Solar Eclipse of the Century

I almost forgot about the eclipse 3 days ago. Went about my busy schedule as usual. Several clients call up to ask for dates for their renovation. I went through the 10,000 years Chinese calendar looking for good dates for them. I did not manage to get any dates at all, the closest possible dates was on 1 August. Gone through several system of selection and the result is still the same.

Yesterday, suddenly remember about the eclipse and it all makes sense. In majority of Chinese Metaphysic system, we would use the Chinese Solar Calendar 六十甲子 to select the Heavenly Stem天干 and Earthly Branches 地支. When eclipse is about to happen or within that 7 days, the is not a good date in the selection. Even though I totally forgot about this event 3 days ago. If you are planning any major renovation or knocking around your house, it is advisable to wait until August to do it.

Reactive...Time for a change

Today sent my VW for routine service in Butterworth and while waiting for service to complete did manage to meet up with fellow Taoist disciples there. Visit 3 temples in the Butterworth area today, the new Dou Mu Gong. Did not manage to get any photos as I was just passing time while waiting. If you want to see some good photos http://www.visitpenang.gov.my/portal/what-to-see/attractions/tow-boo-kong-temple-butterworth.html

Followed by the old temple of Dou Mu Gong and then to a fellow old and retired Liu Ren Xian Shi temple.

The new temple was of course in its grand majestic form. The older temple of Dou Mu is in a serene state of peace. The Liu Ren Xian Shi temple however was in a state of abandon. Even though there is a caretaker, however they no longer provide any ‘consultation’ services for their followers. Mostly people will just come back to offer prayers on the 1^st and 15^th lunar days of the month.

Even though Dou Mu Gong was one of the few recent build up temples for Taoist, on the whole Taoist followers are on the decline. Several reasons for this.

1.     Taoist temples rarely offer any guidance to those that visit to offer respect. Mainly is just offering of joss stick and most of the time you are on your own. Leading to point

2.     Therefore most people are not sure what they are suppose to do or how to go about offering respect. Why? What? How? When? All is not answered. Most of time people are playing the guessing game and follow the crowd mentality.

3.     Some tricksters would usually set up those mom and pop Taoist temple and would trick visitors with special services such as luck changing, increase of wealth rituals, or tell visitors that they have ghost or spirit attach to them and needs to be eradicated via some elaborate rituals that needs a certain fee to setup. This eventually lead to a generalization that most Taoist temple is a hideout place for tricksters and con artist

All these in the long run have created a very bad reputation for Taoist temples everywhere. And remaining others would usually visit Taoist temples only when they suspect they have some spiritual problems that cannot be solve easily.

Unlike Buddhist temple for example, most people would visit on a regular basis to learn Dharma, offer respect etc. Churches, mosques and even Synagogue would appeal to their ‘members’ as a spiritual asylum in their day to day or in time of need.

Taoist temple on the other hand, is on a reactive mode from a marketing perspective. Mainly following the mentality of Jiang Zi Ya. The sage Jiang Zi Ya, would always go fishing with a rod that does not have any bait attach to the hook of the fishing rod. His famous line is “ Those fish which is willing will bite the hook on its own”. Meaning that those that have affinity will only come look for Taoist teachings.

In this 21^st century, we have some many distractions and our attention span is getting shorter due to information overload. Waiting on a reactive mode will surely expect more decline if the trend continues.

I think its time we go into a pro-active mode.

Warding Off Pandemics

With the recent blowout of AH1N1 flu around the world. Many initially fear for the worst, but after a while some countries around the globe is starting to treat it as a normal seasonal flu due to its low mortality rate.As the saying goes “History often repeats itself”. As a Taoist, I have decided to search for any remedy towards this situation through the use of Taoist Talisman.

Great Venerable Sage Zhang Dao Ling @ Zhang Tian Shi – Taoist Sect becomes famous during a time of pandemics when both he and his disciples use talisman alone burn into the water source to help save many villages. A time when anti-biotic , penicillin and Tamiflu is not heard of yet. These mysterious sages just burn yellow pieces of paper with ink or cinnabar inscribe on it and are able to cure or ward of pandemics.

