Grandpa always gave heeding on certain trees hosting demons or negative spirits. Dad was usually skeptical, but Grandpa always turned out to be right. This particular tree demon resonated with Dad the most, because it was one of the last warnings that his father gave to him before he passed away.
As I have mentioned before, Grandfather knew that he was going to leave this physical world during a battle in the Vietnam War. He gathered all his family and his disciples for a meeting.
"This time, I have a feeling that I won't be coming home. I will either endure a severe injury or it will be my death" Grandpa informed everyone.
"But Thầy*, if you KNOW you're going to die during this battle then just don't go!" begged one of his disciples.
"It is the will of the universe. It is my time to go; my death is just part of a big change happening for this country. After I'm gone, the war will finally be over, and this land will quiet down once again. If I stay here, what if I die sitting on the toilet? Please let me go to battle and die with dignity," Grandpa pleaded.
Grandfather gave his last words to each person. He told my grandmother to not sell the house and the land. In 15 years, the property will be fruitful and the value will have increased greatly. Sure enough, 15 years later, the value of that land was raised and Grandmother was able to make a good fortune selling it.
Grandfather warned Dad of a powerful demon that resided in a rubber tree a few blocks down from their house. There was a grove of rubber trees lining the dirt road to their town. Grandfather pointed out that it was the last tree.
"That demon has been there for quite some time. It's been staying quiet because it knows I'm here. But once I'm gone, it will become active and start wreaking havoc in this area. Listen carefully to my instructions" explained Grandpa. He proceeded to tell Dad that if and when the rubber tree demon starts acting up, he must go to Grandpa's altar, and release all the spirit generals from their urns. They will take care of it.
Off to the War Grandfather went. In the spring of 1975, 25 days after Tết**, my grandfather suffered a fatal gunshot wound during that battle.
On April 30, 1975, Saigon fell and the free people of Vietnam lost our country to communism.
Dad was drafted into bootcamp, called nim phông. It was like a military work camp where young men were mandated to work heavy labor for cheap pay and scraps of food. I cannot even fathom the suffering my father went through during this period of his life, but I know he still carries those scars because he always sends our family members off to work by packing us extra food; he never wants us to suffer as he had.
Dad was away for several months at a time. When he returned, he took his usual route home, the road of the rubber trees grove. A few minutes after entering the road, Dad noticed that the weeds had grown sky high, towering several feet over him and he couldn't get a clear view of the surrounding land. He also felt a cold chill along his spine. Then it suddenly hit him.
That last tree on the grove is where the demon lives, his father had told him. It seemed that the entire grove was cut down, save for that last rubber tree.
Oh shit, oh shit! thought Dad. He started walking fast as he could and rapidly mumbled prayers the whole way home. When he arrived at the house, Grandma immediately interrogated him.
"When did you come home? Which route did you take?" she asked, concerned.
"I took the rubber tree grove way," Dad replied casually.
"WHAT?! WHY DID YOU TAKE THAT ROAD??? THE RUBBER TREE DEMON- IT'S BECOME ACTIVE!" Grandmother shrieked. Dad's sisters bustled in and expressed their concerns as well.
"How am I supposed to know that? I've been away for months!" replied Dad.
"Ever since your father passed, the demon has been acting up. Two people have been found dead on that road in the past couple months! No one is using that road, it's been abandoned," Grandma explained.
"Didn't Dad say something about how to get rid of the demon?" Dad asked.
"I don't know! I don't recall him telling me anything! He said a lot of stuff and I don't remember exactly what to do!" Grandma cried.
"Yeah, he showed me to open these urns on the altar. He said to let all his Spirit Generals go free and they'll fend off the demon." Dad pointed out. He didn't take it very seriously when his father had showed him what to do with the urns, but it turns out that Dad has a photographic memory. He recalls exactly which urns to open and in which order. I have a strong feeling that Grandpa knew this about Dad, that's why he had left the verbal instructions with him instead of anyone else. So, Dad followed the instructions and set the Spirit Generals free. After that, no more horror incidents occurred in the area, the negative energy of the demon dissipated, and things went back to normal on the rubber tree grove road.
There's another fun story about a different tree demon, that shall be told another time. This story called out to be told first, and I didn't plan to talk about my grandfather's death in this post, but it ended up happening naturally.
There's not really enough words I can say to describe how incredible my grandfather was. In his shamanistic practice, he was an herbal/eastern medicine man, he was an exorcist, a fortune teller, an energy healer, among many other abilities. He was a martial arts instructor. He helped countless people, whether they be alive, dead, transitioning, or stuck. He was a captain in the military, fighting for his country. He was a great husband and father, and although he never got to meet his grandchildren, he left my dad four protection charms- for his four unborn grandchildren. Even though Grandpa left this world when my dad was only 16, and I never got the chance to meet him, I feel like I know him, and I'm sure he is always watching over us and protecting us.
* Teacher or Master
** Lunar New Year
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Friday, February 10, 2017
The Lost Baby
My dad was supposed to have a younger brother. But Grandma had a miscarriage. My grandfather asked the hospital if he could take home the miscarried baby. The baby was laid in a special urn and placed on an altar. They named the child Cu Teo.
Dad would often have dreams where he played with his little brother. Sometimes Cu Teo was super annoying and wouldn't stop bugging him even though Dad wanted to rest.
"I don't want to play today! You're so loud! Leave me alone, I'm tired!" scolded Dad. Dad basically did have a little brother, just not in the physical sense.
Grandpa nurtured that child's spirit for years. He even sent Cu Teo to "school" in the astral world and eventually Cu Teo reached an "educational level" that would have been equivalent to a college graduate. At that point, Grandpa's responsibilities were completed, and he was able to send off Cu Teo to a higher spiritual realm.
Grandpa had also collected lost souls trapped inside rocks and geodes (story for another day). He conducted a ceremony for them and sent them all off together as a group, so they had each other for company on the ethereal journey.
After that, Dad never saw Cu Teo come to play in his dreams again.
I know this is a touchy and sensitive topic, but it's an important one. My parents have always said one must name and pray for a lost unborn child. They still have souls and they need to be guided to the light. It's such a painful and traumatizing experience that some people just sweep it under the rug and try to forget it all happened. Please, for the love of god, name the baby, acknowledge its soul, and pray for it to be guided to the light.
Dad would often have dreams where he played with his little brother. Sometimes Cu Teo was super annoying and wouldn't stop bugging him even though Dad wanted to rest.
"I don't want to play today! You're so loud! Leave me alone, I'm tired!" scolded Dad. Dad basically did have a little brother, just not in the physical sense.
Grandpa nurtured that child's spirit for years. He even sent Cu Teo to "school" in the astral world and eventually Cu Teo reached an "educational level" that would have been equivalent to a college graduate. At that point, Grandpa's responsibilities were completed, and he was able to send off Cu Teo to a higher spiritual realm.
Grandpa had also collected lost souls trapped inside rocks and geodes (story for another day). He conducted a ceremony for them and sent them all off together as a group, so they had each other for company on the ethereal journey.
After that, Dad never saw Cu Teo come to play in his dreams again.
I know this is a touchy and sensitive topic, but it's an important one. My parents have always said one must name and pray for a lost unborn child. They still have souls and they need to be guided to the light. It's such a painful and traumatizing experience that some people just sweep it under the rug and try to forget it all happened. Please, for the love of god, name the baby, acknowledge its soul, and pray for it to be guided to the light.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
On Spiritual Possessions and Exorcisms
Grandfather performed countless exorcisms and helped people get rid of unwanted spirits who were possessing them. Occasionally, a very brave and mean spirit would taunt Grandpa, saying things like "I'm not afraid of you!" and "You won't be able to do anything to me!", but within minutes would be crying and begging for mercy. During exorcisms, Dad and his siblings were usually told to stay away from Grandpa's working area, for safety measures. This story is one memory that my dad recalls vividly, however, because he assisted and watched the entire ceremony.
