Every once in a while there will be some friends or acquaintances approach me and ask “Do you want to teach students on how to draw talisman?” or “Do you want to take in protégé in Dao Fa 道法?
It looks attractive and interesting, being able to draw talisman and request for spiritual assistance for specific purposes through the Taoist Deities. Some even look at it as something to elevate their status among peers or friends, essentially being different from others.
If one follow the path of Dao Fa, establishing higher spiritual goals and also being in the lineage of evoking spiritual assistance there are basically 1 out of 3 options that the person will need to choose or being forced upon them. These 3 options in particular will serve as an exchange or as the path of entering the person’s spiritual goal(s) in Dao Fa.
What are these 3 options?
1. To live a life of poverty 2. To live a life of solidarity 3. To always wear torn clothes
All these 3 options are to reflect the imperfection of the person. By gaining the ability to request for spiritual assistance when and where it is needed, the person life shall not be perfect.
Living a life of poverty means that person will not be able to be rich from utilizing any of spiritual responsibility entrusted upon them. That is why, most that uses Dao Fa, as a career will not be wealthy.
To live a life of solidarity means that the person will not have children. There will not be future generations and in most cases the person will not be able to get married.
To always wear torn clothes is due to in the olden days if one were to wear torn clothes it means that they are someone who is not in high or medium status position in society. It is the least heavy options out of the 3.
When I was initiated into Dao Fa, my Taoist master told me that what you learn in Dao Fa could never directly be used to earn money from others. I think that is one way of our lineage by passing option 1. Nevertheless, I was not told of the remaining 2 options.
In some lineage, they will place these 3 options beneath a bowl and when the disciple is initiated, they will choose 1 out of 3 and the chosen option will be set for life. There are some that their option will be chosen by their Master who initiate them into Dao Fa.
For my case, I started to slowly find out on my own. Not long after I was initiated, I noticed that my pants or shirt would on many occasion get torn. Even newly bought shirts or jeans will also have this effect. I also stop buying slightly more expensive khakis pants as most will last a month or so. Jeans that wore for 3-4 times will out of nowhere get torn.
Partial torn pants collection from Mar - June 2010
Later I understand that option 3 was already being enforced on me. Considering the other 2 options available, I was glad that I got number 3. I have met some other Dao Fa practitioner that teach me how to work within the option, new shirts that I bought must purposely be punctured in some hidden area to materialize this imperfection.
Which is why, when some friends or people I know asked whether can they be initiated into learning Dao Fa, usually I just smile and say “ It is not as simple as what you see, there are a lot of ‘terms and conditions’ involved.
It looks attractive and interesting, being able to draw talisman and request for spiritual assistance for specific purposes through the Taoist Deities. Some even look at it as something to elevate their status among peers or friends, essentially being different from others.
If one follow the path of Dao Fa, establishing higher spiritual goals and also being in the lineage of evoking spiritual assistance there are basically 1 out of 3 options that the person will need to choose or being forced upon them. These 3 options in particular will serve as an exchange or as the path of entering the person’s spiritual goal(s) in Dao Fa.
What are these 3 options?
1. To live a life of poverty 2. To live a life of solidarity 3. To always wear torn clothes
All these 3 options are to reflect the imperfection of the person. By gaining the ability to request for spiritual assistance when and where it is needed, the person life shall not be perfect.
Living a life of poverty means that person will not be able to be rich from utilizing any of spiritual responsibility entrusted upon them. That is why, most that uses Dao Fa, as a career will not be wealthy.
To live a life of solidarity means that the person will not have children. There will not be future generations and in most cases the person will not be able to get married.
To always wear torn clothes is due to in the olden days if one were to wear torn clothes it means that they are someone who is not in high or medium status position in society. It is the least heavy options out of the 3.
When I was initiated into Dao Fa, my Taoist master told me that what you learn in Dao Fa could never directly be used to earn money from others. I think that is one way of our lineage by passing option 1. Nevertheless, I was not told of the remaining 2 options.
In some lineage, they will place these 3 options beneath a bowl and when the disciple is initiated, they will choose 1 out of 3 and the chosen option will be set for life. There are some that their option will be chosen by their Master who initiate them into Dao Fa.
For my case, I started to slowly find out on my own. Not long after I was initiated, I noticed that my pants or shirt would on many occasion get torn. Even newly bought shirts or jeans will also have this effect. I also stop buying slightly more expensive khakis pants as most will last a month or so. Jeans that wore for 3-4 times will out of nowhere get torn.
Partial torn pants collection from Mar - June 2010
Later I understand that option 3 was already being enforced on me. Considering the other 2 options available, I was glad that I got number 3. I have met some other Dao Fa practitioner that teach me how to work within the option, new shirts that I bought must purposely be punctured in some hidden area to materialize this imperfection.
Which is why, when some friends or people I know asked whether can they be initiated into learning Dao Fa, usually I just smile and say “ It is not as simple as what you see, there are a lot of ‘terms and conditions’ involved.
