One young woman fell ill and was close to death.
“Oh, I love you so much,” she told her husband. “I really don’t want to leave you.” Don't you dare marry another woman after my death. If you do this, I will return to you as a ghost and will constantly torment you.
Soon she died. For six months, her husband fulfilled her last wish, and then he met another woman and fell in love with her. They decided to get married. Immediately after the engagement, a ghost began to appear to him every night, reproaching him for not keeping his word. The ghost was very smart and well aware. He accurately recounted to the person what happened between him and his beloved. If the ex-husband gave a gift to his bride, the ghost would describe it in detail. He even repeated all their conversations and described the details of their meetings. This bothered the man so much that he could no longer sleep. Someone advised him to address his troubles to a Zen Master who lived not far from the village. In desperation, the poor man went to him for help.
“It looks like your ex-wife has become a ghost and knows about everything you do,” the Master concluded. - Whatever you do, whatever you say, whatever you give to your beloved, she knows everything. This must be a very smart ghost. You have to admire him. Here's my advice: the next time your ghost wife appears, bargain with her. Tell her that she knows so much about you that you will not be able to hide anything from her, and that if she answers your one and only question correctly, then you promise to break off the engagement and remain single forever.
- What should I ask her? - said the man.
- Take a full handful of soybeans and ask her to tell you exactly how many beans you have in your hand. If she can't answer, she will never bother you again.
In the evening, when the ghost appeared, the man greeted him warmly and said that the ghost knew about everything.
“Of course,” answered the ghost. “And I know that today you visited a Zen Master.”
“If you know so much,” the man demanded, “then tell me how many beans are in this hand?”
Not a single ghost appeared before him to answer this question.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru