Saint Trần exorcises evil spirits.

Introduction: In 1920, the French Society for Psychic Research sent two representatives, Mr. Camille Flammarion and Mrs. Josette d’Estamines, to survey witchcraft in Indochina. In Vietnam, the two French psychics came into contact with many individuals, including a district magistrate in Hai Duong, who was the adopted son of a renowned sorcerer. With the guidance of this young official, the two French psychics witnessed many strange and mysterious events, documenting their experiences with Vietnamese witchcraft in the magazine “La Revue des Deux Mondes.” The excerpt below is a narrative about the summoning of the Spirit to expel evil spirits.

An elderly woman and her son came to the temple and sought the shaman’s aid to dispel evil spirits and heal their daughter-in-law. She had been tormented for two weeks, experiencing alternating bouts of consciousness and unconsciousness. The elderly woman placed money on a plate as payment for the ritual, then they departed.
The district magistrate informed the two French psychics:
” In four days, you’ll witness spirits summoned to expel evil and heal a woman from ‘demonic possession’.”

As planned, a few days later, the elderly woman and her son arrived with a stretcher, bearing the ailing young woman. But as they neared the house, the young woman on the stretcher suddenly screamed, insisting her husband carry her back. With ferocious eyes and convulsing body, she adamantly refused to enter. The shaman hurried out and banged his hands on the headboard of the stretcher. After that, he instructed the two men to enter the house with it…
The young woman, pale and terrified, lay still on the stretcher. Inside, the shaman helped her up, guiding her to sit beside her mother-in-law and husband.

The elderly woman turned to the district magistrate, saying:
“The demon seemed to fear the sorcerer and ceased its mischief as soon as he arrived.”

The magistrate clarified:
“The demon has departed.”
“Is the young woman free from pain now? And where did the demon go?”

The spirit hasn’t been expelled yet, it could not escape as the woman hasn’t been healed. It’s lingering outside the door, reluctant to reenter. The sorcerer must expel the demon from the victim and then secure it by banging his hands on the stretcher’s headboard.
“My godfather possesses the ability to perceive them through certain spells. His eyes unveil where the ghosts and demons hide.” “Could anyone who learns this spell see ghosts and demons?” The magistrate shook his head: “Not everyone knows this spell. This spell, along with several others, is only transmitted after completing the training. Even if a sorcerer, no matter how skilled, dares not pass it on to anyone, even relatives or friends, because if not the master sorcerer, those who read this spell, even once, will have blurred vision and be unable to speak.” “A few days ago, the shaman performed a ritual for us to see the spirits at the market. Did he also use this spell?” “No, my godfather used a seal and talisman on the eyes to help you see the spiritual realm for a moment.”

Suddenly, the drum bell began to sound, and everyone was ready, waiting for the shaman to begin the ritual. Two tiers of the temple were brightly lit with candles, incense smoke filled the air, and amidst the spacious hall, a brightly painted chair was placed. The shaman sat silently, holding a bunch of incense sticks, silently offering prayers…

Behind him, the possessed young woman seemed dazed and bewildered as she sat on a mat. Meanwhile, on a lower level, the group of three musicians began beating the introductory invocative song.

As the drumbeat intensified, the shaman handed the incense sticks to his assistant. He then lifted a piece of cloth and draped it over his head, sitting quietly for a moment before raising his two fingers high as the cloth fell down.
Upon seeing the signal, the assistant medium recognized that it was the spirit of Prince Phạm entering the ritual. He swiftly grabbed a piece of patterned cloth and draped it over the shaman’s robe, then folded the red scarf over his head. Meanwhile, the second assistant medium covered the possessed young woman sitting behind with a green flag. As the drumbeat continued relentlessly, the possessed woman swayed faster and faster until the flag fell. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, looked around in confusion, but continued to sway slowly.
Flammarion turned to the district magistrate and inquired about the significance of covering the shaman and the possessed woman’s heads with cloth and flags.

