Personal Spiritual BodyGuard

Ever thinking of hiring a spiritual bodyguard?

Protectors are in most traditions of religions. Some are called Guardian Angels, some are call Protectors 护法神, Dharma Protectors 金刚护法. In Taoism they are the Heaven and Earth Marshalls 天地兵将。

Dharma Protectors function is to guard the practitioners in their cultivation path from distractions, obstacles and possible sway from their cultivation.

Whereas if you are a Taoist Cultivator, specific Deities will be assigned as your Protectors. They will be guarding the cultivators on all life threatening situations and also warn you when you sway off the path in using Tao Fa beyond its means and moral ethical lines.

Then what are Spiritual Bodyguards? It is more specific made to guard a person from calamity, spirit attack, spirit harm, accidents and also others chipping into your personal body energy (aura) through gossip and bad mouthing you at your back. There are others that are made with 'extra' functions.

It seems like there are different versions of the almost the same reference across cultures. In European witch craft it is called Poppet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppet . 

Poppet usually stiched up by person and add strands of hair and other material.

While for Chinese culture we call them 替身 Ti Shen or a substitute. In Taoist process, it can also be use for a variety of reasons. As a form of body substitute to prevent spiritual attack, sometimes there are practitioners that use it to store the consciousness of others.

These are made by me personally. The materials needed are more difficult to acquire.

In Tibetan culture also there are practice in which use dough and butter to create an effigy of human form and use the dough and butter to roll on your skin, this is to appease the spirits and demons whom are after you or have caused difficulty in your life.

Image from ravencypresswood.com (These are called Lu)

In Thai/Khmer@Cambodia wicha (magic/witchcraft) it is called Hoon Pa Yon. For Thai Hoon Pa Yon, it is also use for a variety of purposes, from using as body double to prevent harm to the owner to using it as a relationship enhancement for 2 person. It is also sometime use for wealth fetching and a absolute spiritual double of the owner.

Types of Hoon Pa Yon

For Wicha mainly it is divided into 2 types. Either spirit infuse or total non spirit. If it is spirit infuse, then the maker would seek permission from a spirit to include its 魄 Po which does not have consciousness into the Hoon Pa Yon. Then the maker would chant and imbued it with magic until it has the 32 Aspects of a Living Human, it will then take on the spiritual form of its owner.

Hoon Pa Yon made with straws and strings using the traditional method.

Spirit infuse Hoon Pa Yon using a very traditional method.

Non Spirit Base Hoon Pa Yon.

While non spirit Hoon Pa Yon are similiar to elementals. The maker would use wicha to chant until it is has the 32 aspects of human quality. There is no spirit inside the effigy.

Rare Item

As in all things in the material world, as it get more and more commercialize, then it is harder and harder to find magical items that really does its function according to traditional legendary stories that have been going around. Hoon Pa Yon in the Thai tradition is not in the exception. 

Good and capable masters that can make good Hoon Pa Yon are rarer than finding dry straws on a monsoon season. Either by reputation of the maker or through spiritual sense can a person really know the Hoon Pa Yon is the real thing. It is not making cookie or tying up straws to resemble effigy, real wicha/magic needs to make it work in order for it to be effective.

Hoon Pa Yon that can be use to enhance relationship (Soul Lock)

One of my own spirit base bodyguard.

Most of the pictures shown above are my own collection, some of it have already been sold to friends that need it. An extra body double is always welcome in world of back stabbing, finger pointings, petty people and not forgetting curse and black magics .

Why am I excited about Kam Dong San Handbook?

Taking 1.5 years to compile since we felt the need to have a handbook that compromise all our regular practice and something a new person can keep with them and refer from time to time.

Hence the Kam Dong San Handbook.

It contains photos of 

1. 22 Taoist Deities and Ksitigarbha of Kam Dong San Temple

2. Smoke/Sang Offering Guidelines.

3. Animal/Fish Liberation procedures

4. Heart Mantras for different Buddhas.

5. Essential Mantras of Great Compassionate Dharani, Heart Sutra, Amitabha Rebirth Mantra

6. Tibetan Auspicious Invitation of all Buddhas, bodhisatvas, and all supporting  8 direction deities and higher beings.

7. Taoist Protection Talismans

Printed mantras alone would be considered huge blessings. What's more so many procedures contain in the handbook to benefit sentient beings, increase a person's merit, protect yourself and surrounding space through consecrated Taoist talisman on the front and back of the handbook.

