Record the mysterious stories that were transmitted Strange events that were not expected to be encountered Experience the real thing together.

First chapter

Go back in time to April 1996. At that time, my father was ordained as a monk at a temple. In Nakhon Ratchasima city As my father was an old mechanic, he volunteered to add a monastery for the abbot himself. And one afternoon on the 18th of that month, my father was pouring concrete.

He had the feeling that every time he looked up, he saw my grandfather (his father) standing there, sometimes here. Seeing that many times, he felt uncomfortable. So I decided to say goodbye to the abbot and go back to visit my grandfather in Khon Kaen Province. Since telephones at that time were not as convenient as they are today, it was not possible to call and inquire. He therefore decided to retire from work at that time and bid farewell to Luang Pu Chao Abbot that afternoon.

“Reverend Grandfather, I don't know how I am today. Every time I looked up, I saw my father standing there. I am not at ease so I would like to go back and visit him,” my father said.

“Okay, take it, have a safe trip, Mr. Choi,” Luang Pu Chao Abbot replied with the accent of an old person from Korat.

After saying goodbye to my father, I walked to the bus at the Korat bus station. Or as it is affectionately called, bus station. Buses depart from bus station around 3:00 p.m. By the time we arrived at the bus station at home it was around 5:00 p.m. Just in time to catch the last bus to the house. Driving further into the house for about an hour, by then it was already dusk.

After getting off the bus, my father hurriedly walked into the house, which was right next to the road. The style of the house is a wooden house with high stilts, like a country house. As he walked in, his father saw his grandfather sitting on a large mat under the house. Grandma is cooking. Everything was fine.

“How is your father? I saw my father standing there, so I came home to visit. I'm worried about you,” my father asked after sitting down in the chair my grandfather had provided for him.

“It's okay, my God. Father is fine,” my grandfather answered. Then the two of them talked and asked about each other's concerns. It turned out that there was nothing. My grandfather was fine, but while they were sitting there talking. Suddenly a few villagers who were selling things on the side of the road brought a monk into the house. His appearance was that of an old black monk, approximately 80 years old.

But his posture is still strong. On his shoulder he carried a satchel and held another monk's bucket. My father saw this and said,

“Hello Luang Pho, how are you? Please sit this way first.”

After greeting the villagers, one of them answered instead,

“Just in time, we were about to pack up our things and go home. I saw a motorcycle dropping off Luang Phor at the intersection of our house and didn't know where to go next. Just then, I saw the teacher returning to the house, so I brought him to see the teacher.” After finishing speaking, a few villagers excused themselves and left.

After he had finished finding water for the prayer, my father asked the old monk again,

“How did it come about that Father came here?”

“I come from merit making, Master. So he rode his motorbike to deliver, but it was already late. So he just sent me here in case I need to find a temple in this area to stay at tomorrow and then travel to Buriram.” The old monk replied with an accent from a neighboring country.

“Reverend Father, this village is a small village on the side of the road. There is no temple. The villagers lived to make merit at the temple in that large village. It's about two kilometers from here. I will invite Luang Pho to stay with me at this house. I will come to visit him and tomorrow he will return to Korat. I'll come here in the morning and then go our separate ways,” my father invited.

At that time it was completely dark, so the monk answered and said yes. My father and the monk set up a place on a large straight path under the house that was a simple place to sleep. That night the old monk told my father: He is an herbal medicine doctor who can treat many diseases. Many people have been cured.

The temple you are staying at is a forest temple in Phimai District. (It is a district on the edge of Nakhon Ratchasima, which is adjacent to Buriram.) It is a place for Dhamma practice, with a large number of monks and novices and nuns practicing Dhamma. He was personally the abbot there. He also persuaded my father to go learn various medicine formulas from his temple in order to help other people.

My father said that that night he lay down and talked with that old monk so much that it was almost light and he went to sleep.

After we have breakfast together at home. Before parting, the old monk wrote down his address. He wrote, 'Ban Chiwan Forest Dhamma Practice Center, Chiwan Subdistrict, Phimai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province', but he did not tell me his name at all. It only said that he was the abbot there.

If you're famous, ask anyone and everyone knows. You can go ask the villagers. And he made an appointment to meet on April 20th. In fact, when I woke up that morning, it was already the 19th. My father divided up the fight and then parted ways to travel, waiting for the car in front of the house because the house was next to the road. The monk rode in the car towards Buriram and my father returned to Korat.

After returning to Korat, various stories were told. And the name of the meditation center still stuck with my father. That night, my father said he could hardly sleep because that name kept playing in his head. The next morning after the monks finished their alms round. Dhamma prayer So my father decided that he would try going to the address the old monk had given him.

So he went to invite a friend of a monk from the same temple named Luang Phi Chan. with two other people at the temple, named Mr. Ching Chong and Mr. Or, to drive and travel to the address that was given.

“Qing Chong, go get a car to take Master on business. The teacher is going to Phimai.”

Mr. Qingchong didn't ask much and went back home to get an old sedan that could almost be considered a temple car because it was often used for temple events.

Then he went to ask permission from Luang Pu the Abbot without explaining the reason. Then immediately set out for Phimai District. My father said that at that time he had been living in Korat for many years. Know Phimai District like any other person. namely Prasat Hin Phimai and Sai Ngam which are famous tourist attractions.

But he didn't know this meditation center at all. Never even heard the name While riding the car to Luang Phi Chan Mr. Ching Chong, the driver And Mr. Or had just learned about the reason for this trip from my father at that time.

About an hour later, we arrived at Phimai district and found a roadside shop. So we stopped and asked about Baan Chiwan and the seller. It turned out that the people in that area knew each other quite well.

“Where is Chiwan's house going?” my father asked.

“Oh, Reverend Father, go straight ahead, along the canal. When you see a sign for Khlong 1, turn left. You'll soon see a sign leading to the village,” the vendor replied.