The magistrate explained that covering the heads during the ritual serves to conceal, rather than reveal, the phenomena of the spirit’s departure and the deity’s possession. These phenomena are typically invisible to the naked eye. Mystical transformations, such as turning a pig’s head into a human head and vice versa, are rarely exposed directly to the eyes of the living. To create illusions, the sorcerer must momentarily divert the subject’s gaze with sudden gestures, such as instructing them to close their eyes or pointing to the sky, while performing the mystical transformation.

Prince Pham spirit fails to subdue the fierceful Demon.
Suddenly, there was a heavy footstep on the floorboards. Flammarion looked up to see the shaman finishing his “girding,” where the two assistant mediums tightly bound the sorcerer’s neck with a patterned cloth, causing his face to swell and bruise. Two long whip-like rods protruded from his cheeks. Prince Pham’s spirit descended, holding a red-painted wooden sword, signaling for the assistant medium to take the whip and a small wooden mallet used for exorcism. With a loud command, the two assistants whipped the mat, on either side of the possessed woman. However, the demon remained undeterred, swaying like a restless serpent, “It placed both hands on its knees, sometimes tensing up defiantly, its eyes filled with arrogance and insolence…”
Mrs. D’Estamines asked:
– Why not strike the whip directly at the possessed woman, but instead onto the mat?
– Striking the possessed woman’s body serves no purpose and only adds to the distress of her relatives.
– Does that mean the demon no longer possesses the victim?
It remains within the woman. “The underworld deities and their forces have taken hold of its head, swaying it from side to side, as the medium strikes it with a whip and mallet. There’s no need to directly target the woman; any marks left on her will only add to her family’s sorrow.”
Suddenly, the demon grabbed the assistant medium’s hand, snatching the pair of mallets from his grip, and proceeded to strike itself repeatedly on the shoulders, back, and chest.
Mrs. D’Estamines asked in astonishment:
– “Why did the demon do that?”
“It’s showing defiance, demonstrating that it’s not afraid of the strikes from the spirit generals.”
Later, the possessed woman suddenly released the pair of mallets, letting them clatter to the floor, then resumed her body swaying. Her eyes were sharp as knives, occasionally curling her lips in a challenging smirk…
Mrs. D’Estamines asked:
– Why did the demon stop striking itself?
– This demon belongs to the difficult-to-treat type, resisting the divine power. The magistrate answered.

As Prince Pham exerted his authority over the demon, the two assistant mediums intensified the ritual by lighting more incense, ringing the bell, and kneeling before the altar of the Five Palaces. The drumbeat intensified. Meanwhile, family members brought two stools beside the prince’s seat. Suddenly, both assistant mediums knelt, their faces reddened, growling fiercely, and then leaped onto the stools, crouching eagerly, fixating on the demon as if poised to pounce and devour it alive…

The third assistant medium fetched two pieces of fabric, one gold and one white, and draped them over his two colleagues. When asked by the French spiritualists, the district official clarified that these were the two Heavenly Tigers, Gold and White, summoned to subdue the demon and compel it to speak. However, despite their presence, the demon remained defiant and remained silent
– “So, does that mean the prince’s power is inferior to that of these two deities?”
– “No, In the past two years, His Majesty has been accompanying His Holiness Chử Đồng Tử on a spiritual journey to the East Sea, prioritizing personal cultivation over ritual performance, except for major ceremonies such as the one at my residence. This focus on spiritual practice means that His Majesty may not display as much divine power as before. Out of ten exorcisms and healings, he has personally performed eight or nine; only the most severe cases requires Saint Trân’s intervention.

