Grandma and Thai Wicha

My initial fascination with Thai Wicha starts almost the same time when I first started my cultivation journey more than 25years ago. My first amulet was given to me by my late dad, the one he requested from a travelling monk he met at airport where he used to work. 

After receiving the amulet, that evening itself, while drinking water I somehow carelessly bit into the glass. The shattered glass pieces in the mouth didn’t cause any injury. This is the first experience of Thai amulets when I was about 10 years old.

My fascination with Thai amulets and Wicha are the main reasons it has drawn me to know so many good and capable practitioners in the Thai Lineage. Due to language barrier, I did not pursue into Thai Wicha as oppose to Tao Fa. 

Nevertheless my interest in Thai Wicha didn’t stop, I pursued to interview and find out from many different Teachers and Masters on how their spells and rituals are done. Also at the same time finding out the difference between Thai Wicha and Tao Fa.

About 10 years ago, my dad one day told me that my late grandma actually have taught him a mantra@spell. The spell is related to weather control. He shared with me how my grandma would chant this spell if she saw impending big storm approaching their home in the paddy fields when he young , and how the storm would calm into normal rain. 

At that time, I didn’t know whether anyone in my grandma’s family was practicing Thai Wicha or not, I knew for a fact she was half Thai half Chinese. Looking back, when I started cultivating and doing rituals outdoors, clear skies are the norms for 90% of the case. I never thought much about it as our own lineage of Yang Fa 阳法 requires sunlight during most important rituals.

Of course throughout the years, I have also had an Indonesian Bomoh good friend that passed me his so called ‘weather altering’ tasbih@chant beads that he told me has khodam in it to help in this effect. Did I try it? Yes. Did it worked? You bet. But the chanting to upkeep the item was too much of a tedious for me. 

There are also other techniques of altering clouds and techniques with Tao Fa, however those method is overused will be harmful to the body. I once had a serious bout of pheumonia after  experimenting with it too many times. That is another blog write up.

One of the senior knowledgeable Master once told me,” if Heaven wanted to rain, let it rain la” Why do you need to disturb the cycle of the Tao? 

莫欺山莫欺水 Do not look down on mountains or the waters

Prayers goes out to the missing 13 boys football team in Chiangrai, Thailand. With hopes that the rescuers around the world would be able to find them soon.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/thailand-cave-search-latest-boys-football-team-missed-trapped-rescue-tham-luang-chiang-rai-a8426546.html

There is a saying in Chinese that 欺山莫欺水, that one can bully the mountains but do not do so with waters. It means that you can fool around when in mountain areas but for water it will be very fast that one will lose their life. I am here to add that one should not look down on either one.

From a spiritual perspective, high mountains and caves are the dwellings of spiritual beings that cultivates. They could be benevolent spirits or even malicious spirits depending they are cultivating according to the Dao 正道, Dharma 佛法 or even cultivating to become Demons. You just never know which ones you will bump into if you frequent into the uncharted or unfamiliar grounds and areas.

Photos from https://iamthemountain.org/2017/12/21/solstice-rekindles-stone-mountains-lost-airmail-history/

Common for mountains and caves are those that descend or go into such place, will easily get lost and cannot seems to find their way out. Usually this occur when the person that goes into such places was behaving rudely, uttering bad malicious speech and many more other actions that maybe offensive to the dwelling spirits at the area. Or sometimes could be the person was down in their luck while traversing through such places.

Photos from http://www.jsnt.co.uk/raam/?p=258

Which is why in each cultures there are the do's and don't, rituals of respect and also prohibition when entering into a mountainous area.

So what should you do (the basics), if you found yourself lost in such a place?

1. First check whether you are going in circles, even though you may seem to walking some distance. Place some clues on the ground before attempting to go searching for a way out. If you notice you come back to the same spot even after your travel some time, then most likely you are being spell bound by the entity at the area.

2. Do not attempt to further walk out of the place, as you will most likely be walking up and down in the same place while being spell bound. Stay put where you are and hopefully people will start to come look for you. That is why it is crucial to leave contacts with park rangers, family members and also close friends on where you are going and how long you will be at that particular place so that they know to look for you after a certain period of time.

3. What to do when you stay put? Know which Buddhist mantra that you usually chant, chant that continuously. Ask for forgiveness from the mountain deities or spirits. If you are a Taoist Disciples or only familiar with Taoist Deities, chant the Taoist Deities name continuously. Important is to remain calm.

After some time, try to find your way out again. If you are in a group, do not attempt to split up, It will more dangerous if you are dealing with malicious spiritual entity.

The rest of it is Survival Skills 101.

Back to Point of Origin

Had a looked at the last post, it was almost 6 months ago. I was actually using my Facebook page medium more since with Facebook Live, I get to update via video. If you have not LIKE my page on facebook, please do it now - most of my smaller updates will be there.

https://www.facebook.com/mastergkham/

I have contemplate of not writing more on blogs due to the fact that nowadays the crowd prefer videos or reading. Then again, I realized some of Kam Dong San Temple's patrons that eventually became disciples all got to know about us through this blog. So I will continue on and also post some LIVE video links here as well.

On 26 February 2017, I decided to visit Kam Dong San Ipoh. The Main - Main Altar of Kam Dong San. I have not been back to main altar for almost 12 years.

My master that initiated me into Kam Dong San, Master Thong and I both lost contact. He changed his mobile phone and so did I. His last instruction to me was meditate consistently and strong faith in the deities. "When the time is right more ways of the path will be shown to you."

Fate and new technology reunited us again through Facebook. So I decided to make a trip back to the Main Altar.

