When Spring Comes to a Swimming Pool (三)
■Book 148 - The Power of Mantra
■Written by master Sheng-yen Lu
I returned to the swimming pool to swim. I pretended nothing had happened. While swimming, interesting phenomenon happened. The water in the swimming pool would become chilling cold as ice and this sent a chill up in my spine.
The water in the swimming pool would suddenly turn turbulent like the waves in the ocean. Yet, outside the pool, the wind was mild. I was the only person swimming and there was no reason why the ripples should be so wavy. I swallowed a mouthful of water and choked badly.
My swimming stroke has always been excellent. I can kick well with the breaststroke. When I was swimming forward, I suddenly felt that someone was pulling my leg. My leg was held so that I could not kick. Moreover, I was being pulled downward. When I turned my head to check, my leg was freed. When I resumed my head position, my leg was pulled again. It was very taxing on me to swim with such exchange of forces.
I dived into the water. Moving forward, it seemed like I was stopped by an invisible net and was unable to go forward. I turned around and bumped into another invisible net, finding no way to retreat. Turning towards the left, I found no outlet. Turning towards the right, I was unable to break out. I realized this was like a fisherman casting his net and I was trapped within. Despite my attempts to manoeuvre left and right I could not free myself. I was fast losing my breath.
While I was in the water, I chanted one mantra syllable, 'Hum.'
A ray of green light pulsated. The net was breached and I dashed out of the water and grasped a mouthful of air.
I did not want to play games anymore. I walked towards the shower cubicle in the changing room. When I opened the door of the shower cubicle, I got a shock!
Xiao Chui was standing in the cubicle; her face appeared pale.
I said, 'I want to bathe.'
'I can scrub your back.' Xiao Chui said gently.
'I always shower by myself.'
'Will you make an exception?'
'Didn't you just have enough fun earlier?' I was getting a little angry.
'I was only kidding. No hard feelings.' Xiao Chui said.
'You don't joke around with the 'Solidifying Surrounding Space Method'. You could have gotten someone killed. Glad it was I. If it had been somebody else, he would have suffocated.'
'I was testing your Dharma power!'
I looked at Xiao Chui. Her fragile countenance with such tender and fair complexion, coupled with a beautiful bodyline would have every man fancy after her. How could such a woman be so viscous and venomous?
I asked Xiao Chui, 'Do you want deliverance?'
'Of course.'
'But why did you kill this one hundred people?'
'I lost my mind.'
'Have you repented?'
'I have regretted over my impulsive act!'
'Because a hundred lives were killed, I'm afraid I can't deliver you.'
'Didn't you promise you can deliver me? You have great Dharma power!'
I thought about this. I was quick to promise Xiao Chui that I would deliver her from her suffering, telling her that I had great Dharma power without first finding out about the causes of the matter. Cheng-huang Bodhisattva was right on target. If the ghost were not Xiao Chui but a homeless filthy spirit, would I have taken such initiative to help?'
Actually, there are many attractive and enchanting female ghosts whose earthy lives were anything but kind.
They talked nonsense, spilling and weaving all kinds of lies, being jealous, envious, narrow-minded, good at scheming, cruel, unscrupulous and malicious.
When some of these women schemed, they were more polished than men.
When you think of these women, you know they can be adorable. Yet they can be the most terrible and horrifying humans. Consider history. How many great men and heroes had succumbed to the fate of being destroyed by women?
I wondered if I should save Xiao Chui? I was confused.
In the end, perhaps it was fate that did it, I decided to save her. I had promised to help her right from the beginning and I could not go back on my words.
I went ahead to erect the shrine. The Dharma process was as scheduled. However, I visualized this shrine in my mind multiplying into tens, hundreds and thousands. I recited the 'Thousand Turn Mantra'
'Om Vajra Guherya Gapa Samaya Hum.' (7X)