The victim was a girl in her mid-twenties. She was a successful college student. When a spirit started haunting and possessing her, she dropped out of school and began acting extremely "crazy". She was mentally incapacitated. She would often have conversations with herself and attempted to sing while crying. This carried on for an entire year before her family took her to get help from my grandfather. In the western world, she would probably be sent to a psychiatric ward, with no cure in sight.
"Big Sister, why are you so sad?" Dad asked her.
"I'm not sad. I'm feeling very happy!" she replied through her sobs, wails, and singing.
Before the ceremony, Dad was instructed to cut pieces of paper into thin strips and paste them end to end to create a long tape. Grandpa wrote prayers on the tape and blessed it.
It was decided that one of my grandfather's apprentices would open the ceremony. This man was very well known in the town as a talented detective. He wished to learn from Grandpa so he can help his community in more ways. He began the ceremony through chanting, prayers, and calling upon gods and goddesses. He marched around doing the shaman dance and chanting. It was obvious that this required extreme focus and energy, as he started sweating profusely.
One end of the blessed tape was placed into the mouth of the girl. Then, the tape began winding itself into the girl's mouth! It was moving slow, like a stuck VHS tape. Dad jumped up in shock. He peered around to check if Grandpa or the apprentice has some sort of remote or machinery that was making the tape do that. How could this be? I made that tape! I cut that paper and glued it with my own hands! There was nothing special about it. What are these guys up to?! Are they messing with me? What is this trickery?! Dad thought.
"FASTER!" Grandpa demanded impatiently, stomping his foot on the ground and slapping a hand on the table. He mouthed some prayers. Suddenly the tape started rolling itself into the girl's mouth at a steady, smooth pace, like a cassette tape winding inside a cassette player.
Then Dad heard the girl speak. But it was not her voice. It was the voice of the spirit possessing her. Clearly, a man's voice.
"Please, pháp thây*, please, have mercy. Please let me stay. I love this girl. I want to be with her!" said the man's voice.
"This is not possible! It is the divine law of the universe that spirit and human shall not be together!" Grandpa explained.
"No, I will not leave!" the spirit said angrily. He started acting up, causing the girl's body to wail and contort.
"If you do not leave on your own, then I will send in my generals to end you! If that doesn't work, I will summon Thiên Lôi **, he will strike you and send you to the 18th level of hell!" Grandpa shouted.
"I don't want to leave. You can't make me!" the spirit growled ragingly.
Suddenly, the spirit cried out in excruciating pain.
"That was just a taste of what my generals can do. Do you want me to summon Thiên Lôi now?!" Grandpa threatened.
"No, no! Stop! Please, spare me!" the spirit begged.
After the spirit agreed to leave on his own, a separation ceremony was performed where the girl's belongings were split in half, even clothes were cut directly in half. Half of her items were to placed in a basket that would be returned to the water, where the spirit probably came from. The girl made a full recovery and returned to college as her usual self.
"Dad, if there are so many spirits down in the water, how come you don't just go out there and do a spell to get rid of all of them at once? It is so sad what happened to that girl! If I were you, I'd go there and kill them all now!" Dad said.
"Oh my god, that would be too evil! There are many spirits who are harmless and kind. It would not be a compassionate thing to do," Grandpa explained.
Grandpa warned to be very careful of clothing lost in water bodies, because spirits can track down that person and attach themselves. This was a big issue back then, because people used to wash clothes in the rivers and streams, and sometimes clothing articles would get picked up by the current. The same goes for hang drying clothes, one should never leave clothes outside overnight. The spirit world is more active at night, and spirits can attach to clothing items left outside, eventually possessing the owner of the clothes.
