Being chased away from a sintua or temple on the grounds of not being a believer is utterly disgusting, and something I absolutely condemn.

A legitimate sintua opens its doors to believers and non-believers alike, and encourages questions by any and all who are interested in learning about its practices.

A legitimate medium will never work alongside a fake, or engage in criminal conduct.

I think the reason why you were not made welcome there is now quite obvious - they do not want you probing too deeply into what are obviously fraudulent practices on their part.

It is actually pretty common for a medium to channel both Heavenly gods and Hell deities. In fact, you seldom, if ever, see a medium who channels Hell deities alone.

My teacher channelled Elder Brother, Second Brother and the Heavenly god known as Lord Zhang/张公圣君, whom I will post about later.


Quite standard procedure, really, for a sintua or temple to announce to its local parish when certain gods are being channelled. This is usually done in the temple's early stages, however; over time, word of mouth amongst the temple-goers plus between temple-goers and laypeople, becomes sufficient advertisement.


I can't say I've ever heard Ji Gong, or even ANY deity, for that matter, speaking in Cantonese before - trance mediumship is very much a Hokkien and Teochew tradition.

The presence of a non-devotee or non-believer should not interfere whatsoever with how a trance progresses. We often had such people attending our temple feast days and celebrations out of curiosity, and no issues or problems were encountered.

Glad you pointed out the whip, though; it's a very important ritual tool in Chinese folk religion, and I will explain about it thoroughly in due course.

Deities normally converse in an ancient, rarified version of dialect that is very difficult for a modern-day devotee with no knowledge of classical languages to understand. I know I certainly didn't, at least not completely. Oftentimes, a temple committee member or assistant specially trained as an interpreter must translate for the benefit of the consultee.

Lord Guan has an air of overwhelming masculinity and might, but he is a benevolent character and will not behave in such an arrogant or rude fashion. In fact, never in my entire sintua involvement have I seen a deity demand that devotees pay him respect.

If anything, what you describe only serves to reinforce my conviction that this temple is inhabited by conmen.

Who is Lord Zhang?





Lord Zhang (张公圣君), also known as Fa Zhu Gong or Master of the Way (法主公), is, to cut a long legend short, a mystic warrior who does all kinds of awesome things, ranging from slaying demons to healing the sick and controlling the weather.

His skin is permanently blackened from a fight with fire-wielding demons; the cobra wrapped around his arm is the transformation of a 30-foot magical serpent that he tamed, and turned into his pet. Whenever needed, he can transform the cobra into a ritual whip, which can dispel any evil, particularly evil spirits that have possessed people. The Seven-Star Sword that he wields is also a tremendously powerful weapon.

The legend of Lord Zhang gave rise to the use of a special ritual item, based on his cobra - the fa suo/huat soh (法索) or ritual whip, shaped to look like a snake. If a ritual is to be performed in an area, a medium or other ritual practitioner will crack the whip in or around the relevant space to dispel evil and bless the place as a form of preparation. Those who are possessed by evil spirits may be bound or struck with the whip during exorcisms. The whip is considered to be a sentient being, and is treated with appropriate respect.

Hi Energy, the information as displayed in the link you've mentioned is generally accurate - the Nine Emperors correspond to stars in the sky, as do most of the gods in the Taoist pantheon (the sintua/folk religion pantheon, by comparison, consists of gods who largely used to be human beings).

Tan Lang and Po Jun are not willfully bad/evil. In fact, they probably do not know that you exist at all.

If the heavenly bodies/constellations corresponding to your horoscope are positioned in opposition to certain other stars (e.g. Tan Lang and Po Jun) during their orbits/paths across the sky, the resultant conflicting energy can exert a negative influence over you. You can undergo rituals to counteract this negative energy; these rituals are often termed as rituals to 'placate' or 'appease' the stars that conflict with your horoscope (e.g. 'appeasing Tan Lang/Po Jun'), but such a term would be incorrect for the reason I outlined above - they are not evil, and are not consciously out to get you.

The above concept is central to Tai Sui worship, of which I will speak more in due course.

People often mix up Chinese folk religion and Taoism, although the truth is that both religions have distinct practices and are in fact not identical.

Ji Gong often wears a smile even when dealing with unpleasant people, harbouring no malice in his heart. For him to not like someone would mean that the person is especially evil or despicable, which you most certainly are not.

