Originally posted by Steaks:Yin temples?I never heard of it before…Can you tell me more about it?We will go back to ask the nuns about Yanning’s problem.I spoke to her just now and she said she was ready and willing to be Guan Yin’s adopted disciple and turning vegetarian permanantly.Hopefully,the dreams will go off by themselves.
I have similar dreams lately too…Don’t tell me the same thing is happening to me too?
By the way,I have got my friend’s name wrong.Her name is Yanning,not Yunfang.Yunfang is her sister.
Is the temple that your friend goes to a Buddhist temple ? If not, why a taoist temple conduct a dharma course? Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (Guanyin Pusa) will not punish anyone even if they are disrespectful to them. There's no such thing as punishments in Buddhism. In Buddhism, we only talk about Karma which is law of nature and not control by Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are very compassionate, they will try to help you even if you are disrespectful to them because they know that people who are disrespectful to them are ignorant.
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:Is the temple that your friend goes to a Buddhist temple ? If not, why a taoist temple conduct a dharma course? Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (Guanyin Pusa) will not punish anyone even if they are disrespectful to them. There's no such thing as punishments in Buddhism. In Buddhism, we only talk about Karma which is law of nature and not control by Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are very compassionate, they will try to help you even if you are disrespectful to them because they know that people who are disrespectful to them are ignorant.
Originally posted by Steaks:
We always went temple touring.Not only our dharma classes,we also visited other Taoist and Buddhist temples.
Most likely your friend has offended Taoist Deities. Some taoist deities will appear as Guanyin Pusa or other Bodhisattvas but they are actually not. I also go temple touring but only Buddhist temples. It is advisable to take dharma course in Buddhist temple only.
Originally posted by Steaks:
We always went temple touring.Not only our dharma classes,we also visited other Taoist and Buddhist temples.
Most likely your friend has offended Taoist Deities. Some taoist deities will appear as Guanyin Pusa or other Bodhisattvas but they are actually not.
Originally posted by Steaks:So what should Yanning do?She said she is ready to do what they want her to do.I did not know others can disguise themselves as Guan Yin.
My opinion is since she has offended the taoist deities, just do what they want. Most likely is they want her to do some prayers with offerings and apologise. Unless they ask for something ridiculous, or else no harm doing what they request to appease them and be cautious next time.
Though I'm a Buddhist and I don't advise people to go and seek medium's help but if a person has offended taoist deities, it is better to go back to the source and get the problem solve. Just remember, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will never feel offended.
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:Most likely your friend has offended Taoist Deities. Some taoist deities will appear as Guanyin Pusa or other Bodhisattvas but they are actually not.
Originally posted by Steaks:
You mean they are evil spirits who disguised themselves to control us? BTW,I took over this account from my older brother cos he posted in front and the recent posts are mine. I remember on that particular day at the temple,the keeper of the temple where we were visiting offered us a drink mixed with yellow paper which was supposedly to bless us because our exams were on the next day.She also took those kinds of ancient chinese seal from the altar and stamped on our uniforms with it on our left front shoulder while we were offering incense and our eyes were closed.The seal had some Chinese words on it but we could not make out what the words are.We had a bit of a hard time washing our uniforms because they were in white and the stamp was red in color. I guess that was when our problems started. Wonder what was her motive in stamping on us with the seal with the red ink...Was the drink really blessed or what?
I'm not sure whether they are evil spirits. Some gods are like humans who have temper. They are also like us, not enlightened yet. Some "gods" are good and some are evil, some are petty and easily feel offended. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are different from us, they are enlightened.
Don't ask help from "gods" if possible. Their help is only temporary and sometimes they can't help you at all as they can't even help themselves. Follow Buddha's teachings, accumulate merits by doing good deeds sincerely. Doing good deeds may not necessarily involve money. Like give a helping hand as and when you see someone in need. By removing a stone on the ground to avoid others from tripping over it is also a kind of good deeds. Things will go smoothly once you have accumulate enough merits.
The drinks which mix with the talisman are supposed to bless you but if you have no merits, nothing can be done to bless you. If you have merits, you don't need any blessings. Instead of asking gods or others for blessing, bless yourself by doing good deeds is more practical and reliable.
