Don't let "holy blessings" become expensive commodities

This morning, September 12, at the Vietnam Women's Museum (36 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi ), the Institute for Research on Religious and Belief Issues (under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations) organized the First Annual Forum on the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship Belief.

The event had the participation and discussion of many experts, scientists, practicing artisans and representatives of religious communities across the country with profound perspectives, practical solutions and consensus in protecting and promoting the value of this special heritage.

The forum aims to affirm the special cultural value of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship - a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity, while creating an academic space and multi-dimensional dialogue between researchers, cultural managers, practicing artisans, religious communities and young people.

The forum focused on discussing three main topics: Cultural values of the Mother Goddess Worship Belief - identifying identity, synthesizing spiritual, artistic and humanistic values in Vietnamese cultural life.

Challenges and distortions in the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship Belief today: Commercialization, disguised superstition, deviation from ethical standards, affecting the image of heritage.

Solutions to preserve and spread the value of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship in today's society: Proposing solutions associated with education , communication, digital technology; building community standards; recommending management policies and supporting standard and sustainable practices.

At the forum, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Ngoc Linh, Director of the Institute for Research on Religion and Beliefs, affirmed: "The forum is not only the opening event for the annual series of activities on the Mother Goddess Worship of the Three Palaces, but also a milestone in starting the journey to accompany the community in preserving and promoting heritage.

This is an opportunity to affirm the Vietnamese cultural identity in the context of integration, spreading the profound humanistic values of Mother Goddess Religion into contemporary life, while at the same time arousing the sense of responsibility of the whole society in preserving heritage - not only as a source of pride, but also as a sustainable commitment for future generations."

In the flow of Vietnamese culture, the worship of the Three Palaces Mother Goddesses is not only a spiritual practice rich in identity, but also a symbol of national cultural vitality, reflecting the aspiration to return to the origin and promoting humanistic values and the morality of "remembering the source of water when drinking".

UNESCO's recognition of "The Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship Practice" as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity has affirmed the great significance of this type of belief not only at the national level, but also at the international level.

However, in the context of globalization, urbanization and the explosion of digital media, Mother Goddess Worship is facing many challenges: the risk of commercialization, distortion in practice, lack of uniformity in management and incorrect awareness from a part of the community.

These are issues that need to be researched, discussed and oriented to both promote heritage values and ensure sustainability and health in life and society.

The worship of the Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms is one of the most unique intangible cultural heritages of Vietnam, officially recognized by UNESCO as a representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 1, 2016 at the 11th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity 2003.

UNESCO's recognition has affirmed the great significance of this type of belief not only at the national level but also at the international level. This is a great honor and pride for both the practicing community and the people of the whole country.

Besides its spiritual value, the Mother Goddess worship is also a symbol of national cultural vitality, reflecting the aspiration to return to one's roots and promoting the morality of "remembering the source of water when drinking".

This belief represents the honor of goddesses in Vietnamese culture, with profound humanistic values.

The practice sessions also have educational and traditional significance, helping to unite the community and create solidarity between different beliefs and religions.

The festival and ritual of Hau Dong is also a comprehensive art form, combining music, costumes, dance and folk performances.

However, this honor comes with great responsibility in protecting and promoting the good values of the heritage, seriously implementing the country's commitment to UNESCO.

At the forum, experts and scientists said that to do that, it is necessary to correctly and fully identify the core values, avoiding misunderstandings and one-sidedness about "The practice of the Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship".

In the context of globalization, urbanization and the explosion of digital media, Mother Goddess worship is facing many challenges.

Phenomena of distortion, abuse and substandard practices are widespread, distorting the original value and affecting the sacredness of beliefs.

One of the prominent problems is the commercialization and disguised superstition. Offerings are no longer simply incense, flowers, tea, and fruit, but also include expensive items such as electric fans, rice cookers, and cotton blankets used as lucky items.