The car moved forward as the seller said. After a while, we saw a sign along Khlong 1. Turning left along that path, we saw a sign for Baan Chiwan pointing straight ahead. The car drove no more than three kilometers and saw a sign for the entrance to the village. There was an elderly female villager walking in that area. The father then told the car to stop and asked the villager for a forest temple.

“Yom Yom, where does Ban Chiwan Forest Park Dhamma Practice Center go?”

“Reverend Father, go this way. Turn right, turn left, turn right and you'll go straight.” The elderly woman turned and answered in a local Korat accent, raising her hands in greeting.

“Yes, yes,” my father responded.

Even though he was still confused by that answer, he had no choice, so his father ordered the driver to drive as the villager had told him. The car driving as described appeared again at the end of that Chiwan village. At the end of the village there was a shop, so Father stopped and asked again to be sure.

“Yom Yom, Chiwan Forest Park Dhamma Practice Center, do you want to go this way?”

“Yes, Reverend Father, go straight and you'll be there in a moment,” the grocery store owner replied.

The car drove away from the shop at the end of the village for another 3 kilometers. The road along the way was dry, hard, dusty ground due to the hot month. Surrounding us are rice fields and distant trees. The car keeps coming straight. Until finally he came to face-to-face with a dense grove of trees. Which way comes to the end there. From its appearance, it can be inferred that there may be a forest temple inside this shady grove of trees.

As the car moved closer, there appeared an old wooden sign with very faded oil paint that read: “Ban Chiwan Forest Park Dhamma Practice Center” hung from the entrance arch made of wooden poles about two meters above the ground. It looked completely decayed. Looking left and right, my father turned and saw an old man, about 60 years old. 70 years old

It's probably a villager in that area. Sitting not far away tending cows, which the man had already looked at. In another moment, the man walked up to him and raised his hand in greeting.

“Is the Abbot here? I have come to see the abbot,” my father asked first.

The cowherd looked slightly confused. and then asked back,

“Where is the abbot of the temple, Father?”

“Is this the Baan Chiwan Forest Suan Dhamma Practice Center?” my father asked instead of answering and looked up at the old sign again.

“Yes, Father,” the cowherd answered in a local accent.

“This is the temple. I made an appointment with Luang Phor Chao Abbot to meet today. He said that he was a famous herbal medicine doctor in this district. There were many monks and nuns practicing Dhamma.”

The cowherd looked even more confused.

“There are no flowers, Father. This temple has been abandoned for about six or seven years. No one has come to live here, there have been no monks or novices for a long time. They used this forest to burn ghosts. Luang Phor, it is a cemetery. My rice field is next to it and I have seen it deserted for a long time.”

That answer made everyone in the car stunned.

“How is it, Sir Choi? Have you asked already?” Luang Phi Chan's voice asked, breaking the silence.

“That's not good. You are here. We came to this address,” my father replied, picking up a piece of paper to confirm. Then he turned and spoke to the cowherd.

"Then I'll come and take a look inside."

“Yes, yes, please.” The cowherd accepted and raised his hand in greeting.

Confusion between beginning and end is this, bouncing back and forth in the heads of everyone who goes along with it. Especially with my father who met that old monk and lay down and talked and ate together. The address on this piece of paper was written by that old monk. How is it exactly...

fortune…

....Even though I am still confused and suspicious of the situation in front of me. But this thing aroused a great deal of curiosity. Anyway, we've arrived at the place we must have witnessed. Everyone in the traveling group had the same thought.

Everyone opened the car doors. My father walked ahead and stopped at the sign of an old, abandoned gate in front of him. Everyone followed behind and stopped standing there. My father paused for a moment and then decided to step through the archway.

From the hot atmosphere outside in April It turned out to be cold, almost a different world from the outside, even though they were only one step away from each other. Everyone stepped through the gate and looked around. The area inside is dense with many types of plants, including perennials, herbaceous plants, and creepers.

It was like an oasis in the middle of a hot rice field. The area should cover more than 5 rai. When you look around carefully, you'll start to see 4-5 monks' monasteries made of simple wood with thatched roofs lined up. But what's eerie is that they're all deserted. already both ruins

Termites ate the whole house. The thatched roof was leaking holes, large and small, and parts of it had collapsed. Plants, small and large, have sprouted up, especially creepers, all tangled and overgrown.

Everyone was speechless with goosebumps.

"Ah...that monk has deceived us... Monks shouldn't be deceiving each other.." My father thought in his heart.

My father walked out into the approximately wide cement courtyard which was the center of all the buildings, deducing that it was probably a temple courtyard or some kind of Dhamma courtyard. But it was filled with thick, overgrown leaves that had been abandoned by sweepers for a long time. But it was still noticeable that there were traces of an old bonfire, with pieces of wood that were almost completely burnt and various pieces of ashes mixed with leaves in the middle of the cement area. It was not known who had piled them up.

Walking around, we saw a pavilion and a kitchen that were quite well built next to each other but were covered with thatched grass, which was only slightly better than the one behind the monastery. The bathroom looked completely deserted, with all the leaves falling inside as the roof was in no way capable of concealing anything.

While everyone was walking around looking at those abandoned buildings. Suddenly, a strange sound resounded behind my father's head.

Grax....Grax Hee hee hee hee....This sound is so cold and mesmerizing.

A sharp pain appeared at the back of my father's neck, as if someone had stabbed him with something sharp. There were shouts from Mr. Qingchong and Mr. Or, who were standing further behind.

"Haunted by a ghost..."

Along with the sound of quick footsteps. Turning around again, both Mr. Qingchong and Mr. Or ran ahead, heading straight back towards the exit. Turning around, Luang Phi Chan, who had been standing nearby a moment ago, was following them closely.

by instinct My father turned around to see what exactly was behind him.

“Oh...what is this?” my father shouted in his mind. A coldness spread throughout the body.

I looked for a moment..it was a bird..I don't know what kind of bird it was. Its wings are about a fathom wide. fiery red body It has a crest like a chicken. The tail is long like a rooster. Very big...

