned pale, his mouth opened wide in panic, his face turned purple as if something had choked him to the point of choking the blood. The teacher's body was stiff and dry, and the color of his robe was stained into many dry brown streaks because of the blood pouring out of his mouth.

Master Thich Quang Nhien is dead, no one knows how long he died, but looking at Mrs. Huong's face, along with the fact that Mrs. Huong just ran out, this shocking thing just happened and couldn't have happened any longer. .

A few minutes after that, about five or six people wearing monk's robes came from the crowd, headed by a person wearing a yellow robe, the abbot of Ha Yen Pagoda and the monks of the pagoda.

The teacher clasped his hands and said:

- Amitabha Buddha! Master Thich Quang Nhien has passed away. We request donors to help the pagoda bring his body to Ha Yen pagoda so that the pagoda can perform a rebirth ceremony...

The abbot of Ha Yen pagoda's face turned green, it was obvious that he was scared because of this, but after all, he was also a member of the pagoda, so he still tried to maintain the calmness of the leader, and opened his mouth to ask for help.

Mr. Tuan was in a panic at this time, not knowing what to do. Hearing the abbot say that, it was like he had a life-saving straw and kept saying:

- Yes, sir, we will do it now...

Mr. Tuan quickly ordered two young men named Vu to bring the body of Master Thich Quang Nhien to Ha Yen Pagoda, and then met with relatives to discuss:

- Now that this has happened, Uncle Hoa can't leave it like this forever. As I see it, let's temporarily bury Uncle Hoa to calm him down, and then we'll slowly think about the matter of releasing the ceremony limit later?

Mr. Tuan spoke up and asked everyone around him for their opinions, and immediately there was a buzz of protest. A middle-aged man named Vu stood up and said:

- The head of the family said that is not okay. Anyone who touches something spiritual cannot be disrespectful. Otherwise, can you bear it or not? In my opinion, I think the temple does not have enough talent to do that job, so we should leave it to the church. I heard that the priests are also very effective in exorcising evil spirits!

After the middle-aged man finished speaking, there were immediately many voices of agreement.

Mr. Tuan frowned, thinking it was right.

Then that evening, he and his relatives went to church to invite the priest of Ha Yen Church to come over to celebrate the ceremony.

The priest of Ha Yen Church immediately accepted the invitation, and immediately went to Mr. Hoa's house with members of the Vu family. Bring holy water and a book of church prayers along with the parishioners and go inside to baptize all the people in the house.

Then that same night, the priest ordered the family members to recite mandarin's clothes in one place, and the priest recited prayers to exorcise demons. That same night, the family took down Mr. Hoa's coffin and buried it underground. He also placed a symbol of the cross in front of the grave to protect him. Having done all that, the priest assured that he had eliminated the demons. Give advice to family members, then return to Ha Yen church that night.

But it seems like things haven't stopped yet and everyone was wrong.

The next morning, people spread rumors that last night there was a loud scream of panic in the Ha Yen porcelain church, that the priest of the Ha Yen porcelain church also died because of Vong Karma.

In the afternoon, the parishioners pried open the church door, and indeed discovered the dead priest with his mouth open, his face pale in horror, looking very similar to the death of monk Thich Quang Nhien...

Many parishioners were angry, thinking that it was because the Vu family killed the priest, so they flocked to Mr. Hoa's door and screamed in large numbers. Many Buddhists also came out to curse and curse because of the priest's skills. bad so he died. Both sides divided into factions, cursed and ended up fighting each other completely.

As for Mr. Tuan, he has been having nightmares for the past few days. Every night he dreams of a pale white child appearing to demand his life.

Then, not a few days later, people discovered that Mr. Tuan also died.

Mr. Tuan died from extreme weakness, because he was so worried that he couldn't eat or sleep. By the time he got to the commune clinic to get water, he couldn't be saved anymore.

The incident became more and more extremely confusing, the whole Ha Yen village was in chaos. Some people were afraid and left to go to the temple for a week before returning. Some people left the village because they wanted to die and not be able to follow them.

Kien spent a whole week in contemplation, he didn't think things would turn out like this. Thinking back to that day, the day Kien welcomed Duy into his house and fed him white rice, Kien did not think that just because of such a simple thing, he was entangled in a series of deep resentments.

Just like that, about a month passed.

One day, Kien was sitting in front of his house. Suddenly he saw the silhouette of a long-bearded man, in his mid-sixties, holding a bag in his arms and calling from outside:

- Is anybody at home?

The old man's voice is old, but it still resonates.

Kien quickly stood up and ran to the gate, saying politely:

- Hello sir, who are you looking for?

The old man looked dignified, even more like an ancient Confucian scholar, his face kindly said:

- I am Hien's teacher...

The old man finished speaking, stroking his beard and waiting, and as soon as Kien heard the word Hien, he stammered:

- Hien... Which Hien... Could it be Hien...

The old man nodded and said:

- Yes, it's the Hien you know. Look who else I brought here...

The old man smacked his lips, finished speaking, then pointed behind him. Only then did Kien notice that there were two people behind the old man, and these two people were extremely familiar. Those were the mother and daughter in the same boarding house as Kien's before, and the woman named Hien that the old man mentioned, was none other than the woman who worked as a medium in the boarding house, the one who performed the rebirth ceremony. before and is dead.

