Geistergrab einer buddhistischen Pagode

Kapitel 48

He got out of the car and led my friends toward something that looked like a bamboo bird feeder, decorated with Christmas gold leaf and hanging in the gaps between trees.

"This is a shrine."

Deities were considered the essence of nature—lakes, trees, mountains, snakes, birds, and countless others. But thirty-seven were designated as official deities, most associated with myths or heroic tales. One, for example, was a man who died of dysentery and used it to punish those who offended him. Regardless of their origins, these deities were easily disturbed and would cause trouble when disrespected.

There are gods in the village, and gods in the family shrine. They are everywhere, and people offer them food and wine.

The little girl Esme asked curiously, "What do gods look like?"

“Ah, yes, they come in many forms,” Walter said. “At the festivals held for them, you can see many statues—dressed in ancient clothes, riding white horses with great majesty. And some are not visible, such as spirits of nature.”

Do they look like ghosts?

"It's somewhat similar. You might see them, or you might not. But as far as I know, you Americans hire people to exorcise ghosts. Your ghosts are just people, or maybe animals. You don't build shrines to worship them. This particular shrine belongs to this tree. There used to be too many accidents on this road until people realized there were spirits here. After the shrine was built, there haven't been any accidents."

Esme concluded, seemingly understanding, "So, they can be anything, and they are everywhere."

Water tilted his head slightly, indicating that this was a possibility.

“What else might a god do if it’s angered?” Vera suddenly asked.

“Anything is possible. At the very least, there might be some pranks, make people sick, or even some unfortunate disasters that afflict the whole village. Whatever misfortune happens, people will believe they weren’t respectful enough to the gods. But don’t think all gods are bad. If you respect them, they will help you. A tourist I hosted last year compared the gods to his mother-in-law.”

When it was Jumaline's turn to ask a question: "Do you believe in gods?"

Walter turned and smiled: "Highly educated people generally don't believe, but worshipping gods is a tradition of our nation, just like Santa Claus's gifts."

He didn't tell anyone that he also had a beautiful shrine in his home, which was cared for and worshipped daily. He walked to the tree shrine, his back to the tourists, and carefully stuffed a bag of sunflower seeds inside, a worried look flashing across his face.

Walter turned and said, “If anyone wants to make an offering—please do so.”

He gestured for everyone to come closer. Mr. Qiao stepped forward, took out a cigarette, and placed it on the small balcony of the shrine.

“You see,” Walter said, “our gods love to smoke and drink, from palm wine to Johnnie Walker Black.”

Esme went up and solemnly placed a small bag of M&M's into the shrine. Heidi offered a packet of vitamins. Wyatt offered a postcard. Benny jokingly whispered to Jumaline and Berhali that they should offer tranquilizers or antidepressants, and the three of them chuckled. Vera came up and slipped in a dollar. She believed in respecting another country's traditions, and her offering should at least reflect American respect. The others offered nothing; they felt it unnecessary to show respect for something that obviously didn't exist.

My friends got back on the bus, and Mr. Joe stepped on the gas and continued on his way.

The road began to twist and turn, with sharp bends from time to time, and many people fell asleep. Only Walter remained awake, gazing out the window at the mountains and fields. Cloud shadows swept across the densely bushed hills, casting shadows on the green slopes.

The spirits dwell in nature, in trees and stumps, in fields and on rocks. Beneath these visible surfaces lies the core of early human beliefs, the animism of all things.

Some beliefs were introduced from China over a thousand years ago, when gods and spirits were prevalent, just as my friends are now. These spirits possessed defeated tribes and armies, returning to the Lanna Kingdom. Spirits are always associated with disaster; they are the twin brothers of accidents, accompanying endless tragedy and death. No religion can expel them, whether Buddhism or Christianity, Wesleyanism or Mormonism.

Journey (2)

Walter appeared calm, but he was still puzzled by the phone call he had with Benny the previous morning.