He Will Wake Up Tomorrow
Book 223 Stories of Supreme Spiritual Responses (《無上殊勝的感應》「明天會醒過來」)

‧Written by Sheng-yen Lu‧
Translated by Janny Chow
A US Daden Culture Publication

　　On June 1, 2011, I was flying into Seattle from Taiwan on Eva Air’s flight BR026.
　　Just as I awoke from my sleep, a woman with long hair walked up to me, stooped with her palms joined and asked, “Are you Grand Master Lu?”
　　I replied, “I am.”
　　“What a coincidence! We are on the same flight, in the same cabin, and I am sitting right behind you!”
　　I asked, “Is there something I can help you with?”
　　“My mother lives in Surabaya, Indonesia. Mother has been to the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple in Redmond, and she is very grateful to Grand Master Lu for saving a life.”
　　“Saving a life?” I asked. “Whose life?”
　　She replied, “My younger brother’s life. Something happened to my brother and he was in a coma for thirty-five days. The doctors had given up on further treatments. So my mother flew to Seattle to ask Grand Master Lu for help. Unexpectedly, after pleading with you, you had no initial response. Then after a moment of silence, you told her that he would wake up the next day.”
　　She continued, “When mother heard that, she was filled with mixed emotions. She was thrilled to hear that my brother would wake up the next day, yet at the same time she was worried. Because all the doctors were of the opinion that a person in a coma for thirty-five days was beyond treatment, it was highly unlikely that he would wake up the next day. Could Grand Master Lu just be consoling her? Could he be a charlatan spouting irresponsible remarks?”
　　She went on to describe the end result, “My brother did indeed wake up on the thirty-sixth day, after thirty-five days of being in a coma. How magical? It was incredible and inconceivable!”
　　The mother of this long-haired woman flew again from Surabaya, Indonesia to Ling Shen Ching Tze in Redmond to personally thank Grand Master Lu. However, after several attempts, she was unable to meet Grand Master Lu face to face.
　　“What a surprise that we are now on the same flight, same cabin, and our seats are so close. What a fortunate coincidence. Thank you!”
　　She said repeatedly, “Thank you!” “It is my pleasure,” I replied.
　　***
　　Slowly I raked through my memories to search for this incident. This is what I recalled:
　　When this mother came to see me, she knelt down and refused to get up. Her nose was running and tears streamed profusely down her face.
　　Behind her back stood her son’s spirit, also known as his soul, bardo body, or ghost spirit. Her son’s head dropped to one side, his hands were manacled, his feet in chains, and he appeared resigned to his situation.
　　I had great sympathy for this mother and son, especially because the mother had flown thousands of miles to see me for his sake. I blew a breath of air lightly onto her son’s head, and his head straightened.
　　With a second breath, the manacles on his hands opened and dropped.
　　With the third breath, the chains fell off his feet.
　　That was why I had said to her, “He will wake up tomorrow!”
　　(Here I would like to make an emphatic statement that I do not extend my hands to save just anyone who comes to plead with me.  Everything depends on chance and opportunities. In some cases, destiny is fixed, and I cannot do anything about this.)