Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+

 The Official Lowyat.NET Sintua Thread, A thread on Chinese folk religion.

views
     
klang.boy
post Apr 7 2019, 09:30 AM

Getting Started
**
Junior Member
192 posts

Joined: Aug 2011
hi nacht, slowly reading from page 4 so its a long way for me to finish the thread.

couple of questions i have, which i hope you can give me more understanding

1. my grandma recently passed away. she used to worship something called 后面 gong ? would like to know more about this deity ? as per the 'sai gong' instruction, since my grandma is the only one who worship and now that she is gone, we can just send him away?

2. now that my grandma has passed and nobody is living at her house on long term basis, what do we do with the deities that she worship ? she used to worship 大伯公, 观音, 天公, etc.

3. i am told that i am a godchild to 观音 by my families. What does this mean? i'm told that i am not supposed to consume beef but being someone who is not very religious i did not really bother with it. but reading your thread has sparked a certain interest in me and i would like to know more.

thanks for your time. i'm also from klang btw!
klang.boy
post Apr 12 2019, 10:20 PM

Getting Started
**
Junior Member
192 posts

Joined: Aug 2011
QUOTE(nachtsider @ Apr 7 2019, 06:25 PM)
Hello klang.boy,

1. In the old days, 后面公 ('ao ber gong') in Hokkien parlance used to be a nickname for the Kitchen God, given that the kitchen was usually located at the rear of the home. These days, however, it has become an euphemism for random ghosts and wandering spirits that are offered appasement in exchange for them not bothering the appeaser. Try and find out which it was that your grandmother prayed to.

2. The correct way to dispose of unused statues and other religious paraphernalia is to ritually burn them (not something that a layperson can perform unaided). Alternatively, there are temples that 'adopt' said items. Contact your local temple to see if they provide disposal or adoption services.

3. If you are the godchild of a deity, it means that the deity has considered you as requiring his or her protection and TLC. It would be instructive to find out why. Perhaps you were sickly as a youngster, or bothered by evil spirits. The period of protection usually ends when the deity feels that their ward is capable of fending for themselves, although the bond is of course not wholly severed. A godchild is usually expected to observe their godparent's special days, taboos and other related customs. For your information, Guan Yin devotees are actually NOT expected to refrain from eating beef. This taboo is only promoted by a small subset of Guan Yin worshippers and totally pooh poohed by others.

So glad to see a fellow Klang resident here. I divide my time between Bandar Baru and Bukit Kuda. Do you attend a particular temple or sintua? smile.gif
*
thanks for your time in maintaining this thread and taking the time to reply in detail nacht. appreciate it.

not sure if you are familiar with the place but my family frequents 木吒宫. i used to go there too when i was small.

on a separate note, i came across this video and i find it very interesting. any idea which deity is this ?


klang.boy
post Apr 16 2019, 10:41 PM

Getting Started
**
Junior Member
192 posts

Joined: Aug 2011
QUOTE(nachtsider @ Apr 16 2019, 01:41 PM)
The deity in the video is one that they claim to be a Netherworld official of some sort, but I have never seen him being revered in any Hell temples outside of Taiwan.

I do not put much stock in the authenticity of this deity or medium, given that I have viewed footage of him being entertained by strippers while in trance.

The 木吒宫 is very nicely situated; a grand old temple in the classic style (pic below is from the last time I visited).

Do they still do consults regularly?

user posted image
*
I do recall a video of him entertained by strippers. but surely him being able to not blink at all is a feat, no? any chance you will get to ask tua ya pek / di ya pek about this? haha

i recall 木吒宫 used to be at a different location. back then my father always bring me there whenever there's a festive. and i do recall a deity asking me if i dont believe him. could be ji gong / dato gong, but tbh i was very small at that age and that frightened me a lot. did not really visit the temple since my father passed back in 2009 so i dont have any information on their consultations. a bit of a non-believer myself haha but this thread has certainly piqued my interest.

On a separate note, I hope this is not a repetitive question as I'm still halfway through your thread.

1. what is the difference between a demon and a ghost in sintua context? Are demons once human too?

2. what is the role of sai gong in a funeral? From what I've seen, they seem to be channeling heavenly powers to... gather the soul? If so, why are these rituals usually commenced at night? Why not day time too?

I think in a way I have grown interest in this is because my grandma was a strong believer in sintua and she was very committed. I recall my father was a very strong believer too. According to my family members, my father built a very impressive altar for guanyin at my old house, which unfortunately is no longer there after we moved out and rented the house out.

I've asked my mother if I was sickly or prone to spiritual disturbance when I was small, and if that's the reason I was adopted by Guan Yin, and the response I got is "are you crazy? you where got sick?" tongue.gif according to her, my father asked for me and my sisters to be adopted by Guan Yin, and that was how we were adopted. Are there cases like this?

I certainly appreciate you taking your time to share your knowledge in this. I might not have the commitment nor belief to be a religious sintua believer but I would like to understand my roots.

 

Change to:
| Lo-Fi Version
0.0756sec    0.76    7 queries    GZIP Disabled
Time is now: 15th December 2025 - 04:46 AM