The growling persisted as the two tiger deities waved their flags vigorously over the afflicted woman’s head, while the assistant medium sat beneath the altar, wielding the whip energetically, shouting commands to drive the demon away and bind it tightly.
Despite the fierce display, the demon remained unyielding, glaring defiantly at the tiger deities. It continued to resist, gripping its knees tightly. Suddenly, it convulsed, causing the woman’s hair to become disheveled. Both of her arms seemed to be pulled downward by an unseen force from her knees to the mat. For a brief moment, she fought to raise them, but they tensed up and were pulled down again by the unseen force. The struggle of pulling up and down lasted over fifteen minutes. Eventually, she had no choice but to let her arms straighten out towards the mat, her hands seemingly glued to its surface.
The French woman looked puzzled as the district official explained:
“The woman’s pulling and struggling of her arms are the demon’s attempts to resist the invisible pressure exerted by the two tiger deities, who are firmly holding her arms on the mat to restrict any movement. This pressure will eventually compel the demon to yield and speak out.”
– “And for what purpose?”
– “There are three stages in the process of subduing the demon. Firstly, it must be coerced to confess the truth about its nefarious activities and the reasons for harming its victims. Just as criminals in the mortal world are compelled to confess their personal history, circumstances, and actions, many demons remain stubborn and refuse to divulge their true identities and past, often speaking in riddles and half-truths. Secondly, it is forced to return the victim’s soul and spirit, alleviating their afflictions. Finally, in the third stage, it is made to swear not to return and harm the victim again.”
– “Why not just imprison it, as is done with criminals on Earth?”
– “My godfather explained that in the underworld, only the Ten Courts of Hell have the authority to judge and sentence the sins of departed souls. No one else has the right to do so, even with spirits lingering and evading justice on Earth. Spirits seeking retribution against those who harmed them while alive are often apprehended by the emissaries of the King of Hell to face judgment. If the offender hasn’t reached their allotted time, the aggrieved spirits are allowed to return to Earth to seek retribution, but they are not permitted to cause death; they can only inflict illness, madness, or misfortune.”

Why is the demon so stubborn?
Suddenly, the possessed woman screamed as two tiger deities leaped down, each seizing one of her arms. Briefly thrashing, the demon then submitted, bowing its head. Despite being subdued and resisting, it defiantly snarled, while the tiger deities glared at it. The attendant wielding the whip struck harder with each blow, urging, “Let the authorities overpower it! Force it to confess!”

The demon writhed on the seat, immobilized from the waist down, hands firmly planted on the floor. It clenched its lips tightly, shaking its head vehemently, struggling to evade the celestial guardian pulling its tongue. Finally, unable to resist any longer, it screamed, “I died unjustly. The King of Hell sent me to Earth for revenge. No one can capture me!”

The hall buzzed with the demon’s words. The attendant signaled for tea and rainwater, placing them in front of the possessed woman. With a gentle demeanor, he coaxed, “How do you feel wronged? Rinse your mouth, wash your face and hands, then speak up. The Prince will handle it.”
After much resistance, the demon eventually confessed to being the wife of the possessed woman’s husband, who was poisoned to death. In a high-pitched tone, it recounted how the adulteress seduced her husband and orchestrated her poisoning through her niece, who served as a maid. Despite clear signs of foul play, corrupt officials dismissed the case, attributing her death to betel addiction rather than poisoning. Then, just three days after my memorial, the adulteress was welcomed into my husband’s home and my bed. This tormenting sight sent my soul flying to the top of the area palm in the courtyard. Nine weeks later, they publicly became husband and wife. Seeing my grievances, I was granted permission by the King of Hell to return to seek revenge. Due to her prosperous fate at the time, I couldn’t make her fall ill or suffer misfortune. In the end, I resorted to reincarnating in her womb for revenge. Unexpectedly, she had a maternal Patriarch watching over her, resulting in a miscarriage and thwarting my plan. I then caused her to have three children but eventually lost them all. Now, as she faces the influence of a bad star, I have the chance to torment her soul until her final day.

“You are not allowed to harm others, inflicting endless suffering until the end of days. This is the karma you sowed in the past, and now you reap its consequences; in a previous life, you killed and stole someone’s husband, so in this life, someone else takes your husband, and the retaliation is clear and just. Respect my authority, forgive them! Release the grudge, do not tighten it! Let go of resentment, let it dissipate, let it dissolve, let it end. If not, when will your soul transcend to enlightenment?

The demon shook its head defiantly, its voice sharp and harsh: “No! The King of Hell has allowed me to seek revenge in the mortal realm, and no one can stop me.”

