each October on the island of Phuket just off the western coast of the Thai
just off the western coast of the Thai
just off the western coast of the Thai Peninsula a religious frenzy erupts it’s
Peninsula a religious frenzy erupts it’s
Peninsula a religious frenzy erupts it’s called the vegetarian festival during
called the vegetarian festival during
called the vegetarian festival during nine days
nine days
nine days believers are purify their bodies by
believers are purify their bodies by
believers are purify their bodies by restricting their diet to vegetables and
restricting their diet to vegetables and
restricting their diet to vegetables and fruit and cleanse their spirits through
fruit and cleanse their spirits through
fruit and cleanse their spirits through ritual but a few will offer their own
ritual but a few will offer their own
ritual but a few will offer their own flesh up to the gods G heat is a 22 year
flesh up to the gods G heat is a 22 year
flesh up to the gods G heat is a 22 year old construction worker who lives on the
old construction worker who lives on the
old construction worker who lives on the island of Phuket Thailand during the
island of Phuket Thailand during the
island of Phuket Thailand during the festival he will endure one of the
festival he will endure one of the
festival he will endure one of the world’s extreme tests of faith by
world’s extreme tests of faith by
world’s extreme tests of faith by becoming a medium or spirit servant
before I became a servant I didn’t
before I became a servant I didn’t believe in this kind of thing at all
believe in this kind of thing at all
believe in this kind of thing at all then I experienced it on my own legend
then I experienced it on my own legend
then I experienced it on my own legend has it that the festival started in the
has it that the festival started in the
has it that the festival started in the 19th century after a miracle occurred a
19th century after a miracle occurred a
19th century after a miracle occurred a Chinese opera troupe entertaining
Chinese opera troupe entertaining
Chinese opera troupe entertaining Mineworkers became deathly ill to fight
Mineworkers became deathly ill to fight
Mineworkers became deathly ill to fight the illness they embraced a strict
the illness they embraced a strict
the illness they embraced a strict vegetarian diet and followed Taoist
vegetarian diet and followed Taoist
vegetarian diet and followed Taoist rituals of painful self-mutilation to
rituals of painful self-mutilation to
rituals of painful self-mutilation to the amazement of the local community
the amazement of the local community
the amazement of the local community they were cured
they were cured
they were cured ever since the vegetarian festival has
ever since the vegetarian festival has
ever since the vegetarian festival has continued the practices they introduced
continued the practices they introduced
continued the practices they introduced spirit servants called ma song or
spirit servants called ma song or
spirit servants called ma song or entranced horses sacrificed their bodies
entranced horses sacrificed their bodies
entranced horses sacrificed their bodies to purge the community of bad luck and
to purge the community of bad luck and
to purge the community of bad luck and evil in Phuket one doesn’t choose to
evil in Phuket one doesn’t choose to
evil in Phuket one doesn’t choose to become a spirit servant you’re either
become a spirit servant you’re either
become a spirit servant you’re either picked by the gods or touched by illness
picked by the gods or touched by illness
picked by the gods or touched by illness 41 year old go shank has been a servant
41 year old go shank has been a servant
41 year old go shank has been a servant for 22 years it began when I was taken
for 22 years it began when I was taken
for 22 years it began when I was taken ill we went to the hospital and the
ill we went to the hospital and the
ill we went to the hospital and the doctors checked me for everything and
doctors checked me for everything and
doctors checked me for everything and they couldn’t find anything wrong with
they couldn’t find anything wrong with
they couldn’t find anything wrong with me I was nauseous had a headache and
me I was nauseous had a headache and
me I was nauseous had a headache and dizzy so the family brought me to pray
dizzy so the family brought me to pray
dizzy so the family brought me to pray here at the shrine a minute I left I
here at the shrine a minute I left I
here at the shrine a minute I left I felt better
felt better
felt better all the fever and symptoms disappeared
all the fever and symptoms disappeared
all the fever and symptoms disappeared soon after go Shang dreamed that a God
soon after go Shang dreamed that a God
soon after go Shang dreamed that a God had called on him to be a spirit servant
had called on him to be a spirit servant
had called on him to be a spirit servant he has been one ever since as night
