Meng Po

In Chinese mythology, Meng Po (traditional Chinese: 孟婆; simplified Chinese: 孟婆; pinyin: Mèng Pó; Wade–Giles: Meng P'o; literally "Old Woman Meng"), also known as the Lady Meng, is a goddess in the Chinese underworld responsible for ensuring that souls being reincarnated into the human realm forget their previous lives.

Meng Po is often depicted as an elderly woman who resides in the Underworld (Diyu) at the Bridge of Forgetfulness. Before a soul crosses the bridge to begin their new life, she offers them the Soup of Forgetfulness (孟婆汤, Mèng Pó Tāng). This soup, made from herbs gathered in the underworld, erases all memories of the previous life, including joys, sorrows, accomplishments, and failures. The purpose is to prevent the soul from being burdened by their past experiences and to allow them to start anew with a clean slate.

According to legend, Meng Po has been brewing the Soup of Forgetfulness since the creation of the world. She wishes to alleviate the suffering caused by remembering past lives, preventing people from carrying grudges, resentment, or attachments that could negatively impact their new existence. The act of drinking the soup is a crucial part of the cycle of reincarnation in Chinese belief.

While the exact details of Meng Po's origins and personal history vary across different myths and legends, her role as the distributor of the Soup of Forgetfulness remains consistent. She is a figure associated with compassion, the cycle of life and death, and the importance of detachment. Her existence reinforces the cyclical nature of existence in Chinese philosophy and the belief that forgetting is essential for renewal.