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Ghost Story In China 5: Kumanthong

 

I mentioned already in my stories that I had a step-brother who is a "dukun," kind of Indonesian magician. He is not only a magician, he also acts as a "suhu," Indonesian term for a Taoist medium who also uses Chinese sorcery.

I came to visit him in my second vacation, around January 2010. He was in the process of making a kumanthong, so I waited a bit while his friends (or apprentices, to be exact) explained to me about kumanthong. I've heard about this thing from some Thailand friends, but was curious to see the real thing.

Kumanthong is a charm, shaped in a small statue form, and sometimes is enclosed into a little glass case. You can search it in Google, there are a lot of pictures of them. Mine is already lost so I could not give you the picture. There are several kinds of kumanthong, I only remember three. One is a spiritless charm that receives blessing from Buddhist priests in order to work; kind of like Japanese's omamori. The second one, like mine, has a spirit of a baby, usually aborted or miscarriage babies. The last one, named lok krok, is made from aborted baby's corpse, and usually used for evil.

My brother believed not every person could have a kumanthong. He told me that the spirit inside either chose his or her own master, or between the spirit and the owner must have some kind of connection, or karma, or predestined fate for the spirit to be owned by that particular person. Even though it is a charm, we must treat kumanthong as a real baby, give them food and toys, pray for them, and in return they can help protect us (though little) or bring us fortune. As long as we care for them like this, some day, once the karma is fulfilled, the kumanthong can reincarnate.

The kumanthong he made that day was a boy, five months old when he was aborted. Don't ask me how or why he got the spirit. I don't know. He gave the boy Chinese name and sealed it, as was the custom, the name was Guangsong 光松, meant "pinetorch." When he saw me, he said that he would give the kumanthong to me, as my coming to his place right when he gave the boy name proved that somehow he was destined to be mine. Who am I to refuse fate? So I accepted.

He was a boy in the shape of two-year-old, had dimples and loved to hang around me. Sometimes I could see him, sometimes I could not.

I prepared chocolates, snacks, milk, toys for Guangsong every two or three days. Magically, in one or two hour after I opened the milk container's lid, the milk would go bad like it was opened for two weeks already instead of an hour. My brother told me that spirit also eats, only they eat the "energy" from that food, therefore making them go bad because literally they lose their "chi."

Once, I gave him chocolate-coated wafer. After fifteen minutes, I remembered that I had not opened the plastic yet, so I tore it open only to find that the chocolate coating was almost gone, like somebody had nibbled on it, the wafer still untouched.

Sometimes, the statue would move by itself, rolling above my table where I put the statue (we believe that the statue is kind of like the spirit's home), and sometimes when I left him (he would listen to me, when I told him to stay at my room and not bothering my housemates, he would stay), I came home to find he messed my room, just like a spoiled brat messing up his mother's things.

When I just acquired him, if I didn't tell him to stay, he would mess my housemates' room and made them freak out.

One day, around a year after I acquired him, I woke up one night and saw him standing beside me. He smiled and waved his hand, and somehow without speaking, I understood that he told me goodbye.

In the morning, I found the statue had vanished. I called my brother and he told me the boy had reincarnated. I'd been praying for him since the first time I acquired him, and still praying for him until now. I wish I could meet him, in his reincarnated form.

I hope someday, fate will grants my request.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, xiao88, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

PriyankaMenon (2 stories) (41 posts)
 
8 years ago (2016-07-11)
Hi your stories are nice I like them. For me you are my favourite storyteller. I like the way you descibe I am from India. This story is fascinating I was little bit scared at first but when I read full story I felt good, it's good to care for the baby to provide love and care. Its true eastern culture is quite different from west. It was nice for the baby to say you good bye. Do tell us more about your place.
Richy68 (2 posts)
 
10 years ago (2014-09-07)
It very interested ghost story, and I'd like to share to all of you another real ghost story,"Love of the Dead", a true story about young exorcist in Vietnam. He recounted the process using his magic to fight and neutralize the guilty souls, to help them have a optimistic view of the afterlife to integrate and regeneration... The book can be downloaded following the link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/468244 😨
dhlp_xyz (1 stories) (10 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-05-07)
Xiao88

Hi there, your stories are wonderful.

