Why is bamboo often associated with Hell deities?

One often sees Hell deities wearing garments with bamboo or bamboo leaf motifs; you can see similar imagery decorating the Hell sections of temples and sintuas, too.

Bamboo is a plant that, according to myth, has evil-dispelling properties. Other myths associate it with death, on account of how the bamboo plant's massive root systems impoverish the soil and prevent anything else from growing nearby.

So there you go - associated with death, and capable of warding evil. Sounds like a pretty apt plant for the Hell deities, don't you think?

Within the Buddhist context, which is different from the Hellish context that I've outlined above, the bamboo symbolises perseverance and the ability to withstand tribulations - good qualities for a monk or nun.

At any rate, however, the plant classically associated with Guan Yin is not the bamboo, but the lotus - a bloom that represents purity.

That's supposed to be a willow branch, lol.

still continue, 2015 season just aired 7th March, featuring Sarawak , i am not yet watch.

anybody keen on abit of thai-buddism ?

I have never seen the "statue" of Nine Emperor b4 as the old folks say we are not allowed to see him & he is not visible. Is there such things?

Thanks Nacht. No wonder they say woman suicide in red cloth is more powerful.

'Kept ghosts' can be divided into three categories.

The first category are those who are fugitives from the spiritual law, who are trying to escape their final judgement - they find refuge with those who are willing to keep and provide for them, in exchange for favours.

The second category are those who are detained against their will by black magic practitioners and forced to serve their captors, cruelly prevented from crossing over into the next world.

The third category are authorised by a deity or deities to be kept by certain individuals (e.g. priests, monks, spiritual masters) and perform good deeds in their service as a form of penance or spiritual cultivation.

People who keep ghosts belonging to category #1 are guilty of harbouring criminals on the run.

People who keep ghosts belonging to category #2 are guilty of unlawful detention/slavery.

Severe penalties apply to such offenders, so avoid such activities like the plague.

Spirits that inhabit plants can be of many different types.

Some are spirits of dead people.

Others are non human spirits - elemental beings, animal spirits, nature spirits, earth deities, and so on.

The Bamboo Troopers belong to the second category, and are considered to be a homogeneous type of spirit creature - a distinct 'species', if you will.

They could potentially coexist with other types, but have a wild streak that would probably rule this out in most cases.

And yes, they can inhabit all sorts of old growth plants, although bamboo is their favourite haunt.

Datuks fall under the earth deities/nature spirits category.

Not all old growth plants are inhabited by Datuks, by the way.

They may harbour spirits from any category, or even not harbour spirits at all.

Would that really be incompatible with them being earth deities/nature spirits?

Not at all, if you ask me.

Hello blek,

Lord Guan is considered to be a Dharma protector by certain Buddhist sects, a view that Chinese folk religion devotees generally agree with; we therefore offer him vegetarian items only, along with standard incense.

His sacred dates include the 13th day of the 1th lunar month (the date of his ascension), the 13th day of the 5th lunar month (the date he attained enlightenment, which falls tomorrow this year, on the 28th of June) and the 24th day of the 6th lunar month (his birthday); we hold feasts in his honour on these occasions.

The 1st and 15th days of each month are also appropriate times to present him with special treats.

Nachty

For instance, take the practice of datuk worship, since it was obviously a practice rooted in traditional Malay society but since eradicated with the advent of a more conservative brand of Islam. I find it intriguing that the Malaysian Chinese community has adopted and syncretized the practice while many Malays are not aware of its roots.

Nacht, can share with us how a person is possessed by ghost? My friend was possessed before and tried to suicide. His voice and face expression turned into an entirely different person. I guess the ghost wanted to reincarnate.

Like Bro Natch always say , everyone irregardless of religion , race , nationality likewise goes to the same hell as everyone else does

Welcome to the sintua thread, Prince; make yourself at home. As Chinese folk religion deals with death and the afterlife, and as many of the Hell deities are ghostly creatures, ghostly tales are quite welcome here.

Since it's the Seventh Month, let's delve into the truth behind a rather well-known ghostly tale.

Can one really earn money by selling salt to ghosts in a cemetery?



You may be familiar with tales of people going to cemeteries by midnight and earning large fortunes by selling salt to the spirits who reside there.

It doesn't take a genius to realise that these tales are absolute rubbish, and anyone who claims to have achieved such a feat is a liar.

Salt is used in various cultures, including European, Middle Eastern, Indian, Haitian and Japanese cultures, as an exorcism tool - to chase ghosts away.

Selling salt to ghosts would be like selling rat poison to rats.

They have no use for it whatsoever.