Coj Dab Essay

Coj dab, one of the world's oldest belief systems, it dates as far back as 2700 B.C.E. according to the Chinese’s Shǐjì (史記, "The Scribe's Records") records, and is still thriving in the modern era. Coj dab is the religious belief system of the Hmong people. One must wonder what extraordinary theology, characteristics, or significant features that Coj dab has that has allowed it to survive the test of time. Coj dab is not based on the teaching of founders, such as Buddha, Christ, or Muhammad, but yet has been the exemplary of Hmong culture for centuries. Coj dab has often been associated with Animism and Shamanism, yet unlike them, it often been misinterpreted as ghost or devil worshipping by some. Coj dab is a religious belief system in which the "spiritual world coexists with the physical world" and that everything has a soul or spirit, both animate and inanimate objects. At the center of Coj dab is the traditional healer, the txis neeb or shaman. The txis neeb serves as a bridge between the physical and spirit world through shamanic ritual practices, such as ua neeb and hu plig conducted for primary purposes of healing and divination. While there is no standardization in Coj dab rituals and practice such as set rules,

written scriptures, its passed on from one generation to the next orally and by demonstration. As one of the oldest forms of religious belief system, Coj dab cannot be characterized as a single religious belief system like Buddhism or Christianity, although its theology and characteristics are widely practiced by the Hmong ranging from every day's needs and problems from healing and restoring a soured relationship.
Coj dab, itself is not a religion like Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, or Islam, but rather a Hmong spiritual belief system, dating as far back as 2700 B.C.E. when ancient Chinese scholars first recorded the Hmong (or Miao) civilization in the book , “Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors”. Until the end of the 19th century, the Hmong had no written languages, consequently giving little insight to the origin of the Hmong belief system, Coj dab. According to some scholars, Cob dab is classified as a "tribal religion", because it shares similar theology, characteristics, and significant features with Animism and Shamanism. Like Animism, Coj dab sees the "physical world as interpenetrated by spiritual forces – both personal and impersonal – to the extent that objects carry spiritual significance and events have spiritual causes" (Halverson). Just like, Shamanism, Coj dab consist of a txis neeb or shaman and believe that the txis neeb is "bridge between the physical and spirit world" (Lee). Unlike Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, or Islam, Coj dab is not governed by written scriptures or the teaching of founders, such as Buddha, Christ, or Muhammad, but has been recognized as the foundation of Hmong culture. Coj dab shares a similar theory regarding the soul, afterlife, and ethics with Buddhism, although has very distinctive differences when it comes to its beliefs and practices.
The Hmong believe that almost all aspects of life are affected by contact with a supernatural being. From ancient times, the Hmong people have been governed by the Coj dab's belief systems of two separate and yet coexisting worlds: the physical world and the spiritual world "inhabited by a wide variety of spirits, many of which can influence the course of human life. The spirits type includes ancestral spirits, house spirits, spirits in nature, as well as evil spirits" (Owens and Moua). Ancestral spirits are believed to be the strongest potential influence and impact comes from the father's side of the family. House spirits are believed to inhabit each corner of a Hmong house. The altar is assumed to be the place in the house to which ancestors return. Spirits of nature include mountains, trees, rivers, valleys, and winds. The human souls are differentiated from spirits and are the spiritual energy inside a person's body, believed to dwell in the physical world.
The human spirit or soul is differentiated from the other spirits for it dwells in the physical world.

It's believed that a person has 12 souls; the three major ones are the reincarnation, residing, and the wondering soul. "The reincarnation soul leaves the body at death and is reborn in another being's body. The residing soul stays with the body as it breaks down and becomes the ancestral spirit that descendants revere and pay homage to. The wandering soul leaves the body during dreams or to play with other souls or spirits. If frightened, the wandering soul may be lost in the spirit world. At death, the wandering soul returns to the spirit world and continues to live life there much as it did in the physical world. (Owens and

Moua)
The spiritual world coexists with the physical world, the txis neeb or shaman is the bridge. The txis neeb is viewed as a statesman that mediates and/or communicates between the two worlds through shamanistic ritual practices for the purposes of healing and divination. The txis neeb performs rituals such as ua neeb or hu plig or "soul calling" in "order to figure out the causes of illnesses for the purpose of treating the effects" (Owens and Moua). In the healing ritual, an animal is used and the soul of the animal is traded for the soul of the sick person. Different sicknesses require different animals, including chickens, pigs, and cows. Although ua neeb or hu plig ceremonies and rituals are performed by a txis neeb, the Hmong's head of household also performs rituals, such as birth, baby naming, marriage, renaming the male after marriage, death, and funeral, for the purpose of fulfilling the will of the ancestors and natural spirits. The major ceremony such as Noj Peb Caug (New Year), is when the household spirits are renewed, the ancestral spirits honored, and Tso Plig (release the souls of all dead including the animal killed or used in rituals that year) ritual. Each household sacrifices domestic animals and holds feasts. Wedding ceremonies and rituals are also celebrated with such a display. "The rituals usually revolve around the practices that their ancestors passed onto them. Ancestral variations in rituals are found in the practices among different clans and lineages and are passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition” (Cha, 2003). Some practices have undergone changes over time due to new environmental influences.
Throughout time Coj dab has gone through many changes, all impacted by environmental forces. In many parts of Asia, Coj dab went through a religious syncretism over the centuries, mainly with Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Many Hmongs in the United States continue to practice Coj dab or some form of it. Some difficulties for the Hmong Americans are due to living conditions such as apartments which limit access to outside yards for performing rituals to neighbor's' suspicion of animal sacrifices and intolerance of loud chanting. Adaption to certain Coj dab's ceremonies and rituals are seen through ua neeb or hu plig rituals. Unlike traditional forms of Coj dab, where animals such as chickens, pigs, and cows being used an object such as rocks are used as a replacement. It's been found that in the United States, the traditional followers often attend other religion's rituals than their counterparts are willing to attend Coj dab's rituals. Although the traditional followers of Coj dab acknowledge that illness can be a result of external natural forces, such as accidents and infectious diseases, but the belief of ill health maybe is the result of a lost soul has yet to be ceased. It's believed that the soul got lost maybe due to injury, wounds, a fall, loud noise, fear, or feeling of loneliness. Despite modern medicine being widely available and may be able to substitute for some rituals, traditional followers of the Coj dab belief system still seek the guidance of the txis neeb, the Hmong believe that modern medicine cannot satisfy the spirits.
Coj dab as a belief system is unique for it does not neatly fit into the general categories of religion because it does not share common features with other existing religions such Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, or Islam. There are limited records of its origination, its theology, characteristics, or significant rituals features are found in the practices passed down from generation to generation through oral tradition. The Hmong society remains one of the most structured social groupings in the modern era with Coj dab as their basis for governing everyday aspects of life from birth until death.