Without wasting time to consider, my father hurriedly walked, half walked, half ran, following them some distance away because he was slower than the others. The moment he stepped out, the fiery red bird disappeared.

When Chamao reached the car, it appeared that those who had come before were already sitting in the car, panting and sweating.

“Oh..Lord Choi. What, have you been tricked by a ghost? Where did you get your residence from?” Luang Phi Chan's voice mumbled, his breathing still coming in short gasps.

“I got it from that statue. They sat and talked and stayed up all night talking at that time. You still wrote the address for me.” My father confirmed his original words.

“Oh, Professor, what kind of bird is that? It's really big and bright red.” Mr. Qing Chong, the driver's voice, trembled.

My father didn't know how to answer but was stunned as well.

“Come on, we'd better go back. I can't stay here, sir. You have been tricked by a ghost. There is no temple or monk anywhere. This is an abandoned temple,” Luang Phi Chan blurted out again.

“How is it, Father? Did you see anything?” The cowherd's voice asked, causing everyone to be shocked again.

“I told you there was nothing. It has been abandoned for many years. It's only been a long time since they used ghosts to burn them, Reverend Father," he repeated.

“Yes, there really isn't any. I'll go home first." Without delay, my father immediately ordered the driver to turn around.

...After returning to the temple in the evening, the group that had gone there dispersed and no one said anything more about the matter. But not with my father. It's probably because what I've found is still lingering in my heart.

“What? Is that old monk a ghost? We stayed up talking all night. Wake up early and eat together. Is it possible or not…” My father was still thinking about it because he had encountered everything himself.

That night, the feeling of contemplation still lingered and refused to go away. It was something that could not be believed that these things were real. And it also happened to myself....

“What's the matter, Mr. Choi, are you still curious?” Luang P' Chan's voice asked as he sat down to eat breakfast the next day. After seeing my father's expression, he was still confused.

“I really doubt it, sir. I actually met that monk. Will I lie down and talk to a ghost or you? You clearly see it as a person,” my father said.

“You have met a ghost, I think. Who would make an appointment to go see an abandoned temple?” Luang Phi Chan said and felt a thrill.

“I think I'd like to go back and watch it again. The doubt still hasn't disappeared,” my father said.

“Oh, you're not good? Just go there and you'll know. The ghost clearly tricked me into leaving. What else do you wonder?" Luang Phi Chan said while shaking his head.

For the next two days, my father could not resist the invitation of that old monk. The name of the meditation center And the events of the day before yesterday still make me wonder.

And at noon that day

“Qing Chongwei..”

“Yes, Master.”

"Go get the car. Get the pickup truck. Teacher will go to Phimai."

“Oh..Teacher. Are you still going? There are only ghosts,” Mr. Qing Chong said, pretending to be sad when he thought of the events of that day.

“It's okay, this time I'm going to transport a lot of monks. Let's go get the pickup truck." My father insisted.

Mr. Qingchong saw that he couldn't resist so he was forced to go back to his house and get the pickup truck.

“Come on, Teacher will take you to see the temple at Phimai. Everyone go,” my father's voice said, inviting the young monks and novices who were still gathered together after finishing their meal.

After Mr. Qingchong's pickup truck arrived, the four people from last time, along with the young monk and novice monk that my father had persuaded, gathered together. There were 11 people in the front and back of the pickup truck. Everyone was ready to start their journey.

An hour later, the car was parked in front of the abandoned entrance arch in the same spot. Leaving behind the slowly fading dust.

Everyone got out of the car. Even though it was a large group of people, there didn't seem to be any chattering sounds that could be heard. Probably because the newcomers were looking at the strange deserted place ahead and had already heard some stories. Everyone seemed to be quiet.

A group of 9 monks and novices and 2 people, led by my father, stepped through the abandoned arch and went inside. When the whole group stepped inside, the first thing that everyone noticed was the smell...of something burning. You don't have to wonder for long because that thing has already appeared in front of you. In the spot where the wood pile had previously been seen, there was an old fire mark in the middle of the courtyard the day before yesterday.

Now there was a pile of wood piled up. and was burnt by fire until it became red coals and collapsed. The area around the fire that was once overgrown with leaves seemed to have been swept away. To do some activities and prevent fire from spreading around. Don't have any more doubts. That is a funeral pyre.

And the thing that was burning red was undoubtedly a human corpse...

and before anyone could protest anything

Grax, Grax, Grax, Grax, Grax, Grax.

That fiery red bird appeared again with a resounding cry that sounded extremely chilling...but now it didn't just swoop down below and peck my father on the back. any Instead, it was flying around in circles on top of my father's head, about two fathoms away. and stayed like that

“Lord Choi...why are the birds flying around your head like that?” Luang Phi Chan's voice blurted out, trembling. The person who had spoken had now inserted himself into the midst of the young monks and young monks who had come with him, who were all standing and trembling nearby.

"Oh, I'll come stay with you soon." I don't know what inspired him, so my father suddenly opened his mouth like that.

As soon as my father uttered those words, the bird flipped, turned its head towards the sky, and soared straight up... It soared up quickly with a continuous cry.

Grax, Grax, Grax, Grax, Grax, Grax.

Then he slowly disappeared into the clouds in front of everyone who was staring with their mouths open.

“Oh, Lord Chan, why did I say that?” My father was startled and turned to look at Luang Phi Chan because he was still confused by his own words.

“I don't know either. You promised him and you came to live with him. If you don't come, you will definitely die right now.” Luang Phi Chan's accent was equally thick as Korat.

“Let's go back first, sir, and we'll talk about it at the temple,” Luang Phi Chan said, inviting him over in a hushed tone.

Everyone in the group hurriedly walked back outside without hesitation. and immediately returned with thoughts in his head that were revolving around what he had just experienced.

After returning that day, my father took various matters to discuss with Luang Pu Chao Abbot.

"Oh..no problem, sir. Promise him and go live with him. He wants you to go build your prestige,” the abbot said after listening to the whole story.

