Michael, a Taoist medium’s promise to Ganesha | Where Race Meets Religion - video Dailymotion

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A chance invitation from a friend during a health scare provided Michael an entry into Hinduism, and a new lease of life. Since then he straddles both faiths devotedly.  Watch more: https://www.asiaone.com/video

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00:00The doctor told me, your liver has a white dot.

00:05I was stunned, actually.

00:06So someone from our temple

00:09they introduced me to their temple.

00:16Everything started for a reason, I think.

00:20My dad had to have this incident.

00:22We weren't even tapped into this Hindu culture.

00:30I'm a Taoist.

00:38So we also help out for Hindu temples, for road marshals.

00:42And we also participate in our Tai Poo Sam.

00:46This is actually due to my medical.

00:49I went to hospital for check-up.

00:51Because most of the time, I fainted.

00:53So the doctor told me, your liver has a white dot.

00:57So someone from our temple

00:59he's a Hindu god devotee.

01:02They introduced me to their temple.

01:05To go in there and pay a visit.

01:07But I did not say anything about my sickness.

01:09I go there, I was standing outside.

01:11One of the gods, he actually trans-Ganesha.

01:16So this god actually told their devotee

01:19that there's someone outside wearing a red shirt.

01:21So I went in, this god told me, you got problem.

01:25So I was also a very tiki person, you know.

01:27I said, what problem I have, you tell me.

01:29So he told me, I'm sick.

01:31So I said, you can help me?

01:33So he said, can, I can help you.

01:35But you must bring me, you must promise me.

01:37Bring me, go around, go walk, walk.

01:39I thought just carry the statue only.

01:42But end up, he said, no, it's actually a kawari.

01:46So from there, I take part, participate in 2006.

01:58You got scars from the...

02:00Yes.

02:01My hand, all is spikes.

02:04Kawari, they have three types of piercing.

02:07One is spike, one is ring, and one is hook.

02:13Shit ah, behind ah.

02:17Yosai, face is about 72 pieces.

02:21Front, left, right, back, left, right.

02:25Front, left, right, back.

02:28I have a spike.

02:30This four pieces, over here.

02:44Face about...

02:48Four.

02:51For Hindu people, their piercing is for you to see.

02:55For you to listen.

02:57They have to suit their mouth.

02:59Tongue and left to right.

03:03It's also teaching us to clear our mind.

03:06To make sure, what are you going to do to clear our obstacle.

03:12And now you will see the kawari.

03:15And this is the first set of kawari that I bought.

03:19And we have a small token for whole family.

03:23We will paste their name.

03:25And every year, when kawari, we will bring out.

03:28When they've done everything on my body, on the spike.

03:31Then we will fix the garnish on top.

03:34Then the last one, we will paste mouth and the tongue.

03:38Then we will go about five, five click?

03:405.2 click.

03:42After kawari, a week later.

03:46I bring them go dinner.

03:48Then we passing through one of the primary school.

03:51I fainted again.

03:54It's a miracle thing also.

03:56Ambulance come out when I fainted less than three seconds.

04:01So from there, I went to hospital again.

04:04Then the doctor declared my sickness.

04:07He said, Mr Lim, your liver, the white dot, gone.

04:12From there, we really fully participate in this event.

04:18It's a promise.

04:21That period of time, we were not sure that our dad having this health issue also.

04:26When he come back that time, he saw his body like what?

04:30A lot of blood, those spikes.

04:32Piercing scar out there.

04:34Then we start to know more and more.

04:36He's going this tapu zom and everything.

04:38Joining Hindu religions.

04:40Slowly, slowly, there's just found a link that Hindu and Taoism, Buddhism.

04:45Actually, there's a link.

04:51For us Chinese, when children are reaching 16,

04:55we need to do something for them, for small players.

04:58But to me, I call them to go for firework.

05:01It's just that you grow up, be a man.

05:04Do more responsibility.

05:06Previously, just mainly to support.

05:09Support my dad.

05:10Then my dad was like, hey, why not just join like Carry Me Pork with piercing.

05:14Then for the first year, it's no shame.

05:17I pierced already.

05:18I was like half fainted.

05:20Then following year, my brother is with me.

05:23So we do do the same thing also, piercing.

05:26So we both like support each other and my dad.

05:28To walk through this whole journey again.

05:30It's like a team.

05:32Everyone is supporting each other.

05:37Yes.

05:44Today is the eve of the Hummingbird Festival.

05:47So now we are preparing everything.

05:55And then we'll invite the hell god of pepper to open hell gate.

06:37To us trans, we also don't know what we do.

06:40But most of the time, I see from outside, devotee, devotee will tell me.

06:44Or your god telling me this, this, this.

06:47This is good.

07:06Wow.

07:12We will always advise where I will sit.

07:14If people's parents are sick, we will definitely teach you.

07:18We will go and see doctor and get more advice from there.

07:37It's teaching people to clear some people's mindset.

07:43This is mostly what the god teach.

07:45But god will not teach you in a bad way.

07:48You know.

08:06Oh.

08:13Yeah.

08:14Yeah.

08:15Yeah.

08:16Yeah.

08:17Yeah.

08:22Yeah.

08:23Yeah.

08:24Yeah.

08:31Everything start from a reason I think.

08:33I don't have this incident, people don't even know them or step into this new culture.

08:41If let's say gain anything, it's definitely we gain this experience, we learn more knowledge

08:49through this process, we gain something.

09:02To me, all races are the same.

09:05I also went to mosque and I also went to church.

09:10My temple all type of races people also have.

09:27For Ganesha is 2006.

09:30I also have Dato' Kong.

09:31We went to cemetery, all of a sudden we saw a Dato' down there, you know.

09:37Temple of the main deity said, I'm going to go there and ask the Dato' to come back.

09:42Then he come back.

09:43He come back, he let people have what they want.

09:46And then this Dato' only when Hari Raya time, we will invite the God to come.

09:54When I was young, I don't believe God.

09:58So sometimes I will tell people, you believe, keep your mind clear.

10:07Don't believe, just see.

10:20To me, I always say, G-O-D, all done by humans.

10:27Your mindset.

10:38How you trust these races, but to me, one united, all the same.

Michael, a Taoist medium’s promise to Ganesha | Where Race Meets Religion

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