Another torn shirt....

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.

A Case brought to City God Temple 城隍庙

image courtesy of asiaexplorers.com

Sometime back since I have update the blog, due to a very busy schedule and also lots of unexpected errands. One of these errands had been trying to get a fair warranty claim for my car. Finally it was resolved and I have to thank our Penang City God for the major part of the credit.

I have called up the Penang dealer in charge of my purchase and services. They gave lots of excuses and try to pass the problem to the manufacturer rep in Kuala Lumpur. The manufacturer rep told me only the manufacturer can approve the claim which is in Germany. After a whole lot of communication with Penang dealer and Kuala Lumpur rep, nothing was done and it seems as if I have hit a wall in getting through to the right channel and people( the claim problem started sometime after Chinese New Year – Feb 14).

Finally I was so fed up 2 weeks ago, I have decided to bring my case to the City God. Every major city with Chinese population will have a City God Temple. They are in charge of all the after-life matters for a Taoist. Another important role of the City God and his officers is to govern all that happens spiritually in the city. In front of the City God Temple, it is enacted a Chinese poem that simply translated “No matter how smart, wealthy or intelligent you are, finally you will also need to come by this place”

City God Temple is one of the temple in town that I will walk in and pay my respect if I happen to be in the area.

One of my spiritual masters always reminds me, if you are starting to cultivate, make sure you learn to cultivate an affinity with Earth Deities (which include Earth God, mid level deities etc). Which hence, you read a major part of my encounters is with Earth Deities. Many cultivators like to have a sense of grandeur in which they only pay respect to high level or high ranking deities and shun or ignore Earth God and mid level deities. My spiritual master would always say “ If you cannot even have an affinity with Earth God and mid level deities, then how are you able to develop an affinity with higher deities. It is not logical even from spiritual perspective!”

Coming back to the City God Temple, I am very familiar with the temple keepers as each time my visit to the temple with have offering of a big josstick when I conclude my respect to all the deities in the temple. Even the unfortunate beggars of the temple can recognize me.

For this particular case, after I have offered my respect to all deities in the temple, I lit up a particular number of joss sticks and kneel down in front of the City God Statue and went into meditative stabilization. It is very seldom that I go into meditative stabilization in temple especially this particular temple. When I went into it, I can feel the ground shaking, something like a level 3-4 earthquake.

Immediately I conveyed my name, address and spiritual background. I have then sincerely requested the help of the City God to my particular case, stating that in his governance there are unscrupulous business people going around trying to cheat on others (referring to the car dealer in charge of sales of service of my car). After which I have concluded my prayers and respect to all deities in the temple. I went to the temple on Saturday. On following Monday, I received a call from the car dealer informing me that they will ‘settle’ the problem of my car regardless of whether the warranty claim is recognized by the car manufacturer.

I went back to the dealer service center on Thursday, but after I drove my car there, once again the customer service manager tried to avoid the earlier promise and asked me to wait for the manufacturer representative in Kuala Lumpur on whether it is claimable. Then on the following Monday, nothing was done on my car and I was thinking to myself whether I should re-visit City God Temple. I received an email response from Germany later that morning saying they will definitely asked Kuala Lumpur(KL) rep office to handle my problem. By Tuesday morning I received a call from KL rep office to apologize and 15 minutes later I received a call from Penang dealer asking me when I can drive my car in for the replacement.

City God Office is by far the most effective and efficient compare to any physical world major corporation.

Another encounter with Earth Deities

Chinese New Year has always been a busy period personally and also spiritually. This year with the form up of the Kam Dong Shan temple, there were more activities going on during this period.

This case has to do with the Earth God or commonly known as 土地公 (Tu Di Gong) and one of our temple member and also a close acquaintence Daniel (not his real name).

Since last year he has been going through some stroke of below average luck. And at the end of last year, even his facial colours shows quite dull colours around the forehead and also cheek area.

Evidently in his BaZi, he is going through some not so smooth period. Feng Shui wise, there is nothing wrong with his house. Therefore I have tried to help him through Taoist spiritual method. Daniel is also a Taoist cultivator, in which I personally also know his character and in this case try to help him as much as I can through our temple main deities.

