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10
incarnation
of a Supreme Deity they believe in immortality
they teach ‘Faithfulness
unto Death’; and
they practice secrecy. The Society differs from Masonry in that there is no counterpart of the Volume
of the Sacred Law as being an indispensable
part of its Furniture; ... and it is open to both men and
women.’
Perhaps no one better epitomizes the connections and overlap between East and West occult secret
societies than the life of Sun-Yat-Sen.
Sun-Yat-Sen
led China to overthrow the monarchy and create a
republic. Sun-YatSen
was a leader in several Triad groups, such as the Hong Kong based Chung Wo
Tong Society and the Kwok On Wui Society in Honolulu and Chicago. Soon after arriving
in Hawaii
he formed the Tai Luk Shan, a new Triad group. Sun-Yat-Sen
played the key role in setting up 268
other branches of the Triads too. In Japan he set up the T’ung Meng Hui. In Singapore and Malaysla
he set up Triad lodges too. He was a high ranking Freemason, and he attended an Anglican school in
Hong Kong. Sun-Yat-Sen and the millionaire Chang ChingChang
who was an international
art dealer
worked together. Sun-Yat-Sen
travelled
in the US. and Europe gaining support for his revolution.
Several other great non-Communist
Chinese leaders have also had membership
in both the Triads and
Freemasonry.
TRIAD RITUALS
Triad rituals were an elaborate affair but have continued to be streamlined over the years. The ritual
initiation drew from 3 religious sources: Taoism (magic), Buddhism, and what might be called
Confucianism.
Taoism emphasized
the importance of blood ancestry, of magic, and alchemy. The
traditional
initiation
lasts about eight hours, and includes ritual dance, secret hand-shakes, a blood
sacrifice, and pricking the finger of the new initiates.
The Triads have an extremely long history and a lot of heritage. In order to try to capsulize what they
are one has to look at what they are doing at a particular moment. At times they are secret fraternity
like the Masons, at other times they have more of the appearance of a revolutionary
army, and at other
times they look like the Mafia. They are all these things. And so they are a much more complex group
to understand than some of the other secret societies that might fit into some nice label. Sometimes
their services as hit men are hired out to others. Their heritage and history make them almost a sub-
culture,
and a sub-culture that is difficult for law enforcement agencies to penetrate. Their blood oaths
and traditions bind them together.
ORIGINS
The White Lotus Society centuries ago amalgamated
itself to the Hung Society which in turn changed
into the Triad Society also known as the Three United Society. Some people continued calling
it the
Hung Society. The Hung Society had many local names, and like Freemasonry
hid behind trade
guilds.
INFILTRATED THE BOXERS
The Triads infiltrated the Boxers and even associated with them, but the Boxers lost against the
foreign powers.
SET UP BRANCHES
IN THE UNITED STATES
During the California gold rush days many Chinese began coming to America. Triad lodges sprang
up in the chinese laundrymen
of San Francisco. By 1854, the Triad Society called ‘Five Companies’
