[UA] China's Celestial Bureaucracy at Work

[Terence Leong]

Fun facts about the dominant faith of the Chinese, notably Singaporean and
Hong Kong Chinese.  I'm not sure if this is strictly followed in the more
rural parts of China, but it seems to have evolved to take on urban
characteristics on its own in Singapore where I come from.

- It's believed that there's a Tu Di Gong (literally, Official/Grandfather
of the Dirt, depending on how you intepretate 'gong') for every major place
in the world.  Most of the faithful, upon visiting a new place, would visit
the local Tu Di Gong's shrine to pay their respects and pray for good luck.
Pretty much like a visiting dignitary would visit the governor of a city to
announce their arrival.

- There's a massive hierachy of gods that stretch all the way up in a weird
sort of pyramid.  At the very top is the Jade Emperor, who seems to be a
little more of a figurehead than anything else.  Then there are his court
officials, most of them the gods of certain constellations or planets in the
celestial sky.  And further down would be the executives, who are the ones
who actually have the power to do stuff: such as the god of rain, thunder
etc.

- On the Seventh Month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, it's said that the
gates of hell open up so that the ghosts can come out for a month's break.
Also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Chinese during this month avoid
weddings and other major events (i.e. weddings, opening of a new shop,
moving house).  Incense is constantly lit nightly to "feed" the hungry
ghosts roaming the streets, and in some parts of the world Chinese opera is
performed to entertain these ghosts (and the living, for that matter).  The
front row of seats in these performances is traditionally left empty for the
ghosts that so wish to sit in them.

- Funerals are huge, elaborate ceremonies that may last anything from a
single night to two weeks in a row, depending on the rituals performed.
Sutras are chanted over the corpse during the wake to ensure that his soul
is properly escorted to the underworld, and prayers are said to appease the
official spirits that guard the way to hell.  Paper money is also burnt in
exhaustive amounts, so that the deceased may better grease the palms of
officals in death: and these rituals are moving forward with the times too.
Credit cards, Rolex watches and even whole cars and mansions (complete with
paper doll servants) are also often burnt for the deceased.



- Terence


Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2007 13:02:14 +0100
> From: "Jakob Pape" <chaomancer at googlemail.com>
> Subject: Re: [UA] China's Celestial Bureaucracy at Work
> I'd say it's an attempt at Ascension as the Bureaucrat. China is a perfect
> place for that to happen, after all, with its long history of bureaucracy
> -
> and getting such a mystical power over paperwork as choosing who someone
> reincarnates as could be a last step towards Ascension - or a very odd
> Godwalker channel.
>
>
>
> --
> Jakob Pape
>
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