My Soul went Traveling

Summary

A young boy in a Chinese village recounts the story of his neighbor Ming, whose soul was believed to have left his body after an accident, and ponders if his own soul has similarly traveled.

Abstract

The narrative revolves around the protagonist's childhood in a rural Chinese village, where he lived with his grandparents before moving to the United States. The villagers, including children like his neighbor Ming, engage in activities like foraging in the woods. Ming's accidental fall from a cliff leads to a coma, and a Taoist priest suggests that Ming's soul has left his body. Following the priest's ritualistic instructions, Ming's parents manage to bring back his soul, leading to his recovery. This experience prompts the protagonist to reflect on his own existence, questioning whether his soul has also journeyed away from his body, and whether he is truly alive or dead.

Opinions

The author implies a belief in the Taoist concept of the soul being separate from the physical body.
There is a sense of mysticism and traditional spiritual practices being interwoven with daily life in the village.
The narrative suggests that Western medical science is not the sole path to healing, as evidenced by Ming's recovery after a spiritual intervention.
The protagonist's reflections indicate a personal struggle with identity and the nature of life and death, influenced by the cultural and spiritual beliefs of his upbringing.
The story seems to advocate for the validity of non-scientific, cultural practices in understanding and treating ailments that modern medicine may not fully explain or resolve.

Does the soul leave the body?

Recap: The purple-headed woman and the bartender could not see me.

Before moving to the United States with my parents, I lived in a little village in China with my grandparents.

It was an impoverished area where agriculture was the primary source of income. Children who couldn’t work in the fields would go into the woods to gather wild cherries and mushrooms. My next-door neighbour, Ming, was one of the children who ventured into the woods regularly.

Photo by Ethan Dow on Unsplash My soul went travelling

He fell off a cliff during one of his trips. When the villagers found him, he was already unconscious, despite having only minor wounds on his arms and legs. Shortly after being transported home, he developed a high temperature and remained unconscious.

After many doctor visits over several days, Ming showed no sign of recovery, so his parents decided to seek help from a Taoist priest. The priest said Ming’s soul left his body during the fall and was still wandering in the woods, hence why he was in a coma.

In order to bring Ming’s soul back, his parents must travel to the cliff and shout his name. When Ming’s soul appeared, they would use a black umbrella to shelter it and bring it home. Once Ming’s soul returned to his body, he would awaken and recover.

Ming’s parents followed the priest’s instructions, and true enough Ming was awakened from his coma. Despite the fact that the priest’s words were not scientific, Ming recovered quickly and was back on his feet in no time.

Did my soul, like Ming’s, leave my body and travel? If that’s the case, am I dead or alive?

Photo by Joy Stamp on Unsplash My soul went travelling

This brings us to the end of this chapter. To find out f my soul has left my body like Ming’s, following this link to the next chapter.

You can also find the other chapters at this link. Kindly note that the first chapter is at the bottom or end of the list.

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