Our story today takes us back to 1978 in Âu Lạc (Vietnam), where a mysterious and unsettling event unfolded, later recounted by a monk who witnessed it firsthand. It is a haunting tale of karma, reincarnation, and the lingering consequences of a past life tied to a young woman named Ngọc Hạnh, who would later become a nun at the revered Trúc Lâm Temple in Đà Lạt, Âu Lạc (Vietnam).
At that time, she was a final-year student at the University of Education in Huế. Her entire family had never been exposed to Buddhism before. Since her hometown was far away, she stayed in the university dormitory. One day, the school gave students several days off to prepare for graduation exams, so she took the opportunity to visit her family. Late one night, while she was staying up to study, a large snake suddenly slithered in through the window. She screamed, waking the entire household. Her father, startled from sleep, grabbed a door bolt and rushed toward the snake, killing it instantly.
Not long after that terrifying incident, Ngọc Hạnh’s father suddenly stopped eating. His health declined rapidly day by day, with no clear cause, despite seeking treatment in many places. Then one day, news came that he had passed away. Upon hearing this, Ngọc Hạnh immediately put her studies on hold and returned to her hometown to attend his funeral before the burial rites began. What shocked her entire family and relatives, however, were the strange and unexpected actions she began to display upon arriving home.
Ngọc Hạnh arrived in a fury, storming into the house, pushing everyone aside, and charging straight to her father’s coffin. There, she used her bare hands to tear off all the bindings and fling open the lid. She pulled away every layer of burial cloth and ceremonial items covering the body until her father’s face was revealed. Everyone was too shocked to react, assuming she was just overcome with grief and wanted to see her father one last time. But to their horror, she suddenly began clawing at his face with all ten fingers, tearing the skin apart. Then she ran out into the middle of the street, laughing maniacally and shouting, “I’ve avenged it! I’ve avenged both my grudges!”
Afterwards, she read out loud a long poem, through which it revealed that she was possessed by a vengeful spirit. The story goes like this: many lifetimes ago, Ngọc Hạnh was a married man, but committed adultery, then killed his wife. The wife, died in anguish, was reborn as a snake. To avenge, the snake came into Ngọc Hạnh’s house intended to kill her, but was killed by her father. At the funeral, it was the same soul of that anguished woman that possessed Ngọc Hạnh and made her mutilate her dead father’s face.
After that tragic incident, Ngọc Hạnh began to experience episodes of spirit possession, and her life became filled with ongoing misfortunes. Having never been exposed to the Buddha’s teachings, she could only turn to Divine beings, praying earnestly for help to resolve the karmic entanglement she was caught in. Unknowingly, her sincere prayers reached a Zen master who had passed away more than 200 years earlier. In a rare spiritual response, the master entered her consciousness and guided her to begin a path of spiritual practice under the guidance of a head monk at Trúc Lâm Temple. However, the vengeful spirit of the snake continued to possess her, disrupting her each time she considered abandoning her practice. With deep compassion and insight into their karmic bond, the head monk offered teachings to both the spirit and to Ngọc Hạnh.
The head monk said to the spirit, “Now, I will help you take refuge in the Three Jewels. Will you follow the Buddha instead of clinging to this girl?” He then performed the Refuge Ceremony for both Ngọc Hạnh and the spirit that possessed her. The spirit was given the Dharma name Tâm Tín (Heart of Faith), while Ngọc Hạnh received the name Tâm Tưởng (Heart of Thought). From that moment on, she was able to practice in peace, no longer tormented or disturbed.
Some time later, during a quiet meditation session, the head monk was unexpectedly approached by nun Tâm Tưởng, who hurried in and respectfully addressed him.
Through Tâm Tưởng, Tâm Tín said: “Venerable head monk, from now on, I will no longer disturb Ngọc Hạnh. I have found my new place to reborn, and come to express my grace and say goodbye to you.”
From that time onward, nun Tâm Tưởng devoted herself wholeheartedly to diligent spiritual practice, while her family also embraced the Three Jewels and became lay Buddhists. This story teaches us that all suffering and enmity arise not by chance, but from the law of cause and effect, woven through karmic ties accumulated over many lifetimes. Only through love, sincere repentance, letting go, and steadfast Dharma practice can we truly open the path to liberation and enlightenment.
Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) once shared a profound story illustrating the power of forgiveness and the futility of revenge.
There was a story about one person who took revenge by oppressing someone. And the other person was determined to take revenge. So he did everything he could to gain power, have riches and fame, so that he can strike back at the other person. At the time when this person was being attacked, he was still suffering, still poor, still weak, and therefore unable to fight back. Because the other one was rich, powerful and influential. So this person swallowed his grudge and waited until the day he became successful to take revenge on the other person.
At the time when this oppressed fellow finally became successful, the other person who had oppressed him before became destitute and hungry. Things turned around. [This person] is now weak and alone. And so [the other fellow] said he wouldn’t take revenge anymore. Someone asked him, “Why didn’t you take revenge when the other guy used to oppress you, beat you, and treat you so unjustly? Back then, you could not avenge, and it was understandable. Now that you have all the power and strength, why don’t you take revenge?” That fellow said, “Before, I could not revenge because I was weak, I had no one to defend me, and no power. If I took revenge at that time, I would have died. Now I am able to retaliate. As the other person is weak, I can take revenge. But doing that would be the strong bullying the weak, just like what he did to me. Forget it, I don’t want to take revenge anymore.”
So it’s OK anyway, just forget it. Every time, I just forget it. That’s the right way. That is absolutely correct and in accordance with the way.
Through this story, we see how understanding and forgiveness dissolve the endless chain of hatred. Our deepest gratitude to the Most Compassionate Master for reminding us that choosing compassion over revenge not only frees others – it frees ourselves, aligning our hearts with the true essence of spiritual practice. As we conclude, may the lessons from today’s stories awaken in us a deeper awareness of the law of cause and effect, and inspire us to cultivate peace, virtue, and inner clarity on the journey toward true liberation.
