Sunday, September 23, 2018

Ghosts In Casinos (赌场里的鬼)


It is believed that everyone carries 3 sacred fires. Ghosts will tempt to extinguish these fires causing a gambler to lose money...

I am not joking provided you can see ghosts of course. In the eyes of a spirit medium, casinos can be said to be one of the most haunted places on the surface of the earth. The place is normally filled with ghosts from every corner of the world. Most of those ghosts are leftovers from visitors of all nationalities: Locals, Singaporeans, Indonesians, Thais, Philippines, Vietnamese, Chinese and Indians depending on which nationalities visit the casinos most naturally speaking.

Other than multi-nationality ghosts, there are also local earthbound spirits, ghosts and those who died in or around the casinos. Of course, if casino owners worshiped any spirits, they too will roam inside the place too. All in all, a casino is a place jammed packed with spirits just like a can of sardine. 

Have no doubt, most ghosts attracted to casinos because of abundance of human energy. When a gambler engaged in gambling, he/she would naturally be tensed and this tension releases a great amount of energy that the spirits are looking for.

An ordinary person high in luck will have 3 sacred fires with him: two on shoulders and one on top of his head. If these fires are burning, the ghosts cannot approach him. So these good brothers and sisters will try all available methods to 'extinguish' his fire.

Many people suggest that these spirits are kept by the casino as bouncers to make gamblers unlucky. But I rather suggest that the ghosts were there for shelter and energy. Of course the possibility of ghost bouncers cannot be ruled out too.

There is another saying that some casinos will keep ghosts first to make gamblers unlucky, the other purpose is to 'lock their feet' so that they stay put and continue to gamble until their last pence.

Visitors from everywhere too will bring their ghosts either intentionally or unintentionally. Many people will have some kind of good luck charms to enhance their gambling luck. Many of these charms are bound with spirits. So if a few gamblers with different spirits sat in close proximity, these ghosts, khodam, jinn or whatever spirits you choose to call them will fight with each other until the last one winner standing.

There is a set rule for experience gamblers who want to try their luck in casinos. The rules are simple:

  • Do not rush to gambling table on arrival to casino. Take a walk and relax.
  • Stop gambling when your quote for the day is met: win or lose.
  • Always make sure you have money to go home.
I don't gamble as no gambling is one of my precepts but I like to walk into a casino and see people gambling and how ghosts devouring each other.

Since casinos are places filled with various ghosts, it is certainly not so wise to bring a person's 5-ghosts (五鬼) into that area or those seemingly formidable trained ghosts would also be powerless in street fight like situations. What I can describe is that the condition is somewhat like a bunch of hyenas attacking a lion on African Savannah.  Although some hyenas will be killed, the strong male lion will eventually succumbed to a big hard of hyenas. 

I am not sure if people still keep 5-ghosts these days for gambling purposes. Back in early 80's this was a common practice. One of my Taoist brothers, Jack was a keen practitioner of Maoshan 5-ghost gambling system. He was very proud of his ghosts and he believed that his powerful 5-ghosts can overcome all those spirits in Genting Highland casino.

So happily he went to Genting to ask money from Uncle Lim. Instead not only Uncle Lim didn't give him any money, he had to donate to Uncle Lim's charity funds until penniless. I had to console him and landed him $500 and brought him down from Genting Highland the next morning. Luckily Jack didn't have the intention to jump down from the cliff.

Later when Jack complaint about his 5-ghosts being useless, I looked into his altar where he kept his ghosts, I told Jack: "Don't complaint. Your good old 5-ghosts are now crippled. They are moaning and groaning just like you inside there!"

Personally, I don't think ghosts can aid in boosting gambling luck but they can interfere with a gambler's logical thinking causing him/her to do stupid things. Still the same old advice:

十赌九输
Only one out of ten times one MAY win.

Don't gamble if possible if you cannot control your gambling.