I have searched through my Taoist lineage records and journals; apparently there is a talisman that helps ward off pandemics. The talisman of inviting Master Jiang Ji Ya (below).

Does that mean a talisman can cure all? Definitely not. I subscribe to “believe in a higher source of power, but still wash your hand regularly”.

Journey into 'Tao Fa' 道法

My Taoist journey started quite awkwardly. Many years back, I have made an acquaintance with person by the name of Eddie Wong in London. It was him who introduced me to the Taoist Temple back here in Malaysia. Imagine going half way around the world, and being led back here to learn about Taoist ‘Fa’ （道法）.

Those who know how to consecrate and produce Taoist talisman is actually a dying breed. Younger generations are no longer being taught about this method. Part of the reason is also because of the heavy responsibility that comes with the knowledge. In our ever increasing speed of modern life, many old masters refuse to teach or pass down this knowledge for the fear of misuse.

Taoist “Fa” does not recognize what is good or what is bad. Whomever that knows the method and its secret would be able to initiate the spiritual command. The measure of good or bad is in the heart of the person. The effect is of course ‘ you sow what you reap’ .

Therefore lineage often being broken when one of the practitioner did not pass to someone they trust. I have also known some master whom refuse to pass the knowledge even to their own children!

Then you might be wondering, how come there is still so many talisman around especially those distributed by temples. Well, about half of the temple today that have mediums do not acquire the skills of Taoist ‘fa’ directly from a lineage. When they are in trance, usually the higher spirits would draw and consecrate the talisman for the devotees. Meaning the medium have no idea what he/she had drawn and how to consecrate it.

Those that learn Taoist ‘fa’ formally would know how to draw and also consecrate the talisman even without seeking permission from the deities/higher spirits. This latter group of people is of course slowly becoming ‘extinct’. My first learning of Taoist ‘Fa’ is also the same as the former, when first initiated into the lineage, my master would pass me several talisman that I need to ingest. Once ingested, then I would need to meditate for certain amount of time, every night and sometime in wee hours of morning. Soon in meditative stabilization, in Pali we call it Samadhi, a communication link is then established between myself and the guardian deities of my Taoist Sect.

So in my early days of learning, even when drawing talisman, most of the time I would just draw base on the ‘signal’ I have received. Much of the consecration process is done by the deities.
Then later, I have a chance to learn under a Taoist Master that initiate me into the Liu Ren 六壬法门。This is when he taught me the formal learning of Taoist ‘Fa’ , how to draw, consecrate, initiate, pull back or retrieve a Taoist command and edict.

Knowing and preserving the knowledge would not make someone rich over night or strike lottery, as contrary to what some people would believe. Drawing some talismans, burn and money would fall down from the sky. Instead most of us have been sworn in, to not receive any monetary returns through the usage of our skills in Tao Fa.

Celebration of Yin Marshall

On May 30 is the celebration for one of the 2 Yin Marshall 大爷佰。 We had a small celebration and offering at my own altar. Every year I would also draw a fan talisman to commemorate this day. For this year it is the same as well and the theme of the talisman is to help in wealth luck.

My own personal encounter with this 2 Yin Marshall is out of curiosity. About 2 years back, after finishing my meditation, I decided to ask the deities whether would I be able to invite this 2 Yin Marshall onto our altar grounds? The impression I have received in my focus was it is possible, but whether they would appear or not is entirely up to them.

And to my surprise they did appear, therefore the start of offering them a place on our altar grounds.

When one of my students from Moscow visited me, I have asked her to have a peek on the altar and immediately she told me ‘These 2 are death angels!’ She have no idea and background about Taoist deities, however she has the ability to see spirits as well.

Death Angels, Yin Marshall, Shinigami and many more other names. However their function is the same, which is to help the dead going to different planes of existence base on different religious beliefs. And base on my interviews with those who have Yin eyes, many would say that when these officers appear, they would be in a modern looking outfit with a normal face. Not those horror looking depictions we have in each of the different cultures.

Similar to Brad Pitt’s portrayal of Joe Black. Maybe not that good looking.

A fellow traveller

In my daily work, sometime the chances of bumping into others with spiritual background are often higher than usual.

2 weeks back, I was requested to be in KL to do 2 apartment audits for one of my regular client, Henry’s – (not his real name) sister and cousin brother.

