Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong offered incense at Thuong temple (Photo: VNA)

News from Internet: On King Hung’s anniversary (the 5th of April), Party General Secretary Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong had visited Kinh Thien Sanctuary in Nghia Linh mountains and offered incense to pay tribute to the Kings and Vietnam’s legendary ancestors, praying for peace, prosperity and longevity of the nation and its people.

Commentary:
The act of worship by the party general described above was appropriate and aligned with moral and religious principles. This is because the Hung Kings, revered as Vietnam’s ancestral figures, are genuinely regarded as holy ancestors. Some may have metaphorically referred to them as the “Sacred soul of river and mountain,” but this is a misunderstanding by those unaware of the metaphysical realm.

The author of “Nominations of the Gods,” an enlightened Taoist with profound insight into the Super Realm, also stated in his book that Goddess Nu Wa visited the Hoa Van palace to pay homage to the three Divine Emperors: Fu Xi, Shen Nong, and Huang Di—the first three Sovereigns of China. According to the celestial hierarchy, Sage Kings are revered as Saints after their passing, while foolish and sinful kings face punishment. Individuals who make significant contributions to their country are venerated as local gods. Therefore, it is more accurate to refer to the Hung Kings as our Holy Ancestors rather than using the vague term “Sacred soul of river and mountain.”

Until now, heads of state believed they possessed the Mandate of Heaven to rule and were considered sons of the Heavenly God. This belief allowed kings, with the approval of Heaven’s court, to deify their generals and mandarins posthumously. Throughout history, both globally and in Vietnam specifically, there have been numerous saints and gods reigning from the North to the South. This truth is evident through epiphanies, such as those of the Nguyen Trung Truc deity, Saint Tran, Thoai Ngoc Hau Deity, and the Holy Mother Lieu Hanh. Despite this, many people, ignorant of the spirit world, simply regard these deities as legendary characters.

While the ceremonial prayer to the Hung Kings was deemed appropriate in principle, it did not yield the expected outcome. This is because, despite their revered status, the nation’s ancestors are still subject to the laws of God, and only God and the Heavenly Court have the power to diminish or augment an individual’s or a nation’s karmic debt or blessings. Thus, praying to the holy ancestors was merely the initial step; the subsequent step should involve a ceremonial prayer to the Heavenly God. Furthermore, this ceremony must be presided over by the Head of State, adhering to the following principle:

Principle for Ceremonial Prayers:
The ceremonial proceedings must commence with an invocation of the Holy ancestors, the nation’s Saints, and gods. As deities, the ancestors comprehend Heaven’s laws, and the assessment of the people’s good and bad karma will be unveiled through ten individuals serving as mediums. These mediums must be genuine spiritual practitioners endowed with the authentic ability to commune with the Divinities. The inclusion of ten mediums serves to safeguard against the possibility of any single medium interjecting personal opinions into the revelations. The information conveyed by the Holy Ancestors to each of the ten mediums should align with one another; otherwise, a consensus will be reached based on the common denominators among the revelations.

Following this, the subsequent step involves conducting another ceremony led by the Head of State to formally present the petition for the country. During this ceremony, the acceptance of the recommended Heaven’s conditions should be explicitly stated. Subsequently, the ten mediums will engage in prayer to receive either a positive or negative response from the Heavenly GOD regarding the petition.

The ceremonial Prayer to Heaven holds immense significance and must not be carelessly delegated to individuals lacking genuine spiritual abilities. This includes chiromancers, feng shui masters, hypocritical monks, and priests from organized religions, as well as sinful religious figures who lack genuine magical prowess and merely engage in superficial religious practices. Similarly, arrogant practitioners who boast of psychic powers but cannot genuinely communicate with the divinities are ill-suited for such tasks and are often adept at deceiving people.
If these impostors dare to set up an altar and pray for the nation’s crucial matters, they will inevitably incur the wrath of the gods. Such actions not only demean the deities but also offend Heaven, inviting further calamities upon the nation.