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:I'm not sure whether they are evil spirits. Some gods are like humans who have temper. They are also like us, not enlightened yet. Some "gods" are good and some are evil, some are petty and easily feel offended. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are different from us, they are enlightened.
Don't ask help from "gods" if possible. Their help is only temporary and sometimes they can't help you at all as they can't even help themselves. Follow Buddha's teachings, accumulate merits by doing good deeds sincerely. Doing good deeds may not necessarily involve money. Like give a helping hand as and when you see someone in need. By removing a stone on the ground to avoid others from tripping over it is also a kind of good deeds. Things will go smoothly once you have accumulate enough merits.
The drinks which mix with the talisman are supposed to bless you but if you have no merits, nothing can be done to bless you. If you have merits, you don't need any blessings. Instead of asking gods or others for blessing, bless yourself by doing good deeds is more practical and reliable.
I agree, always trust in the law of cause-and-effect. No matter what is being advertised or promised, however attractive it is, it can never go against the law of karma. Don't fall into the sorrow of greed. Even if your wishes may momentarily be solved but it will not be long-term benefit. I have prayed to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for wishes before (not in temple, just in my own practice). If it is going to be beneficial to you (ie, help you towards ultimate enlightenment), it will always be granted. If it is not going to help you, or it is not in line with your merits, then it will never happen. But in the long run, you will realise and thank them for not fulfilling your wishes. That is the beauty of praying to Enlightened beings.
Other kinds of worldly beings may play with your karma and help you fulfill some wishes, but as it is just manipulating your karma, you have to pay the dividend later. It is somewhat like borrowing from your future to pay your present. Something like those loan-deriatives that create so much havoc in stockmarket, all are just like 'flowers in the sky'
Originally posted by Dharmadhatu:I agree, always trust in the law of cause-and-effect. No matter what is being advertised or promised, however attractive it is, it can never go against the law of karma. Don't fall into the sorrow of greed. Even if your wishes may momentarily be solved but it will not be long-term benefit. I have prayed to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for wishes before (not in temple, just in my own practice). If it is going to be beneficial to you (ie, help you towards ultimate enlightenment), it will always be granted. If it is not going to help you, or it is not in line with your merits, then it will never happen. But in the long run, you will realise and thank them for not fulfilling your wishes. That is the beauty of praying to Enlightened beings.
Other kinds of worldly beings may play with your karma and help you fulfill some wishes, but as it is just manipulating your karma, you have to pay the dividend later. It is somewhat like borrowing from your future to pay your present. Something like those loan-deriatives that create so much havoc in stockmarket, all are just like 'flowers in the sky'
Yes, precisely. Agree with you. Somtimes the price a person has to pay can be fatal. I have seen people around me praying to higher beings asking for help. They really get what they want but may be they do not have the merits to enjoy it, they died young.æ— ç¦�消å�—。
So, I advise those who ask help from heavenly higher beings for better career, money, education etc. don't be too happy if your wish is granted. The safest way is to ask help from enlightened ones, like what "Dharmadhatu" had mentioned, the enlightened ones will only grant you your wish if you have the merits to deserve it.
Originally posted by Steaks:Thanks…Me and Yanning have made up our mind to be permanant vegetarians and to concentrate on walking towards the path of enlightenment.I am just worried about being chopped with the seal cos it would mean that we have dedicated ourselves to the gods.I know cos this happened to someone whom I knew.
My apologise if i offend you. You seem young, and i sense you are abit confuse with buddhism, taoism or the current majority taoism cum buddhist.
I am over joy that ppl are converting to buddhism, but i would advice, out there are many confusion which is what? Hope you can ultimately find the right place/Guru to lead and guide you to enlightenment and not be mislead.
That temple you went, obviously is not a pure buddhist temple. Most likely is a taoist with buddha images..
explore with an open mind and go to reputable centres to hear their teaching.... and hopefully you find your lineage...
Namo Gurubye
Namo Buddhaya
Namo Dharmaya
Namo Sanghaye
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:Yes, precisely. Agree with you. Somtimes the price a person has to pay can be fatal. I have seen people around me praying to higher beings asking for help. They really get what they want but may be they do not have the merits to enjoy it, they died young.æ— ç¦�消å�—。
So, I advise those who ask help from heavenly higher beings for better career, money, education etc. don't be too happy if your wish is granted. The safest way is to ask help from enlightened ones, like what "Dharmadhatu" had mentioned, the enlightened ones will only grant you your wish if you have the merits to deserve it.