Before hand Henry already briefly told me that his sister’s daughter, who is his niece, Maurice (not her real name) ever since small have the ability to see spirits.

Without thinking much about his niece’s ‘gift’ I went about to do Feng Shui audit for his sister. As I usually educate my client that Feng Shui and spiritual ability is totally 2 different things.

Feng Shui requires study and understanding of Classical Feng Shui principles to audit and also recommend a household or person in their harnessing of favorable Qi from the environment.

After my audit in Henry’s sister apartment, in my casual conversation with them, I asked Henry “When your niece sees or bump into spirits, does it appear in full color, black and white or just plain smoke?” Henry was baffled and he told me he needed to call Maurice or ask her to come back to really give me an answer on this.

Without hesitation, he called up Maurice and within 20 minutes she arrived at Henry’s place. So I was interested to find out whether Maurice have the ability to see spirits or it was through the ability of some other spirit around her.

Maurice told me that she only sees other spirit when she is very ill or fallen sick for some time.  But she told me there is a certain spirit that is with her ever since she is young girl. She is currently in her late 20s. In my conversation with her, I can sense that her ‘teacher’ has arrived and just right beside her.

Master/teacher in our Taoist ‘Fa’ Section terminology meant that a cultivated spirit that is somehow attached to a person, usually they purpose is to help each other make merits in the physical world. Similar to having a spiritual guide.

Not only did I felt her presence, Henry and his wife and sister also felt her teacher’s presence, in which they experience tingling sensation all over their shoulders and arms.  Anyhow I tried to relay some personal experience and experiences of others who have assigned spiritual guide to Maurice, just so she would be relaxed and more adapt to her situation.

Because to her, she may feel that her experience is unusual and at times also quite confusing because she does not know whether she is making up all these internally or really experiencing it. Therefore in my relaying of similar experiences to here, I hope that she can obtain some insights and also help her in her own cultivation.

After our conversation, Henry decided to take me for lunch at a nearby restaurant before sending me to KL Sentral.

During lunch, just to be sure – I have casually asked Maurice, “ Then can you see or know what kind of spirits are around me? Or can you just somehow describe them?”

Maurice said, “ I am not too sure but when I drive here, I have a vision of 2 person, 1 is a male person dressed up in old Tang Dynasty clothing and very polite facial expression and the other one is an animal head with human body”.

When she describe these 2 entities, then I can straight away confirmed she is not suffering from delusion or schizophrenia. Because these 2 teachers usually would be beside me. Therefore she got it all correct.

After the late lunch, we left in quite a hurry because the time was quite tight. When we approach Henry’s car, we were still talking about the conversation I have had with Maurice in the restaurant because all these seems bizarre and out of this world for Henry.

When he pressed his car’s central locking key, only his driver side door lock was open. My side the passenger side did not flip up. He tried several times by pressing his key but it did not flip up. Henry ended up have to go inside his car and manually flip up the lock on my side. He said he never had any problems with his car for so many years. This is the first time.

And after we drove for about 3 minutes, Maurice called up Henry and informed him that one of her teacher did not want to see me go, therefore ask me to mentally say good bye to her teacher.  Now all of these make sense as to why his car door lock fail to open after so many attempts!.

On my train ride to KLIA, I manage to do a brief meditative stabilization and get some clues as to why she have these few cultivating spirits following her. I manage to relay to her what she needs to do and also what her teachers is trying to convey to her. And I have also promptly invited her and her teacher to attend our temple’s opening in September.

Most of the time encounter with the spiritual world is usually stranger than fiction. If this event were not being witness by Henry and his family, most of you reading this would find it very hard to believe including myself.

I have a feeling that our encounter with Maurice’s teacher and ability is just the beginning.

How it all started

Chinese New Year is always a good time to catch up with friends, family and also clients. After many years of focusing Qi Men Dun Jia and recently San Yuan Feng Shui series in different countries, I have decided to shift some attention back to my own home ground Penang, Malaysia.

What recently came as a shock to me was the person that introduces me to the horror side of Feng Shui is now using my name all over town as a reference that I am his student. In our line of work, there are only students that reference their teacher, very seldom does the teacher reference their students.

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