He has requested the benefactors talisman, burn it and no result at all. After which, I have requested for the summoning the earth god talisman for him. He burn it and only minor result. After this 2 account, his case become a real curiousity for me. Using Taoist method, under normal circumstances a person will be seeing some result in term of money, but will later spend it off due to their BaZi influence. For example, obtaining some sales (as Daniel is in sales), some surge in income but later spend it off on some other things or events. Unless they know the method of how to get the energy to circulate.

In this case however, nothing. After which, I have requested from our deities a luck changing set of talisman. When I gave him the set, I have specifically inform him that if this does not work, then you really have to wait for your luck to change.

During Chinese New Year fourth day, I have the chance of meeting up Daniel together with some other friends from KL. When the meet up ended, I drove Daniel back to his place. He generously invited me to his home and have a look at his altar. He had just move into this house for about 2 months.

When I was in his altar room, I have decided to go into meditative stabilisation and enquire about his case from his house Earth God. In my mind, a form of an elder lady appeared. Earth God will not necessarily be a man, sometimes it can be a woman spirit. This also confirms Daniel earlier hunch in which his house Earth God is an elderly lady. So without any hesitation, I politely ask the Earth God, what happen? Because Daniel had burn so many summoning talisman and also gold paper offering. The answer I have received from the Earth God, is that she is unable to help him in any financial matters. Because she does not have enough energy to give him back. She mentioned that she can only help in keeping the house safe and health matters.

Then my next question to the Earth God was “ Is there any other way to help Daniel on his financial matters?”. She told me that the outside 'Datuk' (another form of localized Earth Deity that usually would be in charge of a specific area) at his apartment compound can provide the financial help Daniel needed. She informed me that all Daniel needs to do, is to pay respect more often to the 'Datuk'. Immediately I've asked Daniel, whether is there any 'Datuk' around his apartment compound. Just to make sure I was not imagining things, sometimes the scientific part of my mind needs to make sure I am not going crazy :) . According to Daniel, there is indeed a Datuk house in his apartment compound but he only pay respect once after he moved in.

In brief, I then inform Daniel to pay respect more often to his area Earth Deity. 4 days after this, yesterday evening 8th day of Chinese New Year, I have received a call from Daniel. He told me the day before, he went to a local tourism event and had parked his car at a person's property. Upon leaving he discovered that the front of his car had 2 big scratch mark, obviously left by the owner of the parking space. Daniel decided to try his luck with local 4Digits on his car number. In a surprise to him, his car number became the first prize number. He won about RM1k plus.

I was very glad for him, because to us that is familiar with Taoist method, once there is a turning sign – it means that the momentum of change has started in regards to his luck. All we need is that leverage. It does not mean that he will win bigger prize in 4Digits, because the odds is almost impossible no matter what methods a person use in gambling long term.

Earth God or Earth Deities is different in each house. Some people will choose to pay respect and offering to the Earth God and some do not. Either circumstances, the Earth God is already there. They are there in the house way before any owner, essentially they are the spirit of that particular land. Even in other cultures, I have noticed that they also pay respect to the spirit of the house or the land. Essentially this is the same as the Taoist setting up a place for the Earth God. Earth God is also classified as a form of Wealth Deities, even though their ranking is not high in the spiritual world, but their connection is somewhat the closest to us human beings.

Spring Cleaning and Cleansing

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Before every Chinese New Year, traditional custom is to have a cleaning of the house to welcome the New Year. And usually we will name it the great Spring-cleaning.

In Taoism and Feng Shui, not only physically cleaning the house and its environment, but also clearing away stagnant and bad Qi or energy that is in the house. Therefore we are not only cleaning the house but also cleansing it before the New Year.

In Taoism the traditional method, upon finishing the physical cleaning, the next step is to cleanse the house Qi using 2 types of Chinese Herbs, 藿香 Huo Xiang and 甘草 Gan Cao and combine it with pure sandalwood powder. When these 3 ingredients is burn together, the smoke that it produces will cleanse the environment of any malignant or stagnant Qi.