Truly a Taoist and Buddhist Gem. If one is able to use the content on a daily basis, definitely the individual would be able to gather tremendous amount of merits. 

Even if you don't know how to use, by having the handbook alone and bringing it with you whenever you travel. Will serve as a good protection of your unfamiliar temporary space due to the consecrated talisman contain in the book.

What's more, distribution is free - only condition - treat with utmost respect.

Oh Yes Babies !!

Sam and his wife first visit to Kam Dong San Temple was 2 years ago. They were introduced by my temple committee and disciple Peter.

They consulted spiritually on how the deities could help them for successful conceiving and pregnancy. After their second visit, they approached Peter to help them asked me, whether I can go to their apartment and do Feng Shui audit. I gladly oblige and all my consulting fees was donated back to the temple, because the medium highlighted that there was something wrong with their house Feng Shui.

After I have audited their house, adviced them on some changes. Both Sam and his wife continue to participate in many of our temple activities. Spiritually I have also adviced both of them to read the Ksitigarbha Sutras many times to dedicate to their un-successful pregnancy attempt.

Sam and his wife were also very diligent in participating in our monthly fish liberation. He and his wife continue to chant many Great Compassionate Dharani, Heart Sutras everyday. He also did his Sang Offering consistently.

Sam also ended up become temple disciple and then also my Tao Fa disciple in 2014. Great news came when his wife Hooi Yee was pregnant with twins! The receiving of 2015 Tai Sui General Ceremony also coincided with the twin babies full moon.

Everyone in Kam Dong San is very happy and great rejoice to the new addition to Sam's family. Twin baby boy and girl. Their names was also selected by our main Kam Dong San Deities.

Kam Dong San Temple : www.facebook.com/kdspg

Let it Go ! the other version.....

Current trend in the news are young people tend to choose suicide as a solution to solve their hurt and disappointment. Some use it as a tool to threatened their parents to get what they want.

How does one relate that to cultivation in spirituality? Some will say that to be able to kill yourself takes great courage. Those are the very people that do not understand how the mind works.

When a person decides to terminate their life, most often is due to the mental pain they experience at that moment is perceived to be more than the physical pain of dying.

Therefore they choose to end their life. When a person is in mental pain from heart ache, severe disappointment and also total lost of any future hope, then the idea of terminating one's life will be taken as an option. This is also due to strong attachment to the SELF.

In a moment of lost hope and despair, they are unable to detach from their SELF emotion, therefore experiencing pain that seems to feel like eternity. Whereby they can only choose to physically detach from the self which is through termination.

Buddhist and Taoist Cultivation on the other hand is teaching us about how to Let the Self go. Meaning slowly learn to not take the self so seriously. Knowing that you have had many self(S) in your countless existence. Heart ache, pains, disappointment , hopeless are only expectation that is attached to the SELF. When other and your own inability to fulfill those expectations, therefore the EGO will feel the pain mentally.

Buddhist have monks and nuns. Which is the first step of cultivation of releasing the self. In Chinese word, for one who is ordained as monk or nun is 出家人, literally meaning one who has left home. Why leaving home? Because in Asian culture, the family unit plays a critical role in defining the self. Your ancestors, your parent, your relatives, what your familly does and more; all of that defines who you are and ultimately how you view your SELF. When one is define as the one who have left home, means they have release and let go a large part of their SELF.

Then slowly learning to cultivate through meditation, letting go of attachments to various emotions. Serving others in monastic life, is also a training to focus on other instead of the self. However all these comes with renunciation. Below is an excerpt that elegantly defines renunciation.

Someone asked Guru Nanak, "O saint, why have you not

shaved your head? You are a sanyasin." Guru Nanak replied:

"My dear friend, I have shaved my mind." In fact, the mind

should be cleanly shaved. Shaving the mind consists of

getting rid of all attachments, egoism, infatuation, lust, greed

and anger. That is real shaving. External shaving of the head

has no meaning so long as there is internal craving.

Many have not understood what true renunciation is.

Renunciation of physical objects is no renunciation at all.

True renunciation lies in the abnegation of the mind. It consists

of renouncing all desires and egoism, and not world-existence.

The real renunciation is the renunciation of the ego. If you can

renounce this, you have renounced everything in the world. If

the subtle egoism is given up, identification with the body goes

away automatically. 

