In my younger days, I enjoyed asking new Buddhist acquitance to share stories of how they benefited from Buddhism, especially supernatural stories. I was a paranormal buff.

I heard the following story from a Buddhist youth (Albert), when I visited a newly consecrated Buddhist Temple in Singapore.

The story happened in East Coast Park, Singapore.

Teenagers love to have barbeque along this stretch of coastal beach. Staying the night under the starry sky while enjoying food with friends, is a rite of passage to adulthood.

Parents are not welcomed and of course, this is where we drank our first beer and tried puffing our 1st cigarette.

It was term vacation and Albert was there with his classmates. Celebrating the end of a school semester. The guys were drinking heavily and like any good teenage gathering, ghost stories were told. Guys just love to be surrounded by wide eyed, frighten looking gals.

The guys were a bit rowdy after the drinks and soon each one was boasting about their bravery in front of the girls.

One of these guys seemed to be especially worked up. Perhaps someone mocked his belief.

In Singapore, the chinese folk belief of mediums acting as channels for deities are still strong. People visited these mediums to seek divine favours. It is quite common for believers to offer their children as god son or god daughter to these mediums. Being accepted as a God child means that the deity had taken special liking to that child and will protect that child until they become adult.

That particular guy (Peter) is a God son of the Chinese monkey god. Perhaps someone mocked his belief during the drunken story session. Peter was soon shouting and issuing challenges to the supernatural beings.

“I am not afraid of ghost because I am the god son of Sun Wukong.(name of the monkey god) I have a powerful talisman. Come get me if you dare.” Then he spat at the empty space in front of him. Laughing mockingly as he stumbled about.

He was doing this randomly until he spat at a large tree and froze on the spot.

No doubt he was simply putting an act of braverado in front of his classmates.

According to Albert, what happened next is like a scene from the movie.

Peter was breathing heavily and growling. The other teenagers were laughing. They thought it was good acting.

But the acting continued. Then Peter slammed himself onto the ground with a thud as if trying to injure himself and were sitting on the ground. Staring at all the kids with such hatred in his eyes. The evil was so strong that the kids got scared.

His best friend was the first to call his name. “Eh,. Pete. Stop playing.”

The reply shocked everybody because it was a hoarse female voice that answered and in a Chinese dialect.

‘DIE, this KID! I will not let you off lightly. How dare you spat on my face!’

The possessed Peter sat there staring at his classmates surrounding him. Everyone was at their wits end. How are they going to end the situation? Should someone call Peter’s parents?

Then Albert remembered a teaching from his Buddhist master. The Surangama Heart Mantra (Look out for next post). A mantra that can subdue all evils. Albert was uncertain. This was his first encounter with the supernatural.

He approached Peter and sat next to him and started saying the mantra. He was half way through the 3rd repetition when Peter shrieked in agony. ‘Stop chanting please. Let me go, Very painful. Forgive me.’ Said the diabolical female voice.

The uncertain Albert was taken aback. IT WORKS!

“Please forgive us. We are just a bunch of ignorant kids. My friend did not know. Please leave us be. I will stop chanting. Please forgive us.” Albert pleaded with that entity.

Immediately, Peter stood up and started running backwards to the tree that he spat on earlier. Slamming into the tree with such force that he bounced forward. Momentarily losing consciousness. Peter couldn’t remember a single thing when he woke up.

Albert told me that it was a nerve wreaking experience for him. He would rather not have encountered such a situation in life. He was doubtful and was just trying his luck when he spoke the mantra. Astonished, when the mantra worked. Needless to say, his faith in Buddha grew tremendously after that incident.

Hope you enjoy the story.

I told Albert that he was wise to be polite with that entity and also stopped his chanting since the spirit pleaded for mercy.

May all be well and happy.