Min tibetanska barndom i Zorgay - Life and Culture on the Tibetan ...

suggested shouting her name as loudly as possible in the
forest to frighten the ghosts away. Elders stayed at home,
chanted mani, <strong>and</strong> prayed to the Lord Buddha to release her
from the ghosts as young people went to the forest <strong>and</strong> called
her name. This scared the ghosts, who said to each other,
"People are here for her. Let's leave her, or we'll be in trouble."
Dugar regained consciousness, responded to the
villagers' calls after the ghosts released her, reported
everything that had happened, <strong>and</strong> then fainted as soon as
she saw light when she returned to her home.
Villagers put thangka on her head <strong>and</strong> burned a small
piece of cloth from a venerable lama's clothing to awaken her.
She could not speak when she regained consciousness; she
could not even open her mouth very wide. Elders say that if
ghosts catch you for one or two days, then you lose your
ability to talk for life. In time, however, Dugar got better <strong>and</strong>
finally became her old self.
She was very lucky. In another village, a woman
caught by ghosts died two days after they released her.
Gr<strong>and</strong>mother told me that if ghosts caught you, you
could go anywhere - even walk through walls – <strong>and</strong> that the
ghosts pulled you roughly behind them.
I heard many different stories about ghosts in my home
area. One of my cousins told me this story that is related to a
poplar tree that was planted by a man who died some years ago
along the road to our village. When we reach the tree, we
usually rest there.
Pulled by a Ghost
It was late <strong>and</strong> very dark when I started home from a day of
shopping in the main township town. I walked fast, hoping to
reach home quickly so as not to worry my parents.
I heard a bird flapping away from the tree. I felt sorry
for the bird because it is bad karma to frighten a bird at night. I
murmured the six-syllable mantra under my breath <strong>and</strong> stood
ready to continue my journey home. Suddenly, I saw the man
who had planted the tree. Every single hair on my body stood
up. I was about to run, but someone grabbed my shoulders. I
was terrified <strong>and</strong> couldn't move. No one was there when I
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