The Man Who Foretold His Death Three Days in Advance

On a late autumn afternoon, pale golden sunlight stretched along the dirt road leading into the hamlet. Elder Hai Như Sanh was sitting on his veranda drinking tea when he heard a motorbike pull up at the gate. A stranger, wearing a pith helmet and simple traditional clothing, stepped inside with a gentle smile.

The man pulled up a chair, poured himself a cup of tea, and said, "Uncle Hai, next time you have something delicious, please treat me — because in three more meals, I will die."

Elder Hai thought he was joking and laughed it off. "He says that, but who can truly know the day of their death in advance?"

Yet the man remained calm, neither smiling nor explaining. He simply took another sip of tea, his eyes gazing far out toward the rice fields in front of the house.

Elder Hai later recalled: "Back then, he was a government official who had served in the army, and he lived a very upright life. He spoke gently, and no one ever saw him become angry with anyone. But that remark about dying after three more meals — I took it to heart and did not dare dismiss it."

Over the next two days, the man visited Elder Hai's home again, sharing meals, drinking tea, and chatting cheerfully as if nothing were amiss. On the morning of the third day, Elder Hai received the news: the man had passed away peacefully in his bed, eyes closed, without pain and without any last words.

"When I heard it, I was stunned. Exactly three meals after he spoke, he truly died. And his passing was just like falling asleep — no struggling, no crying out. Everyone in the neighborhood found it strange, unable to understand how he could have known in advance."

Elder Hai shook his head, his voice growing deeper. "I worked for the revolution, I followed the Confucian way, and I also have respect for the Buddha's teachings (Dharma), but I could not make sense of that matter. All I know is that when a person lives decently, they also die gently."

That man was not a meditation master, nor a monastic. He was simply a retired official who had spent his whole life serving the people. He did not speak much about spiritual principles, yet every word he spoke, he kept in full. Whatever he promised someone, he made certain to fulfill. In all his life, he never broke faith with anyone. And it was precisely that trustworthiness — like an invisible thread — that allowed him to know the hour of his departure in advance, and to depart in peace.

The Meaning of the Story

Those who live with complete trustworthiness, keep their promises, and treat the world with kindness often meet a peaceful and gentle death. This comes from blessings from merit earned through sincerity, responsibility, and a loving heart. Conversely, those who break their word, betray trust, and live selfishly often die in pain and restlessness. Therefore, guard your trustworthiness as you would guard your own life.

Compiled from a dharma talk by the Venerable Thích Chân Quang