“Yes..Luang Pu Then I would like to inform Luang Pu that I will be staying there for one rainy season.” My father accepted and informed me of my intention.

"Oh, there's almost a month left before the Buddhist Lent begins. Wait a minute, I'm going to go get some herbal medicine from Laos for Luang Pu first," said Luang Pu, leaving business with my father. Because my father is like his right hand in doing various tasks.

“Yes, Grandfather, I will take care of it for you before I go,” my father agreed.

That afternoon, my father was sitting and talking with several monks on a mat under a tree in the temple. It appeared that a man and a young monk were approaching from the front of the temple.

“Teacher, I would like to bring my son to live with you this rainy season.” The man stepped closer and squatted down, raising his hands in worship.

“Oh..you take a shower? As it turns out, I won't be staying here this year. I will go to live at a forest temple in Phimai,” my father replied to the man.

“Reverend Father, may I also go to the forest temple? Even though I'm not here, I still plan to stay with Luang Phor for the Buddhist Lent,” said Phra Chob Phra, Nai Aab's son.

“So, this rainy season, don't you like not studying the Dhamma first?” my father asked.

"Not yet. This year, I think I'd rather try living at a forest temple with Luang Pho." The monk said.

“Let's go, let's go. But I have to go get herbal medicine in Laos for Luang Pu and I have to finish taking care of this matter before I can go. I think it must be close to the beginning of Buddhist Lent,” my father said.

“There are only about twenty days left until the Buddhist Lent begins. It's okay. I'll go stay and sweep and clear the land and wait for Luang Phor." Phra Chob volunteered.

“Umm..that's good, sir. Anyway, Luang Phor has given it to you too... Oh my.."

“Yes, Father,” Mr. Or, who was not far away, answered and walked over.

"I'll go stay at the forest temple with Reverend Father like you then go clean up and clear the land and wait for Reverend Father. This way we'll finish our business. Reverend Father will follow us later."

Mr. Or was slightly disconcerted because the events that had passed were quite haunting. But deep inside Mr. Or is a person who likes peace. I like forests and forests, and at least there are monks with me, so I promised.

“Yes, Father.”

“Good..good..don't worry about anything, in three days Luang Pho will send you. Then, when I have free time, I will invite Luang Pu to inform the abbot of the temple in the village that there is a monk at the forest temple. You will help take care of me,” my father told Phra Chob and Nai Or.

The next two days, while my father was rushing to supervise the construction work to add a monastery for Luang Pu in order to complete it in time for the many errands that lay ahead. At that time, a familiar voice sounded out.

"Sir Joi, Sir Joi"

My father turned around and saw that he saw a fellow monk from another temple approaching him. Next to him was a young novice who was about 10 years old.

“Oh..Hi. Sir Moo, what are you doing here today?” My father greeted and raised his hands in greeting.

“The father and mother of a young monk brought their child to be entrusted to them. They're Khmer. Ask your child to come ordain with me. But at the temple I am not comfortable accepting it because the novice does not have a permit to enter the city,” said Phra Mu.

“Oh, Sir Moo, this year I will not be staying here for the rainy season. I'm going to spend the Buddhist Lent at a forest temple in Phimai over there,” my father said.

“Luang Por, I would like to go live with you at the forest temple with Luang Por. I am not a widow,” came the young novice's voice with a Cambodian accent.

“Oh, novices, are you going to live in a forest temple and not afraid of ghosts?” my father asked affectionately.

“I'm afraid I can stay,” said the young novice.

“Anyway, I leave it with you. I didn't know what to do either. I feel pity, I feel pity,” Phra Mu said.

“Oh, stay here, stay, that's right. Then Reverend Father will let the novice go live with Reverend Father Chob and Yom Or first. As soon as Father finishes his business, he will join me later,” my father said.

After the agreement was reached, Phra Mu said goodbye and immediately left. Probably has something else to do, I don't know. Leaving the young monk there with my father.

“What is your name, novice?”

"My name is Jia. Jia means good."

“Oh, that means good,” my father repeated. “Alright, come this way, Reverend Father will take you to Luang Phi Chob so he can take care of you first. Tomorrow, Reverend Father will send him to stay at the forest temple.” With that, my father walked the young novice and sent him to Luang Phi Chob so that they could find a place to stay together before leaving the next day.

The next day at the ready to travel time. Mr. Ching Chong's pickup truck was already on standby waiting for my father, Luang Phi Chob, Mr. Or, and Nen Jia. Ready to travel The car arrived at that abandoned temple in the late afternoon. Luang Phi Chob and Naen Jia seemed a little startled, probably because the temple looked more deserted than expected. But because these people are not afraid of ghosts and because they have already volunteered to stay here, they do not feel much fear.

“Whatever, Reverend Father, let me leave it to you. Which ones are enough to collect, to sweep, to grind, to clear, just do it and wait first."

“Yes, Father.” Everyone answered easily.

There wasn't much ceremony. That's all my father gave the order and then he left because he still had a lot of business to wait for before coming to this forest temple. ...Abandoned forest temple ...ghost burning cemetery ....The temple where a mysterious old monk gave my father an address...

Clear the way…

My father has gone back. Leaving the three people behind amidst the forest and ruins of buildings that looked desolate. And quite a bit creepy. But for the three That's not the first thing to worry about. The most important thing right now seems to be sleeping tonight.

Since this place hadn't had anyone brave enough to stay in it for a long time, there were no facilities to welcome them. The first thing would be to look for a place that would be suitable for cleaning up and sleeping for the night.

“What should we do? Where should we sleep tonight?” Luang Phi Chob said.

“I think we should try exploring these monasteries first, sir. In case there might be a house that can be cleaned up enough for us to sleep first. Next day, we'll talk about repairs,” Mr. Or said, pointing his hand towards the deserted cloisters.

