GELONG KARCHUNG AND A DIABOLIC SPIRIT

 

Somewhere in Mongar, not a proper Mongar but a hamlet closer to Bumthang, a man known for sorcery and black magic died at a middle age. While alive, he was the most feared person in the whole village and everything that he would demand had to be given away or he would rain havoc on the refusers. His death came as a huge sigh of relief until his spirit turned more deadlier than his real life sorcery. 

His spirit wandered all over the village and there were illnesses, death and chilling paranormal activities. Of all the people, his wife was the one who had to go through the worst experiences. Her husband's diabolic spirit would frequent her in the middle of the night and would make sexual advances as if he was alive. He would also whisper into her ears expressing his jealousy and anger whenever the widow happened to talk with male friends in the village. Those men who spoke with the widow would either fall sick or die and eventually, the widow had to live an ostracized life. 

One day, Chipoen, the head of the village, decided to approach Gelong Karchung in Bumthang. Oral references say, Gelong Karchung aka Lop Gyeltshen was one of the sungkhorbs (personal priest) of late Royal Great Grandmother Azhi Phuentsho Choeden. He was known for his ability to ward off any harmful spirits through choed (གཅོད). Consenting to the plea, Gelong Karchung, accompanied by the chipoen and some villagers headed to Mongar. 

The night before Gelong Karchung's advent, the sorcerer's spirit visited the widow again. Wailing like a child, the spirit communicated with his wife that tomorrow a high Lam would arrive and he would be expelled. All his remorse and guilt of being an evil in real life and devil after death was confessed to her. 

The next day, when Gelong Karchung and the invitees arrived at the village, she shared her communication with Lam. 

Gelong Karchung stayed there for a week performing Choed and ever since then, the village became peaceful. The villagers thanked the Lama profusely and saw him off to Bumthang.

Trulku Phuntsho Wangdi from Kurtoe, the oral source of this account, links the story to my grandfather Lop Gyeltshen aka Gelong Karchung. Unfortunately, my family could not have a picture of our Agay Lam. 

Picture: Bhutan Cultural Atlas. The picture has no relation to the past event.