Worship houses are one of the most sacred places, so respect is always a must, no matter the circumstances. A high school student, however, had the audacity to wreak havoc in a Johor temple recently.
In a clip that is currently circulating, the 17-year-old man pretended to be possessed by Monkey King, a character from the Chinese novel – Journey to the West. In case you are not aware, Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong acquired superpowers through Taoist practices, and he was known for wreaking havoc and rebelling in Heaven.
The teen was replicating the scene but this time, the havoc took place at a temple in JB.
He first sat on a chair, then closed his eyes before shaking his body, jumping around, and imitating the posture of the Monkey King.
He was even “escorted” by another person who was also having fun and went to the main hall of the temple, where he picked up incense sticks and worshiped Mazu, the owner of the temple. He also walked up to the sacred table in a manner that was similar to the Monkey King and kept making talismans and chanting incantations with his fingers.
The teen was having his moment as “The Monkey King.”
A day after the incident, the management committee of the temple also issued a statement on Friday (12th), asking the visitors not to replicate the scene to “invite the Gods to descend from the sky.”
The act of the “fake Monkey King” has gained major criticisms online, where netizens called him lame and disrespectful. According to another post by the temple yesterday (January 14), the teen has since apologised for the matter and even kowtowed as an apology.
You can watch the viral clip here.
This shall serve as a reminder to others about respect and manners in sacred places.