Earlier I asked you to allow me to contact your dukun brother for his help...

It seems me & my family are suffering due to some bad black magic done on us.

I will be thankful to you if you & your dukun brother can help me.

My email id is: studkamdeva [at] yahoo.com
xiao88 (9 stories) (19 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-02-10)
[at] sebastian,

Well, one advice for you before you go and interact with spirits...
Some of them want to talk to you because they have something that bind them to this world, that make them cannot go to the afterlife. They want to find someone who can see them and help them.
If you can see them and they know it, they might try to communicate to you in order to ask for your help (which is not going to be done nicely, but rather force you to help them).
And if you cannot help them, they might attach themselves to you as long as you shall live or until you remove the 'thing' that binds them.

That happens to my bro, by the way... Well he's kind of powerful so he exorcises them... But still, I wouldn't advice you to get too close.
SebastianRaynes73 (2 stories) (31 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-02-08)
Xiao88, Thankyou for all your help and input. I really appreciate the help. I have only in the past 15yrs really been able to see spirits after an accident at work that left me comatose for nearly 3wks. When I came too and had to go though physical rehab to be able to get my injured leg back to as close to normal as possible. I starting picking up strange visions, energies and hearing talking etc that only I knew and herd. It wasn't until I visited my Aunt in England in 2000 and we got into a chat about my accident and injury rehab. That somehow we got talking about me new found ability so to speak. And that's when she told me she thought is was spirits trying to get my attention. She had a similar ability that started when she had a car accident at 24yrs old. Aparently seeing spirits is a gift on that side of the family. But for some reason it usually starts after the person has a tramatic event. I always try to be nice to the spirits I encounter. Even the ones that have really upset or un-nerved me. I have come to mostly enjoy the gift now. As I see it as, I think I was chosen to see, hear and interact with these spirits. Like others who see them, whom I also believe were chosen for some reason unknown yet to most people to be able to see, hear and communicate with spirits too. I don't see it as a bad thing as I think there has to be a good reason why we can.

Thankyou again,
Sebastian.
xiao88 (9 stories) (19 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-02-08)
[at] sebastian
Thankyou very much... I hope I can meet him, somehow.

Well, I wouldn't advise other people to play with supernatural, and I never had any wish in the first place to encounter the supernatural either, but somehow they seemed intent to find me -.-"a
But if you have the same fate as me, that is, able to see the invincible, I suggest you treat them as you want to be treated. Don't stare at them, don't insult them, greet them as friendly as you can, and never show your fear because it also counts as an insult.
You do that and, unless the spirits are the dangerous type or have a mischievous behavior from the start, they will not disturb you.

That's how I survive all this time *wink*
SebastianRaynes73 (2 stories) (31 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2013-02-07)
Xiao88, thankyou for filling us in on your culture's very intersting practices like this one. Personally I would be worried about upsetting the spirit of the little child who is in this statue/figure. Even if you as your culture requires you too, feed, pray, look after and give toys to them to play with. I would still be nervous of upsetting the spiritual world. But I guess if you did it right as you clearly did and the spirit of the boy seemed happy to have you caring for him like he was your own baby. And only got upset when you asked him to stay in your room sometimes so not to upset people. I guess it is fine.

I'm so glad to hear that he came to you to say goodbye before he left to be in a new living body. He must of loved you and probably misses you. I hope you do get to see him again, in his new life. That would be fantastic.

