Parting with a Spirit: A Tale of Promises and the Unseen

Post on:Oct 30, 2023|Last edited: Nov 7, 2023|
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In ancient China, there was a scholar who lived in an old temple with a young companion. The two had a close bond and were like brothers. One day, the older companion went home but unexpectedly passed away. However, the young man was unaware of this and continued his studies at the temple.
One night, while he was sleeping, he heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was his older companion returning, he opened the door to let him in. To his shock, he saw a pale face with hollow eyes, wearing burial clothes. He was chilled with fear, unable to make a sound. The deceased approached him and said, "I've been gone for less than ten days due to a sudden illness. I am now a ghost, but my friendship with you remains strong. That's why I've come to bid you farewell." The young man was trembling and unable to speak.
The deceased comforted him, saying, "If I wanted to harm you, why would I tell you directly? You don't need to be afraid. I've come here to entrust some matters to you after my death." The young man, somewhat calmer, asked, "What matters do you wish to entrust?" The deceased explained, "I have an elderly mother, over seventy years old, and a young wife, not yet thirty. I've left some rice that can sustain them, and I hope you can take care of them. That's the first matter. I also have some unpublished writings, and I hope you can have them printed to preserve my reputation. That's the second matter. I owe a pen seller several thousand coins, which I haven't repaid, so I hope you can settle my debt. That's the third matter." The young man agreed to his requests.
The deceased stood up and said, "Now that you've agreed to my requests, I should go." After saying this, he was about to leave. The young man, who was gradually becoming less frightened, cried and tried to stop him, saying, "We are parting forever. How can you leave so quickly? We still have many things to discuss." The deceased also wept and began reminiscing about their past. After a few words, he stood up and said, "I must go." However, he remained motionless, staring straight ahead with a dreadful expression on his face. The young man grew even more frightened and urged him, saying, "If you've finished speaking, then leave." Yet, the body did not move. The young man screamed, and the body continued to stand there. In a panic, he got up and ran, and the body chased after him. The faster the young man ran, the faster the body pursued. After a chase of several miles, the young man scaled a wall and collapsed on the other side, while the body couldn't get over and remained outside the wall.
As dawn broke, passersby noticed their situation and gave the young man ginger soup to revive him. The deceased's family had been unable to find his body, but upon hearing the news, they retrieved the body and buried it.
Some say, "Humans possess two types of spiritual essences: the soul and the spirit. The soul is good, while the spirit is evil. The soul is agile, and the spirit is foolish. When he first arrived, a bit of his spiritual essence remained, and the spirit adhered to the soul. When he departed, all matters in his heart were spoken, and the soul dispersed, leaving the spirit stagnant. With the soul, he was still himself; without the soul, he was not. In the world, there are some corpses that can move, or their shadows run about; these are all the spirit causing mischief. Only those with a strong moral compass can control the spirit."
 
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