Dad wants so badly to be skeptical and be able explain what happened with science, but he knows that what he saw cannot be physically explained or proven. To this day, he is very adamant about Grandpa's headings, never letting us leave clothes out overnight.
___________________
* Shaman, sorcerer, or wizard
** God of Thunder
The victim was a girl in her mid-twenties. She was a successful college student. When a spirit started haunting and possessing her, she dropped out of school and began acting extremely "crazy". She was mentally incapacitated. She would often have conversations with herself and attempted to sing while crying. This carried on for an entire year before her family took her to get help from my grandfather. In the western world, she would probably be sent to a psychiatric ward, with no cure in sight.
"Big Sister, why are you so sad?" Dad asked her.
"I'm not sad. I'm feeling very happy!" she replied through her sobs, wails, and singing.
Before the ceremony, Dad was instructed to cut pieces of paper into thin strips and paste them end to end to create a long tape. Grandpa wrote prayers on the tape and blessed it.
It was decided that one of my grandfather's apprentices would open the ceremony. This man was very well known in the town as a talented detective. He wished to learn from Grandpa so he can help his community in more ways. He began the ceremony through chanting, prayers, and calling upon gods and goddesses. He marched around doing the shaman dance and chanting. It was obvious that this required extreme focus and energy, as he started sweating profusely.
One end of the blessed tape was placed into the mouth of the girl. Then, the tape began winding itself into the girl's mouth! It was moving slow, like a stuck VHS tape. Dad jumped up in shock. He peered around to check if Grandpa or the apprentice has some sort of remote or machinery that was making the tape do that. How could this be? I made that tape! I cut that paper and glued it with my own hands! There was nothing special about it. What are these guys up to?! Are they messing with me? What is this trickery?! Dad thought.
"FASTER!" Grandpa demanded impatiently, stomping his foot on the ground and slapping a hand on the table. He mouthed some prayers. Suddenly the tape started rolling itself into the girl's mouth at a steady, smooth pace, like a cassette tape winding inside a cassette player.
Then Dad heard the girl speak. But it was not her voice. It was the voice of the spirit possessing her. Clearly, a man's voice.
"Please, pháp thây*, please, have mercy. Please let me stay. I love this girl. I want to be with her!" said the man's voice.
"This is not possible! It is the divine law of the universe that spirit and human shall not be together!" Grandpa explained.
"No, I will not leave!" the spirit said angrily. He started acting up, causing the girl's body to wail and contort.
"If you do not leave on your own, then I will send in my generals to end you! If that doesn't work, I will summon Thiên Lôi **, he will strike you and send you to the 18th level of hell!" Grandpa shouted.
"I don't want to leave. You can't make me!" the spirit growled ragingly.
Suddenly, the spirit cried out in excruciating pain.
"That was just a taste of what my generals can do. Do you want me to summon Thiên Lôi now?!" Grandpa threatened.
"No, no! Stop! Please, spare me!" the spirit begged.
After the spirit agreed to leave on his own, a separation ceremony was performed where the girl's belongings were split in half, even clothes were cut directly in half. Half of her items were to placed in a basket that would be returned to the water, where the spirit probably came from. The girl made a full recovery and returned to college as her usual self.
"Dad, if there are so many spirits down in the water, how come you don't just go out there and do a spell to get rid of all of them at once? It is so sad what happened to that girl! If I were you, I'd go there and kill them all now!" Dad said.
"Oh my god, that would be too evil! There are many spirits who are harmless and kind. It would not be a compassionate thing to do," Grandpa explained.
Grandpa warned to be very careful of clothing lost in water bodies, because spirits can track down that person and attach themselves. This was a big issue back then, because people used to wash clothes in the rivers and streams, and sometimes clothing articles would get picked up by the current. The same goes for hang drying clothes, one should never leave clothes outside overnight. The spirit world is more active at night, and spirits can attach to clothing items left outside, eventually possessing the owner of the clothes.