After the demon spoke, the two tiger gods exited the mediums. The Prince then raised his hand, signaling the end of the ceremony. Attendants quickly released the belt, loosening the noose around the necks. Once done, the shaman’s body slumped onto the seat, and the Prince’s spirit left his body. The shaman’s face, swollen and reddened, returned to normal as the throat cloth knot was undone. The woman also reverted to her normal self.

The French woman inquired about the events, and the district official explained that despite their formidable authority, the celestial generals couldn’t fully subdue the fierce demon; it needed coercion. The Prince, once known for his thunderous authority, now embodied purity and gentleness due to spiritual cultivation and hesitated to exert divine power. Also, the two tiger gods, though powerful, held a lower rank and were insufficient to overcome the evil entirely.
Flammarion inquired:
“So, has the demon emerged victorious?”
The district official responded:
“No, not yet. Tomorrow, we must summon Saint Tran for assistance; only then can we subdue this malevolent spirit. Saint Tran, the ancestral saint of Vietnamese sorcery, possesses the power to conquer such entities. My colleague must summon him to the temple tomorrow.
– “Why not summon Him now? It’s not even 10 o’clock at night yet. Why wait until tomorrow?” asked the French woman
The district official explained, “We can’t summon the Holy at any time like we can with other celestial generals. He only responds to invocation after the shaman has spent three days as a vegetarian and observing the precepts. He is the first to descend before the other underworld generals.”

Saint Tran Unleashed: The Demon Trembles
As the sky darkened, torches blazed inside the ancestral temple, everything prepared, awaiting the possessed woman’s arrival to begin the ritual. The shaman, engaged in conversation with guests, suddenly flushed red, his eyes dimming. Abruptly, he rose and stepped backward down the stairs…out to the gate where he encountered the mother-in-law and her son rushing toward him. Ignoring them, he hurried toward the market, spotting a stretcher by the roadside with two weary bearers sitting beside it. With a stomp and a mudra sign, he struck the stretcher twice and commanded the bearers to bring the possessed woman to the temple.

As the guests followed the shaman back from the market, he recounted to them (through the district official’s translation) the earlier incident at the temple. He described how his face suddenly flushed red and his eyes dimmed, which signaled the moment when the militia spirits reported to him that the demon had sought help from the ghost factions in the market to obstruct the bearers of the stretcher. These ghosts had jumped onto the stretcher, gripping it tightly and seizing the bearers’ limbs, causing them to suffocate and stagger, unable to move forward. Witnessing the struggle to suppress the ghost mob, the militia spirits responsible for escorting the possessed hastily flew back to the temple to inform the shaman before the possessed woman’s relatives arrived.

After the shaman dispersed the ghost factions, the stretcher bearers continued forward. Inside the temple, the possessed woman sat on the mat as before. The shaman, seated on a lacquered chair, silently prayed with incense in hand. Amidst echoing chants and rhythmic drumbeats, three musicians played Saint Tran’s ceremonial hymn.

After handing the incense to the assistant medium and sitting in silence for a moment, the sorcerer’s head began to sway. He shouted loudly before removing the scarf covering his head, indicating that Saint Tran had descended. The attendants quickly gathered to serve him, covering the shaman with a red silk robe and placing a red scarf on his head, while another person covered the woman with a green flag. Amidst the drumbeats, the possessed woman swayed again, causing the flag to fall as she looked around stealthily. On one side of the floor, a stove with a pan of boiling oil was placed.
This time, the manifestation of Saint Tran appeared more awe-inspiring, causing the demon to grow even more anxious and frightened. As in the previous encounter, Saint Tran instructed his followers to “tighten the belt” (using a cloth to tighten around the neck) and hold up sharp bamboo sticks, piercing through his cheeks. Then, he loudly questioned the possessed woman, “Why haven’t you returned the soul to the victim?”