As a layperson/householder, we too can practice daily on letting go which is through meditation. In 15-30 minutes a day, practice of letting go everything, your attachment, your failures, your success, and everything that defines who you are - Your SELF. Then you will find that slowly you will not be too attached to yourself, you can easily reach an emotional state of tranquility. 

If you don't practice now, when the actual day really comes for you to let go everything, how would you be able to do it? 

Smoke Offering 'Nyoms' Responses of Participants

Since 2012, every year I did sharing session of Smoke/Sang Offering with members and patrons of Kam Dong San (KDS) www.facebook.com/kdspg . After practicing it for more than a decade, I feel that it is one of the practice that a person can do regularly to train their compassion and also removing of life's obstacles.

Sang or Smoke Offering is a Tibetan Buddhist practice that goes back to the days of Guru Rinpoche 'Padmasambhava'. Offering of food items such as beans, butter, milk and honey in forms of smell to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and also also sentient beings.

Smoke Offering during Fish Liberation Events at KDS

It is one of best practice of compassion and also generosity that an individual can do everyday.

Participants that came to the sharing/teaching session, some continue to practice every once in a while and some practice it diligently everyday.

Recently KDS changed it's operation hours from once a week to 6 days a week to cater for all the needs of members and patrons.

One of the participants K came by KDS to buy some incense for his practices. He relayed his personal responses of Sang Offering to Bro Fa Hong who is a Taoist Disciple and also Personal Assistant of KDS.

K said that for a while back he has been consistently doing smoke offering for day and evening every day. In one of the evening, he dreamt that he was visited by 2 entity, both wearing very ancient military armors. As he recalled, they don't even looked human as they have animal head on a human body.

In the dream, one of the beings handed him a piece of paper, the paper has few specific digit on it. Then the other one did the same as well. Both paper had the same specific digit on it. After K woke up, he thought maybe it could be a hint for upcoming 4-Digit draw. 

Anyway he thought it could not be, as both paper has same digit and it is not likely. He did go on to buy the number at the game company that he frequent. Malaysia has 3 game company. In the next draw, the number did came out 1st prize but it was a draw by another company.

This is what normally Tibetans would called 'nyoms' for a spiritual practice. It is called a response to let you know that your practice is on the right path. Meaning what you are offering is being accepted. 

*** The purpose of this article is NOT to demonstrate that doing smoke offering, beings will come and give you lottery numbers ! ***

Most that do it consistently will have dreams of being in a big event or party and everyone seems to be very happy with what the party offers. That is also one of the responses of the practice.

One of the benefits of smoke offering practice is that it helps clear spiritual obstacles in the things that you are trying to do or start. It also brings attention to the person, to their their 'dana' everyday through this practice.

If you are keen, search for the nearest Tibetan Temple/Center in your area that offers Teaching on Smoke Offering or you can also join me in my next sharing session at KDS.

Values in the context of Buddhism PART 2 of 2

 

If you would like to read PART 1 of this article

When you have the idea that VALUES are actually driving us in doing the things we do. You can then change VALUES, hence changing your beliefs about those VALUES and changing your behaviour towards things/people and anything that you come into contact with in your reality.

This explains why someone who love to eat meat, may suddenly becomes a full time vegetarian. Many type of experiences could have contributed to it. For example, they develop certain health issues and decided to become vegetarian, because they value HEALTH more than personal food satisfaction in their VALUES hierarchy.

Whereas for some people, they may have terminal disease, but would not even consider changing their diets. For this type of people, they would usually say “If I could not eat what I wanted to eat, life would be meaningless”. You can then know that they VALUE the taste of food more than survival itself. Because they have a high VALUE that Life Must be Meaningful. And for that to happen, they have a governing belief inside their head that says ' eating what you want to eat at any time is giving my life its meaning'.

Literally they would rather die than not being able to eat what they want to eat. BUT this beliefs about achieving the VALUE of Life Must be Meaningful is not helping them in this situation. You want to know a big secret? They also don't know that they have such damaging beliefs, sometime they pick it up when they are small and don't understand much. Yet slowly it becomes an important part of their life. If they are able to change their beliefs from Life Must be Meaningful WHEN I am able to spend more healthy times with my love ones – IMMEDIATELY this person can change their diet preferences with no regrets, hang ups or any chances of reverting back to their original way. All it takes is a shift of beliefs to fulfill the VALUES that they hold.