Dad wants so badly to be skeptical and be able explain what happened with science, but he knows that what he saw cannot be physically explained or proven. To this day, he is very adamant about Grandpa's headings, never letting us leave clothes out overnight.
___________________
* Shaman, sorcerer, or wizard
** God of Thunder
Monday, September 5, 2016
Be Careful What You Wish For!
Grandpa said that practitioners of magic are basically divided into two main categories. People who practice white magic are called đạo sĩ, which would be like a wizard or a shaman who uses magic with good intentions and for helping others. People who practice dark magic are called phu thuy, which would be translated to wicked/dark witch and warlock, those who use magic for evil.
My grandfather had a family friend who Dad called Uncle Tu. Uncle Tu's mother was a very skilled dark witch, but for some reason she happened to save my great-grandmother's life. And for that, Grandpa owed a debt to their family.
When my dad was a child, Uncle Tu suffered a very bad curse that was bringing him close to the brink of death. (Perhaps he was getting the bad karma and repaying debts for his mother's evil doing?). He came to Grandpa to beg for his life. The curse had physically manifested as an extremely painful swelling of Uncle Tu's stomach. Uncle Tu looked as if his innards would come exploding out. It was a horrific sight.
"Brother Tu, it is your time to go. However, your mother once saved my mother, and I do owe you a debt. I will repay that debt by bringing you back. But, that means that I must forfeit ten years of my own life." Grandpa explained. The universe must always be in balance.
"If I save you, you will live out the rest of your life as a beggar. Are you sure you want to become a beggar? Or would you rather just die now?" Grandpa asked.
"I'd rather live! Please, just save me!" cried Uncle Tu.
"Okay then, we will proceed."
The ceremony lasted three days and three nights. Dad, being the son of a shaman, always required extra protection. His sisters were usually fine, but for some reason, it was the son of the family that was most vulnerable to spiritual danger. Dad was a kid, and all he wanted to do was go hang out with his friends. He would cry and make a fuss when he was forced to stay home in a protected room.
"But why do I have to stay in? It's movie night at my friend's house! There's Wild Wild West and Star Trek! I don't want to miss it! Please, why can't I go?" Dad whined.
"Son, this battle is going to be a big one. It's going to be dangerous for you, and if they find you and get you, I might not be able to save you or bring you back. It could be fatal" said Grandpa. I'm still trying to figure out what he meant by this. Was Dad in danger because Grandpa would be too pre-occupied to rescue him from any potential harm? Or was Dad in danger because the ceremony would anger the spiritual world and they would seek vengeance on the shaman by harming his son?
"Just let Uncle Tu die then! If you don't save him, then I won't have to stay home!" Dad brilliantly devised.
The ceremony room was lit with 190 candles. The room was their living room, but contained many altars and doubled as a temple. It was in this room that Grandpa would be calling upon Buddhist Gods, Goddesses, and his spirit generals for assistance. Grandpa changed into all-white shaman attire, and Dad knew this meant serious business.
The last day of the ceremony arrived. "Take the boy into the room!" Grandpa commanded. Dad was ushered into his protective room. A protection ward was placed upon the door. It was two rectangular pieces of holy yellow paper, with charms that were written vertically in Chinese characters. The charm paper was pasted on the door in the form of an "X". This meant nothing gets in, and nothing gets out.
Dad was upset and bored in his room. He peered out the window. It was a sunny, humid day with clear skies. Then, the strangest thing happened. The wind started blowing at mighty speeds and twisted around the house. He thought they would be swallowed up by this tornado. Dad got very frightened, he knew that things were getting real out there. To make matters even worse, he could hear Uncle Tu screaming in agony. Dad cowered in his room in fright.
After it was all over, Dad approached Grandpa to figure out what went down.
"Dad, what happened out here? Why was there so much screaming? It really scared me!"
