-double post-

This post has been edited by estcin: Aug 26 2016, 02:54 PM

Hi Nacth and all,

Thanks for this 'enlightening' thread, at least now I am no longer blur blur doing what I'm supposed to be doing. More questions will be forthcoming and since it is now still the hungry ghost festival, for a start, can you guide us step by step on how to do a proper offering to the ghost brothers please?

I saw in some of your posts, Tua Li Ya Pek were there to keep order and control distributions but for most of us here, we do not have the patron of Tua Li Ya Pek. What we did was, first, we pray for Guan Yin then follow by praying for the ghost. Is that the correct procedure? What kind of offerings should we offer to Guan Yin and the ghost brothers?

I can see that people doing offering to the ghost keep dwindling year after year in the city. i think one of the reason is bcos most of us do not know what we are doing, why we are doing it and how to do it properly. Imaging now we can find paper smartphones, tablets, LV bags, ossim massage chairs and whatever you can think of to be offered to the death!! Me in my forties also cannot accept it, what more the younger/modern generations? An those stuffs are so commercialize, not cheap at all, sometimes it keep me wonder if they ever received them at all and I feel like a ‘sohai’ burning money for nothing! I almost wanted to give up till I come across your thread to be very frank

So, I think if you can guide us here how to do it properly, i think chances are better this culture might live on slightly longer at least. We need to learn and we need to understand so that we can explain it to the younger generation for the culture to continue. The story of “well, we do it bcos our parents did it, so we will hv to carry on doing it” can no longer pakai in this modernized generation

This post has been edited by arrsoo: Aug 26 2016, 06:40 PM

很大 尊

Hello OP

I just want to let you know that this is one of the best thread I have ever read (within Malaysian context) so far. I say so because you (the OP) worked very hard to provide information for the sole purpose of educating. I must also commend you on your flawless English and your ability to write well.

As a Chinese, I must say my knowledge on this topic has multiplied especially after reading about 'Hell deities' and what they actually embody. I was raised as a Christian and I have been conditioned to consider Chinese deities as representation of the Devil. You can only see where this is going. Misinformation leads to fear of the unknown, and for years I never dare to venture into temples unless my mother brings me to one. It is only when I attended university that I learned to question dogmas and things that were taught by my father and the pastors at church. Since then, I have made the effort to visit temples and learn more about Chinese beliefs and moral principles. I have found Penang to be the best place to do this, although to be honest I have only visited Kek Lok Si so far.

Anyway, please keep up the good work. You have helped so many by being consistently committed to this thread (it's 2 years old now!). I hope to be able to learn more from you and others in the future.

p/s:
By the way - have you ever contemplated publishing all these information on a book?

还比我的大; 颜色也好明丽.

Hi arrsoo,

Guan Yin is a compassionate figure involved with the process of liberating souls who have successfully served their time in Hell and paid penance for their misdeeds. Praying to her during Seventh Month rituals is performed as a gesture in the hope that the ghosts will eventually find salvation and leave the realm of the damned. However, she is not in directly charge of overseeing them (she only does so by proxy, via her disciple the King of Ghosts), and praying to her prior to making offerings for the ghosts is not a mandatory procedure, unless her image/statue is present during the proceedings, or unless the King of Ghosts' image/statue is (he answers to her, and a small icon of Guan Yin sits on top of his helmet as a symbol of her authority over him).

Food offerings to Guan Yin are strictly vegetarian. Food offerings to the ghosts are not - they can consist of any foodstuff of beverage.

As discussed previously, you are not allowed to own anything in the next world apart from food, clothes and a small amount of cash. Burning things like cars, smartphones and houses is a waste of time and money. When burning offerings to known recipients (your dead loved ones or relatives, for instance), always include an address slip that includes the intended recipient's full name, date of birth and date of death (see pic below). Never put in the particulars of the sender (you). You can burn these offerings within the grounds of your home. Offerings to random ghosts unrelated to you need not include this address slip, and should be burnt some distance away from your home wherever possible. Do not mix offerings for known recipients and offerings for strangers. And always bear in mind that whatever you do burn does not reach the recipient immediately. It is screened beforehand and given to the recipient only if they deserve it.

Nacht

Lord Zhang is a mystic knight errant - a chivalrous wandering warrior-sorcerer who went about righting wrongs and helping those in need.

He is also known as Fa Zhu Gong/Huat Zhu Gong/法主公 or Master of the Way in recognition of his mystical prowess.

Among his claims to fame include the subjugation of a demonic serpent, which he tamed and turned into his familiar animal.

You can see the serpent coiled around his body if you look closely at statues of him (he is also easily identified by his dark skin, full beard, the magic sword in his right hand and the fire wheels under his feet).

The serpent can transform into a spiritual whip, which he uses to scourge and dispel/destroy evil spirits.

This is the genesis of the 'huat soh' cobra-headed ritual whip that sintua mediums and practitioners crack to purify ritual spaces prior to performing their rites.

Here are pictures of Lord Zhang in statue form, Lord Zhang being channeled by a medium and examples of the huat soh whip.

Hi Angus,

It is quite commonplace for uninitiated followers of Abrahamic religions (and to a lesser exent Buddhism and Taoism) to condemn Chinese folk religion as the work of the devil.

I like to turn this bigotry on its head by referring to myself as a 'proud devil worshiper'.

It renders their scorn hors de combat, totally disempowers them, and makes me derive enjoyment from seeing them squirm.

Thank you so much for your readership; I have indeed contemplated publishing all this stuff in book form at some stage to rectify the longstanding dearth of relevant printed information, although one can argue that my current Internet postings are arguably reaching a larger and wider audience.

Feel free to pose whatever questions strike your fancy, and by all means, continue to explore this wonderful world of gods and spirits, which you have no reason whatsoever to fear - Penang is an excellent place to start, and the Kek Lok Si temple is but the tip of the iceberg.

Nacht

Lord Xuan Wu and Lord Zhang can look similar to those who are not sufficiently familiar with them.

However, on closer inspection, you can spot the differences quite readily.

Lord Zhang has fire wheels under his feet; Lord Xuan Wu does not.

Lord Zhang has only one familiar animal (a serpent, coiled around his body); Lord Xuan Wu has two (a serpent and a tortoise, under his feet).

Parading the King of Ghosts through the neighbourhood.

A fearsome King of Ghosts statue, complete with glowing eyes, and an example of religious harmony - prayers to the King of Ghosts being led by a medium channeling a Datuk.

Squeezing in a few more cemetery rituals before things come to a close.

More graveside scenes:

Thanks for the info. Keep up the good work

The freaks are playing tonight
They packed up and turned out the lights...

Final festivities.















This post has been edited by nachtsider: Aug 30 2016, 11:10 AM

Welcome to the black parade.

Is there anything inside the coffin ?

These kind of old school coffin are hard to be seen nowadays..........

Whats the purpose of this kind of parade ?

Where was this taken place, might want to go there to see next time, looks interesting though

The coffins usually contain graveyard soil plus talismans specific to Chinese Hell deities, and are used as their resting places or anchor objects.

The parade is performed as a 'tour of inspection' for the Hell deities to purify/bless the area in and around their temple of enshrinement, and pay their respects to fellow gods at other nearby temples.

This event took place in Singapore and is now over - you won't get to see it again until sometime next year.

wow, SG > MY on these beliefs

& their Gomen is very tolerant too