That why Cult are always there
Originally posted by Steaks:What’s done has been done.The only thing is to get used to a vegetarian diet from now on.Me and Yanning can only learn from this experience.We plan to take our 3 refuges next year.Right now,the vegetarian diet and lots of mediation is important to us in our daily lives and to repent or chan hui from our sins.
We are still getting visits from those Taoist deities in our dreams and we were still warned of pain of punishment if we refuse to give ourselves to them cos they said that our uniforms had been chopped with their seals with the red ink at the temple that day so we technically belong to them.
Was wondering…should I and Yanning throw away those uniforms or burn them up so that they would not pester us anymore?
It is good to take 3 refuges. May be they will not disturb you after you take the 3 refuges. If you practice well, there will be dharma protectors around you and they will also respect you. I advise you to recite "Amituofo" （阿弥陀佛）and see whether does it help. If you are uncomfortable with the uniforms , it is ok to throw or burn them.
Let me know if you need help to take the 3 refuges. Bright Hill Temple used to have 3 refuges on every Guanyin Pusa birthdays.
Real Guan Yin will not demand you things. I do not believe it is real guan yin. Most often it is spirits and ghosts or spirit-deities appearing or pretending to be Guan Yin.
However, vegetarianism is good if you are into Mahayana. It is a sign of developing real compassion. You want to be a Bodhisattva, attain enlightenment, help countless sentient beings. Not just because someone told you to but it has to arise from your own aspiration.
Do not live in fear and superstition.
I thought you mean Guan Yin talked about punishing... maybe I misread. But it is very common for spirits to appear in the form of well known gods or bodhisattvas.
If you are vegetarian, you should eat a healthy vegetarian diet - otherwise you will become unhealthy. There are many stores that sell very oily/unhealthy vegeterian food (even unhealthier than many non-veg stores), don't always eat there... try to eat healthier vegetarian food or cook yourself. Check out what are the alternative sources of protein apart from meat. Make sure you get enough nutrients. As I am unfortunately not a vegetarian, I will not be of much help here... there are others who can answer you.
Milk and cheese is not a problem imo - consider that Buddha himself drank the milk given by a lady after he left his ascetism. Some Chinese Buddhists insist on pure vegan diet - absent even milk and cheese, however I don't buy into that. As Loppon Namdrol says, total vegan diet is a Chinese invention - it has no basis in Indian Buddhism (the origin of Buddhism).
From ctzen.org:
http://ctzen.org/sunnyvale/enUS/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=56
Q: Are eggs and milk included in vegetarian diet? Are there other non-meat restrictions?
A: Buddhism encourages vegetarian diet out of compassion for the animals.
Eggs may be fertilized and therefore have consciousness, so we don’t eat
eggs. Milk does not involve killing of the animal, so dairy products
are fine.
We also do not use garlic and onion, because they increase
lust when cooked and increase bad temper when eaten raw, and they leave
a strong odor. Nor do we use alcohol because it is intoxicating.
These
are general guidelines rather than strict rules; these foods may be
used if one has special health conditions. You don’t have to be a
vegetarian to be a Buddhist. It is up to us individually to make the
decision.
Originally posted by Steaks:Yeah,thanks so much for listening to my story.The price to pay is to buy new uniforms.Better than to let those fellas wreck havoc in our lives.Just want to ask,when me and Yanning take the 3 Refuges,I heard from others that we will be given new names?How do you slowly change from an omnivore into a full time vegetarian?Are there any dietary restrictions like the kinds of food to avoid like milk or cheese?Do we have to bow before Buddha and pray to chan hui or repent?Yanning and I need your advise in this area.You seem to know so much about Buddhism.Why don’t you be our guru?
Ha ha.... I'm not qualified to be a guru. May be AEN can be your guru. I'll be very glad to guide you, bring you and your friend to take 3 refuges. I brought forummers to take 3 refuges at Bright Hill Temple before. I shall pm you later. The nearest date to take the 3 refuges will be in March next year. Yeah, the Venerables will guide you on how to repent before Buddha when you take the 3 refuges.