The three of them walked out to explore those deserted quarters. Even though it was only 3 p.m., with the dense forest around us, And the distance from the village makes the surrounding atmosphere seem lonely and lonely, as if there are only three destined friends in this world. The first monastery appeared to have decayed to the point where it was not usable.

The cubicle, which was about a cubit above the ground, was now tilted. You can see that the floorboards in front of the balcony are decayed because they were happily gnawed by termites. In the middle of the balcony, there is a wide area of ​​decay. This creature that eats these wood has also built a nest that rises up prominently in the middle of the space. That free time You could see the path they had made out of wood and all of it was drooling.

It was the only monastery that seemed least threatened by creeping plants, but its condition was not conducive to habitation in any way. The fourth and fifth residences from the inside looked so overgrown that they couldn't be cleared out in time, and there was no guarantee that they would be usable once they were cleared in.

So the three of them turned to consider the second and third huts, which looked like they could be used and could be cleared in time for the evening. The three agreed to choose the second cubicle that would be most convenient for cleaning up in time for this evening.

Everyone placed their luggage in the cement courtyard, which was now beginning to have some leaves fall and cover it up. The bonfire that day seemed to have been spread out to collect all the remains of the dead. But there are still traces of burns and ash remains. Aside from Mr. Or, the remaining two were not bothered at all.

And Mr. Or chose not to talk about it. He thought it would not be very good to know that in front of the monastery where he was going to sleep tonight there was a cremation pile right in front of it. It may cause various images to arise even though he is known to be a person who is not afraid of ghosts. So he didn't tell his fellow faculty members.

“Let's go, hurry, before it gets dark. It would get dark here faster than it would be outside, and if it got dark it would probably be inconvenient for us in all respects. Because we only have one Buddhist Lent candle, it probably won't give much light,” Mr. Or said as he took out a Buddhist Lent candle the size of an arm's length and about an elbow length and placed it on his personal backpack.

The three picked up various equipment that had been prepared from the temple. The monk likes to use a shovel to clear the area in front of the stairs to make it clear and see the poisonous animals that can hide in the grass and small plants in that area. The novice Jia Chuay was able to help remove the various fragments that the monk liked to remove.

Mr. Or grabbed a knife with an elbow-length handle and went out to cut through the various ivy plants that were covering the stair railing. The condition of this monastery looked old and deserted due to age, but overall it still looked good. Much more than the first monastery. Mr. Or removed the various vines that were covering the staircase and balcony railings.

Makes it look like a cubicle situation. The balcony floor was filled with remnants of thatched roofs that had rotted down from the wind and rain. Mr. Or used a rolled up ivy vine and his long-handled knife to roughly sweep them away, revealing the still wooden floor. It can still be used. It was different from the first kuti which had already been occupied by the local resident who built the nest.

Add...the sound of the door hinges, which probably hadn't been opened or closed by anyone in a long time, rubbing against each other. The sound immediately caught the attention of the two people grinding grass below.

After unwrapping the old rusty wire that was roughly tied to the U-wire of the door, Mr. Or then tried to open the door and a loud noise occurred. It was quite an advantage that whoever had been here had also gone out of their way to find a wire to hang on to before leaving. Otherwise the wind would have knocked it around and damaged it.

There might not be a usable door left as seen. Mr. Or slowly opened the entire door in front of the two pairs of eyes watching below.

"Sigh..." Mr. Or's voice let out a long breath. This caused the two people below to feel relieved as well.

Conditions inside the cubicle are a rectangular room approximately three by three meters in size. The wall looks a bit old, but it's still tight, with no broken or frayed parts. The wooden floor was in better condition than expected, with only pieces of old grass broken from the roof and some leaves. Sweeping my eyes and looking around, it didn't appear that anything was lurking.

This should be a small blessing for today, not having to waste time repairing walls or floorboards until dark. But we might have to spend the night watching the stars and taking a shower, but that probably won't be much of a problem for the three lives that are all willing to volunteer to be the pathfinders.

“Young novice, please bring me the broom downstairs. Take it both hard and soft,” Mr. Orwan's voice came.

The young novice monk went and picked up a coconut broom and a grass broom and handed them to Mr. Or.

“How is it inside, Yom Or?” Luang Phi Faek asked.

“Nothing is damaged. Condition better than expected As soon as I'm done cleaning up, then we'll start loading things up," Mr. Or said.

They all worked together to manage the place until it was empty enough to be habitable. Then they helped each other move the luggage up to the top. The baggage was nothing more than a bag with a bowl and a handful of other monks. As for Mr. Or, he only had one bag of clothes and personal items and two mats to lay on. It's not wrong to say that we live easily according to our own customs, like people living in temples.

“Let's go find a place to shower. It will get dark soon,” Mr. O said after finishing his mission. The time was approaching 5 p.m. and the atmosphere around him seemed to grow dim with every minute that passed.

“The first day I came, I noticed that there were many large water jars next to the kitchen next to the pavilion,” he continued.

“That's good too, but have you looked to see if there's water?” the monk wondered.

“Not yet. That day came in just a moment. So I invited you to go look at this,” Mr. Or said.

The three of them grabbed their personal clothes and rushed to the area. Before going, Mr. Or didn't forget to grab a large Buddhist Lent candle and a lighter.

Arriving at the large water jar, the young novice jumped up and climbed on the edge of the jar to examine the water in the jar.

“Oh, wow, wow!” The young novice's voice came out in its original language.

“What is it, novice Jia, what is it?” the monk asked because he couldn't hear him in time.

“Good, Luang Phi, really good,” the young novice corrected the palanquin.

Luang Phi Chob and Mr. Or walked in to join them. When they looked up, they saw that in every jar there was a lot of water, which may have been because they had always received rain water but no one had ever come to scoop it up and use it. Although looking at the bottom of the jar there were a lot of fallen leaves, the water was clear. When the water was splashed, there was only a slight smell of leaves. It was considered something as lucky as the condition of the hut for the three of them.