 

It was great that I am able to bring my wife and kids along to see Grandmaster and also the altar of the origin place. Being back at this patio altar, brought back so much memories of the early days when I would drive to Ipoh usually Friday evening, sit in front of altar meditate and followed by my master instructions on the various talisman.

At that time, my Chinese calligraphy is literally like 'shit'. Master would still encourage me to write more and learn more. 

Even after so many years, Master did spend time enlightening me with the Tao of learning Tao Fa, how to help those who are stubborn and selfish and most of all a lot of wisdom in cultivation shared by him.

He shared with me his joy and happiness, saying that now a lot of burden have been lifted off his shoulders as he saw how Kam Dong San Temple Penang is having so much activities and flourishing well.

When I was initiated, Master Thong told me the deities instructed if have affinity they would be happy if Penang have an altar. I just nodded. With that nod, I have kept on going until today with all deities blessing.

As I have mentioned in other blog post, in the spiritual world - the word of honour does carry a lot weight. Money don't mean anything, you cannot sweet talk your way to cultivation. Sincerity, perseverance and honoring one's promise to the deities. No matter which spiritual discipline you encounter, if they(spiritual beings) realize your trustworthiness. Then conflicts and hatred, harm and anger will be easily neutralized in any situation or obstacles that one encounter on the path of cultivation.

Finding the Perfect Cup for Cultivation

A lot of people that I have came across, often told me they would like to spend more time doing cultivation either meditation, practice of dharma, learning of dharma or even just have more spare time to attend Taoist events at the temple.

Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. Each of us choose to spend the 24 hours differently. Why? Because each person's value is different. What you value as important will be very different from the next person. Whatever you value that's where you put your time into it.

That's not all. Then comes the set of conditions in which we want to put time into it. I call it finding the perfect cup.

Some I have met, told me they will be able to do dharma only when they have more time when they retire, until then they choose to put cultivation aside. Some told me when their children grows up, then they will have the time to cultivate. There are also some that told me when they have enough money, then they will have time to cultivate. And the reasons are as much as the individuals, such as having the perfect space for altar, less distraction in work then only they can focus, when they have not so busy schedule then they will do it.

This is all about finding the PERFECT cup for cultivation. Then for some TIME is not one of the conditions for the cup, the type of temple, the type of lineage, they type of people, they type of activities and so on.

When a person highlight all those factors, it is about finding the PERFECT cup. However the biggest important factor is the water that will be in the cup. Because when you are thirsty or almost dehydrated, you don't go looking for the perfect cup, you just need a container. The liquid or water is the important factor for your survival spiritually. A lot of people miss the water for the cup.

A perfect teacher, a perfect lineage, a perfect temple, a perfect deity, having ample time, the right group of practitioners and more. All these are still just the cup, you need to drink the liquid, survive spiritually then worry about the design and type of cup.

The saddest part are too many people die of dehydration looking for the cup while the water was in front of them all along.  In samsara, time moves without our realization, some of us can remember our childhood so vividly as if it was yesterday, while a look in the mirror or at our children, instantly it will dawn on us that so much of our life have pass by. Illusions are moving on and very soon a different dream will take over. Have you drank? Or are you still looking for the perfect cup?

The Test from The Demon Within

I have met many people on the spiritual cultivation path. More often that not, after about 10-15 minutes into conversation, a lot would like to talk about spiritual attainments or spiritual powers.

Most of the people who got interested into spiritual path is also due to wishing to have extra sensory skills compare to others in modern society. Take a look at meditation class that talks about spiritual ability attendance usually would be full when compared to those meditation classes for mind stillness and so on.

And those that walk the path of spiritual cultivation, there will always be test and exams along the way. For some, they think tests and exams are things for when you are in schools, colleges and universities. Oh yes, spiritual path is filled with tests along the way and unlike educational institutions, there is no advance notification on the tests and exams that they will give you.

Usually tests and examinations on the spiritual path will be on your weakest link either in your character or the mind or both. Then it will also be separated into small test, such as events that occur in your dreams and see how you react. There will be also real life exams, which you will walk or thrown into situations, push to the extreme to test your own fortitude, strength, commitment and also the will to walk the path. 

Small test such as when a person have taken a vow to abstain from eating certain food. In one of their unsuspecting dreams, they will be in a situation where friends or people they know offer them the abstained food. If in the dream they suddenly realised and rejected the food, then they would have passed the test. If not, then their cultivation would have to drag on further before another test comes along.

Image from www.fanpop.com

Examinations however are a whole different ball game. If you have greed, you will be tested on situations where you will have opportunities to earn a lot of money however it will be at the expense of others. You will need to do something that goes against basic moral vows. The situation is real and the money rewards are also real. However if you failed the exam, the consequences will be a down hill road on your cultivation. Some took years to recover from one failure while others do not recover at all.

Some who are weak on relationship or particularly on controlling their sexual urges, when an exam comes along, out of the blue you will meet with someone who are highly attractive towards you, and although you may have a family or in a steady relationship, then how you react, whether to follow through on your urges will determine on whether you continue walking further and higher on path or to fail miserably and lose respect of not only others but family and close ones as well.

There are even cases where those who lost their sanity as a result of being unable to get through the exam. Buddhism called it Demon/Mara Within 心魔.

The Demon Within is much scarier than the ones outside as your subconscious knows you better than yourself. No matter how far a person walks on the spiritual path, there will always be tests and exams. There is no exception and the stakes will only get higher as one progress along the path.

The only solution is to develop integrity, congruency and also honesty before ones walks the path and continue to remind oneself the higher purpose of their cultivation.