"I had to send my generals in him to retrieve the demon that was cursing him."
"Whoa, you ripped the demon out of his belly?!" Dad asked excitedly. "Did you see the demon's face?! What did it look like?!" Dad whispered.
"Why do you always ask such silly questions?!" Grandpa scolded.
Some time after, Uncle Tu and Grandpa fought in the Vietnam War. Grandpa passed away during one of the battles he was leading. Uncle Tu was very nice to Dad, always bringing back American treats for him. After we lost the War, Uncle Tu ended up losing everything and became a beggar. He also developed leprosy and his hands became deformed as a result. One day he came back to visit Dad. Dad took a look at Uncle Tu and noticed the holes in his hands.
"Uncle Tu! What happened to you?!" Dad cried.
"Your father already told me this would be my fate if I chose to live. I was too afraid to die at the time, so this is what I must live with" he solemnly responded.
This is a classic story of be careful of what you wish for. Sometimes, out of fear or selfishness, people aren't cautious about what they ask for, causing pain to themselves and others. Uncle Tu should have died that day, and he could have avoided a decade of suffering as a beggar. That means that Grandpa would have survived the War, and been able to grace his family and his community for another ten years. I shouldn't dwell on what could have happened, though, because things happen the way they do for a reason. And the amazing thing? Grandpa knew he was going to die during that battle! But that's a story for another time.
My grandfather had a family friend who Dad called Uncle Tu. Uncle Tu's mother was a very skilled dark witch, but for some reason she happened to save my great-grandmother's life. And for that, Grandpa owed a debt to their family.
When my dad was a child, Uncle Tu suffered a very bad curse that was bringing him close to the brink of death. (Perhaps he was getting the bad karma and repaying debts for his mother's evil doing?). He came to Grandpa to beg for his life. The curse had physically manifested as an extremely painful swelling of Uncle Tu's stomach. Uncle Tu looked as if his innards would come exploding out. It was a horrific sight.
"Brother Tu, it is your time to go. However, your mother once saved my mother, and I do owe you a debt. I will repay that debt by bringing you back. But, that means that I must forfeit ten years of my own life." Grandpa explained. The universe must always be in balance.
"If I save you, you will live out the rest of your life as a beggar. Are you sure you want to become a beggar? Or would you rather just die now?" Grandpa asked.
"I'd rather live! Please, just save me!" cried Uncle Tu.
"Okay then, we will proceed."
The ceremony lasted three days and three nights. Dad, being the son of a shaman, always required extra protection. His sisters were usually fine, but for some reason, it was the son of the family that was most vulnerable to spiritual danger. Dad was a kid, and all he wanted to do was go hang out with his friends. He would cry and make a fuss when he was forced to stay home in a protected room.
"But why do I have to stay in? It's movie night at my friend's house! There's Wild Wild West and Star Trek! I don't want to miss it! Please, why can't I go?" Dad whined.
"Son, this battle is going to be a big one. It's going to be dangerous for you, and if they find you and get you, I might not be able to save you or bring you back. It could be fatal" said Grandpa. I'm still trying to figure out what he meant by this. Was Dad in danger because Grandpa would be too pre-occupied to rescue him from any potential harm? Or was Dad in danger because the ceremony would anger the spiritual world and they would seek vengeance on the shaman by harming his son?
"Just let Uncle Tu die then! If you don't save him, then I won't have to stay home!" Dad brilliantly devised.
The ceremony room was lit with 190 candles. The room was their living room, but contained many altars and doubled as a temple. It was in this room that Grandpa would be calling upon Buddhist Gods, Goddesses, and his spirit generals for assistance. Grandpa changed into all-white shaman attire, and Dad knew this meant serious business.
The last day of the ceremony arrived. "Take the boy into the room!" Grandpa commanded. Dad was ushered into his protective room. A protection ward was placed upon the door. It was two rectangular pieces of holy yellow paper, with charms that were written vertically in Chinese characters. The charm paper was pasted on the door in the form of an "X". This meant nothing gets in, and nothing gets out.
