Are you accumulating enough merits?

-->During animal liberation activities, I often mention to members and attendees, we need to accumulate worldly merits 福報 as well as spiritual merits 功德.

Worldly merits will benefit your luck in this life and spiritual merits will help us achieve higher re-births in our future lives.

What does it mean by not having enough Worldly Merits? It is similar to a situation where someone cooks a really good and tasty meal to serve you. However, you have tooth ache and stomach ache. So no matter how tasty the meal will be, you are unable to eat it. That is not having enough Worldly Merits.

Other situations that indicates lack of worldly merits.

1. Similarly you have a lot of good skills, knowledge and experiences but somehow you are unable to get the work package that you desire.

2. You have a good company, willing to give high salary for competent people but cannot seem to find the right employee to help you in growing the business.

3. Have many outstanding children. When they grow up, all leave the nest and seldom come back. Even though you have good relationship with them.

And the list goes on.

Even in spiritual cultivation, we need large worldly merits and spiritual merits. Without these 2, no matter how hard you cultivate, you will not have any realizations. The most is just a healthy body.

Why do we need merits? Because to reach certain cultivation level means that your forth-coming rebirth will be a higher one compare to existing life. Therefore, those who are born in higher plane, definitely have more merits that us. Without it, how can you reach the next level.

Just like computer or arcade game, to reach the next level, you will definitely need a certain score and accomplishment. You cannot start at beginner level and hope to straight jump to the expert level. Similarly in life and cultivation, we will need to accumulate worldly and spiritual merits to help us move along and upwards.

How to gain more worldly merits and spiritual merits?

1. Charity of Body, Speech and Mind
   Body means action – physically help out in charitable causes (refer No. 2 Action below)
   Speech – encourage others to perform charity and good deeds. Inform others where they can get help or participate in good spiritual activities.
   Mind – Think good thoughts about others. Make dedication to others. Think of how others would benefit.
2. Action – do good deeds for community and society.
3. Encourage others to perform charity and good deeds.

Start immediately and do it consistently and good surprise will happen swiftly!

Mantra Broadcasting Family

--> On Thursday morning, Penny contacted me on FB messenger and told me that her friend will be coming to the temple in the evening. Reason being was that her friend's daughter, C for the past 3 consecutive days have suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and cried uncontrollably.

Someone even suggested to C's parent to take her to see a child psychiatrist. I also jokingly told Penny that I am no doctor. What we can do at the temple is just fan her (using one of the talisman fan) to clear of any negative energy.

Anyhow before I left for the temple from my home, suddenly there's an urge to bring Tai Shang Lao Jun seal 太上老君印 with me that evening. After her friend arrive in the temple and go through the usual offering of respect to various deities.

When her mother was carrying her in our temple main hall, I saw a green streak of qi between her eyes. Usually I can't and don't notice these type of signs unless the deities wanted me to notice it. Anyway, streak of green qi between the eyes, means that it is not possession or anything serious – just that she had a fright and possibly encountered some residue Yin Qi 陰氣 in Taoist terms.

After fanning her to clear of any Yin Qi and also sealing her body with the seal, then her mum did ask me some questions regarding how to do water offering for pretas and etc. In the midst of our conversation, only I realized that they have been 'broadcasting' Amitabha mantra 24/7 for the past 1 year in their apartment home. Usually these mantra devices can be easily bought at chinese incense shop.

Their family does not have a altar at home, only praying to Tian Gong 天官. I explained to them, if they are into broadcasting mantra, they must at least being doing some form of Buddhist practice either morning or evening and also need to do dedication in their practice and also mantra broadcasting.

C's mother told me that it was her friend that gave her the advice to broadcast mantras. I further explained to her that because Amitabha's resolute is to help and receive all sentient beings that chant his name in their final moments of life. Many sentient beings who are in Bardo (state of after death but before rebirth) are in a state of confusion as having just being ejected from their physical body. They would usually be drawn to wherever they can hear mantras or prayers.

As they are attracted to the sound of mantra's especially of Amitabha's mantra, those broadcasting it MUST do dedication to all sentient beings that have listened to the mantra. If not they will all gather and just wait, of course they DON'T have any intention to hurt or disturb anyone, but if lots of Bardo beings were to gather in a spot, then it will create an imbalance of Yin Qi for that particular area or home. Adding to the point that they are not doing any Buddhist practice, no home altar of any sort.

With that, I have taught C's mum and dad to do a final dedication before turning off their mantra device, herbs and sandalwood to clear their home of any excess Yin Qi and some Taoist blessed salt to cleanse C's of any further Yin Qi if any.

