Inspiring Story of Chanting Buddha 32 - Ghosts and Gods Judge a Woman Issuing Unnecessary Comments

(English and Chinese subtitles )念佛感應見聞記 - 空發議論鬼神算帳, written by venerable laywoman Kanzhi Lin 林看治居士 (1906-1992 AD)
Subtitles:
Laywoman Shen Zhang is an intelligent Buddhist. Since she learnt Buddha dharma In 1960, she had planted vajra seeds in her eight consciousness fields, and she had righteous knowledge and view. A few months after she had faith in Buddhism, once, she seemed to have a dream and argued with several ghosts, and they almost hit her to death.
It turns out that Shen was ill for three years before she believed in Buddhism, and there was not a single day without injections and medicines.
Nine years ago in Wufeng, there was not a god temple or a Buddha hall. There was only one very small temple of a hundred family names, where enshrine the wood tablets of the dead. In order to seek an early recovery from her illness, Shen could not help but ask gods and ghosts for blessings. She often offered paper money and prayed to the lord of a hundred family names for blessing, wishing to be healthy as soon as possible. However, over the years, she was still the same.
In 1959, the Lotus Society Female Class carried forward dharma at Wufeng. Shen was able to hear the dharma, and she felt like drinking sweet dews and acquiring precious gems. Since then, she had been devoutly practicing two lessons in the morning and evening and no longer went to the temple of a hundred family names, knowing the lord cannot even save himself, how can he save others?
Hence, after Shen believed in Buddhism, she gradually recovered her health.
One day, Ms. Lin, a confidant of Shen, came and asked Shen to accompany her to worship the Lord of a hundred family names, so Shen went with her to offer incense. After praying, Mrs. Lin said, "Today we forgot to buy rebirth money and silver paper."
Shen said, "Don't be superstitious to burn silver paper or rebirth money. I would rather recite the rebirth mantra several times and give merits to them than burn paper money."
Shen seemed to be joking, and she didn't even recite the rebirth mantra. After burning incense and praying, they went home individually. That midnight, Shen seemed to be awake or asleep, like a dream but not a dream. Suddenly, she saw several ghosts talking to her: "Our lord wants to invite you to come and talk. Shen asked him, "Who is your lord? I am not going."
Those ghosts were rude and unreasonable. Even though she was unwilling to go, they forcefully dragged her away.
When they arrived at the temple of a hundred family names, she saw several rows of men, women, children, and elders standing in front of the temple. In the middle sat a tall and vigorous, fierce-looking ghost. Those little ghosts told Shen to kneel, but Shen was clever and spoke aloud: "I am a disciple of the Three Jewels, the Buddha dharma is boundless. You ghostly beings still need the dharma to save yourself."
Before she finished the words, the lord was furious and shouted. "Drag her here and beat her to death. Dare she brag and refuse to give us money." When a group of ghosts wanted to beat her, Shen said, "I'm not afraid of you. I'm going to invite the Bodhisattva."
Immediately, she joined her palms and recited "Namo Guanshiyin Pusa for the Salvation of Suffering and Refuge".
After a total of fewer than ten chants, Guanshiyin Pusa dressing in white, appeared in the void sky, holding a vase of nectar in her right hand and a willow branch in her left hand, and descended on a cloud. Shen saw distinctly that those group of big ghosts and little ghosts saw Guanshiyin Pusa , and immediately knelt and touched their heads and faces on the ground. At this time, Shen still shouted Namo Guanshiyin Pusa.
At that time, Shen's husband, Mr. Chen, heard his wife chanting the holy name of Guanshiyin for a long time, and expected that she must have had some strange dream. Shen told her family what happened in the dream why she was debating with the ghosts. If she didn't know to chant Guanshiyin Pusa for the Salvation of Suffering and Refuge, she might have kicked the bucket and been separated from the human world forever.
The above is what Shen told me personally.
As the saying goes, "Diseases enter through the mouth, and disasters come out through the mouth". The saints also said, "Respect the ghosts and gods and keep away from them. I want to advise all of you that, as disciples of the Buddha, you should not exaggerate yourself and make jokes about the gods and ghosts.
If you are like Shen, who knew to recite the holy name of the Buddha in the dreams, it doesn't matter. If you're not skilled enough at this, you're going to run into trouble.