There should be standards for religious practice.

If not well controlled, the Mother Goddess worship belief can be misunderstood, affecting the cultural awareness of the younger generation, leading to deviant practices, even abetting superstitions, selling gods and saints, etc.

Dr. Pham Viet Long - former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Cultural and Development Studies emphasized this when sharing with reporters of Dai Doan Ket Newspaper about the boundary between spirituality and superstition.

PV: Nowadays, many people believe that the ritual of Hau Dong is gradually being commercialized, fading its inherent sacredness. In your opinion, what are the main causes leading to the distortion of the Mother Goddess worship belief and its consequences for cultural life?

Dr. Pham Viet Long.

Dr. Pham Viet Long: The worship of the Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms is an indispensable part of the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. This belief not only reflects the spirit of honoring the role of mothers, but also affirms the philosophy of living in harmony between humans, nature and the spiritual world.

UNESCO’s recognition has helped the worship of the Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms to be preserved and promoted more widely. Many localities have organized activities to honor, research and practice the rituals in a systematic manner, contributing to raising public awareness of the value of heritage. At the same time, this belief has also become a bridge to help young people better understand traditional culture, thereby fostering national pride.

However, in recent times, there has been a phenomenon of commercialization of the ritual of Hau Dong. The main cause of this problem comes from many factors. Among them, the increasing religious needs of the people make spiritual activities easily distorted. Many people participate in Hau Dong not only for religious purposes but also see it as an opportunity to pray for wealth and fame, which leads to excessive abuse of the ritual.

Some individuals take advantage of this belief for personal gain. They organize spirit mediumship in an ostentatious manner, attracting participants with lavish and expensive rituals. This causes the spirit of the belief to gradually fade away, replaced by a race to show off and demonstrate personal status.

The consequences of this phenomenon are clear. When rituals are commercialized, spiritual elements are weakened, religious beliefs become distorted, and no longer carry their original meaning. Furthermore, if not well controlled, Mother Goddess worship can be misunderstood, affecting the cultural awareness of the younger generation, leading to distorted practices, and even abetting superstitions.

A practice of worshipping the Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms attracts many participants. Photo: Minh Quan.

So, sir, how can we preserve and promote the traditional values ​​of the worship of the Three Palaces, while ensuring its suitability to modern life without losing its inherent identity?

- In my opinion, preserving and promoting the value of the Three Palaces Mother Goddess worship in the modern context requires a comprehensive approach, both respecting tradition and ensuring adaptation to contemporary life.

Organizing scientific seminars, publishing books and specialized documents will help the public understand the value of beliefs correctly, thereby creating awareness to preserve traditional identity.

Currently, there is still an incomplete and in-depth understanding of the Mother Goddess worship belief in the community, because most people only approach this belief through the ritual of Hau Dong. However, to understand it comprehensively, it is necessary to consider all three core aspects: the legends of the gods, the content of the lyrics in Chau Van songs, and the performing arts.

Only perceiving the Mother Goddess worship through the ritual of spirit mediumship without understanding its cultural foundation can easily lead to vague, even distorted, perceptions. As a result, many people only exploit the superficial spiritual aspect, causing this belief to be distorted, becoming a means of profiteering, aiding superstition and the sale of gods and saints.

In addition, education plays an important role. Curriculums on folk culture and beliefs in schools can help the younger generation have a proper approach to this heritage. Integrating the content of Mother Goddess worship into cultural and artistic activities is also a way for young people to easily accept it.

In addition, there needs to be strict management from the authorities in organizing rituals. It is necessary to develop standards for religious practices, limiting the abuse of rituals for personal gain. At the same time, promoting the Mother Goddess worship also needs to be associated with sustainable cultural tourism development, ensuring that the inherent sacred values ​​are not lost.

So what specific measures do cultural management agencies need to take to prevent superstition, limit negative variations and preserve Mother Goddess worship in accordance with its traditional identity?

- Cultural management agencies need to take strict measures to ensure that religious practices are consistent with traditional identity. One of the important solutions is to strengthen propaganda and education to disseminate knowledge about Mother Goddess worship on the media. This helps the community understand the true value of the religion, thereby avoiding incorrect manifestations.

In addition, the authorities need to develop specific regulations on the organization of rituals, in order to limit the exploitation of beliefs for personal gain. At the same time, the role of researchers and cultural experts also needs to be promoted. Scholars and folklore researchers can contribute ideas and guide the community to practice beliefs in accordance with the traditional spirit.

Thank you very much!

“It is necessary to build a healthy religious practice community, in which the mediums, musicians and those who participate in religious practice have a sense of responsibility in preserving cultural identity, avoiding the trend of showing off and distorting. The worship of the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms is a precious heritage that needs to be preserved and promoted properly. The cooperation of the entire community, researchers and cultural management agencies will help this heritage continue to shine, maintaining traditional values ​​while still being suitable for modern life,” said Dr. Pham Viet Long.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/can-co-quy-chuan-ve-thuc-hanh-tin-nguong-10301247.html