The following morning, I have asked Penny to follow up with C's mum and according to her, the daughter slept through the night like a baby.

Special Gift

3 days ago receive a special gift from a respecful friend when he delivered my special wrist beads. He gave me a pair of centipede pearls. I have blogged about my pair of centipede pearls a while back, but they are very young compared to these.

Wrist bangle made from a very special type of wood

New Centipede Pearls

This new pair of centipede pearls that I have just received are very dark in colour. This means that it is already at a mature age for centipede pearls. I feel very honoured that he has placed the trust on me to keep these precious pearls.

Although he is from a different religion, we have mutual respect for each other as we are all in service of fellow mankind and sentient beings.

Place into glass container with Saffron Flowers

My original pair of centipede pearls

These pearls arrived just in time for me to attract more resources to do charity work.

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....

Buddhism and Taoism ? Are you confused?

Recently, a temple disciple asked me a question, he said his friend ask him 'You guys are a Taoist Temple, how come there is Buddhist rituals and also Tibetan Buddhist rituals during your Animal Liberation activities ?'

Many who are not familiar with either religion, Taoist and Buddhist will always take a separatist stand or view. It is like a choosing a political view, its either you are right or left. Some un- informed Buddhist with 'Divine Child Syndrome' or what we call 'I am better than thou' attitude will view that Taoist is lower and Buddhist is higher. Some un-informed Taoist will have renegade attitude and think that Taoist Deities are closer and grant our every request more easily.

Both views are mistaken.

Highest Taoist Cultivation is 大罗金仙 Da Luo Jin Xian, a state where you will surpass death and re-birth, the ability to manipulate your body 5 Elements and transform it into light and therefore one with the Dao 道.

This stage of cultivation is also known as Full Rainbow Body in Vajrayana. Which means when the person dies, his (it can be a she also) body turns into white light and glow of rainbow surrounds him, after which the physical body dissappear and only clothes and some parts of nail will remain. It is a manifestation that the cultivator have reached enlightment.

As you can see, the end goal of cultivators is the same for Taoism and also Buddhism. To surpass death and rebirth – samsara. But before we go too far and high up on our standards we must know how to gather merits to be able reach it. Without merits, nothing can be accomplished !

Many do not even know how to differentiate between karma and merit, but they are quick to jump on others when they see what they think is a mix and match. Below is my explanation to the Taoist Disciple.

From a Buddhism perspective, our Taoist Deities are our Protector 护法 in our cultivation in reaching Enlightment, Animal Liberation is a way for us to gather Merit (公德）or on a lower level Good Karma （福报）. During our Animal Liberation, we are doing 2 process at 1 go.

1. Name that have been written on the Biao Wen 表文list is being burn (submitted) to KDS Deities, to gather good karma for those people that have join the animal liberation.

2.At the same time, we chant Namgyalma mantra (Zhun Sheng Fo Mu) on the water and spray to the animal in hope that they obtain better rebirth in their next life - that is according to Buddhism - also we chant for mantras during our circumbulation - is to invite Buddhas and Boddhisatvas to grant their blessings to those fishes also in hope that they will obtain better rebirth.

If we just do the Taoist section, then all of us would only obtain good karma. That is also presuming you have a good request in your heart - better health, good relationship, good finance etc. If the person who went for animal liberation but inside their heart they request for bad luck on their enemies, sickness on the people they don't like, then in fact they will obtain a bad karma by requesting such action from Taoist Deities.

Karma affects everyone and all beings in any dimension.

Good karma can be use up. That is why it is consider a lower level good deed.

Our rebirth as human is also due to the balance of good and bad karma that we have gather in our many lifetimes in samsara. Changes of our luck also indicates, when our Good or Bad Karma will ripen. When the good ripen, we experience as good childhood, high study, good job, loyal spouse enter into a profitable business. When the bad karma ripens, we experience sickness, bad living conditions, failure of business, failure of marriage, Bad children etc.

Good and Bad Karma are constantly ripening, while we are also constantly creating them whether consciously or unconsciously. However good karma will not ensure that your next rebirth will be human or higher realms in samsara such as Deities etc. Only gathering of merits will ensure that you have a good rebirth in your next life. Therefore good karma is only very small compare to merits.

How do we distinguish good karma and merit? It is in your intention of your action.

1.When you do something for the benefit of yourself only - meaning better job, more money in life, successful business - and your intention is to benefit self - then your are USING UP your good karma.

2. When you do something good and HOPE that you can become better in your life situation or obtain something to benefit yourself - then you are creating only good karma for yourself and it is used up once you see improvement.

