Consulting Rice (问米)

在海外与亡者沟通的法术是指‘牵亡’，‘问亡’，‘带亡’或是‘过阴’。在星马一带的广东人称为‘问米’。

问米法术在本地一向以来是被女性垄断的‘职业’。大概是以为女性属于‘阴’吧。问米是专指与过世的亲人沟通的巫术，一向以来是很私人的事情。在闽南还要一种比较大众的法术据说可以带人到阴间‘旅行’。

问米法术我也曾向六婶学习过，实行不难；只需准备生鸡蛋一个，百米一些，蜡烛和香。

一切备好后，最好在下午四时以后才开始。

首先把生鸡蛋放在一碗生米上，然后就那些米抛撒向四方；接着就吧额头靠在桌子上闭眼念咒语。咒语有好几种，我懂得有两种：

第一种为六婶所传：“打马将军带亡神，带亡神带我去见某某魂。”

第二种是另一个问米婆的家传：“打马将军带亡神，急急行，快快走；带我到阴府找亡魂。”

实行的人必需重复的念咒直到陷入半昏迷状态，在浑浑噩噩中就会被带到地府去见亡魂了。

据我所知，当看到了亡魂以后；有些问米婆会让亡魂附身与死者家人交谈，有些则只负责传话。

这种问米法我也试过，但不知所看到的是否本身的幻想。

父亲去世后，我曾经试过与他沟通。那时我念着咒与就在迷迷糊糊中被带到一间矮小黑暗的小板屋。父亲就在里面；而当时先祖母也在里面。相当神奇。

问米据说一共要做三次，第一次是在49天后，地二次是在100天后而最后一次是在3年后；过后往生者就会投胎了。

现在的人由于佛教影响和种种因素，加上老问米婆相续过世；再也没听说有问米婆服务了。

Consulting rice is a ritual to communicate specifically with the spirits of close relatives. This is not the same as ordinary spirit mediumships. In places outside Singapore and Malaysia, this 'consulting rice' is otherwise known as 'asking the dead', 'bringing the dead' or even 'going to underworld'.

There is a similar ritual from Fujian and Taiwan that are more public in nature said to be able to bring whoever wished to go 'underworld' may do so under certain conditions. 

It is not difficult to perform this 'rice consultation' ritual... First we must prepare some raw rice and an chicken egg. The best time for this ritual would be after 4 pm and a small quiet room. The person would also need to be seated on a stool and a table; then she must lean forward and rested her forehead on the edge of the table while chanting non-stop.

There are many different mantras, one of them sounds like: "I ask horseman to bring the god of death, and the god of death shall bring me to meet so-and-so dead soul..."

After a while the person will enter into a state of trance and she would be brought to a place to meet with the deceased. There are two possibilities: the first is that the person be possessed by the dead soul while the second is that the person only conveys the message.

I have tried this ritual after my dad passed away and I was brought to a small wooden house where my dad was inside together with my late grandma too. Very interesting experience but I couldn't tell if it was my subconscious mind or it was real however.

It was said that the 'rice consultation' ritual should be done 3 times: after 49 days, after 100 days and finally after 3 years. Further consultation would be fruitless as the deceased would already being reincarnated.

Nowadays of course the 'consulting rice' acts are no longer relevant under the influence of Buddhism and also with the passing away of old mediums. I am simply recording down this lost arts; perhaps it will become popular again in future.