Jerome Yuchien's Ph.D Thesis
Chapter Seven: Lottery Gambling and The Three Deities (part III)
4, Consulting Shamans:
The Hollo term for the shaman is "tang-ki" or "ki-tong", meaning "divining youth." Shamanism is a worldwide religious phenomenon which is characterised by possession trance (Kahoe 1988:38). Observations and interviews by scholars confirm that in Taiwan though the shamans' spirits sometimes descend or ascend, they are mostly controlled or possessed by gods. In other words, deity possession characterises Taiwanese shamanism. Generally, we find shamans attached to family altars or certain temples, especially small, private temples. Although the most important work of the Taiwanese shamans is healing (Yeh Kaofang 1987:39- 40), they can be the instructors of many concerns from marriage, moving, child birth, the properness of making trips and of course predicting the winning numbers of the Lottery. Their instructions, with all their potential flexibility, were and are actively discouraged by the elites from time to time. The government, which frequently accuses shamans of fakery and extortion, is taking gradual steps to outlaw them (Weller 1982:468).
5, Incense Tray Imprinting:
Divination using an incense tray is not traditional in Chinese popular religion. However, a lot of Lottery Bettors like to predict the winning numbers in this way. The incense tray is a shallow tray for holding some sort of powder (usually incense or sometimes sand) which is leveled to make a flat surface. For divination, the tray is put on the altar overnight. It is said that on the next day the Bettors can see the winning numbers on the surface of the tray if they inspect it piously.
6, Dream Inducing:
Exegesis of dreams is one of the most ancient functions in Chinese history. People have always believed that dreams give clues to the predicting the future, and, suggesting ways to solve problems (Thompson 1988:73). Several instances in the Zuozhuan testify to the belief that the future might be known through dreams, and in the Shijing we read that Wuding, one of the kings of the Shang Dynasty, dreamed that a good assistant was given to him who should speak on his behalf. He described the appearance of the person whom he had seen in his dream and, after a search throughout the land, Yue was found who corresponded to the description and was in consequence made chief minister (Bonsall 1934:26).
Interpretations of dreams to the Taiwanese are also a rich source of omens, both auspicious and unpropitious. There are many books of this kind in local bookstores. However, the recognised, foretellable dreams come in such a variety of guises that the ordinary citizen usually goes to a temple and enquires of a priest about the category into which a dream should be placed (Wei & Coutanceau 1976:147f). Thompson (1988:74) calls the phenomenon the "divination of induced dreams".
When a Taiwanese feels the necessity to invite a god to appear in his/her dreams and answer a question, give the solution to a problem, or explain why a favour will or will not be carried out, two temples are conveniently visited in the Taipei area. The first is a huge complex that has lately been developing around the original Mazu temple in Guandu, an hour bus trip away from central Taipei. The second one is the famous Guidance Temple, now a century old, on the mountain above the suburb of Muzha, which is likewise being developed into an extensive religious and recreational complex. In both of these large temples there are facilities for overnighters, the people seeking revelations through dreams. According to the booklet published by the Guidance Temple, that temple can accommodate "several thousands" of these visitors at a time, providing them with free food and a place to sleep; and the Guandu "dream hostel" looks to be every bit as spacious. One sees, then, that believers in dream divination must be quite numerous (Thompson 1988:76). The believer who wishes to have a personal dream visitation by the god of his choice will first of all burn incense at the temple, then set out a simple offering after which he worships the god and asks the question, details his problem or states his situation or his request. This completed, the worshipper then retires to a special room set aside for the use of believers who sleep there and await their god. It is said by the Taiwanese that any person who attempts this is certain to be rewarded by a dream visitation by the god which he has worshipped beforehand (Wei & Coutanceau 1976:154).
For the divination of the winning numbers, the Bettors can set an offering and worship in front of his/her favourite deity and sleep beside the altar or at home awaiting the revelation of the deity. The Stone God of Tham-te Ward (#S57; see figure 62) is famous for revealing the numbers among the Bettors. Perhaps the dream may seem a more individualised or personalised response from the supernatural, so some people resort to dream divination as against other, more standard, methods.