And for this cleansing process, as a Taoist I would usually add the Hua Sha Fu 化杀符（talisman to neutralize Sha).The talisman is burn on top of the mixture before the starting of the fire. Therefore spiritually cleansing every corner of the house.

As this year, the Coming of Spring 立春 （Feb 4^th) happens to be earlier than Lunar New Year (February 14^th) , the cleansing should be done before Feb 4th.

If you happen to be one of the last minute cleaners, doing it after February 4^th is also as possible.

For readers that resides in Penang, you can obtain the Hua Sha Fu 化杀符（talisman to neutralize Sha) and the herbal mixtures at our temple (Kam Dong Shan 金洞山 ， 2－5－21 Harbour Trade Centre ,Lebuh Macallum, 10300 Georgetown. Penang)

Have a great cleaning and cleansing before the New Year !

How does Taoist Talisman work?

When I travel around different countries to teach Chinese Metaphysics. Most of the time, I will encounter one or two students who are very keen to learn more about spiritual Taoism as some of them know about my background.

And their questions would often lead to this particular subject “How does a Taoist Talisman work?” Because coming from the Western culture perspective, it is often difficult if not impossible to comprehend, how does a piece of yellow paper makes a difference spiritually or towards a particular situation.

When a talisman is drawn, often times is from a lineage that already have the framework of the talisman that has been passed through generations of disciples. So in essence those frameworks, order of wordings are already understood in the spiritual dimension. So when the talisman is burn or being displayed, instantly the responsible deities or spirits would recognize the order or command that is drawn on the talisman.

Furthermore after the talisman is drawn, deities must be invited to imprint their energy signature on the talisman. And who can invite those deities? Only those that are officially being initiated into a particular Taoist lineage or Sect. Sometimes you can also see that in Taoist temples, they will have t deities seal either made of wood or stone. These seal will also serve as an energy imprint.

Therefore there is three layers of filter

1. The talisman must be recognize by the lineage

2. Talisman must have energy imprint of the deities

3. Only officially initiated Taoist lineage members would be able to invite the deities for talisman imprint.

There are also exceptions to point 1. Whereby the talisman is not found on the lineage records, either the situation is unique or through special circumstances.This is when the person has a direct clear link to their lineage deities, and are able to draw out the talisman as according to the instructions of the deities. It is also when you observe, some talisman does not have any Chinese recognizable character on it, just scribbles of red cinnabar or black ink. In this situation, the deities would usually link through a particular medium, and just do an energy imprint on the talisman paper.

Some common Q & A

What about those talisman that is mass printed?

It must have an energy imprint, after it has been printed. If there is no energy imprint, the talisman would not be able to function. When a person burn a talisman that does not have any energy imprint of the deities, then it is similar to sending spam mail to your JUNKMAIL BOX in the spiritual dimension.

Does it work?

As long as it is correctly imprinted, it will work 100% of the time. Talisman purpose is usually to have the fastest effect in the shortest time possible. However, it will only rectify the problem. If the problem is deeply rooted on some karmic influence, then it is similar to taking paraceptamol for a brain tumor. Such as burning and displaying talisman would help for the energy of a house, however if the Feng Shui is not suitable for the person, then all effects are only for a short period of time.

Would it help in generating better luck for me?

I have seen cases that when a person in not in such a good luck period or a bad year, talisman are able to help them boost their luck. When it is boost up, the person needs to do charitable activities for the money that they obtained. In the spiritual dimension, everything is in forms of energy. Money is also a form of energy. When the person obtain a sudden boost of energy, they need to release it back in a good cause to the world or surrounding people. Therefore that energy is able to multiply and flow back to the person. If they hoard the boost of energy, then they have put a dead stop to the flow. Which often times, after they boost their luck, they are either back to square one or worst.

Hope this article would provide you some insights into Taoist talisman.

To coincide with Jin Ying Zu Shi Celebration 金英祖师圣诞 this coming 20 December 2009, our Kam Dong San Temple 金洞山庙under the instructions of San Jiao Lao Zu Shi 三教老祖师 have instructed me to draw 2 types of benefactor talisman 贵人符 for members and public to request from deities. For more information, please visit the temple Facebook page.

