Story 9 – Pac Bo Cave

Câu chuyện số 9 – Hang Pắc Bó by ThầyGià – 12 November 2008, 03:03 – translated by NgocXuan – edited by Horangi

Roughly 24 years ago, while I was spreading the teachings of the Dharma, a family living in a prosperous neighborhood in California invited me and four of my disciples to their home for an initiation ceremony. This area’s affluence reflected their comfortable living standards. The hosts provided us with a vegetarian meal, in line with the guidance I had given my disciples at the time to embrace vegetarianism for two years as a mark of their dedication to the Dharma.

After dining, the host and his wife sought initiation into Old_Guru Secret Teaching’s mysteries. They wished, at their family altar, to call upon Saint Ly Tien, the host’s ancestor who became a saint after death. It’s important to distinguish Saint Ly Tien from others like Ly Thai Bach or Ly Tien the elder of the Cao Dai sect, who communicated spiritual messages through a medium.

With their palms joined, they chanted their ancestor’s name, and within about 5 minutes, both experienced physical sensations as divine confirmation of their prayer: their hands moved involuntarily, their bodies felt warm and comfortable, and their faces flushed. Later, over tea, the host, Mr. Cao Manh Thang, began to share his personal and professional background with me.

Mr. Thang shared that his ancestor, Saint Ly Tien, maintained a numinous presence, miraculously aiding the family. This guidance came through mediums, who helped navigate challenges and shared medicinal recipes for healing the descendants. Mr. Thang, self-described as dull-witted—a term characteristic of Northern Vietnamese—recounted how, in his youth, he regularly requested charms from Saint Ly Tien, always holding one in his mouth during exams for support.

After sharing mystical stories, Mr. Thang recounted his personal history. He had been a colonel in charge of communications, noting that his close connection to national secrets prevented his promotion to general due to the need for confidentiality in his role. He also revealed his essential involvement in any potential coups at that time.

[Side note: In a related recollection, I remembered a conversation with another colonel I had initiated, who informed me that Mr. Thang additionally managed military security and held an MA in National Administration.]

Following his comprehensive introduction, Mr. Thang progressed to the main narrative, a story of mysticism that puzzled him throughout his life. During his tenure as an officer in the South Vietnamese army, he participated in a covert operation with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) into Pac Bo cave, a stronghold of the Resistance army, to discuss confidential issues concerning the conflict between the Allied forces and the Opposition. Given his position in a powerful country’s military, he admittedly underestimated the Resistance force (notably, General Giap’s army was still relatively small at that time) and viewed Ho Chi Minh as a merely average leader of the Resistance.

Mr. Thang and the secret service leaders entered Mr. Ho Chi Minh’s workspace. Upon their announcement, Mr. Ho stood up to greet them. Mr. Thang recounted feeling an unusual force on his throat, preventing him from stepping forward, as soon as Mr. Ho looked directly at him.

Similar to General Luong from the previous story, Colonel Thang only met with me once. I later discovered that he, too, had passed away about 7 or 8 months prior, as announced in an obituary placed in the newspapers by his family.

Until next time…
Old_Guru 21-08-08