"Master" Vy and his disciples perform rituals to summon spirits and locate graves...
Visiting Thanh Chuong district in the last days of the year, I heard rumors that in Thanh Thinh commune there was a "master" named Vy who specialized in summoning spirits and locating graves, making a very good living. They said that although no one in the locality believed him, because he had accomplices everywhere, clients from as far away as Vinh, Nghi Loc, Cua Lo... also came to him.
(Baonghean)Visiting Thanh Chuong district in the last days of the year, I heard rumors that in Thanh Thinh commune there was a "master" named Vy who specialized in summoning spirits and locating graves, making a very good living. They said that although no one in the locality believed him, because he had accomplices everywhere, clients from as far away as Vinh, Nghi Loc, Cua Lo... also came to him.
The rumors were indeed true. "Master" Vy's house sits on a hillside in a fairly bustling residential area, close to the main road, about 25-30 meters from the entrance to the cultural village of Hamlet 10 and about 1 kilometer from the Thanh Thinh Commune People's Committee. When we arrived at 11:30 AM, the "master's" house was still crowded with visitors. They arrived by all means of transportation, from motorbikes and bicycles to cars. Some groups even came from Nghi Thuy Ward, Cua Lo Town. "Master" Vy's shrine is called the "Great Spiritual Hall." The shrine is separate from the "master's" family residence; in the middle is a house for "receiving" guests, which also serves as a supply point for votive offerings, managed by the "master's" wife. The "master's" wife is no longer young; although she claims to be a "farmer," her attire, adorned with all sorts of glittering necklaces and earrings, doesn't resemble that of a farmer at all…
When asked about the procedure for requesting a ritual, the "master's" wife showed herself to be a very hospitable person. She smiled and chatted incessantly, asking about the guests while simultaneously promoting her husband's reputation. When she learned that we had traveled from Nghi Loc, having heard of the "master," and had come all the way here to ask him to examine a few handfuls of soil to locate a relative's grave, she smiled broadly and said, "The master can see everything. Just come in, perform the ritual, sit in a trance, and wait for the spirit of your family member to enter and tell you." When asked, "So, you want the master to examine the spiritual realm, since someone in your family has been frequently ill lately...?" she rattled on, "I've already said it, the 'master' can see everything. Just come in, sit in a trance, and wait for the spirit to enter and tell you everything..." Then she asked, "With so many guests, how long will it take for the 'master' to perform the ritual? Or should we ask him to let us have the ritual performed earlier?" The "master's" wife put on an important air: "Even if my parents asked, I couldn't help. It's the 'master's' business, not something to be taken lightly. Just go inside the temple and the 'master' will arrange everything..."
"Spirit summoning" at the shrine.
The shrine, built by the "master," was spacious, adorned with all sorts of flags, banners, and placards; tigers and horses were placed in front of it; the walls and roof were carved with dragons, lions, turtles, and phoenixes. Next to the shrine were a house for burning offerings, a gate, pillars, a waiting area, and a notice board displaying the rules… Inside the shrine were three or four altars. On these altars, the "master" worshipped various gods and Buddhas, even the Jade Emperor. There were about 20 people in the shrine. Amidst the swirling incense smoke, a group of five sat around a person covered in red cloth, waiting for a spirit to possess them. The others sat scattered around, waiting for their turn. Unlike his wife, the "master" was short, thin, and extremely vigilant. Seeing a stranger, he emerged from deep within the shrine and declared loudly for everyone to hear: "A stranger has come with ulterior motives. The spirit will not possess you." Upon hearing the request to seek the "spiritual healer's" help in locating a relative's grave, the "healer" lowered his voice and meticulously explained the rituals for summoning the spirit, warning: "If you want to find the grave, you must perform the ceremony at your family's ancestral temple before coming to see me. You must go with a family member; if you go with a stranger, the spirit won't return." Then the "healer" threatened: "You must be sincere; working with the spiritual realm is no joke…"
Seeing we had been discovered, we retreated and went back to inquire with the locals. We learned that the "healer's" full name was Duong Dinh Vy, and Le Thi Nhan was his wife's name. In their eyes, the "healer" was a disreputable character. The locals said that five or seven years ago, Vy specialized in treating illnesses with leaves. Patients would come to Vy bringing branches and leaves, and Vy would use those branches and leaves to repeatedly brush over the patient's painful area. No one in the area believed in this nonsensical healing practice, but people from other places came out of curiosity, causing a lot of trouble and insecurity in Thanh Thinh commune. The village and commune authorities and the people organized a review and fined Vy for "practicing medicine without a license." Since then, Vy stopped treating illnesses with leaves and switched to building shrines and performing rituals to summon the spirits of the deceased. When asked about Vy's ability to summon spirits and locate graves, many people said that Vy had previously searched for the graves of relatives in his family but failed, leading to a very noisy altercation with him. In short, no one in the local area believed Vy could find graves; however, people from other places still sought him out. The reason is that Vy had built a network of accomplices in several districts and cities in the province. These accomplices lured gullible people, those who were fascinated by superstitious practices, to Vy's services…
"Master" Duong Dinh Vy "preachs" about summoning spirits.
Regarding Duong Dinh Vy's misconduct, how did the local authorities handle it? According to the Thanh Thinh Commune Police, the Thanh Thinh Commune authorities have repeatedly dealt with Duong Dinh Vy's violations. In a commitment letter dated May 12, 2008, sent to the Thanh Chuong District Police and the Thanh Thinh Commune Police, Vy wrote: “…For some time now, I have been practicing medicine without a license and without any formal medical training. The authorities and the Thanh Thinh Commune Police have summoned me several times, issued written notices to suspend my practice, but I have continued to practice medicine. I am aware that my practice is illegal and causes disorder in the area. With regard to my violations, I commit to ceasing my practice and to dismantle the incense burner I set up myself and hand it over to the Thanh Thinh Commune Police. If I fail to fulfill this commitment, I will accept all forms of legal penalties.” On May 13, 2008, Duong Dinh Vy was fined 350,000 VND; on November 11, 2009, officials and residents of Hamlet 10 continued to reprimand Vy because: Duong Dinh Vy had already been reprimanded in the hamlet, and he had promised to stop, but in recent days he had been performing rituals to summon spirits, violating children's rights, and his child, Thanh, was also possessed and beating drums, affecting surrounding families…
Through officials in Thanh Thinh commune, it was learned that no one there trusts Vy. From the Party Secretary and the Chairman of the People's Committee to ordinary officials, everyone refers to Vy as "him" and considers his activities a scam to make money. They said: "The commune has coordinated with the district police to deal with him several times. He has been reprimanded in front of the people and fined for administrative violations, but he is still practicing his trade, albeit less frequently. Because it involves spiritual matters, it's difficult to completely eliminate him. When the commune police are on duty, no one comes, but at night when there are no officers on duty, they flock to him. People from other localities come because they are naive, gullible, or because they hear rumors, but absolutely no one from the area knows about him..."
It is true that officials and people in the area boycott Duong Dinh Vy. However, the blatant construction of a large-scale shrine and the open practice of his profession demonstrate that the Thanh Thinh commune authorities have not thoroughly implemented educational management and strictly dealt with Duong Dinh Vy's violations. It's worth remembering that just a few years ago, the practice of "spirit summoning to find graves" was strongly condemned by public opinion. Due to the harmful effects of this practice, many media outlets got involved, and subsequently, authorities at all levels decisively cracked down on this vice. Based on what we have witnessed, we urge the Thanh Chuong district authorities to urgently intervene and eliminate this superstitious practice of summoning spirits and finding graves by Duong Dinh Vy.
Reporters' Team