The demon, displaying some fear, stubbornly refused to speak. Slowly, the shaman stood and approached the boiling oil on the stove. Amidst the intensifying drumming, he made the magic fingers sign (a Mudra), recited a spell, then shouted loudly. Scooping the boiling oil in both hands, he filled his mouth and sprayed it onto the demon. The possessed woman screamed in a distorted voice, her face contorted in indescribable pain, trembling and howling terrifyingly! As the shaman prepared to scoop up more boiling oil for a second spray, the woman screamed again, sounding extremely desperate, then clasped her hands together and bowed repeatedly.

After displaying his divine power, Saint Tran’s voice softened as he addressed the possessed woman:
“Your grievances of the mortal world up to now is enough! You must return the soul to its owner and you need to have a change of heart, practicing the spiritual way in hopes of attaining spiritual liberation. Do you hear me?”

Saint Tran’s compassionate voice possessed a miraculous spiritual power that deeply moved the demon, inclining it towards goodness. It now bowed its head in submission, no longer arrogant or defiantly glancing around as before, but with eyes downcast, fearful, and ready to obey commands. Sensing her submission, Saint Tran instructed his assistant to bring forth the necessary items: a sharp knife, a plate, and a sheet of paper. He then sternly commanded the possessed woman to spread her hands, which were already placed on the paper.

The shaman then used the sharp knife to cut his tongue, letting the severed piece fall onto the plate and blood splatter onto the sheet of paper. The flickering candlelight in the temple made the scene incredibly eerie and chilling. Moments later, the possessed woman lifted her hands, revealing the imprints of all ten fingers on the blood-stained paper. Startled, she jerked back and collapsed: the demon had exited her body. This ritual, known as the “handprint” oath, bound the demon to its promise; it would no longer dare to harm the victim again.
Next, Saint Tran resumed his seat on the ornate chair, signaling his departure. The two attendants promptly loosened the knots of the cloth around the shaman’s neck and removed the bindings. As they finished removing the bamboo sticks, the shaman reclined on the chair. Saint Tran had left.

The severed tongue, still bloody and moving, lay on the plate. Fifteen minutes later, the shaman picked it up and seamlessly reinserted it into his mouth, reconnecting it as if nothing had happened, without stitches or bandages. Despite being cleanly cut into two pieces, the tongue surprisingly didn’t bleed much.
When the ritual concluded, the sorcerer showed his tongue to the guests. They observed that it looked normal, stretching and moving as usual. Where it had been cut earlier, there remained only a dark brown scar resembling a thin line. As for the act of scooping boiling oil from the pot and pouring it into his mouth, upon closer inspection, the sorcerer’s mouth, tongue, and hands appeared normal, with only some reddening or blistering of the skin. These were truly strange phenomena, unique in the realm of Vietnamese sorcerers and unparalleled in any other land in the world, as noted by the two French spiritualists.

The origin of Saint Tran
Mrs. d’Estamines pondered whether Saint Tran had always been a great sorcerer. The district official explained that in Vietnam, Saint Tran was revered as Tran Hung Dao, a historical hero who defended the nation against Mongol invasions. After his death, he was venerated as a saintly figure known for healing demonic possessions, particularly those afflicted by the stubborn demon Pham Nhan. People sought his aid at Dong Do and Kiep Bac, as he was the only one capable of subduing such malevolent spirits.

Pham Nhan, born to a Guangdong trader and a local Annamite woman, ventured to China to study at 16, eventually joining the Mongol army during their second campaign against Annam. He employed dark magic to summon destructive waves, sinking Annamite vessels in battle.

Naval generals Tran Quang Khai and Yet Kieu attempted to capture Pham Nhan multiple times, but he evaded them using water manipulation magic. Finally, Prince Hung Dao devised a plan to subdue Nhan using ink made from five colors and blood from a dogfish. When they captured him, they bound him with the ink and dogfish blood, stripping him of his ability to transform. Hung Dao then returned him to his mother’s village for execution.
Despite being struck by swords and knives without effect, Pham Nhan’s head was finally severed by the King’s royal sword, ending his physical existence. However, his vengeful spirit persisted, targeting women and girls. The First Minister sought help from Prince Tran Hung Dao when his daughter fell ill due to Nhan’s influence. Tran immediately intervened, using the same sword to strike four blows around the bed where the victims lay. With a command, Nhan’s spirit was expelled, and the girl was miraculously cured.
Afterward, countless afflicted individuals sought Tran Hung Dao’s aid outside the city walls. To accommodate the demand, he commissioned artisans to craft 28 smaller swords, identical to his own, from fragrant wood. These swords were lent to those seeking assistance, who adhered to his instructions meticulously. Once cured, they returned the swords for others to use.

