I’m sure most Taiwanese know deep down the ritual is probably pointless. However, since there’s no way to be sure, people just don’t want to get yelled at by their dead grand parents for neglecting them when they meet the maker themselves.
No Fair. You can’t tell this story without a source or attribution, unless you wrote it yourself. Where did you read this story… Are there similar stories in an anthology… I like it…
There is a representative office of “Hell” as it is called in almost every large village. They supervise the opening and closing of the gates. Visit the temple.
Oh, the gods or spirits do come to earth. I could have a story of me seeing something but you are not a close friend. But, the spirits do posses people on a regular basis in the temples.
For instance, I’ve been to temples that are dedicated to some local medicine man or healer who got promoted into being a god. There is usually one man there who starts a ritual. He meditates, inhales incense, goes through a little fit and then becomes this god.
You approach him or a helper with the question. He writes a prescription of Chinese Herbal medicine with a brush. He will also give you a Chinese word or phrase written on some parchment that you are suppose to burn and drink it with water.
This Idea of possession is not limited to medical doctors many of the other temples have a resident spirit to help you.
The payment of all temple services is usually burning ghost money bought at the temple shop of course.
I wrote it. It’s a bad habit of mine. I just made it up but it felt kind of ‘truthy’.
Permitting medical advice to be dispensed in every village is one thing. When I say representative office, I mean the head office, the “embassy” if you will, where that rarest of things – a wise mortal – is authorized to set the record straight on certain issues. Every denomination has one, right?
If you just leave it to the village ghosts to speak for the Emperor and the village mortals to interpret what they say, you end up with the situation noted in a recent article on temple PM 2.5 emissions: one worshipper says the spirits can hear you without incense, and the next one says smoke is absolutely necessary.
Great story Charlie! Since religion is based on faith anyway, I have faith that your story is the factual explanation for burning ghost money.
Someone please dispel my cultrual ignorance.
Why would you give money to the ancestors of your enemies?
Several protesters threw eggs and bundles of ghost money at the building, while others tried to break through police lines, only to be carried away by police.
My first impression is it’s like giving someone a clock as a present, i.e. “I wish you a speedy death”. But then again…
- Is it supposed to indicate they think their enemies are already dead because humans don’t do such horrible things?
- Is it supposed to indicate they’re trying to “buy off” the evil spirits who must be pulling the strings in the asset thing?
- Is it supposed to be advance payment of blood money (i.e. they’re making threats)?
- Is it counterfeit ghost money? I mean a Trojan horse to get their enemies in trouble with AUMLO (the Anti- Underworld Money Laundering Organization)?
I think it’s just basically considered inauspicious, and intended to be a visually impressive insult.
As I understand it, it can be a veiled threat or just general all around bad juju. The implication is that the opposition is soon to become an angry ghost (i.e. someone who suffers a violent death) that needs to be appeased. It’s often done at protests, and also by gangsters as a threat/warning.
What I really want to know is…if people burn too much ghost money, does it cause inflation in the underworld?
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