Opening of 金洞山 Kam Dong San Temple

It has been 3 months since I've last update the blog. Time flies in quantum speed when your hands are trying to manifest what is in your mind.

Finally our temple Kam Dong San 金洞山 is open (Our Facebook page). When I think back, the journey took me 6 years to finally see the physical manifestation of our goals and vision. And this is just the first step for the temple.

Consecrating Deities

6 years ago when I was officially initiated in Feng Huo Yuan 风火院 Liu Ren Branch of Taoism, I did make a promise to all the Shi Gong 师公 that I will try my best to setup a temple for them in Penang. Before the official initiation, about 20 years ago, I found out that I have good abilities to enter meditative stabilisation. And can start to differentiate colors, shapes and object easily when my brain is in Alpha state or lower. But did not think of it much, as a young teenager just trying to experiment different ways to memorize things easily in secondary school and college.

But one thing led to another, as if there is a map that leads me to various groups of people that supported the cause of setting up the temple ever since the initiation. When you are inline with a vision for a higher purpose, usually there will be people and circumstances to lead you on the correct path.

Our temple host a total of 18 main deities in statue form and 25 more in our lineage Feng Huo Yuan and Fu Ying Guan 伏英馆listing.

18 Deities include

1. 齐天大圣 Qi Tian Da Sheng

2. 金英祖师 Jin Yin Zu Shi

3. 潮源祖师 Chao Yuan Zu Shi

4. 茅山祖师 Mao Shan Zu Shi

5. 張公聖君（法主公）Fa Zhu Gong

6. 太上老君 Tai Shang Lao Jun

7. 太乙天尊 Tai Yi Tian Zun

8. 天上聖母媽祖 Tian Shang Sheng Mu Ma Zu

9. 無上虛空地母無量慈尊 Wu Shang Xu Kong Di Mu Wu Liang Ci Zun

10. 三十六天將之趙公明元帥 San Shi Liu Tian Jiang – Zhao Gong Ming Yuan Shuai

11. 李仙師 （李鉄拐）Li Xian Shi

12. 大爺 Da Ye

13. 二爺 Er Ye

14. 大愿地藏王菩萨 Da Yuan Di Zang Wang Pu Sa

15. - 18 四大金刚 Si Da Jin Gang

    

The temple is located at Unit 21, 5^th Floor Harbour Trade Centre. Lebuh Macallum. 10300 Penang.

Our principle deities are 金英祖师 Jin Yin Zu Shi, 潮源祖师 Chao Yuan Zu Shi and茅山祖师 Mao Shan Zu Shi. In our lineage, all altar or temple grounds would have principle deities, as these principle deities would be the disciples connection to the spiritual world.

Burning of Talisman to Invite Heavenly Marshall

Some people when they hear the word Mao Shan, instantly they would relate to black Taoist magic or hex. In actual fact, Shang Qing Mao Shan is one of the earlier branch of Taoist Fa 道法. It has nothing to do with black magic or hex.

It is later, that in South East Asia with the movies and also unscrupolous con-man/woman claim that they are Mao Shan Sect and started spreading that they can do black magic in accordance to the Mao Shan way. They are what we call Xia Mao下茅 sect. In which they evoke ghost and spirits to do their bidding.

The temple is also registered under the Malaysian Association Act as a non-profit charitable organisation. It is our Vision to expand and re-introduce to the general public on Religious Taoism and promote charitable community events.

Setting up is entirely on the generous donation of public and our on-going activities are also non-profit oriented. However we do welcome the generosity of the public in supporting our causes.

Some of the temple committee members

There's more to do and a long way to go....

Pictures taken by Peter Sin

Tibetan Prayer Flag

Today decide to change the prayer flag on front of my house. Often times, friends will get a little bit confuse when they see Tibetian prayer flag.

One of the Tibetian prayer flag usage is to pass the mantras through the when you hang it up in the mountain areas or near the vicinity of your home.




Each time the wind blows on those flag, the mantras would have travelled through the winds.

Detailed information of Tibetian prayer flag can be found at http://www.tibetianprayerflag.com










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