Now comes the ultimate question, how do we view VALUES in the context of Buddhism. Buddha in his ultimate quest towards reaching enlightenment, is about how humans can be free of suffering and be happy.

Teachings of Buddha often mention how humans create suffering for themselves by clinging on towards what is not real in their emotions and also physical things that we view as permanent.

If we are ask enough questions to find out about a person's high VALUE and what it ultimately means to them. We will often discover one common word and emotion. And that is being HAPPY.

For example, when you ask a person who has a high VALUE on MONEY in their life, what does it mean to have money in your life? They would answer something like ' so that I can feel secure', 'I can do whatever I want , with whomever I want, at any place I want' , ' so I can be free' . Then if you probe further, 'What does it mean to be free? ' What does it mean when you can feel that sense of security?' What does it mean to be able to do all these things?' Finally they would say that ' then I would feel truly happy!'

Buddhism mentioned that all sentient beings wants to be happy and to be free of suffering. And Buddhism went a step further.

For all the VALUES that you may have and fulfilling those values, some of it are base of a 'false' perception. VALUES and BELIEFS based on material things, ability to evoke emotions, and people will not make a person happy forever. They will ultimately be causes of suffering for you. Because life itself is impermanent, material things, emotions and people will also one day be lost through time or separation upon your own death.

Because of the existence of Karma and Reincarnation, you may have already experience many lifetimes as many different people with different values. And because of attachments towards those various false perceptions, the mind takes on reincarnation again and again in hope to search for something that provides ultimate happiness. But each time, we view those material things, people, emotions as the source of our happiness, those in the end will become our suffering and hence the cycle is unending.

To be free of suffering and be happy, one would need to realized that the unending cycle itself is emptiness. Emptiness here does not mean that it does not exist, but realizing the sense of meaningless of attaching to things that are not permanent if we look at it from across many lifetimes.

Then you may ask what are the VALUES of Buddhism? Reducing attachments towards all things, in this sense even reducing attachment towards the SELF. Without the SELF, there is no EGO, hence no attachment of any kind. Meaning, SELFLESSNESS is one of the higher VALUE in Buddhism. Why Selflessness? Because when we don't think about the SELF, thinking about the happiness of others, the welfare of others, then Compassion develops naturally and happiness is realized automatically.

Buddhism encourages as human beings, we need to collect more merits, do more good deeds in order to have the wisdom to realized full Selflessness. Collecting merits and do good deeds itself is an exercise towards being selfless. It is those merits from the good deeds, that propels each rebirth to have a much better chance of realizing the Values of Buddhism and finally being able to achieve Enlightenment 

Values in the Context of Buddhism, needs a person to have a realization of how values actually governs our life. And whether those values and beliefs are actually giving the real happiness that we seek for not only in this life but in all our future lives as well. To check on what are our current values, whether they are aligned towards being more selfless or actually our current value is aligned towards the self. If it is aligned towards the self, we can never achieve lasting happiness. As most likely it is only temporary.

A lot of people go through life, behaving the way they behave without actually knowing what are the things that are driving them. They often think, it is their birth 'gift' which sometimes can be a curse in disguise. The important realization to have, is that we all have the power to change our values and beliefs. Nobody is a victim of circumstances, all are only victims of their own values and beliefs!

My short article here on VALUES and also BUDDHISM will never be extensive enough for you to know all about it, but if reading through this article creates enough curiosity in you to start searching for answers, then I would have achieve what I set out to write. And most likely it is written for you.

May you be Happy !

 **Those who like to know more about Feng Shui, please visit my blog at http://gkhamconsulting.blogspot.com

Values in the context of Buddhism PART 1 of 2

This article was inspired by a dream I have had on 25 November 2013 morning. In my dream I was teaching a class of students on Values and their important in change. When class was about to be over, one student asked me a question " How do you explain Values in Context of Buddhism ?". That's a good question I answered, and this is what that have been explained in the dream.....strange?

Value is a broad and deep subject for me to be writing and in the context of Buddhism, just almost never crossed my mind. However I gave a lecture in my dream, and before I woke up, I heard an inner voice that tells me I need to write this up. This is a 2 part blog, as the subject I am trying to explain does take more words than usual.

What is personal Values? Values are the driving force that governs your every thought and behaviour. What you personally deem as important, not important in your life. Each person raise in human society will slowly grow up to 'value' certain things/ thoughts or behaviour in which the person will recognize as important.