He is a monk, yes, and considered an Arhat/Lohan - one who is well along the path of Buddhist enlightenment, but has yet to reach Buddha-hood or even Bodhisattva-hood. But no, Buddhism pays him only the merest of lip service, at best. He is very much a folk figure.

This video (see below) is one that I often recommend to sintua neophytes. The mediums in the video are channelling the Black and White Ghosts; it illustrates the trance process quite well from the point where the mediums 'go under' to the point where they awaken from their trances.

It is not always possible to tell a fake trance just by observing it. The gold standard for the authenticity of a trance is results - a fake medium cannot produce meaningful results, the same way a fake doctor cannot truly heal the sick.



This post has been edited by nachtsider: Jan 13 2015, 05:04 PM

Oh wait, hang on - it's you who WANT to post trance videos, not you who's ASKING ME to post videos. My apologies; it's been a long day at work and my brain isn't working 100% correctly.

By all means, go ahead and post some videos. I may or may not be familiar with the material that you are posting.

You'll have to pardon me; I'm new to Lowyat and am still unfamiliar with how things work, lol. The link has been corrected; if you would quote the corrected link instead of the wrong one, I'd be much obliged.

Knowing to visit the relevant god for the relevant problem is something one must always bear in mind. Visiting, say, the Black and White Brothers for a health-related issue, would not be appropriate, as they do not specialise in such matters. The gods are very effective within their respective scopes of duty; for example, the Black and White Brothers are your men for the job if you are being bothered by evil spirits. I can relate many instances of such other-wordly disturbances being successfully resolved by mediums who channel those two, including my teacher.

All the same, you should realise that sintua deities are not omnipotent, nor are they necessarily omniscient.

This is an excellent video, documenting VERY clearly the usage of the ritual whip, and the usage of blood to energise talismans and other ritual items. My thanks for posting it, good sir.

While the celebration depicted is in honour of the Nine Emperors, they do not feature here. The older medium with the shaved head is channelling Prince Na Zha/哪吒三太子, who is also known as the Marshal of the Central Altar/中坛元帅. The other guy is not wearing anything to definitively indicate the identity of the god he is channelling, but judging from the pacifier he is wearing around his neck, I think it is likely that he, too, is channelling Na Zha - the warrior prince is often depicted as a young child. The statue that the first medium paid respects to is a statue of Lady Ma Zu/妈祖.

It is perfectly possible for two mediums to channel the same god at the same time and in the same place. This is because what mediums usually channel are not the gods themselves, but what we call proxies or 分身. A proxy is a fragment of the god's life-force, effectively a clone, which they send to earth in order to act on their behalf. The proxy retains the god's personality, although it is of course less powerful than the original, and can serve as the god's eyes and ears. Think of proxies as being like the little monkeys that the Monkey King produces using his hairs and orders to fight by his side or run errands for him. Some say that proxies, if they accumulate enough merits by contributing to the salvation of others, can gain autonomy and eventually become individual deities in their own right.

I will speak about Na Zha and Ma Zu in due course, so don't touch that dial.

Hi Epsilon, good to know that you are open-minded enough to spare a little thought for the 'lesser angels', as I like to call them. We heartily welcome those who are not of the faith but wish to pay their respects.

I can't say I've ever heard of a Si Pek Yah, though. If you could show me some photographs of his statue and provide some background information, I'd be much obliged.

Never heard of any such restrictions, at least where mediums are concerned. My teacher smoked and drank; so do many others of his profession.

The only thing a medium should definitely abstain from is immoral conduct. Adultery, theft, physically harming others and so on.

Who is Prince Na Zha?

Prince Na Zha/哪吒三太子 is the third son of Heavenly King Li/托塔李天王, the Commander-in-Chief of the Heavenly armies, and a disciple of Lord Tai Yi/太乙真人, the all-merciful Heavenly saviour. Rebellious, headstrong and brash, he is one of Heaven's most powerful warriors, and certainly the mightiest warrior of his age group (Na Zha attained immortality at the tender age of seven). He is famous for feuding with the Sea Dragon Kings, defeating the Dragon Prince in single combat, committing suicide to save his family and kingdom from the dragons' wrath, being resurrected by his master using a suit of magic lotus leaves, returning to defeat the dragons once and for all, and ascending to take his place as the foremost of the Five Heavenly Generals. Due to his reputation as a dragon slayer, statues of Na Zha are often shown as subduing one or more of these creatures.



Na Zha is capable of manifesting in several forms, all of which wield his signature Fire-Tipped Spear and Universal Ring snare, and stand on the roller-skate-like Fire Wheels that he uses to whoosh across the sky.

The first is his 'ordinary' childlike form, who is depicted wearing the 'stomacher' vest/兜肚 commonly worn by young children in ancient China. Na Zha was the first ever Chinese god to be channelled by mediums, and the stomacher vest, which these early mediums frequently wore, has become a garment associated with mediumship ever since. Many mediums, even those who channel deities other than Na Zha, wear variations of this vest. Indeed, this association between a childlike god, a child's garment and mediumship has resulted in mediums being referred to as 乩童, or 'child diviners'.





The second is his Lotus Prince/莲花三太子 form, which is the form he adopted after being brought back to life by being clothed in Lord Tai Yi's lotus leaf suit. In this form, Na Zha possesses healing abilities.





The third is his Marshal of the Central Altar/中坛元帅 form, which denotes his ascension as a principal Heavenly general. In this form, Na Zha's fighting skills are considered to be at their peak, and he is correspondingly depicted as being heavily armoured for battle, wearing a field commander's feather-plumed helmet.





Na Zha can also adopt a gigantic, three-headed and six-armed form during exceptionally tough fights. This form is exceedingly powerful and destructive, but cannot be sustained for long.

Who is Lady Ma Zu?





Once upon a time, on the island of Mei Zhou, there lived a fishing family by the name of Lin/林, whose only daughter, Mo Niang/默娘, was a superb swimmer and diver. She was renowned for single-handedly saving many luckless people, including young children and shipwrecked sailors, from drowning, and often stood out on rocks in the middle of the ocean, dressed in bright garments and holding a torch, to guide ships safely to shore through stormy weather. As a reward for her selfless bravery, the plucky girl was deified, receiving the title Saintly Queen of Heaven/天后圣母, although she is most commonly known as Ma Zu/妈祖 or Ancestral Mother.

Ma Zu is a sea goddess, possessing the power to control the wind and the waves. She is the patron saint of travellers, particularly those who are travelling over or across the sea. In days gone by, immigrants from China who journeyed by boat to far-off lands (such as the Malay Archipelago) prayed to Ma Zu for safe journeys, and erected temples to her in the places that they settled as a form of thanksgiving.

Often depicted accompanying Ma Zu are two imp-like creatures; the green-skinned Qian Li Yan/千里眼 or Thousand-League Eye, and the red-skinned Shun Feng Er/顺风耳 or Down-the-Wind Ears. These elemental beings, formerly a mischievous pair of troublemakers who wreaked havoc by flippantly altering the weather, were subdued by Ma Zu and subsequently became her loyal attendants. Capable of seeing great distances and hearing the tiniest noises, respectively, as well as flying swiftly, they serve as lookouts, information-gatherers and couriers.

JunJun's explanation seems the most likely solution to the mystery, although I would like to clarify a little regarding the Ten Courts of Hell, and additional pairs of Black and White Brothers.

The Chinese Hell is divided into Ten Courts/地狱十殿. The First Court is where souls are judged for their wrongdoings, the Second to Ninth Courts are where souls undergo penance or punishment for their misdeeds, and the Tenth Court is where souls are sent to be reincarnated after they serve their sentences.

Courts 1-9 each have two levels, totalling 18 - the Eighteen Levels of Hell/地狱十八层. Each level is very vast, akin to a huge complex of correction facilities, prison cells and torture chambers. The lower numbered Courts/Levels are like low-security facilities, for minor offenders, and the higher numbered Courts/Levels are like maximum-security facilities, for the worst offenders. Court Nine/Level 17-18 would therefore be a much worse place to be in than Court Two/Level 3-4.

Take note, however, that not all penance involves blood, gore and violence. Minor misdeeds may be addressed with tasks such as studying/reproducing holy texts, or terms of servitude under a deity or deities. Also, punishments always take into consideration the context/circumstances of a misdeed. Judgement is eminently fair.

Each Court is presided over by a Judge with a kingly rank - a King of Hell/阎罗王. The leader of the Ten Judges/Ten Kings holds the title of Imperial Magistrate/阎罗天子 - he is none other than the legendary Justice Bao/包公大人.





The original pair of Black and White Brothers have been joined, over the centuries, by additional pairs. In other words, they are an army, and not just two individuals. Some of the additional pairs are aspects/proxies (i.e. clones - see my previous post on aspects/proxies) of the original pair; others are unique individuals with unique backgrounds, such as Epsilon's suicided scholar probably is.

Different pairs of Black and White Brothers are usually identified by which Court of Hell they originate from; e.g. Sixth Court Elder and Second Brother/第六殿大二爷伯. However, a Second Brother from the Fourth Court of Hell ought to be referred to as Si Dian Li Ya Pek/四殿二爷伯, not Si Ya Pek/四伯爷.

My teacher's temple features six pairs of Black and White Brothers, from the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh and Eighth Courts of Hell. And I pray to four pairs of them at home; they are from the First, Fourth, Seventh and Ninth Courts of Hell.

This is why a trance session is usually conducted within the confines of a temple or sintua, where spiritual security measures are in place. Such measures include the presence of Heavenly armies like those of the Five Camp Commanders, or Hellish troops such as the Five Ghosts and Nine Nether Realm Vanguards/Nine Yin Warriors. I will speak about them later.

One should not channel in an unfamiliar or spiritually insecure environment.

Hi JunJun, what you have learned is not entirely different from mine, actually. Your post merely covers the management levels of Hell that I did not mention in my previous post. I merely went as high as the Ten Judges; you have gone even further up the ladder.

Dong Yue Da Di/东岳大帝, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak, indeed is the Supreme Ruler of the Netherworld, although he is not, strictly speaking, a Hell deity. He has other responsibilities, as well, including Heavenly jobs, but is involved in Hell-related matters because he helps determine allotted lifespans plus matters of fate.



Ranking beneath him is Lord Feng Du/丰都大帝, whom you could regard as the Chief Executive Officer of Hell. He receives reports from the Ten Judges regarding goings-on in Hell, and relays them to Dong Yue Da Di. Yes, he is named after Feng Du City, the legendary Chinese necropolis that we regard as the capital of the Netherworld.



And then beneath Lord Feng Du we have the Ten Judges, of whom Justice Bao is the highest ranking. They are Hell's board of directors, the ones who manage its day-to-day goings-on.

What you have heard about Justice Bao being demoted is just a fairy tale, haha. The Fifth Court has always been the administrative centre of Hell, and is not inferior in any way to the First Court despite the numbering. Also, he is a firm advocate of law and order; no souls would be wrongfully sentenced under his watch.

Is a 'man-made' god any less relevant or effective than a pre-existing 'real' god?

How does one even define 'real', come to think of it?

Look up basic chaos magic theory, Angel - the thoughtform hypothesis. In short, believe strongly enough in the existence of something (an imaginary being, for instance), and it may start to become real.

This is how beings from legends and folklore survive - how they continue to perpetuate and even influence our lives, be it directly or indirectly.

Pretty powerful stuff.

As I've posted earlier, it is perfectly feasible for different mediums to channel the same deity, even in different places at the same time. See below:

This post has been edited by nachtsider: Jan 29 2015, 02:18 PM

If you did not commit a crime, you will bear no karma in relation to the crime, regardless of whether or not you were wrongly punished or imprisoned for it.

His Honour the Imperial Magistrate Bao is the paragon of justice. This includes not allowing souls to take the law into their own hands, wronged or otherwise.

Think of what might happen if souls were allowed to exact their own revenge. What if instead of merely going after the guilty party, the wronged soul decided to harm the guilty party's innocent children or grandchildren, as well?

It's a very slippery slope, and not a risk that Mister Bao would take under any circumstances. The law is the law is the law.

Thank you! If you're liking what I'm posting so far, feel free to ask any questions or discuss the existing topics. I would love to see some active participation, rather than mere onlooking - don't be shy, people.

Oh yeah.

I've indeed toyed with the idea of compiling all this knowledge into a published book.

One of these days, perhaps; my job tends to get in the way of things, lol.

That being said, even here in this thread, you guys have barely scratched the surface.

Keep those questions coming!