A SPECTACULAR EXORCISM IN TRA VINH

(CÂU CHUYỆN TRỪ TÀ CHẤN ĐỘNG CẢ TỈNH TRÀ VINH by Lĩnhnam on 11 October, 2016, 00:25, translated by Horangi)

Greetings to all,
Some time ago, Old Guru shared a story with me, and I have been granted permission to share it with you, the faithful disciples. It is my hope that this story will provide you with further insight into the ways in which Celestial Spirits operate.

The demonic possession of Miss Hoa, a street vendor of sweet desserts, stirred considerable unrest in the province of Tra Vinh. As a disciple of *Cao Dai, she had also been offering alms to Monk Giac Vinh of the **Khat Si sect at the Minh Dang Quang Vihara monastery. Upon her family’s request, Monk Giac Vinh attempted an exorcism but was unsuccessful. Consequently, he sought assistance from Old Guru. At that time, Old Guru’s knowledge of exorcism was limited to what he had gleaned from reading Venerable Thich Vien Duc’s scriptures. Nonetheless, he agreed to help. In the Vihara Hall of the Mendicant sect, he gathered with the family and their possessed daughter, along with Monk Giac Vinh, other elder monks, and Buddhist friends. Surrounding themselves with the sacred ambiance, they faced the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, lit incense, and recited the Five Dharanis, invoking the protection of the Spirits and dharma protectors to expel the demon.
Immediately after the recitation, Ms. Hoa’s head began to spin rapidly, and the demon exited her body, only to return shortly afterward, manifesting with evil faces and demeanor. Guided by an unseen force, Old Guru performed a Mudra, moving it in the air, causing the ghost to follow the direction of his hand. Then, Old Guru made a gesture as if catching an imaginary object in the air, causing Ms. Hoa’s body to instantly collapse to the ground. Upon rising, she was possessed by another ghost, continuing the challenge. Old Guru repeated the gesture, capturing several dozen ghosts in the process. He then placed them in a jar, entrusted it to monk Giac Vinh for safekeeping, and took his leave.
During their next meeting the following day, Monk Giac Vinh informed Old Guru that while meditating the previous night, he heard noisy footsteps emanating from the jar. The experience was so unsettling that it sent shivers down his spine and causing him to experience goosebumps all over his body.

Later, Old Guru bestowed the Initiation Rites upon Monk Giac Vinh, who experienced the divine force guiding his hand to form a Mudra. Overwhelmed and thrilled by this profound experience, the monk confided in Old Guru, revealing that despite fifty years of spiritual cultivation, he had never before received such direct acknowledgment from the Divine.

TThe following day, Ms. Hoa’s family once again sought help from Old Guru. They explained that a celestial Immortal Lady had spoken through Hoa, revealing that many of her soldiers had been apprehended and jailed. In response, she had hastily rushed to save them without seeking permission. Now, she needed to pay a ceremonial salute to “The Honorable Master” to be allowed back to Heaven.
Ms. Hoa’s family had already enlisted the help of Cao Dai’s priests to conduct a ceremony according to the Spirit’s request. They now came to invite Old Guru to the Cao Dai Temple for this purpose.
At the Cao Dai’s Holy House, the Spirit manifested through Hoa’s body, assuming a divine and solemn appearance. With grace and elegance, she walked to the altar and stopped, bowing reverently before the Buddha’s statue, flanked by Cao Dai priests clad in white garments on both sides.

A Cao Dai Elder monk, eager to confront the perceived devil, hastened toward her and firmly gripped her hand. Quickly, she disengaged from his grasp and, locking eyes with him, admonished him, “Why did you grasp my hand in such a manner? A man of honor should not behave in this way toward a fairy.”

The Elder, undeterred, splashed her with holy water in an attempt to banish the demon. In response, she turned to him and rebuked, “Why must you resort to such actions? This disciple was paying respect to the Supreme Being, the Supreme GOD who sits on his throne high above. Your actions betray a lack of moral virtues!”

Her words caused the Elder to lose face in front of the crowd, and he quietly retreated in humiliation.
She then turned and bowed to Old Guru, expressing her intention to pay homage to her beloved master. However, Old Guru quickly intervened, urging her not to do so. He explained that such undeserved reverence would cause him to lose his blessings and potentially shorten his life. Despite Old Guru’s protestations, the Immortal Lady pleaded that it was the only way for her to find her way back to Heaven.
Convinced, Old Guru replied, “If that would truly help you, then go ahead,” accepting the bowing ritual from the Spirit. With that, the Immortal Lady vanished, and Ms. Hoa returned to her normal state. However, her story continued to unfold.

