Story 5 – Magical Skull practice and Explanation

Câu chuyện số 5 – Thiên linh cái và lý giải by ThầyGià on 12 November 2008 – Translated by NgocXuan – Edited by A.Duong

Story

The concept of the Magic Skull is familiar to many Vietnamese, with varying versions circulating. Stories often involve obtaining the head of a virgin girl who has been struck by lightning or died at a particularly auspicious time, among other scenarios. This head is then subjected to months of mantra recitations to supposedly endow the spirit with power. This empowered female spirit is believed to be capable of carrying out misdeeds to serve her sorcerer master, who might use her for tasks like providing astonishingly accurate fortune-telling. Despite these beliefs, the spirit is considered to have no real power, her actions amounting to mere attempts at scaring people.

Despite being an era of science, many still subscribe to such nonsensical stories, including Monk Dada. He not only believed in these tales but also offered tributes to an elderly Cambodian monk in hopes of learning this specific ritual.

On a particularly auspicious night, at a designated ‘sacred’ moment, Dada accompanied an elderly Cambodian monk to a graveyard. They excavated the ground until they reached a coffin. Upon opening it, the elder monk began to chant various mantras and then appealed to the soul, suggesting, “Why not join me at my temple? There, you can hear Buddha’s teachings daily instead of enduring such misery, aimlessly wandering, hungry and cold… If you consent, rise up as a sign.” Instantly, the corpse sat up—a clear sign of assent. Dada proceeded to sever the head and took it back to the monastery to commence the Magic Skull ritual.

This DaDa is utterly foolish! Despite his eagerness for learning and exploration, what benefit does he gain from delving into such bizarre and demonic practices? He already possesses the talent for fortune-telling to sustain himself, as well as other abilities to gain fame and serve society by exorcising demons and curing ailments like swelling, headaches, and so forth. Why would he bring home this useless ghost that others may mistake for him dabbling in heresy?

Later, when Dada met Old Guru, he appeared repentant as he recounted the skull practice. He confessed that on that day, he gazed at the skull and felt compassion for the trapped spirit. In an attempt to aid her, he positioned the skull beneath the Buddha’s altar to enable her to listen to the recitations of Buddhist scriptures. He expressed genuine concern to Old Guru, admitting that he often pondered whether he would have to atone for this misdeed by having his own head severed.

Regarding Old Guru’s disciples, while meditating, they frequently encountered the spirits of the deceased seeking refuge in the Buddha. They provided these souls with the initiation ritual and instructed them in chanting the Buddha’s name or a mantra, enabling them to embark on spiritual cultivation under the guidance of saints and deities. Therefore, there was no need for the use of decaying corpses or foul-smelling skulls.

Explanation

The spirit of ‘the skull’ is powerless upon its enrollment in the shaman’s gang.The ghost associated with “the skull” originally belonged to a common soul. However, upon being recruited to join the ranks of the Shaman’s demonic gang, she underwent training to carry out malevolent acts under the guidance of senior demons. These demons were once part of a structured, lawful entity within the invisible world’s government but turned rogue by clandestinely forming criminal alliances. Despite their unlawful activities, the higher authority in the invisible government has yet to detect their wrongdoing due to their adeptness at concealing their true identities. However, as they continue to escalate their criminal activities, they will eventually be investigated, charged, and convicted.

A layperson, when apprenticing under a sorcerer to practice the magic skull, effectively joins a criminal syndicate. The accompanying female ghost, being a newcomer, possesses minimal experience and talent. The real instigators behind any mischief are the sorcerer and their veteran spirits, not the novice ghost. Claims of the ghost’s power are unfounded, as she is powerless.

In the invisible court of law, the shaman bears the primary responsibility. The individual who practices the ghost’s skull acts as an accomplice. The female ghost herself is merely a spirit and a victim of exploitation. The punishment meted out by the celestial court varies according to the gravity of the crimes committed. For murder, the shaman faces the death penalty. For robbery, the sentence is intermediate, while for theft, it is lighter. By observing the punishments inflicted upon the gang member, the shaman, and his family, one can glean insights into the extent of the shaman’s transgressions against celestial laws.

Old Guru knew of three specific instances involving individuals who practiced magic arts:

1. An adept guru possessed two books on magic: one for dark (malevolent) magic and one for white (benevolent) magic. During a dispute with his neighbor, he cast a spell that inadvertently led to the death of the neighbor’s son. Shortly thereafter, his own son also died unexpectedly. Recognizing this as the consequence of his bad karma, he burned the book of dark magic, retaining only the one on white magic. He lived to be over 90 years old.

2. A renowned fortune-teller from Saigon was rumored to have practiced the Magical Skull. Near the end of his life, an intruder broke into his house at night and killed him by slitting his throat.

3.A famous fortune-teller, known for his method of divination by holding a charm in his mouth, which supposedly ensured 100% accuracy in his predictions. Later, his wife also ventured into fortune-telling, advertising a wide range of services: Physiognomy readings, Feng Shui consultations, helping couples reconcile, and more.
I wonder if he practiced the Magic Skull or not? (Likely did). His wife and daughter were later found murdered, their throats slit.

Until next time…
Old_Guru 17-08-08

In Western magic, there are also practices involving skulls to harness the powers of the deceased, particularly those believed to possess some form of power. It is believed that by using their skulls, the living can inherit or absorb their powers.

The use of skulls in magic rituals, whether in Eastern or Western traditions, reflects a belief in the transfer of spiritual or supernatural energy from the deceased to the living. However, such practices often carry a sense of superstition and misconception about the nature of spiritual power.