Kien was momentarily frightened, frightened because he didn't know why this old man knew his house, and even more frightened as to why he also brought the other mother and child here. It was Mrs. Hien who said before that she, Kien and this mother and daughter are people with a destiny to overcome their karma. Kien thinks back on this and gradually understands everything...

- Aren't you going to invite us into your house?

The old man smiled slightly and said.

The old man's smile was so gentle and kind that it made Kien feel strangely calm. Kien said:

- Oh yes, please come into the house...

Kien poured a cup of tea, invited the old man to drink water, and then conveniently poured a cup of tea for the woman with her small child.

The old man sipped his cup of tea, smacked his lips and said:

- I came here today to resolve unfinished business, and also to resolve the consequences of Hien's failure to complete her vocational training and then harming people to the point of ruining their homes...

- Let me introduce myself, I am a two-generation descendant of Mr. Trinh Cung. He was the first person to follow his country's alchemy and predict the story of yin and yang, demons and gods. His descendants rarely appear in this world, with only Hien being an exception, breaking his religion before completing his education, then working in a profession that the world despises, selling gods and selling saints.

- A few days ago I calculated that something bad was going on, then I figured out that Hien was dead. After that day, I immediately calculated that at this point, there was a bad karma appearing, and I was able to calculate the previous life of this bad karma. So today I have come to clear your karma, and at the same time to explain clearly why your past life's bad karma created such deep resentment that follows you.

The old man finished speaking, smacked his lips and drank his tea, then said in one go:

- This ghost in his previous life was born to you as two brothers in the same house. The two brothers got along very well. One day he met a woman, and fell in love with her. But this woman doesn't like him at all, but likes his brother. From then on, he was born with jealousy and envy, and when that woman and his brother became husband and wife, he still did not give up his thoughts. Later, when his brother was away, he tried to force his sister-in-law to do something unethical, and then became pregnant with a child that was not his brother's. His brother knew about it, was so angry that he bit his tongue and died. His resentment accumulated into a group of dead karma. He was reincarnated but failed, and finally became a dead child. It still patiently waits, then waits for this life...

- That karma keeps waiting, then waiting, waiting until you are reincarnated. It has lost most of its memories, all that remains is the thought of following you. When you feed it white rice, it even awakens part of its consciousness and follows you. And when Hien did something foolish, destroying eight parts of his soul, it completely awakened his memories of his previous life, forming a deep resentment to remember and take revenge on him. First, he wanted to kill all his relatives, those who had evil thoughts towards him, and then one day kill him for revenge.

After the old man finished speaking, he pointed at the woman and the child and said:

- Do you guess what status she and her child had in their previous lives?

Kien stammered:

- Could it be that your sister-in-law and child were from your previous life?

The old man nodded and said:

- Yes, but also not...

Kien awkwardly said:

- What do you mean I don't understand?

The old man said:

- She is indeed your sister-in-law from a previous life, and the child is indeed a child from a previous life, but it is not your child...

Kien said:

- Isn't that your child from a previous life? So are you saying that my brother from my previous life misunderstood me?

The old man slightly rolled his eyes and said:

- He is indeed your brother's son in his previous life, but there's nothing wrong with what he did in his previous life. But for me, just this small part is enough for your brother...

The old man smiled and continued:

- Now I will call your brother to appear, and at the same time awaken the memory of part of your past life, so that you can apologize to him. Furthermore, I will explain everything to you, hoping that he will understand and gradually dispel his resentment towards you...

After the old man finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a spell appeared and flickered with fire. From the air, a pale white streak gradually appeared, the shadow of Duy's soul. The shadow of the soul gradually formed an idea, from its face it showed a fierce look, looking at Kien full of hatred.

The old man waved his hand again, Duy's resentful soul gradually transformed into an adult with a handsome and experienced appearance, but the resentful soul's eyes still showed deep resentment.

The old man continued to wave his hand and throw spells, a confused look gradually appeared in Kien's eyes. The woman and her child also appeared confused... The old man's mouth muttered a spell, then Kien's mouth moved at the same time. The woman and her child in a dreamy look were also explaining.

The ghost appeared briefly angry, gradually turning to anger.

Then the old man continued to mumble, it took a long time for the dead man's expression to gradually change to peace.

Finally, the remaining anger completely dissipated, the ghost bowed to the old man, and then immediately disappeared.

At this moment, Kien and the woman and child regained consciousness. Kien only knows that everything that happened just now fell into Kien's eyes, but it was as if another person inside Kien had awakened, controlling Kien's rise. Until everything was over, Kien still didn't know what he had said to Duy's resentful soul.

After finishing work, the old man, woman and child immediately went out the door together.

Before leaving, the old man turned back and gave Kien a few words:

- Remember well, even if you do evil in this life without consequences, in the next life you will definitely receive retribution. But as a human being, there will definitely be cause and effect, and you will definitely encounter bad karma, so if you don't want to bring disaster on yourself and awaken the bad karma of your past life, absolutely do not let anyone eat white rice when you meet strangers, this is not a word. joking, but the experience of the world. Remember...

The old man finished speaking, his voice laughing loudly and walked away, with the woman and child disappearing behind the wooden door.

After going through so many things, Kien gradually regained his life. After that day, Kien no longer had any uneasy feelings, but only felt very relieved, like the prison spirit was finally free. The stories about ghosts and demons that have been happening for the past few months have finally been resolved. The karma of the previous life has ended. People say there is nothing wrong. Whatever you sow, you will reap what you do. If you do evil things, you don't want people to know, unless you don't do them.