A few days later, Ms. Hoa was once again possessed, this time by an entity calling itself The One-legged demon. This entity caused quite a stir in the community by riding a bicycle with only one leg around town, delivering a message of warning to the people. He claimed that late at night, “THAT MAN” (referring to Old Guru) would come to cut off Hoa’s head in order to control her soul.

These rumors sparked widespread speculation that Sir Trieu Phuoc (Old Guru) had been practicing Skull demon witchcraft and had instructed Ms. Hoa to cause chaos at the Cao Dai’s Holy Temple. Fearing for their daughter’s safety, her family reported Old Guru to the Police.

In response, Old Guru had to clarify to everyone that he only practiced the teachings of Venerable Thich Vien Duc’s scriptures, known as “Hien Mat Vien thong” – the Realization of the Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhist tradition and denied any involvement in Skull Demon witchcraft.

The police reported the claim to the education department of the local community. They utilized loudspeakers to reassure the public that there was no such thing as Skull Demon practice, while also deciding not to involve themselves in matters concerning ghosts and demons.

After tormenting Ms. Hoa for a while, the One-Legged Demon revealed the reason for possessing her: she had broken her promise to him. Ms. Hoa had engaged in illegal lottery activities and had visited her lover’s tomb, a soldier who lost his leg and died in a bomb blast, to pray for a winning number. She had promised that if she won, she would marry him and worship him as her husband. However, after winning some money, she reneged on her promises.

Although Ms. Hoa subsequently set up an altar to worship him, the demon continued to possess her, causing turmoil that spread throughout the province. It took some time for the agitation surrounding the Skull demon issue to calm down. Since then, Old Guru and Ms. Hoa’s family were no longer in contact.

After the tumultuous events surrounding the Skull Devil story, Old Guru and Ms. Hoa’s family had ceased contact. Ms. Hoa was no longer being possessed, and her family expressed their gratitude by sending appreciation gifts to Mr. Lai, a companion in the exorcism event. They asked him to convey their apologies to Old Guru on their behalf.

Commentaries:
After numerous experiences witnessing and performing exorcisms, Old Guru deduced metaphysical principles behind the phenomenon of demon possession that had eluded others. It required deep wisdom, astute observation skills, and a critical mindset for Old Guru to realize that Demon Possession was actually a “Wordless Sutra” – a lesson directed by the Deities high above to challenge the intelligence and moral virtues of religious practitioners. It is also consistent with the principle behind Buddhist teachings on Kwan Shi Yin’s thirty-three manifestations, as well as the biblical story of Satan tempting Jesus, among other metaphysical principles. Understanding these concepts also requires Old Guru’s ability to comprehend the deeper meaning encoded within Buddhist scriptures. For instance, while common people may interpret the thirty-three manifestations of Kwan Shi Yin as embodiments or appearances in the invisible realm, Old Guru sees that these manifestations are actually occurring through demonic possessions.
Ms. Hoa’s story unfolds as a multi-layered play orchestrated by the Deities, serving various purposes and lessons for the sake of religious practitioners. Following the scene where the Lady Immortal paid homage to Old Guru in the Holy temple’s hall, came the appearance of the One-Legged demon. This served to shift the direction of the play, blowing it out of proportion to attract the attention of law enforcement personnel and garner widespread attention.
Old Guru was often surprised by the turns of events and realized another profound principle. The Deities had revealed his divine identity in the celestial realms (as evidenced by the Lady Immortal being required to bow to the Venerable Master before finding her way back to Heaven), and swiftly orchestrated the performance of the One-Legged demon to address Hoa’s wrongdoings (greed and breaking promises). Simultaneously, this narrative served to shield Old Guru’s fame, protecting him from contempt and discrimination from traditional priests, as well as from the expectations of commoners who sought him to solve all their problems.

*Cao Dai: a monotheistic religious group established since 1926 in Vietnam (Cao Dai = High Tower symbolizing the Supreme GOD)
**Khat si: A Buddhist Mendicant sect

(revised 2/23/24)