Terror in the Charnel Grounds

Series: Halloween

Terror in the Charnel Grounds

The season for scary stories is upon us.

This reminds me of a teaching from my master, Alags Chörten, drawn from his own experience. It was in the middle of the night, as is traditional, and during the same time of year—autumn. It was about the practices in the charnel grounds.

He told me about the time he was with his teacher in such places, near Lake Kokonor (Tib. mtsho sngon po), the Mongolian name for the Blue Lake, located near the city of Xining in eastern Tibet. Apart from them, there was no one in sight. When performing such practices, one generally sleeps during the day in a small tent or a rocky shelter and practices from nightfall until dawn in the darkness, illuminated only by moonlight.

 “That was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life,” he told me then in the pitch-black night. And he added, “You, too, will have such experiences!” 

One night while he was practicing, my master heard what sounded like groans and screeches beside him, and he sensed movements around him without being able to determine their source. He did not stop his practice, however. Nevertheless, the more he practiced, the more the movements and noises intensified. This continued until there was a shrill scream in the night, and then… nothing.

Very abruptly, my master suddenly felt a violent jolt in his back and an immense weight bearing down on him. He collapsed face-down onto the ground. For several long, terrifying seconds, he felt that weight crushing his chest against the ground while pressing down on his back.

He then turned his mind to Vajrayogini, and within seconds, he was freed from the tremendous weight.

“That was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life,” he told me then in the pitch-black night. And he added, “You, too, will have such experiences!”

But that is another story.