Does having spiritual perceptions mean someone is practicing well?

You cannot judge how well someone practices solely by whether they have spiritual perceptions or have experienced miracles. Seeing something, understanding what it is, and having the ability to communicate or handle it are separate matters. In my early years, when I sought advice from mediumistic teachers, I asked detailed questions: Did they see color or black and white? Was it three-dimensional or flat? How clear was it? Asking revealed how greatly people's experiences differed.

During military service, I met a fellow serviceman with spiritual perceptions who described things that surprised me. Still, I was only partly convinced and very much wanted to understand what was happening. A willingness to explore and understand must go together with continued judgment. Especially when someone says a deity gave an instruction, first understand that deity's character, then consider whether the person's words and behavior fit. For example, I understand Master Ji Gong as someone who rarely becomes angry. Someone saying 'The deity is here' is not enough reason to accept their uncontrolled temper and throwing things without question.

Spiritual perceptions also have their own connections and processes. I have believed in Guanyin Bodhisattva since childhood. When I first began practicing, my feelings of connection with Guanyin and the Lady of the Nine Heavens were stronger. In the early days, I knew the Mother Goddess only as the mother of all souls. Only through later worship and contact did I develop a deep personal understanding. Knowing a name and actually feeling a connection yourself are still different things.

In my experience of faith, a calmer mind and firmer confidence do make it easier to sense the deities. Yet sometimes, the more urgently you want a particular vision, the less you can feel. Some people first have perceptions and gradually develop belief; others first establish faith and have experiences later. Do not rush to judge your stage of practice solely by whether you have perceptions now.

When I took a friend to Sanqing Temple, the friend shared that before entering the hall, they had perceived the appearance of the Golden Mother of the West. Later, seeing the statue inside, the friend felt that even the seated posture matched and found it extraordinary. I listen carefully to these experiences and continue asking questions to help myself understand what spiritual perception involves.

Still, we need to think clearly about what we ultimately seek from practice. In my understanding, it is to develop wisdom, cultivate merit and virtue, and eventually return to where we came from. You can follow this path without mediumistic abilities or spiritual perceptions. Having perceptions also leaves further practice to do. Unusual abilities cannot become the final goal.

If you have the connection and calling to help others, spiritual perceptions may make it easier to understand a problem. But be careful: attachment to abilities and visions can strengthen attachment to the self. In my religious experience, the unseen world can also bring interference and impressions that require discernment, leaving someone caught up in them instead. Wisdom and judgment then become very important.

How perceptions begin does not establish someone's level of cultivation either. Among people I know, some developed perceptions through practice, while others became more sensitive after an accident or contact with the unseen. Some later took an upright path, while others went astray. Situations in the unseen world vary, and I have also said that not every ghost is bad. But this does not make deliberately allowing spirit attachment a shortcut to gaining abilities. Willingness to learn, understanding sound principles, and exercising judgment remain work that must be done.

When discussing her development, Dao Xuan said her perceptions became gradually clearer through years of learning. She did not know everything from the outset. She also reminded us that even when an impression suddenly arises, she still seeks advice and checks it. I see it similarly: receiving a message and truly learning the wisdom involved are different things. We cannot simply wait for the next perception without taking in the teaching we have just heard.

Likewise, being able to experience spirit-induced movement, even when the movements look powerful, does not mean one's character has already been cultivated. I have warned that some people, once they experience such movement, assume they have great spiritual power and want to use sword-finger gestures everywhere to handle matters. Risks may begin there. Cultivating the Way also requires humility, acceptance, compassion, knowledge, and wisdom. It cannot consist of movements alone.

The same applies to becoming still. You can appreciate the calm you experience while meditating or reciting scriptures, but that feeling alone does not mean all your spiritual practice is complete. There are still many teachings to learn beyond meditation. Bringing understanding into daily life, treating people well, and judging situations all require continued practice. Neither obvious movement nor quiet sitting should become a reason to stop learning.