During the Tran Anh Tông dynasty, as Tran Hung Dao neared his 70s, he settled in Van Kiep. Daily, hundreds sought his salvation until his passing, after which his temple became a revered pilgrimage site. Practitioners of mysticism and Daoism nationwide sought discipleship, honoring him as their ancestral saint. Former generals of the royal court also served as divine ministers alongside him.

Commentary:
The above exorcism story is actually a ‘play’ staged by the Deities and unknowingly acted out by the shamans. It always starts out with shamans performing feats such as immersing their hands in boiling oil, slicing off their tongue, piercing their cheeks, or walking on burning coals… before they begin the exorcism rite. By so doing, the Deities manifest their power and create a deep impression on people. There have been many who have witnessed the above scenes of exorcism, therefore nowadays people no longer have any doubt about the Deities’ power and that today, mysterious illness or evil possession is no longer a dilemma or anything new.

The more current and urgent issues are great natural disasters raging in nations large and small around the world. Although scientists can predict a hurricane a week in advance they can only track its advance, without being able to stop it or do anything else. Before Hurricane Irene attacked the eastern part of the United States (08/27/2011), President Obama and the governors of states which would be affected could only warn its citizens about the coming danger, arrange for evacuation and await the storm with its destruction.

Thus, the physical sciences have had to surrender to Nature. How about the spiritual, sacred sciences? What can religious leaders do for their country since the United States of America is a country that believes in God and the divine, as does Japan with its many Tantric Buddhist temples. However, it seemed that priests of various religions all had their hands tied facing continuous natural calamities and could only give out repetitive warnings about the coming of the Apocalypse.

Meanwhile, in all the Secret Buddhism doctrines, such as the Quintessence of Esoteric Buddhism by religious scholar Duc Qui, a collection of ancient mystical doctrines which professed the power of the Dharanis, it was stated that wherever the mantra circulates that place will be at peace; droughts and floods will end, rain and wind will be proper, malignant spirits will stay away. The Uchussma Sutra even showed practitioners of the occult how various Mudras, Mantras and Yantras could be used to quench fires and abate flood disasters. In the Judeo-Christian Old Testament, prophets are also said to have spiritual connection with God and the Holy Spirit.

In ancient times, kings of the East and West practiced the giving of offerings and prayers to Heaven or God for timely rains and favorable weather. Nowadays, priests and monks continue the practice of praying everyday, many times a day, praying for themselves, for their church, their nation and even for world peace. Such practice has been going on for the past 2000 years but has been all in vain. God and the Holy Spirit, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas have never acknowledged those prayers, resulting in an ever-increasing frequency and severity of man-made and natural disasters.

We could not but wonder about the real value of religions in the world – could it be that they were only successful in building a great name for their denominations without having true spiritual ability, which resulted in them lacking a true prophet, or a true Buddhist priest, one who could pray to God to spare one’s country from great calamities?

I also would like to have your opinions about other issues such as: Do tantric Buddhism (or Secret Buddhism) practitioners really have magical powers bestowed by Deities to negate natural disasters? If so to what degree? If not, then can we say that the Secret Buddhism sutras are just exaggerations?

I wonder if the heads of states could do what the kings and emperors of past had done: to personally perform offerings to God, or with the help of a true prophet (capable of working miracles) to ask for peace for the country and happiness for its citizens? Would the coming of a prophet whom God blesses be timely to coordinate his prayers with those of the heads of states in order to change the destiny of the world and make it better?
I hope to receive your feedback and comments.

TN.