These Values serve as the filter in our existence in everyday life. Everyday there are millions of events happening simultaneously around us from the most minute bodily function to the gross change of the weather surrounding us. Our brain definitely cannot and will not take in ALL the information that is happening. Therefore our brain will only selectively FILTER out what is important to us. That is crucial for our survival, or else we will go mad in even few minutes of trying to comprehending all that is happening around us.

Our SUBCONSCIOUS mind is already handling our bodily function, from how many times your heart is supposed to be pumping to distributing all the nutrients in your body and more.

So where does VALUES comes in? VALUES are the pre-programmed prime importance that we have given our brain to lead our daily lives. Most of our actions are checked by our own subconscious on whether it is fulfilling those VALUES or detracting us away from the VALUES that we have.

For example, a person will UNCONSCIOUSLY have the values hierachy of

1. Love
2. Money
3. Family Relationship
4. Health
5. Serving the community

So for this person, he (presuming its a male) will find it very difficult to have time to exercise. He does not understand why? He keep telling friends and family members that he knows the important of good health but somehow there is not any time in his life to do it. Or somehow he cannot start.

If you look at his value list, you can instantly know why. Health is ranked number 4 in what he view is important in his life. Therefore, getting signal that he is loved, earning enough money (whatever the amount) and good family relationship are more important than health. Therefore no wonder he cannot find time to exercise.

Because each VALUES will have certain criteria that is already set by his UNCONSCIOUS mind of what needs to happen in order for that value to be viewed as fulfilled. WHAT IF his Love Value has a condition that he must do activities together with his spouse in order to fulfill this LOVE value?

Presuming if the spouse have a Health Value of no 10 in her list. Then what are the chances of this person being able to start even a simple exercise routine?

Exercise is definitely not in the Value list...

The most amazing part of VALUES are that MOST people go through life, behaving the way that the behaving, making the decisions that they make WITHOUT every realizing WHY they do it.

It is because, most people don't ever sit down and sort out what is the thing that they VALUE in life. Therefore they picked up VALUES that sometimes may not be valuable any more with their present life condition. For example, if a person that grows up economically deprived (poor) in a bad neighbourhood, as he/she grew, they picked the value of the need to be recognized/respected by others. And when they looked around the neighbourhood, they adopted the beliefs that in order to fulfill this value, I must have luxurious items to show my status in society and among friends.

This person will then have No 1 or No 2 Value in life and Recognized/Respected. So their behaviour will constantly seek out to buy luxurious item, branded items even at the expense of bursting their credit cards to fulfill his/her beliefs that the owning of the product needs to happen to fulfill the Value of being Recognized and Respected.

Friends and society, who does not understand this, will then view them and insane, slaves to branded products etc.

Each and everyone of us have a VALUE list in our UNCONSCIOUS mind that is governing our behaviour. Our behaviour are also attune to our BELIEFS system which governs our every thought in handling and fulfilling the conditions that are in it. Once the conditions are fulfilled, then we will think that we are in 'congruent' (your are aligned with your purpose in life) with our VALUES. And when we are in congruent, finally we will FEEL satisfied, complete and HAPPY.

Can Beliefs and Values change? Definitely. As most people does not consciously find out their beliefs and values. Most changes happen after strong experiences in life, traumatic events such as death of loved ones or strong realization of a need to change.

Hence most of the time, you will see people setting New Year Resolution, Goal Setting that never seems to happen. It is because their Beliefs and Values does not change, therefore the behaviour is unable to be congruent with their resolution and goals. It is just that simple.

CONTINUE TO PART 2.........

 **Those who like to know more about Feng Shui, please visit my blog at http://gkhamconsulting.blogspot.com

Real Life Spiritual Response by Taoist Student

Below is my loose translation (originally written in Chinese) of the real life spiritual response that my student Peter Sin 法忠 felt during one of the Tibetan Chod ceremony during our temple Ksitigarbha's Celebration 地藏王菩薩寶誕 on 15 September 2012.

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I think it is my duty to share with all Kam Dong San supporters and also general disciples, and especially those who are hesitant or doubtful on attending events hosted by Kam Dong San Temple to come forward and experience what I have witnessed.