“Come on, hurry up, it'll get dark first. So we can hurry up and do our prayers here. You can't stay here without praying." The monk's voice likes to say,

After the three of them had finished showering, it was time to enter the fire. Mr. Or lit a candle and walked back. The atmosphere at that time was very quiet, as if there were no other living things at all. The nocturnal animals, even the cicadas, did not utter a single word. Whether everything here was aware of their coming and was watching, it is impossible to know. Right now, the only sounds were the footsteps of the three people stomping on the leaf-covered ground.

“Where are we going to pray, Luang Pee?” the novice Jia's voice asked while everyone was getting dressed in the hut.

“Probably should go to the pavilion, novice. I noticed that there was a Buddha statue in that pavilion,” Luang Phi Chob said, pointing towards the pavilion next to the kitchen where they had just taken a bath. Hurry and get dressed so we can go.”

The pavilion, which from the outside looks like the most permanent structure among all the buildings because it is made of five rows of brick blocks, is left open and covered with grass, which it is in. The condition was similar to the roof of the monastery where the three had chosen to sleep. There were some leaves strewn about inside the pavilion, but the most was dust, which was thick enough to be seen from the Buddha statue the size of an eight-year-old child mounted on a cement plinth inside the pavilion. It's been a long time.

Namo tassa bhagavato.... The sound of chanting began in the darkness and quiet of that night. In such an atmosphere, a cold voice reverberated throughout the deserted area that people had lived in for such a long time.

...in the middle of the night that night While the three of them were sleeping, curled up together in the cool air and the stale water vapor that was dripping down the small and large gaps in the grass-roof, crunch, crunch, crunch... the sound of footsteps, the sound of human footsteps. ..That sound sounded into the ears of the novice Jia who was tossing and turning because of the cold. Novice Jia listened intently for a moment, but the sound became clearer.

“People...that's the sound of human footsteps. Not the only one.” Novice Jia thought to herself.

The more you listen, the clearer the sound becomes. The footsteps sounded like the footsteps of two or three people stomping through the leaves on the ground, coming from the entrance arch. The sound slowly came in. Passing in front of the monastery where the three slept and slowly heading towards the prayer pavilion earlier this evening. Novice Jia poked the monk's arm without daring to utter a word.

“Just hold on, Reverend Brother, I'm listening.” The Reverend's voice likes to whisper as softly as possible.

Then there was a sound of movement from Mr. Or, signaling that he was listening as well. The three of them were calm and listening. A moment later, all three of them's hearts were pounding. No matter what the three heard, the three must have goosebumps all over their bodies again.

“Namo tassa bhagavato....” A chant!

The three of them listened and could hardly breathe.

“What is this? A person, a ghost, or something? Why is it that it's deserted and no one dares come in?” Many questions rushed into everyone's minds.

...and before he could breathe in his stomach

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... The three of them were startled as they couldn't quite put their finger on the end... The three of them heard the sound of footsteps quickly passing through the cubicle. Everything returned to silence as if nothing had ever happened.

“Shall we go out and have a look?” Mr. O said after listening intently for a moment.

“Soon it will be morning. We'll go take a look soon," the monk said after looking at the couple's alarm clock, priced at a hundred and ninety nine, that was placed on top of the bed.

“People or ghosts of Luang Phi?” said the novice Chia.

"You'll know soon, novice, go to sleep," the monk said simply.....

“Tick, tick, tick, tick.” The sound of the hundred-nine-nine alarm clock was working hard. The three stood up almost at the same time. The monk likes to turn off the alarm sound from the clock.

“Yes,” came a short, simple invitation from Luang Phi Chob.

The three of them immediately walked towards the pavilion, led by a monk who liked to hold a candle. The novice Jia, who was following closely behind Luang Phi, suddenly became aware of it and bumped into Luang Phi Chob's plate with a loud bang.

“Ugh,” the voice of the novice Jia exclaimed because he had bumped into her.

“November...” The monk's voice spoke briefly without turning around.

The sight in front of them left everyone speechless. The monks...yes, were two monks who were probably also humans. His current situation was lying with his arms and legs spread unconscious on the floor with nothing to support him with. There were bowls of flowers of some kind scattered on the ground. So what's the matter? All three of them thought the same thing.

“Go and have a look first, Reverend. It should be a person, I think,” Mr. O said.

After giving first aid for a moment, the two monks got up. But the symptoms appear to be frightened and ask questions without understanding.

“What should we do, Luang Phi?” asked Mr. Or.

“I don't know, Yom. Let's wait and see first," the monk said.

For a moment, the three of them still hadn't decided what to do. It appeared that there was the sound of a car coming to a stop in front of the entrance gate. Then he heard the sound of a number of people making a noise and walking in.

“Where are you?” a man's voice asked.

“There, over there,” a man's voice answered.

In a moment, a group of 7-8 people walked in, making a fuss. After they all met and inquired, the answer was, Two monks and one person tried to enter the ceremony to ask for lottery numbers with the Buddha image in the pavilion. As the two monks held out five Khandha trays, flowers, incense sticks and candles towards the Buddha. It appeared that the Buddha had reached out and received the five Khandhas.

After that, the two monks fainted. As for the man who was with him, he ran away alone. In the morning, he went and told the village headman to bring him in and help these two monks out.

For that morning, the village headman ordered that he would bring breakfast to offer. Luang Phi Chob accepted the request. And the elders said that they would go and inform the villagers that there was a monk who was staying at the forest temple. From now on, every morning there would be monks from the forest temple who would come to take alms.

Two days later, my father traveled with Luang Pu Chao Abbot...both of them headed straight to the village temple first, as was customary to inform the main temple of their arrival first.

After informing the abbot of the village temple of his various wishes, the abbot told my father that two days ago, a monk from the temple had gone to the forest temple to ask for lottery tickets and something had happened to the point where he was still unconscious. I paid back both pictures. My father heard this and asked to go visit the two monks. When we entered the room, it appeared that the two monks were still shaking with fear. The hair on their heads was white and gray from the root up to half the length of the hair.

