Grandfather Returns from the Realm of the Dead

Little Vi's maternal grandfather passed away in nineteen sixty-eight, appeared in a dream to his grandchild, and asked his son-in-law to find a master who could open the door, so he could come in and teach the family morality.

One scorching midday in the courtyard of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, cicadas shrieked so piercingly they seemed to tear at the ears. Tánh Nguyên was resting with friends after class when suddenly he felt a cold current run down his spine. That young student could never have guessed that at that very moment, his grandfather was "standing" beside him, smiling with quiet sadness, gently tapping his shoulder just as he used to when calling him to play chess in the old days.

In nineteen sixty-eight, little Vi's maternal grandfather passed away amid the turmoil of war. From that day on, because he had not fully cared for his family while alive, he remained attached, watching over his children and grandchildren for decades. Yet there was a barrier: the relatives had heard rumors of "deaths in succession" in the family, so they invited a sorcerer to seal the house with a spell, leaving him standing outside, unable to enter.

At the time, Tánh Nguyên was hardly a believer in spiritual matters and had a stubborn streak. One day, his wife phoned from Lâm Khánh, her voice full of panic: "Come home. Grandfather is asking you to find a master to open the door so he can come into the house."

He returned, his heart torn: "I don't believe in these things, but my wife says so, and grandfather did love me back then..." Standing in the middle of the room, he spoke absently into the air: "Whatever you wish, Grandfather, if I can do it, I will."

Later on, with little Vi serving as the "interpreter," the grandfather spoke clearly through the child's mouth: "Ask your parents to find a monk to perform a ceremony and remove the sealing spell so I can enter. I only wish to look after the moral life of this family."

Tánh Nguyên did exactly that. When the ceremony was complete, the grandfather came into the house, sat among his children and grandchildren, and taught them in a deep voice: "Live kindly and gently, practice according to the Buddha's teachings (Dharma), and care for your soul in the life to come." Tánh Nguyên asked timidly: "Grandfather, how do you know all this so clearly?" The grandfather replied: "In the realm beyond, I have learned many things you would never expect."

During the time the family followed him, they met with no small number of troubles, yet his teachings always pointed toward the good. As he was about to depart, he instructed: "As for the relatives who passed away following me, please ask the master to perform a prayer ceremony for their liberation, so they may walk the right path and not stray into an unfortunate realm."

The turning point came when Tánh Nguyên realized that everything his grandfather guided them toward was good. Once a skeptic, he now declared before everyone: "I will never waver halfway again. Following the Buddha's teachings (Dharma) is the right way."

He brought his family to the temple and asked the master to perform a prayer ceremony for the departed. From that day on, his children too were gently reminded of the path of practice. The story is long, but its heart is simple: a spirit who came to know repentance, using his unseen form to mend the wrongs of his family line.

As the day's ceremony drew to a close, Tánh Nguyên sat watching the incense smoke, his heart light and at ease. His grandfather lingered no longer, and the family had gained a steady spiritual anchor.

The Meaning of the Story

Even those who made mistakes in life, if they turn toward the good and rely on their children and grandchildren to practice, can still be liberated. Faith in cause and effect (karmic law), with moral cultivation spreading from the realm beyond into the human world, can bring peace and joy to the whole family.

Compiled from a dharma talk by the Venerable Thích Chân Quang.