This year 15 Sept 2012 is Ksitigarbha Bodhisatva's Celebration, it is also Kam Dong San Temple second year of conducting mass chanting. This year is the collective chanting of 1 million mantra Ksitigarbha's mantra on eliminating fixed karma (Om Pramani Dani Soha). Part of the requirement of participation is that all will be on vegetarian diet for the duration of the event.

After lunch on 15 Sept, the Chairperson of the Temple, which is also my master, Master Ham begin the last day of his Tibetan Major Ceremony of Chod (Offering of the Body). From the 15^th until 30^th of 7^th Lunar month, he have done the ceremony more than 10 times. Regrettably I have not attended even 1 time until this day, due to my work schedule. According to my master, Chod ceremony/practice is about offering the physical body to all the ghosts, demons, all karmic debtors and demigods in the area in hope of pacifying them. It is also considered one of the highest offering to do, as equavalent to the Sky Burial in Tibet.

As the ceremony begin, I followed the instruction as my master have given me for meditation, and slowly entered into a meditative state. Following the ceremony's music and chanting, in a sudden moment my mind entered into full darkness, as if in the almost death state (most likely I am in sleep state). I do not know for how long, but after listening to vajra bell sounded by my master during his Chod chanting, I slowly regain my consciousness again and saw visions of Yellow Light flew upwards while the floor is filled with skeletons.

I also saw a lot of flames, and each time Master Ham sounded the Vajra Bell, the flames grew. When the ceremony was about to finish, I smell an unpleasant smell in the room. Which to me is strange, because the whole Ksitigarbha hall is lighted with Tibetan incense.

My curiousity reached its peak, when from the flames, emerges a black figure surrounded by the flames. As the ceremony completed, I enquired my master 4 Questions.

1. Why does it have saw a yellow light fly upwads and the floor is filled with skeletons?
   Yellow flight flew upwards, mean the consciousness has escape while the body is being offered. The skeletons are of course the left overs of the offering.
2. Why is it that I can smell some very unpleasant odor?
   The unpleasant odor is actually your negative karma that is being purified and offered.
3. Who is the black figure that I saw in the midst of flames?
   Did you just saw a single black figure? Pointing to the Thangka on the side of Ksitigarbha Hall.
   As I look carefully on the Thangka of Troma Nagmo, immediately I have goosebumps. It is the figure that I saw in the midst of the flames.
   Master said, as I chant just now – invitation of Troma Nagmo is part of the ceremony.
4. Why do Troma Nagmo appeared in my meditative state? What is the message?
   Usually when a ceremony is conducted successfully, participants will have experience of 'signs'. And those that witness it can then inform others about their experiences for them to have stronger confidence and faith.

I felt very blessed, to have experience such strong response from Troma Nagmo. I will definitely work harder in my cultivation. Looking forward to more responses.

With blessings from all deities, bodhisatvas and buddhas of Kam Dong San.

Learning Tao Fa Disciple,

Xin Fa Zhong

P/S: I must emphasize that halfway into the meditative state, I was FULLY awake. I can see, hear, smell and think. I just cannot speak.....perhaps my cultivation is not as high yet.
Original article in Chinese

我想我有义务跟所有金洞山的善信和众弟子，以及那些想参与我们活动但仍犹豫不决的各方善信分享以下的真实感应：-

昨 午（15.09.2012）是地藏王菩薩聖誕，也是金洞山第二年举办《地藏王菩薩》经一百萬遍赞誦，众善信已从星期五晚上开始吃素和赞誦《地藏经》Om Pramani Dani Soha，过了中午午餐后，金洞山的庙主，也是我师父，谭法铳师父也开始进行了他最后一天的藏式《大牺牲法》法会，他在农历七月鬼节里已经进行了相同的仪式不下十次，惭愧的是我应公务在身，一次也没参加，师父说，《大牺牲法》就是把他的肉身奉献给四周的幽灵鬼怪来安抚它们的亡魂，是无上的奉献，好似西藏式的《天藏》。当法会开始时，我就用师父教我的方法静坐，跟着师父的《大牺牲法》念经旋奏，慢慢放松，放松。。霎那间，一切变昏暗，我进入了半死状态（可能是睡着），不知多久，我是听到师父的金刚铃杵的敲击铃声时才醒过来，开始看到黄色的光飞向天上，地下只剩下一堆白骨头，然后，我看到火焰，师父每敲一次法铃，我就看到火焰在膨胀，当法事快要结束时，我嗅到阵阵异臭味，我很奇怪，这臭味不应该在《地藏殿》出现，因为周围都点了藏香，我的疑罕到了顶点，熊熊的火焰也燃烧到了极点，这时，火焰里面出现了黑色人头燃烧的影像，持续不断，直到法事结束....