Thankyou so much for this great story and insight to your culture and belief's as I'm interested in learning cultural things like that. Oh and I really have enjoyed your other stories too.
Sebastian.
AUSTRIA (4 stories) (36 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-02-06)
Great story! Happy to read it. Expecting more stories from you...MANY...MANY...MANY... MORE. 😆 😆 😆
Pjod (3 stories) (978 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-02-06)
I suppose it comes down to a personal belief. The theory being (above story) the miscarried or aborted already contains a "soul" -where I believe all souls are recycled, and it takes awareness of the being for a soul to enter. That is, the soul emerges with body at the point or age awareness begins. I also believe humans have little to no say in the process (outside of prayer) -whatever the process may be -for "awareness/consciousness" to advance.
xiao88 (9 stories) (19 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-02-06)
[at] GreyFeather
Well it is not slavery... Since we care for them and never order them around to do this or that. I for my part just let him do whatever he wanted as long as he didn't freak my friends out. Kind of like caring for a little spoiled brat who couldn't be seen by anyone else.
That is why I never feel like I was doing something wrong. If Guangsong never came into my hand, we Indonesians believe that he will wander forever in darkness, never be able to enter heaven, or he might avenge his mother or father who had killed him.
He needed someone else to care for him, to prevent his own bitter feelings from bursting forth and harm his parents. I substituted his mother, that's all.

[at] Pjod
Not really serve... It's just like if you adopted a child and you care for him, he will repay your kindness by not letting harm come to you even though you don't ask him to, because he loves you and you love him. You cannot care for kumanthong without loving him, and by doing that, he will feel that he is not a worthless being dumped by his own parents, and prevent him from doing mischief.
Well, at least we Indonesians believe aborted children can never get to heaven on their own because they have too much misery and pain, as well as revenge, and we have to guide them.
Besides, a 'dukun' will not give kumanthong to just anybody. As I said, only the fated ones will have them. My brother himself theorized, that maybe in the past Guangsong and I already had ties, maybe I wronged him and had to care for him in my present life.

[at] hades666
Depends on your treatment. You treat him well, you love him, he will love you. You scold him, shout at him, command him to do whatever you want without thinking about his feelings, maltreat him, he may harm you.
Ever heard about stories where aborted children return to avenge their parents? Kind of like that.

[at] sds
Yeah, most westerner will find it unfair and unjust. I wish they might take a deeper look in these things. You couldn't tell this thing is bad or good just by seeing the outside part.
By the way, I would love to hear about your Indian culture.
sds (14 stories) (1436 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-02-06)
Hi xiao88, a great story. I think many people not familiar with eastern cultures would find it hard to accept using the aborted baby's corpse or spirit and would find it repulsive. But, still Hades666, it could turn dangerous. In our Indian culture, people who are doing black magic, would try to get the skull of the first born son died at an early age. Even though there are many fakes, who pretend to have acquired skills in black magic, very few are real experts in black magic. It is quite a vast subject and could not explained in a post.

Xiao88, it is better that it bade you good bye and reincarnated. Nice narration and thanks for sharing.

Regards and respects to you.

SDS
Hades666 (guest)
 
12 years ago (2013-02-05)
Great story! Just a bit curious and needed to know; can these things be dangerous?
Pjod (3 stories) (978 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-02-05)
I'm curious as to why the kumathong would need to "serve you" in order to reincarnate- or, I'm curious as to how someone could believe in such a process. The aborted or miscarried had no say in the procedure that blocked them from living- how on earth could a person believe "service" to the living is in order for the process of "becoming" or "being"
GreyFeather (44 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-02-05)
The idea that karma/fate mandates one to own another's soul is unnerving. It would indicate that slavery is not only ok, but obligated by higher power. I, for one, totally disagree!
Taking the souls of aborted or miscarried babies in and of itself is also horrific-if it were possible.
Your story introduced to me a religion I am gratefully unfamiliar with. In accordance with that same religion's belief in karma, I hope karma repays all practitioners of it with the fate they imposed (or believe to have imposed) on all those babies souls.

The story is well written, and I can see you find no angst in the morals and principles presented. This kind of puts me in the same mood as when I watch the news. The injustice and lack of common decency is sickening. Religion or no, it's repulsive.

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