he has been one ever since as night
he has been one ever since as night descends believers congregate around the
descends believers congregate around the
descends believers congregate around the temple and shrines laden with idols
temple and shrines laden with idols
temple and shrines laden with idols representing the gods but a few have
representing the gods but a few have
representing the gods but a few have prepared themselves for the unimaginable
prepared themselves for the unimaginable
prepared themselves for the unimaginable to become possessed taken by the spear
watching quietly g’d and go Sheng also
watching quietly g’d and go Sheng also wait to be possessed when you start to
wait to be possessed when you start to
wait to be possessed when you start to feel bloated that is when the spirit is
feel bloated that is when the spirit is
feel bloated that is when the spirit is slowly entering your body you feel it
slowly entering your body you feel it
slowly entering your body you feel it and you know that something strange must
and you know that something strange must
and you know that something strange must be happening when he is inside your body
be happening when he is inside your body
be happening when he is inside your body you feel very big and know it starts
you feel very big and know it starts
you feel very big and know it starts from your feet and when it gets to your
from your feet and when it gets to your
from your feet and when it gets to your chest you are already all numb
chest you are already all numb
chest you are already all numb Chameli your eyes will be hazed you can
Chameli your eyes will be hazed you can
Chameli your eyes will be hazed you can see some and not see some then suddenly
see some and not see some then suddenly
see some and not see some then suddenly you just lose consciousness in a trance
you just lose consciousness in a trance
you just lose consciousness in a trance g’d rushes to the altar where chaperones
g’d rushes to the altar where chaperones
g’d rushes to the altar where chaperones prepare and dressing then he joins the
prepare and dressing then he joins the
prepare and dressing then he joins the crowd in trance
one spirit servant after another takes a
one spirit servant after another takes a ceremonial ax and begins to cut his back
ceremonial ax and begins to cut his back
ceremonial ax and begins to cut his back they believe that by hurting themselves
they believe that by hurting themselves
they believe that by hurting themselves they are healing others the spirit
they are healing others the spirit
they are healing others the spirit servants are absorbing evil and hurt on
servants are absorbing evil and hurt on
servants are absorbing evil and hurt on behalf of the people the MA song will
behalf of the people the MA song will
behalf of the people the MA song will allow their cheeks ears necks and
allow their cheeks ears necks and
allow their cheeks ears necks and tongues to be pierced with metal rods
tongues to be pierced with metal rods
tongues to be pierced with metal rods g’d seems oblivious to cane skewers
g’d seems oblivious to cane skewers
g’d seems oblivious to cane skewers pierce his body the plastic fireworks
pierce his body the plastic fireworks
pierce his body the plastic fireworks cymbals and drums drives away evil
cymbals and drums drives away evil
cymbals and drums drives away evil spirits from the procession as the
spirits from the procession as the
spirits from the procession as the procession comes to hang and arrive the
procession comes to hang and arrive the
procession comes to hang and arrive the fireworks weeks leading the others at
fireworks weeks leading the others at
fireworks weeks leading the others at the temple gate still in a trance my
the temple gate still in a trance my
the temple gate still in a trance my song must have the skewers and rods
song must have the skewers and rods
song must have the skewers and rods removed from their bodies amazingly
removed from their bodies amazingly
removed from their bodies amazingly there are no screams of agony in the
there are no screams of agony in the
there are no screams of agony in the remaining days of the vegetarian
remaining days of the vegetarian
remaining days of the vegetarian festival there will be more trials for
festival there will be more trials for
festival there will be more trials for g’d in the other spirit servants fire
g’d in the other spirit servants fire
g’d in the other spirit servants fire walking boiling oil and climbing toward
walking boiling oil and climbing toward
walking boiling oil and climbing toward the heavens on a ladder of sharp blades
the heavens on a ladder of sharp blades
the heavens on a ladder of sharp blades further tests of their faith
further tests of their faith
further tests of their faith also the people are cleansed of evil and
also the people are cleansed of evil and
also the people are cleansed of evil and renewed for another year
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