“How are you?” my father asked as he looked at the two monks.

The two still lay there shaking, not saying anything. So my father asked other monks to help support the two monks to get up and take a holy bath. After that, the two monks regained consciousness. When he finished his work there, my father immediately excused himself and went to the forest temple.

faith…

About twenty more days later it was time for my father to leave for the forest temple. After completing his duties that afternoon, my father bid farewell to the abbot and left for the forest temple as he had promised to that fiery red serpent.

My father said that on the first night he was there, he woke up in the morning and he was like a puddle without even realizing it. What is it? Let's follow....

After walking for more than three kilometers before entering the village area My father could only accept alms from two kith and kin. When the third prince appeared, there was a grandmother who invited him.

“Teacher, big daddy hasn't been able to walk for many years. sleeping on the house Teacher, can you make holy water to sprinkle on Yom? Let the young monk and young monk walk first. I'll have my son take the car to take the teacher to the temple himself."

“Oh, how are you?” my father said easily.

“Big Daddy got hit in the leg by a cow. I haven't been able to walk for three years.”

My father walked up and looked and saw the condition of an old man, about 60-70 years old, with a well built figure. Lying on a mat, legs straight, there is a piece of wood the size of the thigh under the right knee. Then there was a cloth tied to a brick block tied to the end of the leg, as if to make the leg bend down, but the leg refused to bend and remained straight and dull.

On inquiry, he was hit by a young mother cow while riding a motorcycle three years ago. After that, my legs couldn't bend and I couldn't walk. But then

My father told the grandmother to bring water and put it in a bucket. Then he lit a candle and closed his eyes and prayed, chanting Itipiso.. down. After a while, when I opened my eyes, it appeared that the candle tears that had fallen into the bucket of holy water were dripping together in numbers.

"Oh my god, come and take a look. There are numbers, let's take a look," Reverend Father said. At that time he didn't mean to say anything, he just said.

"Oh... 82 ... just right, Master. Today the Government Savings Bank number came out just in time," said the grandmother, sounding excited.

After pouring holy water....that afternoon

“The winning number...82....” A young woman's voice on the radio announced clearly.

"Wow.....it's perfect." A loud voice echoed throughout the house. That afternoon, that grandmother I later learned that her name was Grandma Noi. Receive money from lottery numbers drawn that day. Around thirty thousand baht

“Here..Luang Phor Ma Mai. Coming to live at Wat Pa Ai Chueng is really accurate. Make holy water with clear numbers.” Grandma Noi's voice chattered loudly with her neighbors as was her usual habit of being a talkative person.

The next morning, an extravaganza according to the nature of Thai people suddenly occurred. No news spreads as quickly as news of good fortune. The forest temple was once so quiet and deserted that no one even wanted to come close to it. Instead, the sky was dark and the ground was full of many people. Villagers everywhere, not knowing where they had heard the news, flocked to the forest temple. But what was noteworthy was that almost everyone was ready to carry buckets of water from their homes.

“Reverend Father..Reverend Father. Please make holy water in numbers for me.. sir..." The Korat accents of the villagers are loud and irritated.

Chong villagers, both old and young, flock to the temple grounds in the hope of gaining good fortune. It was like seeing light from heaven.

“Oh my...I don't know what to do. I can't do it." Father, I had to make amends because yesterday Father made holy water at my house..Oh my goodness..I saw it was the number 82." A loud voice came from far away, according to Little Grandma. At the same time as that sound, Grandma Noi's son pulled over in the E-Tan car. There were crockery, pots and kitchen utensils all over the back of the car.

“Yesterday I earned over thirty thousand baht. So I went to buy something from the market and gave it to you.” Little Grandma's voice had not softened at all.

Those words instantly created a buzz in the crowd. And even more distressed, the person whose leg was hit by a cow and couldn't walk for three years jumped out of the E-Tan car that his son was driving. Then he walked limping behind Little Grandma, in the sight of Chong villagers who were familiar with her.

“Oh my gosh, you can walk now. Since when were you able to walk?” several villagers shouted.

"Yesterday, Luang Phor went to pour holy water on him in the morning, so he was able to walk," a quiet-eyed voice said with a small smile and a big smile.

The villagers were even more excited. In conclusion, that morning everyone who came came to help carry rice and sweep and clean various spots. However, when surveying the temple area, they also found a pond next to the kitchen. Because the grass was so tall, it was not noticed by the group that had been there before. At first, the villagers volunteered to bring lawn mowers to finish cutting it. Later that day From the frightening and desolate condition of the forest temple, it has become a very pleasant and enjoyable place for practicing Dhamma meditation.

After that day, it became known that a group of monks and novices came to stay at this forest temple. There were faithful kith and kin who came to donate necessary items. They both joined together to remember the precepts and practice Dhamma during the Buddhist Lent.

....One night, after finishing his prayers, Luang Pho turned to tell the novice Jia and Luang Phi Chob.

“Well, coming to live in the forest, we have to practice meditation to keep the mind still. Tonight, Reverend Father will let novices and monks go practice Asupha meditation,” Reverend Father said.

“What is it, Luang Pho?” said the novice novice, suspiciously.

“The novice must go and examine the body of a dead person,” said the monk.

“Huh...really Luang Por?” Novice Jia got goosebumps just thinking about it.

“The edge of the forest over there. Today someone died and the body was set up for cremation and left behind. Let the novice go and consider the body that is being cremated,” said the monk.

“Why, Luang Por?” Novice Jia's voice trembled. As for the monk, he still sat still.

“We must consider that the human body is impermanent. Everything in the body is putrid. There's only blood and bones. No matter the outside, it's the same when you die," the monk explained.

“You can't go, can you?” Nen Jia argued.

“Are the novices afraid of ghosts?” the monk asked.

“There are many people who are not afraid. But I'm afraid to be alone.” Noven Jia answered in a trembling voice.

