“The Road to Heaven” known in the Naxi language as “heng ri pi,” derives its name from the meanings of the individual syllables: “heng” means “deity,” “ri” means “path,” and “pi” means “judgment.” It is a vertical scroll used in Dongba religious ceremonies, particularly for funerals and rites of spiritual transcendence. The scroll is divided into three parts, Ghost Realm, Human World, and Divine Realm, and narrates what the soul must undergo after death. The journey begins with the soul being tested by the “Nine Black Mountains” before it can enter the “Ghost Realm,” where it faces punishments from various ghosts for misdeeds committed during life. Only after passing through these trials may the soul proceed to the “Human World” – a beautiful square city constructed from the “Five Elements (Wu Xing).” Finally, the soul reaches the Divine Realm, where it beholds golden mountains, green seas, deities, warriors, palaces, elephants, guardian spirits, the Great Roc (Garuda), and other gods of the celestial world.
Ding Yi, August 2024
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