7, Intuitive Interpretation:
Of course, the divination instruments used by the Bettors to predict the winning numbers are not only limited to these. I was told that they can see the numbers from the face of the Stone God or from the ash of incense sticks offered to the patron deities of gambling. Some even just see natural phenomena or their own intuitions for the hints of winning numbers (cf. Hu Taili 1991:141).
Suesse (1987:375-79) distinguishes three general types of divination, based on indigenous meanings: those based on the immediate context when interpreted by the spiritual insight of the diviner (intuitive divination); those based on spirit manipulation (possession divination); and those reflecting the operation of impersonal laws within a coherent divine order (wisdom divination).
In many cultures extraordinary spiritual masters such as saints or gurus are often credited with insight of intuitive divination. Yet, some lay-people can also "see" or "know" reality or the future, though the reliability is not usually considered very great (Suesse 1987:376).
There are many varieties of possession divination in which spiritual beings are said to communicate through intermediary agents. This type of divination can be subdivided into two subtypes: 1, possession of non-human agents and 2, possession of human agents. Possession of non-human agents consists of attending to the flight of birds, behaviour of quadrupeds, fish, insects, or reptiles, the arbitrary movements of heavenly bodies, fire, water, stone, by lot, by throwing dice which are thought to be seized by the gods or spirits and directed according to a code known to the diviner. Possession of human agents may be of several theoretical forms: prophetic inspiration, shamanistic ecstasy, mystical illuminations and visions, and mediumistic or oracular trance (Suesse 1987:377).
Wisdom divination in which the diviner decodes impersonal patterns of reality by temporal patterns in movements of heavenly bodies (astrology) by patterns in earth formations (geomancy) or through mathematical correspondences (numerology) must usually begin in court and priestly circles, for it depends on a cumulative effort of generations and a specialised learning of which, in most early civilizations, only centralised priesthoods are capable. Only after literacy and education have become general can the sagelike diviner detach himself from court circles and apply himself to individual and nonpolitical concerns. For example, the practice of scapulamantic divination was used in court circles of the ancient China to consult the nature spirits and royal ancestors - and especially the celestial supreme being - concerning all significant state decisions (Suesse 1987:379).
If we apply Suesse's typology to the divination instruments that the Bettors employ in predicting the winning numbers of the Lottery, we find that moonblock throwing, lot-sticks and verse drawing, divination chair writing, consulting shamans, incense tray imprinting, dream inducing, and intuitive interpretation all belong to possession divination.(note.11) This shows that the Bettors have an anti-authority tendency; that is, they rely neither on "intuitive divination" for which only the extraordinary spiritual masters are credited as reliable, nor on "wisdom divination" of which only the centralised priesthood in court are capable.
V. Patron Deities of Gambling:
There are some Chinese deities connected with gambling. There is even a patron deity of thieves (Cohen 1987:291). In spite of this, according to my field observation, the Good Brothers, the Stone and Tree Gods, the Third Prince, and the Crazy Monk are seriously involved in the Lottery. I believe that the involvement of these deities is not a coincidence.
1, the Good Brothers:
Many field researchers (e.g. Harrell 1974:201; Weller 1985:46) have already noted that it has been a long tradition that the Good Brothers favour the gamblers and those who are engaged in illegal activity.
Those who die without descendants to worship them become ghosts. The unidentified bones which have been found in places such as on old battle sites or mass graves are inevitably treated as ghosts. Usually the kind-hearted local people around these sites will collect these bones together to enshrine them and worship them. Once worshipped, they become a sort of ghostly deity and get the euphemism "the Responsive Deities" (Iu-ing Gong) or "the Good Brothers" (Haoxiongdi). Since they are apotheosised not for their ethics or morality, they are not bound by ethics or morality. It is often thought better to ask these spirits for favours of an unethical and immoral nature than to take such requests to normal deities. Therefore, gamblers, fugitives, illicit lovers, people seeking revenge, and all other types who were engaged in illegal activity like to worship the Good Brothers (Harrell 1974:201). However, it is somewhat risky to ask a favour of the Good Brothers, since they are not bound to morality and ethics.