Dad was upset and bored in his room. He peered out the window. It was a sunny, humid day with clear skies. Then, the strangest thing happened. The wind started blowing at mighty speeds and twisted around the house. He thought they would be swallowed up by this tornado. Dad got very frightened, he knew that things were getting real out there. To make matters even worse, he could hear Uncle Tu screaming in agony. Dad cowered in his room in fright.
After it was all over, Dad approached Grandpa to figure out what went down.
"Dad, what happened out here? Why was there so much screaming? It really scared me!"
"I had to send my generals in him to retrieve the demon that was cursing him."
"Whoa, you ripped the demon out of his belly?!" Dad asked excitedly. "Did you see the demon's face?! What did it look like?!" Dad whispered.
"Why do you always ask such silly questions?!" Grandpa scolded.
Some time after, Uncle Tu and Grandpa fought in the Vietnam War. Grandpa passed away during one of the battles he was leading. Uncle Tu was very nice to Dad, always bringing back American treats for him. After we lost the War, Uncle Tu ended up losing everything and became a beggar. He also developed leprosy and his hands became deformed as a result. One day he came back to visit Dad. Dad took a look at Uncle Tu and noticed the holes in his hands.
"Uncle Tu! What happened to you?!" Dad cried.
"Your father already told me this would be my fate if I chose to live. I was too afraid to die at the time, so this is what I must live with" he solemnly responded.
This is a classic story of be careful of what you wish for. Sometimes, out of fear or selfishness, people aren't cautious about what they ask for, causing pain to themselves and others. Uncle Tu should have died that day, and he could have avoided a decade of suffering as a beggar. That means that Grandpa would have survived the War, and been able to grace his family and his community for another ten years. I shouldn't dwell on what could have happened, though, because things happen the way they do for a reason. And the amazing thing? Grandpa knew he was going to die during that battle! But that's a story for another time.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
My Dad's Godfather Was Literally A God
Now bear with me, as this story is extremely out of the ordinary and out of this world. It also sounds ridiculous in modern English, a language not really made for telling these divine stories. There are words and expressions in Vietnamese that just cannot translate into English. Please read this with love and openness in your heart.
My dad's godfather was literally a god. It sounds way more badass in English. In Vietnamese, the word for godfather translates directly to adoptive father. Actually, that's still pretty badass.
My dad's godfather was literally a god. It sounds way more badass in English. In Vietnamese, the word for godfather translates directly to adoptive father. Actually, that's still pretty badass.
In Buddhism and Ancient Chinese mythology, there are a multitude of bodhisattvas, gods, demi-gods, deities, divine beings, etc. My dad's godfather was a god in ancient times, but it is believed that he had committed a wrongdoing and fell to the earth realm where he became a powerful spirit. My grandfather collected the spirit, nurtured and befriended him, and he agreed to be one of my grandfather's spirit generals. Grandfather said that not all spirits are bad or evil. They sometimes want to befriend and assist people who have good and friendly intentions. My grandfather asked for assistance from his spirit generals during rituals, cleansings, ceremonies, and exorcisms. This was a special spirit-shaman friendship though, and the spirit even agreed to be Godfather to my dad.
My dad's first memory of his Godfather visiting was when he was 7 years old. My grandfather had invited a medium over so the Godfather can speak to and hold my dad. My dad doesn't remember much accept that he was terrified of this strange man, with a booming voice, who kept referring to my dad as is his son. My dad cried and cried because he was so frightened. He remembers having stomach pain during his whole childhood. My grandparents took this opportunity to ask the Godfather what they should do. My grandpa was skilled in all types of eastern herbal remedies but nothing had helped.