法会后，我向师父发出四个疑点：-
为何我会看到黄光飞上天和地下白骨是什么？
师父说：黄光飞上天是代表肉身已被供献，地下白骨当然是供献后的残骸。

为何我会嗅到臭味？
师父说：你嗅到的臭味全是你本身的业障，已跟着黄光走了。

黑色人头燃烧的影像是什么？
师父说：你看到的是不是这个啊，指向《地藏殿》左边吊着的《卓玛那嫫黑空行母》，当我望过去是，我顿时毛骨倏然，对，我看到的就是祗《卓玛那嫫黑空行母》。师父说：刚才我诵经是有请《空行母》，所以你感应到祗啦。

为何《卓玛那嫫黑空行母》会出现在我冥想里，祗要表达什么？
师父说：通常，如果法会办的正确，祗会出现让善信感应得到，在通过我让其他人知道祗的存在，好让众善信有信心延续的把法会和金洞山的香火，永远流传。

真的三生有幸，《卓玛那嫫黑空行母》给了我很强烈的感应，我会用心的修行，期待第二次的另类感应。

金洞山众祖师爷大显威灵....

学法弟子，
法忠上

P/S:- 我强调,后半段我是清醒的,我可以听,可以想,可以嗅,只是不能出声.....可能修行不够吧

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 The chanting of the whole ceremony was in Tibetan. I have also not told any of them in advanced what is the sequence of my visualization that will be performed. His 'vision' coincides with my chanting sequence and visualization.

I also have to emphasize that I am a lay practitioner with no special 'powers' whatsoever, it is through the blessings of Ksitigarbha, All Cho Lineage Masters, Machiq Labdron, All Deities of Kam Dong San Temple and Troma Nagmo herself that this response was being witnessed by the student. 

Tiny Blue Light

2 weeks back, my sister was admitted into hospital for a case of acute tonsilitis. She had consulted and change medication with her company panel doctor twice before the GP advice her for admission into hospital.

After her admission into a private hospital, the specialist told her that her tonsils have pus and its quite serious which intensive drips antibiotic. All of our family members thought that she was going to be okay, in view that she already got the medical attention needed.

4 days passed, and I received a missed call in the evening from her. I thought she was calling up to talk on some other matters and it was nothing urgent. On the following day afternoon, I receive another call from her, this time is while I am doing my daily Buddhist practice. When I picked up the call, she was crying uncontrollably on the other end and I can hear that she is unable to catch her breath due to the pain.

Her pain is not only on her throat but she told me she is also experiencing jabbing migraine plus each breath she draw in her throat feels like piercing nail onto the wall of her throat. She said the doctors and nurses cannot help her and that requested that I help her do some prayers and do something spiritually.

When she hung up the phone, I quickly bring up her chart on my mobile phone to see what's going on. Some of you guys must be wondering at this point, I should have known her chart in detail. I have hundreds of clients to keep track and usually I don't go looking at charts of everybody I know to keep track of what is going to happen in their life unless they have some queries. I knew its is going to be an unfavourable second half of the year, but didn't know that the few days interaction actually bring it to max.

Lamp Offering for her quick recovery

Anyway, the transformation in her destiny chart showed that in that few days she is in what technically we would describe as 'deep shit' period. The whole chart relation was turning into a very dangerous outcome.

So quickly I have instructed that Cheng Huang Hall 城隍殿 7 Star Lamp 七星燈 at our Temple be lighten up on her behalf and put in a request for her swift recovery. Lighted up 9 incense and do a special request from all Taoist Deities.

Cheng Huang Hall 7 Star Lamp at Kam Dong San Temple

At the same time, I offered up 49 lamp offering to Medicine Buddha, place her photo and perform a brief ritual for her on the Medicine Buddha altar and quickly perform 2 session of Cho in my prayer room and dedicate to her swift recovery and also perform a Protector Puja.

It was an emergency and I have no time to call up big monastery to perform puja for her. I was relying on the strength of my intention to get through the call up there.