“Ghosts are something created by our minds, novices. If the novice does not train his mind to be still, no matter if the novice is in the prayer pavilion, Or in the room, ghosts can come and trick the novice anyway. If the novice trains his mind well and allows him to stand in the cemetery, the ghost cannot deceive the novice.” Reverend Father Tambon

“Then how do you want me to go, Father?” the monk said.

“I'll go find it at 9 p.m. in the early evening and let the novice Jia go stand and consider first. After 9:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., let the monks take turns with the novices,” the monk said.

“Yes, Luang Por,” Luang Phi accepted, and the novice Jia also gathered around him.

After that, Novice Jia asked to meditate for a moment and became somewhat kinder. Once he was able to come to terms with it, the novice Jia got up and got ready.

“The monk took a flashlight and sent it to the novices and then the monk returned. There was no need to leave the flashlight behind,” the monk ordered. It could be said that the novice Jia would definitely have lost her way and come back in the middle if it wasn't time to take turns.

The light of the flashlight shone in a beam of light in front of the grass and thorns that had once been overgrown, which the admiring villagers had come to help clear out until it was completely bare. The walkway there is a walkway that goes directly to the cremation area where the villagers have moved outside the temple courtyard because there are now a group of monks living in the temple.

The two walked away calmly. Even though this area was not as deserted as before. But the atmosphere at this time was still quiet, only the sound of the two people's footsteps could be heard stomping on the dirt and short grass interspersed. The surroundings were eerily quiet, but the direction we were heading was even more eerie.

Because what was waiting in front of them was a dead person set in the middle of a desolate place. In the middle of the darkness This was constantly revolving around in Novice Jia's head.

A flickering light appeared ahead in the darkness. The light became more and more apparent as it got closer, but the first thing that came into contact was not the image of anything there. But it was the smell..the smell of burning flesh and the smell of evaporated gasoline. This smell was not a pleasant smell at all, especially in the dark in the middle of a lonely forest like this.

Fighting with everything in their hearts, the two of them walked towards the blazing fire. The scene in front of me was a waist-high pile of wood that was on fire, blazing at the top of the pile. The flames were not as strong as expected, but seemed to burn evenly, slowly spreading.

As for what lay on the fire, it was now impossible to determine whether it was a man or a woman, a child or an old man, because it had begun to burn and was consumed by the intense flames that were spreading throughout its body. The sound of fire spreading through various parts and the wood making a popping sound. The smell of burning flesh became even more evident.

But before the two of them could do anything, A person's face suddenly appeared in the middle of the fire in front of him and a voice blurted out....

“What are you doing?” The voice was clear amidst the sound of the burning fire.

Both of them were startled and looked at each other in confusion. Even though they had concentrated beforehand, they were unable to control their symptoms because they were not prepared.

“What are you doing with Monk Chob and Nen Jia?” The voice came again.

“Oh, Yom Chaem, I thought it was a ghost...oh,” the voice of the monk said, feeling relieved when he saw the face of Yom Chaem, a 60-year-old man. Their bodies are thin and stiff but they look strong, which you've come to know since the first day you've been here. He is the village undertaker.

“So what are the monks and novice doing here?” he asked across the fire from the other side.

“The monk asked me and the novice to come and consider the Subha meditation,” the monk replied.

"Oh..Yes, that's good. Come stay in the forest and be afraid of ghosts, you won't get any flowers. Come and train, it's good." Ta Chaem said, "So how long will you stay?" He asked further.

“About 5 or 6 p.m.,” the monk said.

“Then I'll just have a look at it for you. I'm going to go into the house for a bit. At 6:00 p.m. I will come out and remove the corpse again,” Ta Chaem said.

“Oh..I thought Yom Chaem would be here,” novice Jia protested.

“Not a novice flower. Practicing meditation must be practiced alone in order for a novice to be good. It will be magical.” Ta Chaem said that he came as the villagers did.

“Alright, novice monk, the monk will be back soon. The monk will be here at 9:00 p.m. Just another hour.”

“Yes, stay, stay,” Noven Jia decided.

The sound of footsteps and the flashlight from the monk gradually disappeared.

“Young novice, come stand on the upwind side so you don't stink of a dead body.” Ta Chaem advised, then turned and walked away, riding an old motorcycle without another word.

The atmosphere was extremely dark and oppressive. The only light was the flames burning through the logs and the charred body lying there. However, the novice Jia felt surprisingly calmer. Whether it was due to concentration from chanting or something else is unknown. What would you do, let alone have a somber eye that has white liquor as a friend to stain your heart with and a bunch of Buddha amulets hanging around? But for the novice Jia, only a determined mind can make it through here.

The sound of fire still burning and burning that body. The light from the flames revealed a figure sprawled on a pile of burning wood. The skin and tendons had already been burned in many parts, revealing black and white bones that were on fire. The large muscles in his legs were burning black in the flames.

As for the body, the skin on the chest and abdomen with burning fat disappeared, only the ribs and internal organs, which were no different from those of animals, were piled up in the abdomen. The intestines and stomach began to flow out from the sides. Luckily, they had been torn apart by the fire, otherwise they might have swelled and burst all over the place. Move up to a face with only a skull showing.

The face, eyes, ears, nose, eyebrows may not have anything left as a symbol of identity to be remembered. It is a reminder of the truth that all humans are equal: whether they are born rich or poor, whether they are high or low, whether they are black or white, there is no difference. When this body is without a soul holding it, everything mundane becomes meaningless and priceless.

The light of truth flashed into the novice Jia's stream of consciousness, causing him to meditate strangely. Any apprehension that had previously plagued my mind began to subside. It's like a vine that loosens itself from a tree that is holding it, giving that tree an opportunity to grow into a big tree...........

Thank you to everyone who has followed us until now. From now on, Saman Jia will be the one who will lead us on a mysterious and wonderful adventure. Both stories about spirits, stories about Nagas, and others. We invite everyone to follow the episode title. "Adventures of Novice Jia" Thank you.

The Blue Corner

Transfer experience