The Girl Who Feared Ghosts and the Man on the Bicycle

The evening light tinged the dirt road leading into the village with purple, and two rows of old mango trees cast long, ragged shadows across the ground. The wind slipped through the leaves, carrying the sharp scent of wild grass and the faint hum of insects beginning their evening chorus. Everyone in the area knew that this stretch of road was where ghosts liked to appear. The fading light of day seemed to sink into darkness, making the whole place feel gloomy and unsettling.

Whenever night fell, this stretch of road became completely deserted. People said a pale figure could be seen leaning against a tree, and that sighs could be heard from out of nowhere.

The girl, whose name was Hy, had been afraid of ghosts since she was small. Every time she had to pass this stretch of road, her heart would pound, her palms would grow damp with sweat, and her legs would want to freeze in place. That day, because she had urgent business at her grandmother's house before dark, she rode her bicycle and arrived at the haunted stretch just as dusk was settling. She stopped by a tree, gripping the handlebars until they trembled, her eyes darting around, her chest tight with a fear that crept up to her throat. She did not dare go alone, so she stood waiting, hoping to find someone to accompany her.

She had promised herself so many times to be brave, but whenever the wind howled through the leaves and the shadows stretched long, she failed. For months, she had taken a longer detour to avoid this stretch, or asked her older brother to ride her across. But today her brother was away, and the detour was flooded after the morning rain. She had no choice but to risk it, and now she stood shivering amid the insect sounds and the thick darkness.

As she stood waiting, her heart was torn between turning back and pressing on. She told herself, "If I go alone and a ghost appears, what then? But this is urgent, and Mother is waiting." She looked toward the head of the road, hoping for a figure to appear. Then she saw someone pedaling toward her from a distance, the sound of tires crunching over the gravelly earth echoing along. Overjoyed, she quickly pedaled after him, breathing a sigh of relief to have company.

The young man was riding slowly, and when he saw her following, he kept pace with her. She pedaled closer, her ragged breathing mingling with the sound of the wheels. She spoke up, her voice still trembling, "This stretch of road is full of ghosts. I'm terribly afraid of them, so I'm so glad you're going with me."

He turned back, half-hidden in the evening light, a gentle smile on his lips. "When I was still alive, I was just like you."

She froze, her hands loosening so the bicycle wobbled slightly. Looking closely, she saw that his skin was pale, without the warmth of a living person. Yet strangely, his kind words made some of her fear melt away.

The haunted stretch of road remained silent, but this time she did not feel the same dread she had felt standing there alone. She thought to herself, "So ghosts were once people who feared ghosts. I fear ghosts, and they once feared them just as I do." An invisible sense of empathy arose, soothing the trembling energy within her.

When she passed beyond that stretch, the sparse lights of houses came into view. She stopped, about to thank him, but he had already ridden far ahead, his figure fading into the night. She realized that from that day on, whenever she recalled this story, she was no longer so paralyzed by fear of ghosts. She understood that ghosts are people who have passed away, who once had fears just like hers, and when we carry love instead of fear, a hidden spiritual strength will help us stand firm.

Later, she told the story to her teacher, and he explained: when there are two people, their positive energy resonates and grows stronger, overpowering the negative energy, so fear diminishes. And a person of great spiritual virtue is someone ghosts dare not approach. The girl overcame her fear through a little compassion, and also because her mind no longer held onto opposition and division.

Afterward, every evening, whenever she had to pass that stretch of road, she pedaled steadily, her heart at ease. She practiced cultivating compassion toward all beings, even the ghosts she had once feared. Little by little, she became gentle and free of that haunting fear, and she even began to encourage her friends not to avoid doing good deeds out of fear.

The Meaning of the Story

The story of the girl who feared ghosts meeting a departed soul who had once feared ghosts just as she did shows that between humans and unseen beings, there is a profound spiritual interaction. Spiritual virtue is an invisible force born from honoring the Buddha, loving others, and daring to encourage goodness. When we open our hearts with compassion, the positive energy of the mind will overcome fear, and ghosts will naturally keep their distance. Do not run away out of fear; instead, use a loving heart to transform yourself and the world around you.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang.