Who is Lord Xuan Wu?





Lord Xuan Wu/玄武 or Xuan Tian Shang Di/玄天上帝 (the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heavens) is a major Heavenly warlord, a dispeller of evil spirits and patron of all martial artists. He has thirty-six Heavenly generals under his command, plus their respective armies.

Xuan Wu was once human, a warrior prince who gave up his throne after realising how much suffering his battles and campaigns had caused. He went off into the wilderness to become an ascetic, and to perform penance.

Whilst out in the wilderness, he helped lost travellers, defended isolated villages from bandits and did many other heroic/selfless deeds. His penance, however, culminated in him ritually disembowelling himself, so great was his guilt.

Immediately after he had performed this act, Guan Yin intervened. She was moved by his true repentance, and his sincere desire to become a better man. The prince became a divine warrior, a defender of the righteous path - Lord Xuan Wu.

His entrails, which he had removed upon disembowelling himself, turned into manifestations of the evil and sin that he had purged from his being - into a giant demonic serpent and tortoise, which caused great havoc and chaos in the land. Xuan Wu subdued them, thus finally overcoming his former wrongdoings. The serpent and tortoise now serve as his familiar animals/assistants.

When in doubt about a deity's origin story, always go with the earliest version of the legend; in the case of Lord Xuan Wu, the 'warrior prince' story is the earliest version.

It is interesting how Xuan Wu's story bears certain similarities to that of the Buddha.

The fellow who runs that website has a very dubious reputation, by the way - he is a self-styled 'doctor' who promotes unethical spiritual practices.

Many of the gods he describes as 'Taoist' are in fact not Taoist at all.

As per Chinese folk religion, the soul consists of ten components - the three hun/魂, which are 'higher faculty' components responsible for more 'evolved' spiritual and mental functions like morality, and and the seven po/魄, which are 'base' components responsible for instinctual behaviour and earthly/worldly desires. These should be regarded, by default, as fractions of a whole rather than individual entities in their own right, although it is sometimes said that if fuelled sufficiently (if someone continually allows his base desires to get the better of him, for example), any of these components can become autonomous after death - this is supposedly how demons and evil spirits come into being.

In the Chinese folk religious context, a newly deceased individual is collected by local Hell deities and brought to their area's City God for arraignment (the City God is the local spiritual magistrate of a city, town, village or other settlement - I will speak more about him later). Charges are levelled against them based on the sins they have committed in life, and they are allowed to plead guilty or not guilty to each. The full list of charges is branded into the spiritual fabric of the individual, like a tattoo, to ensure easy identification (in case of escape) and aid the upcoming trial. The City God will then either declare that the individual be remanded, or be permitted supervised bail of up to 49 days' duration. During this bail period, the individual may visit their loved ones to say their last goodbyes. After the bail period is up, the individual is then brought to Hell for their trial proper, as detailed earlier in this thread.

Hell deities cannot be bought over or bribed. To do so would be considered a grave insult. Neither do they torture or punish anyone who is innocent. If the deceased are being tortured by Hell deities, the deceased DESERVE to be tortured, full stop.

But on to the story of Niu Tou and Ma Mian.

Niu Tou/牛头 and Ma Mian/马面 (Ox-Head and Horse Face) are the names given to the bestial pairs of ox-headed and horse-faced Hell soldiers who act as jailers, enforcers and muscle. They usually dwell within Hell itself and leave only to hunt down and recapture souls that have escaped, although a small number do serve on Earth as security detail within the courts of the various City Gods (and, as you say, escort the newly deceased during their bail period).

The original pair of Niu Tou and Ma Mian were an ox and a horse who were brutally mistreated by their owner despite all the hard work they selflessly did for him. After they died, the two animals petitioned the Hell magistrates for justice. To this end, they were transformed into ghostly monstrosities and recruited into the ranks of the Hell armies; the first prisoner they punished as part of their new job was none other than their owner. Most additional pairs of Niu Tou and Ma Mian, if not all of them, are clones of the first pair.

The statues below are from my personal collection, by the way; I painted them myself.

It sounds like he met with an unfortunate accident, nothing more.

Which is not to minimise the tragedy of what happened; I'm sorry for your loss.

You have been taught the proper basic behaviour, which is highly commendable, although there certainly is more to the nuts-and-bolts of prayer.

I make it a point to be at my most presentable before attending a temple. This includes having a shower and putting on fresh clothes. If you are female, visiting a temple when you are menstruating is not advisable; menstrual blood, so heavy in yin energy, is a substance that confounds/contaminates the temple's spiritual 'ecosystem' and prevents rituals from being optimally conducted.

Certain taboos exist where it comes to certain deities, and one should be mindful to adhere to them. For instance, one should not consume non-Halal items before praying to Datuk spirits, or offer them such items. It pays to do one's research where it comes to these matters.

Your first port of call when you get to the temple is the altar to the Heavenly Hosts/the Jade Emperor; this is usually represented by a large urn standing just outside the main entrance. An offering of three incense sticks, representing Heaven, Earth and Humanity, is the standard for most Heavenly gods, and applies here. As per folklore, incense sticks serve 'to waft your prayers/wishes to the gods', akin to smoke signals.

Standing with the urn in front of you and with your back to the main entrance, clasp the incense sticks in both hands, bow your head or bow at the waist, and make your prayer while remaining bowed. Once you are done, place the incense sticks in the urn using your left hand; this hand is closer to the heart, the seat of Yang energy, and using it thus also creates a gesture of sincerity.

Most large temples have a double door as the main entrance, with small side entrances flanking it. Do not enter via the main entrance, but via the small entrance to the right of the double door instead (the right side is always favoured first, as this is the side that represents Yang, while the left represents Yin). The main entrance is reserved for the deities' use, and is also the prime conduit for the temple's spiritual energies.

Next, head for the main altar in the interior of the temple; this will display the principal deity to whom the temple is dedicated. This deity need not necessarily be the most senior deity enshrined within, but are nevertheless the next in line. A three stick offering will again be the order of the day - this is in deference to the fact that they are the 'guest of honour'. Same prayer procedure as before, with you facing the main altar this time.

You then similarly pay your respects to the other deities in the interior, travelling in an anticlockwise direction. In other words, once you have paid your respects at the central altar, you then make offerings to the deities enshrined to the right of the altar, and then the deities enshrined to the left of the altar (again, Yang over Yin). After this, you exit the temple through the small entrance to the left of the double door (once more, Yang over Yin), and pay your respects to any deities enshrined outside.

The other deities will often consist of a mixture of Heavenly gods, Earth gods and Hell deities. As above, most Heavenly gods will warrant a three-stick offering - unless there are specific indications that individual offerings are a must, you can collectively offer three sticks to a group of Heavenly gods (this will be apparent when only a single incense urn is placed before two or more statues). There are one or two exceptions, such as the Five Camp Commanders, a group of Heavenly warriors who are collectively offered five sticks instead of three (I will speak more about them later).

The Earth gods are normally collectively offered five incense sticks, as they are fivefold, in charge of the soil of all five cardinal directions. And the Hell deities are normally collectively offered seven incense sticks. Seven is a number associated with the Yin aspect and death - each phase of the moon, a Yin heavenly body, is a seven-day cycle, seven seven-day periods, totalling forty-nine days, are how long it supposedly takes for a newly-deceased soul to sever itself from the mortal realm (see my previous posts on the 'bail period' that a soul receives prior to heading for the Netherworld), and the Hungry Ghost Festival takes place during the Seventh Lunar Month.

The general order in which one pays their respects is Heavenly gods first, Earth Gods next, and Hell deities last (you've got it - Yang over Yin). Once you are done, drop an offering into the temple's donation box if you feel like it. You are not obliged to make an offering, but if you do, the offering is traditionally commensurate with the seriousness of the problem for which you are seeking assistance.

As previously mentioned, it is very bad manners to bald-facedly make demands of the gods, especially if you haven't been a particularly good person. But a sincere, virtuous individual in genuine need of help - that's another story. You need not provide your particulars, nor need you necessarily go into all the nitty-gritty details; merely saying something along the lines of the following will do: "Sir/madam, I am in a time of need. I know I may not necessarily deserve help, but if you somehow deem me worthy of assistance and decide to smile upon me, I would be very much obliged. Thank you in advance." Neither does your prayer have to be said out loud.

Attending a temple with no desire to seek assistance is more than acceptable - in fact, I pretty much always attend temples with no requests in mind whatsoever. You adhere to the same procedure as above, but your prayer will obviously be different. Something along these lines is fine: "Sir/madam, I am here to pay my respects - I hope that you enjoy my offerings, and that you have a good day."

Hope this helps.

In all honesty, I would say that Hell deities are more widely worshipped in Singapore than in Malaysia. The reason for this trend lies in the Second World War, during which Singapore experienced some of the worst bloodshed in proportion to area of land. Many restless, tortured souls roamed the island, necessitating the worship of Hell deities in order to 'keep the peace'.

As for advising against worship of Hell deities, bear in mind that they are warriors of justice - the spiritual police force and judicial system. One would be hard pressed to find more upright beings to worship. I trust them more than I trust most human beings.

While it is true that some people cannot tolerate the Yin energy that the Hell deities radiate, the Hell deities do not do this intentionally; the Yin energy is part of their spiritual composition, the very fibre of their being. They will never hurt an innocent person, and will be more than willing to undo or prevent any unwitting damage that their Yin energy may have inflicted.

Unlike the Greek gods, our gods have a strong moral compass.

怪谈 is a load of horseshit, lol.

And 'Master Szeto' is a very unethical man.

Easy, man - I'll get to every question people pose here, when I'm good and ready.

The misconceptions and ignorant beliefs I often come across, to name a few, are:

1. Chinese gods are omnipotent and can help with any matter under the sun.

False. Chinese gods are not all-powerful or all-knowing, and they have specific areas of expertise. You don't call a plumber for help if you have a toothache.

2. The burning of paper offerings for your ancestors and loved ones results in the paper items materialising on the other side as the real thing, thus allowing the recipients to enjoy them right away.

False. Burning paper offerings is merely a signal - a message to the Netherworld paymasters (whom I will speak more of later) to issue the intended recipients with spiritual equivalents on the other side. If one does not address the offerings to the intended recipient, no signal will be received and nothing will be issued.

A very important point should be made here. Even in instances where the message has been received, there is no guarantee that the recipients will automatically receive what has been issued. All offerings are screened by the Netherworld paymasters prior to being distributed. If the intended recipient has been a particularly bad or unrepentant person, they will be barred from receiving their packages, or worse. These offerings will be released only once appropriate penance has been paid, or instead redistributed to those who are more worthy.

You only get what you deserve. No more, no less.

3. One is allowed to own houses, limousines, servants and other luxury items after they die.

False. The Netherworld is a place for penance and spiritual cultivation, not a place for you to make merry. On the other side, your belongings are limited to food, basic clothing and a small amount of cash (provided by your loved ones/descendants, as above).

Burning luxury items is a downright waste of time and money.

4. Chinese gods are indiscriminate bringers of wealth and prosperity, and will gladly supply you with lottery numbers.

False. Chinese gods generally issue such assistance only to raise money for charity events, raise money for their houses of worship, or to help those who are in true financial need, such as sick people who have hefty medical bills.

If you are more than capable of earning your own living and are not in financial trouble, do not expect monetary help of any kind. Bald-facedly request lotto numbers and you may be ignored, scolded for being materialistic, told to get lost, or, if you are a less-than-virtuous person, receive a punishment, depending on which deity you are dealing with.

5. Chinese folk religion practitioners cannot eat beef.

False. This belief only applies to certain Guan Yin worshippers, who subscribe to a version of her legend that states how her father, the cruel King Miao Zhong, was reborn as an ox as part of his penance, with her devotees abstaining from beef out of deference to him. I say 'certain Guan Yin worshippers' because not all Guan Yin worshippers put credence in this story.

6. Hell deities are creatures of ill-omen and should be avoided.

False. As discussed earlier, Hell deities are the spiritual police force and judicial system. They may look frightful, but are upright and virtuous beings, who will not harm the good-hearted and the innocent. The 'noble monster' concept is one that they perfectly personify.

"You need not fear me unless you are a black hearted scoundrel," a Hell deity is on record as saying. "So - are you afraid?"

Don't be an *******, is the bedrock of it.

We believe that the context of a sin is always taken into consideration during final judgement - for instance, a woman who cheats on or murders her abusive husband will probably be a sympathetic defendant.

Also, unlike the Abrahamic religions, our beliefs do not consider things like atheism and homosexuality to be inherently wrong.

Hi Energy,

Dying is all about letting go - about severing earthly ties, including ties with your surviving loved ones. Such ties will only serve to hinder spiritual cultivation on the other side, and hinder the process of escaping the cycle of death and rebirth.

It is for this purpose that the fates of the deceased, including the nature of the penance they are paying, plus whether or not they have reincarnated, are not something that is disclosed - not in detail, at least. The Hell deities are the custodians of such information, and it is only through them that such information may be obtained. They are the facilitators, the go-betweens.

In response to queries about deceased loved ones, the Hell deities may give some very general comments ("Don't worry; all is well." "He is undergoing his training." "She is making progress."). They may instruct one to increase the frequency of ancestral offerings, which may indicate that the deceased are progressing well or being model inmates, and thus deserving of more. They may instruct one to offer specific items on specific dates, which may be instrumental in assisting the spiritual cultivation of the deceased. They may occasionally convey a message from the deceased, although this is extremely rare and usually occurs only early in the game. Otherwise, don't expect very much to be revealed.

Do not put ANY credence in someone who claims to be able to directly channel the spirits of your deceased relatives (i.e. make them speak through him or otherwise possess his body). Souls cannot be raised or recalled to the human realm just like that.

Physical and mental health are matters that one should visit a doctor or psychiatrist/psychologist about, first and foremost. It is quite common for a deity to advise a sick person to seek medical or psychiatric help. Do not make a temple or sintua your first port of call when you are ill - dial the emergency services number or get to a hospital instead.

I will be posting some information about gods who specialise in these assorted matters later today and later in the weekend. Don't touch that dial.

Again, I will reply to your questions when I am good and ready. There is no need to repeat or repost them.

Unlike in Greek mythology, you will be VERY hard pressed to find a cruel or petty Chinese god. As I said before, our gods have strong moral compasses.

Chinese folk religion is so termed because it is a true 'grassroots' faith - it lacks a formal clergy and formal religious text, having sprung forth from folklore, legend and popular myth, passed down mostly orally over innumerable generations. Achieving consolidation and widespread subscription despite no formal organisation, it therefore truly is a 'religion of the people'.

Who are the Five Camp Commanders?

The Five Camp Commanders/五营将军 are the five foremost Heavenly generals in Chinese mythology. They correspond to the Five Cardinal Directions, Five Elements and Five Colours. They consist of Prince Na Zha/哪吒三太子, the leader, whom I have spoken about earlier in this thread (Centre, Earth, Yellow), Lord Er Lang/二郎神 the Jade Emperor's nephew, with his distinctive all-seeing third eye (West, Metal, White), Lei Gong/雷公 the Garuda-like Thunder God (East, Wood, Green), Marshal Zhao the Military Wealth God/武财神赵公明 (Black, Water, North) and Marshal Kang/康元帅, the right-hand man of Lord Xuan Wu, whom I have also spoken about earlier in this thread (Red, Fire, South).

The Five Camp Commanders can be found in most temples and sintuas. As each of the five commands a large army of his own, their presence provides the temple/sintua with spiritual manpower. The Commanders' troops serve to defend the establishment, assist in exorcisms, convey messages between Heaven and Earth, run sundry errands for the more senior gods, and so on. Spiritual manpower is extremely important for a temple/sintua to optimally function on the spiritual level.

The Five Camp Commanders can sometimes be encountered in the form of pins that mediums (and occasionally, their assistants) use to self-mortify. As discussed previously in this thread, skewering oneself with these pins imbues one with the power of the Five Camp Commanders, which one can harness to perform relevant rituals.