"DON'T WORRY! HE'LL BE FINE! IT IS WRITTEN THAT HE MUST SUFFER FOR 12 YEARS. HOWEVER, AFTER THAT HE WILL HAVE PAID HIS DEBTS AND HIS ILLNESS WILL GO AWAY" the Godfather boomed.
"But we are so worried. He's in so much pain all the time. We've tried everything and nothing is helping. Are you sure it will just resolve on its on?" my grandmother asked anxiously.
"LISTEN TO ME! DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR HUSBAND! THE BOY WILL BE FINE!".
The next time and last time the Godfather visited my dad was when my dad was 12 years of age. He was more prepared this time and was excited to spend time together. This time, my grandfather offered his own body as a vessel for the Godfather to use.
Instantly, my grandfather's posture changed and his voice became unrecognizable.
"MY SON! WHERE IS MY SON? I WANT TO SEE MY SON!" the Godfather bellowed. His voice was so strong and booming, my dad was sure their little house would shatter.
"Hurry! He's asking for you!" said my grandma, ushering my dad forward.
"W-who are you?" my dad asked timidly.
"WHY, I'M YOUR FATHER, OF COURSE!"
"D-dad?"
"NO, YOUR FATHER! WHERE IS MY HAT? WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES? WHERE ARE MY SHOES? WHERE IS MY SWORD? DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE? BRING THEM TO ME!" he suddenly demanded.
"W-why do you need your sword right now?" dad stammered nervously. He hurriedly fetched the Godfather's fresh clothes, hat, and shoes. The Godfather changed into the attire that was set aside specifically for his visits. This was no ordinary outfit. It was warrior attire, like the ones from Ancient China. His sword is called a dao, a single edged sword, also known as a Chinese sabre.
 |
| I imagine his attire must have been similar to this |
 |
| Dao sword |
"COME HERE LET ME HOLD YOU!" he boomed cheerily. He tightly wrapped his arms and his legs around my dad's frail body. His skin felt boiling hot as if he was running a severe fever.
"F-father? Can you not squeeze so hard...because...death..." dad breathed.
"DEATH? GODS CANNOT DIE! DON'T WORRY!" he said matter-of-factly, not realizing Dad meant that HE would die from the squeezing. The Godfather let go. "WATER! WATER! WATER! BRING ME SEVERAL CUPS! I'M SO THIRSTY!!!" he suddenly exclaimed.
My dad brought him three to four ceramic cups of water. He watched the Godfather quickly guzzle the water and proceeded to chew up the cups and swallow them. Dad freaked out. What?!....How.....Why? thought Dad.
"Father! Is your stomach okay?"
"I'M FINE! THAT STUFF? THAT IS LIKE PAPER TO ME! SON, I WILL NO LONGER BE VISITING YOU IN THE FUTURE. BUT BEFORE I LEAVE, I WANT TO TRANSFER IT ALL TO YOU". He placed his hand on my dad's solar plexus, the stomach area where he had been in pain all these years. "THERE, YOU HAVE ALL OF IT. FROM NOW ON YOU WILL BE STRONG AND HEALTHY, SO HAVE NO FEAR, MY SON". He chuckled and with that he was gone.
When my grandfather came to, my dad touched his belly.
"Dad are you okay? How does your stomach feel? You ate a bunch of cups earlier!" my dad said worriedly.
Grandpa laughed. "That wasn't me. That was him! He ate it and he took all that with him. There is nothing in my stomach so I'm fine!"
A short time after, western medicine came to Vietnam via the war. Dad was given some sort of antibiotic pill for his stomach illness. And just like the Godfather had said, at 12 years of age the illness would be cured and he never felt the stomach pain again.
To this day, my dad is still baffled by the sizzling skin, that booming voice, and most of all the cup eating. Dad is a huge skeptic and tries to science everything. But 44 years later and he still cannot explain what happened and what he saw with his own eyes. My dad lives his life with no fear, because deep down he knows that his Godfather is protecting him from the beyond.
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