According to researcher Ha Huy Thang, Deputy Director of the Institute for Research on Religion and Belief, in some cases, "Saint's blessings" have turned into valuable goods.

Some mediums have taken advantage of the "fortune" factor to attract visitors to donate, leading to the mentality that "more fortune means more prestige" and spreading the image of "reciting fortune" on social networks instead of spiritual values.

These deviations stem from misunderstanding the nature of beliefs, turning rituals into services, lack of management, profiteering, and can be exploited by bad guys to sabotage security - politics - religion.

“Lộc Thánh”, in its true sense, is a sacred token, a wish for luck, peace and health, and at the same time encourages people to live a good life.

It is a blessing, a means, not an end, and the value lies in the transformation of consciousness, not in material things.

The act of exchanging gifts is a connection between gods, saints and disciples, emphasizing spiritual values and community spirit.

Those who practice religion need to have the responsibility to behave positively, so that the giving and receiving of "Holy gifts" has good educational meaning, expressing the unique cultural identity of Vietnam, thereby enhancing the prestige of religion both domestically and internationally.

Meanwhile, Professor Dr. Truong Quoc Binh (former Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) said that the practice of religion also takes place arbitrarily, not only in temples and shrines worshiping Mother Goddesses but also in communal houses worshiping Thanh Hoang, pagodas or even in public spaces such as weddings and traditional markets.

Many people's costumes for mediums have also undergone "strange, bizarre" changes, no longer retaining traditional features. Some people even arbitrarily display non-traditional mediums, such as those for the Holy Mother or the Jade Emperor.

This causes negative effects, damaging the spiritual and cultural beauty of Mother Goddess worship.

According to experts, the line between orthodoxy and superstition is extremely fragile. Superstition is when people put profit above all else, losing the sacredness of heritage. People attending the ceremony mistakenly believe that the amount of money they receive will determine their fate and fortune, leading to dependence on the gods, losing the ability to make their own efforts, and being easily taken advantage of.

The causes of the above shortcomings and limitations are both objective and subjective. Objectively, the Mother Goddess worship is an oral folk belief, without a unified organization, no fixed regulations or models, causing the rituals to lack uniformity.

Subjectively, different perceptions of practitioners, lack of strict management from state agencies, and lack of awareness of a part of the community are also the main causes.

To resolve these problems, State management agencies need to work with localities and communities, resolutely handling acts of exploiting heritage for personal gain.

At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen education so that people understand and appreciate heritage, and strengthen the effectiveness of regulations on cultural management, festivals, and temple and palace management. However, this responsibility does not only belong to cultural management agencies, but also to the community, to each citizen, and to the media.

To address modern challenges, the first annual Forum on Vietnamese Mother Goddess Worship in 2025 focused on discussing practical solutions.

Proposed solutions are linked to education, communication and digital technology, aiming to build community standards, recommend management policies and support sustainable, standard practices.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Ngoc Linh, Director of the Institute for Research on Religion and Belief, this forum is not only the opening event for a series of annual activities but also a milestone in starting the journey of accompanying the community in preserving and promoting heritage.

“This is an opportunity to affirm Vietnamese cultural identity, spread the profound humanistic values of Mother Goddess Religion, and at the same time arouse the sense of responsibility of the whole society in preserving heritage,” said Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Ngoc Linh.

At the forum, scientists and experts all said that with UNESCO's recognition, Vietnam has the responsibility to correct deviations to protect and preserve healthy heritage.

If you cannot maintain the standard and let negativity persist, you may face the risk of being "removed from the list".

Therefore, the Mother Goddess worshiping community should join hands to preserve and promote the true values of Mother Goddess Religion.

Preserving the Mother Goddess worship is a long and complicated process, requiring the cooperation of the management agency, the community and each individual. It is necessary to clearly distinguish between orthodox beliefs and superstitions.

Preserving and promoting the Mother Goddess worship not only preserves a cultural heritage but also contributes to building a healthy and united society.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/dung-de-loc-thanh-thanh-hang-hoa-dat-gia-167686.html