By evening, I received another call from my sister. She told me that a senior duty nurse visited her and check on her to understand what is actually her problem. After she described her problem to the senior nurse, she have detail inspection on her nostrils and noticed that her sinus is actually flared up severely. The nurse is also surprised that how come the specialist did not administered medicine for her sinus. This explains her severe migraine, because the water fluid in her head is being push up her cranial, which cause her to experience intense migraine.

The nurse quickly use saline water to clean her inflame sinus and immediately her migraine is gone. For the past 2 days, she have been complaining about her migraine to other nurses, but they said they have given full dose of pain killer and also injected pain killers so nothing they can do.

'Luckily' for her, this senior nurse showed up 'coincidently after all that is possible is done for her spiritually. That night she can sleep well for the first time since admission and amazingly she was discharge the following evening, with tonsilitis cleared.

Medicine Buddha Thangka that is erected during our Animal Liberation activity

Later she told me, during the night where she sleeps well, she saw tiny blue orbs in her dreams. And coincidently again the blue colour is the same as the thangka of the Medicine Buddhas that we used in our temple Animal Liberation. Coincident? Lucky? I will leave that to you....

Can cultivate both Taoism and Buddhism together?

When friends and relatives visit my home, the are often puzzled by 2 dominant altars that are located in my altar area. Primarily I have Taoist altar of 六壬 Liu Ren 風火院 Feng Huo Yuan and 伏英館 Fu Ying Guan. My Buddhist altar has many Tibetan Buddhist Statues.

Some who are outspoken will sometimes ask "How come you have 2 altars, will you get confuse?" Often, I just replied smilingly "Don't worry, the one who is praying is not confuse" and did not explain further or inform them how two can come together.

Well now, I am going to write a bit more on how these 2 can combine together. My initial lineage transmission is from Taoist Feng Huo Yuan. Then I have got interested into Buddhism and took refuge under Gelugpa lineage in Tibetan Buddhism from Tibetan Gurus. I have also took refuge with Gurus who have Nyingma and also Sakya lineage transmission.

Why didn't you give up on Taoism since you have already took refuge in Tibetan Buddhism? One of the most important teachings in Tibetan Buddhism is Guru Devotion. My first Guru are all the Deities in Taoism, without them I would not have discovered and took serious upon Buddhism. It is through their guidance, that I took refuge in Triple Jewels.

Deities in Taoism practice are actually all my Dharma protectors, if you look from a Buddhist perspective. Dharma protectors help cultivators overcome obstacles in life so that they can practice better without mundane disturbance of daily life. And I have a lot of Dharma protectors that have 'spiritual response' towards me. Spiritual response is a term used in Tibetan Buddhism for a person who have succeed in their practice with either Vajras, Boddhisattvas or Buddhas (elaboration of spiritual response need a whole new article to get into detail).

Therefore in our Taoist Temple 金洞山 Kam Dong San, everytime when we do distribute wealth enhancing talismans (招財符） or benefactors talisman（貴人符）. I have always followed by giving and explaining about merits, karma and the need to do some form of donations after they have obtain a spiritual response through the talisman.

Primary role of Deities in Taoism is to create more merits in their own cultivation. When we setup a temple for all the deities, public and members that have obstacles in life can and would come to ask for assistance from the Deities. If it is matter of righteousness or against evil, the Deities would act swiftly in solving those problems. 

When it pertains to wealth matters, and asking for more wealth then Deities would evaluate on what is are the merits of the person and their karmic 'accounts'. When wealth is granted in Taoism, it is through converting of ones merit. Therefore, when we obtain more wealth through spiritual means, 99% of the time it is for you to gather even more merits with those wealth. Therefore it is crucial to maintain the momentum in an upward spiral, instead of spending all your merits from previous life. Money is also a form of energy, it cannot be created or destroyed - but it can be transform from one form to the other.

Hence, Taoist Deities allowed a person to request for help in life's daily problems. When we obtained the help, then we have to do more meritorious activity with our expanded financial capabilities. That is being congruent in our request and also our cultivation as a Taoist.

As a Buddhist, I have to do my daily practice that was passed down to me by my Gurus. Keeping strong Guru Devotion and Boddhisattva Vows. Help other sentient beings whenever possible, with 道法 Tao Fa, I can help more people and also brings them to a path of cultivation.

So back to the question, can I cultivate both Taoism and Buddhism together? Of course, if you can keep your vow, devotion, practice and promise. Otherwise you are threading into deep water....