WEBVTT - The Monstrefact: Incense for the Damned

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to stuff to blow your mind, a production of

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<v Speaker 1>my heart radio. Hi, my name is Robert Lamb and

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<v Speaker 1>this is the monster fact, a short form series from

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<v Speaker 1>stuff to blow your mind, focusing in on mythical creatures,

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<v Speaker 1>ideas and monsters in time, as we discussed in the

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<v Speaker 1>stuff to blow your mind episode incense, part one. The

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<v Speaker 1>burning of incense is intrinsically linked in various cultures to

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<v Speaker 1>traditions of burnt offerings to divine beings. Likewise, the burning

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<v Speaker 1>of incense is also vital in the creation of sacred spaces,

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<v Speaker 1>and in eastern traditions this crosses over into traditions involving

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<v Speaker 1>the veneration of ancestors. Now, as guards seamen points out

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<v Speaker 1>in the two thousand thirteen article, why don't we see

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<v Speaker 1>some real money here offerings in Chinese religion, incense use

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<v Speaker 1>in Chinese Buddhism isn't truly an offering to spirits or gods,

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<v Speaker 1>but rather a formal part of a sacred rite that

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<v Speaker 1>separates the space and the proceedings from the mundane world. Still,

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<v Speaker 1>the Link Between Incense and rites concerning the dead has

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<v Speaker 1>resulted in the generation of various beliefs and traditions that

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<v Speaker 1>more firmly link incense with the spirits of the deceased.

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<v Speaker 1>For example, their traditions in both Chinese and Japanese Culture

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<v Speaker 1>regarding a particular incense than may be burned to summon

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<v Speaker 1>the spirits of the dead. The details of the supernatural

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<v Speaker 1>drama vary with the telling, but one of the oldest

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<v Speaker 1>accounts is that of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty,

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<v Speaker 1>who is said to have burned the Spirit's summoning incense

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<v Speaker 1>in order to see the face of his deceased consort,

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<v Speaker 1>Lady Lee. While the magical smoke did summon her image,

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<v Speaker 1>it only lasted as long as it took the fuel

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<v Speaker 1>to burn away, and when it finally was extinguished, the emperor,

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<v Speaker 1>it is said, died of a broken heart. In reality,

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<v Speaker 1>it should be noted he actually died after a serious illness,

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<v Speaker 1>but we won't let that stand in the way of

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<v Speaker 1>a good tale. But now let us turn to the

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<v Speaker 1>incense for the damned. Of course, within Chinese Buddhism we

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<v Speaker 1>do not have damnation of the same flavor as in

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<v Speaker 1>western traditions. Even the hells are but another link in

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<v Speaker 1>the chain of incarnations that a soul travels through before

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<v Speaker 1>it finds liberation, but the realm just before the hell's

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<v Speaker 1>or Naraka, is the realm of hungry ghosts, or PRETTA.

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<v Speaker 1>To Be Reborn as a hungry ghost is to live

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<v Speaker 1>one's life as a reduced shade, commanded only by a

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<v Speaker 1>hunger linked, through Karma, to the individual's former life, as

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<v Speaker 1>pointed out by Costantino Moretti in the two thousand seventeen article,

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<v Speaker 1>the thirty six categories of hungry ghosts described in the

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<v Speaker 1>Sutra of the foundations of mindfulness of the true law.

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<v Speaker 1>This sixth century translation of the text in question outlines

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<v Speaker 1>the various hungry ghosts in Buddhist tradition at the time

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<v Speaker 1>and discusses their defining hungers. Some of these ghosts were

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<v Speaker 1>consumed by their hunger for wind or funeral lashes or

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<v Speaker 1>blood or even living flesh, which brings us to the

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<v Speaker 1>SI Shang Yan, or incense eaters. Moretti describes these ghosts

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<v Speaker 1>as beings that dwell at crossroads or in temples. They

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<v Speaker 1>appear wearing garlands and hunger incessantly and only for the

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<v Speaker 1>smoke of burning incense. The KARMIC meaning of this fate,

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<v Speaker 1>Moretti describes, is linked to the sin in their former

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<v Speaker 1>life of selling low quality incense at a high price too. Believers, however,

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<v Speaker 1>as these sinful acts still quote, indirectly contributed to other

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<v Speaker 1>people's merit making, the ghosts are karmically imbued with certain powers,

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<v Speaker 1>powers that unwise men were said to seek through acts

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<v Speaker 1>of worship offerings of incense. However, Moretti points out, the

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<v Speaker 1>worship of incense eating hungry ghosts is best left to

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<v Speaker 1>men who quote ignore the law of karmic retribution. Tune

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<v Speaker 1>in for additional episodes of the monster fact each week.

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<v Speaker 1>As always, you can email us at contact. That's stuff

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<v Speaker 1>to blow your mind. Dot Com, stuff to blow your

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