Hi Column, the pleasure is all mine. I'm more than willing to share what I know with everyone here. Feel free to ask any and all questions you feel like asking.

It is important to know what 'Hell' is in the Chinese folk religious context. The Chinese Hell is a place where EVERYONE passes through, no exceptions existing. It is more appropriately referred to as a 'netherworld', in all honesty, and as I mentioned earlier, it is not necessarily a place of brutal punishment - spiritual cultivation and paying penance can take many forms. Going to the Chinese Hell is therefore not something that should be regarded as dreadful or undesirable.

Even a theoretically sinless individual must first be verified as being sinless, and this will involve evaluation by the Ten Judges. Such a person need not spend any longer a time in Hell than the time it takes to be judged and cleared.

Hi Energy, such a case of illness that is not responsive to repeated attempts at medical treatment would be appropriate to approach the gods about, yes.

Lord Zhang the Serpent-Queller is a Heavenly deity whom I have spoken about earlier in the thread; see the post below for more information about him:

https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=72420996

There is a very prominent Lord Zhang temple, situated in Klang, that has a reputation for wonders. This is the Tian Hock Keng/天福宫, located at Lot 3115, Jalan Stakap, Jalan Tepi Sungai, Teluk Pulai, 41100 Klang (GPS coordinates 3° 3'1.09"N, 101°25'39.08"E).

The establishment holds consultation sessions on Wednesdays at 8 p.m., and on Sundays at 12:30 p.m. You can call Master Ng, the temple's medium, at 012-696-5555 to arrange a booking.

Hope this helps.

I welcome anyone here, lol. Even those with dissenting opinions.

I do worship several Heavenly gods and Earth deities, yes, but certainly not to the extent that I do the Hell beings.

There are some who will tell you that it is important to strike a balance with one's worship, in that the Yin energy of the Hell beings can be overwhelming to certain people. But bear in mind that not everyone is built the same way; I feel very comfortable in the Hell beings' presence, for example.

At the end of the day, it really all depends on which gods you have the most affinity with. There is no harm in sticking closer to the gods you consider your special patrons, although it goes without saying that whenever you attend a public house of worship, you should pay your respects to everyone who is enshrined there, and not just your 'best friends'.

Hi DT, don't worry about sounding disrespectful. I am VERY difficult to offend.

Almost all the Chinese folk religion deities are deified human beings, who lived long after the time that the world was first created. They therefore would not necessarily be in the know about matters concerning the creation, and matters concerning prehistoric times. As I've mentioned previously, they are not omniscient, nor are they omnipotent; also, they have very specific job scopes.

Hilarious to relate - someone once tried asking a Hell deity your latter question. His verbatim answer: "How the hell should I know? I'm just the guy who collects the souls of dead people."

No kidding. That account is absolutely true.

Those who have had better luck with such questions, however, receive answers that are more or less uniform - that the force responsible for creating the world has long since moved on, leaving the physical aspects of the creation in the hands of man, and the metaphysical aspects of the creation in the hands of 'otherworldly' beings such as the deities of Chinese folk religion. "We're just the minders. We're here to pick up the pieces and hold them together as best we can. Or not."

As for contradictions between the gods and practices of various religions, the answer I have been given is that any discrepancies lie solely in man's intepretation of such. The same entities span different cultures and religions, and are merely experienced or perceived slightly differently by people belonging to these various faiths and creeds.

The Hindu soul-catcher Sangili Karuppan, for instance, is very clearly analogous to Chinese folk religion's Hei Wu Chang/Li Ya Pek; both are fierce but lawful supernatural beings who wield magic chains as weapons.





The serpentine Voodoo creator god and goddess Damballa and Ayeda-Weddo are comparable to our snake-like Fu Xi and Nu Wa, who are said to have created humankind.





The reptilian Aztec rain god Tlaloc is comparable to our Dragon Kings, who also control the rain.





And so on and so forth.

'天机不可泄漏' is a stupid cop-out excuse, by the way. There are no irrelevant questions.

Because it is what it is, and I don't see the need to spur anyone's hearts.

You either accept it, or you don't. Whether or not you do is none of my beeswax.