3. When you do something good, without any thought of self and purely in the hope that others will benefit THEN ONLY YOU ARE CREATING MERIT.

Why merit? Merit cannot be used up and it will follow you in your every rebirth until you achieve enlightment, Merit will constantly produce good karma in your every rebirth to help you in reaching enlightment. By being in KDS is also the result of your previous accumulated merit in your past lives to be able to be here as group to do something useful to benefit others.

While those new members that come to temple, we hope that they can create as much good karma as possible, when they see their life improve then they will start to accept in karma and merits and gather good merits instead.

While a person can create many many good karma, and in this lifetime they experience all the good karma and good conditions in life. However there is no guarantee their next life will experience the same comfort.

Can the same action produce either karma or merit? YES.

For example, when people come to join our animal liberation - if the intention of the organizer is to gather merit, even if those people who come and have request to obtain something, meaning they will only have good karma, it will also turn into merit. This is because the organization that is doing it is doing it CORRECTLY, therefore they have a higher benefit.

If KDS is built up for personal gains or personal intention, then whatever that is done will only gather good karma and not merits. Because the start is already due to personal gain.
If KDS is built up based on the sole purpose to benefit others and more people, then the whole organization is constantly gathering merits to benefit its member.

Then the next question is - When you are in the KDS contributing, are you thinking for the benefit of yourself or in hope that it can benefit others? Then that will also determine your presence in KDS is for exchange of good karma or to gather merit.
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Rest assured for those who frequent Kam Dong San Temple. I am not half baked cultivator who are filling in the activity when there is a gap. As a Taoist, I have the full lineage of 六壬伏英館 up to 五雷教 and also lineage 風火院. In my sworn oath into Tao Fa 道法, there will be no money requested and earn on personal basis in performing any Taoist rituals or help. In Vajrayana, I have kept and keeping full samaya with my teachers and lamas.

We are only helping you gain more merit in a single action....that however will depend on your karma and merit to join us in our activity! 大顯威靈. Om Mani Padme Hung !

Power of the Golden Fan 金扇的奥秘

This article is written without any intention to promote or condone any gambling activities. The author only wishes to share the spiritual experience of his student and disciple. Any form of gambling activities will involve risk of losing money, which most of the time is the inevitable fact!

Our temple had our 1st Quarter Committee meeting last night. After the meeting, when there are few people left clearing up the place, James (a temple disciple) shared with us his experience in Genting Highlands during Chinese New Year.

He said on the 9th day of Chinese New Year, he and his wife was in Genting Casino for some casual game. After entered the casino for a short time, he said he has already lost about RM1500. So he suggested to his wife that they go and have something to eat and then come back. When they came back, he had only RM170 left in his credit. He said, if he lose this amount he will called it quits. He went for the nearest jackpot, again he lost some money. Then his wife said to him "its not that you don't know how to play, it's that you can't win". Then she took the small Golden Fan out from her purse and started fanning him. James did not realize that she fan him with the fan until he turn his back and saw her action. Quickly he asked her to keep the fan back in her purse for fear of appearing funny and attracting attention .

Where did James got the fan? In the move for our temple to acquire donation for our electricity bill for the year 2012. Under the permission of all deities especially God of Wealth Zhao Gong Ming 金龍如意龍虎玄壇趙公明元帥, we have issued out 4 Golden Fans with talisman of 5 Directional Wealth Deities on the 5th day of Chinese New Year. James was one of the person who donated RM888 for the temple electricity bill and thus as a recipient of the golden fan for his generosity.

五路財神金法扇 5 Direction Wealth Marshall Golden Fan.

Anyway, back to his story. After that action by his wife, he went on to play another jackpot with whatever amount he had. On the 3rd spin of the jackpot, he won RM2500+. He went on to play the dice, he bet on 123, it came out 123. He then move to play other games, all the games he played he won. He said at the end of the round, he won back his RM1500 plus another RM5000. On his way out of the casino he went back to the slot machine that he lost RM350, he told himself " I don't believe I cannot get any money from this machine." Again one spin, he got back his RM350. Then he said both of them left happily.

Coincidence? How do we explain this from a spiritual perspective? Well when his wife fan him with the talisman, it will definitely and instantly invoke the energies of the deities. That would clear out any bad energy that is stuck to his body and clear his thought for that moment. In a traditional sense, we call it raising his luck. 

Will everyone who receive the Golden Fan be able to win money in the casino? I don't think so. Whatever blessings that they receive from the talisman is dependent on the deities. But 1 out of 4 fans, our track record can be considered impressive :)  However one thing is for sure, whatever generosity that is received by the temple, I am very sure that our temple deities would not short change our sponsors in blessings.