Spiritual Cultivation and Movement
What should I practice before spiritual meetings at sacred sites?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Develop your innate spirit's practice and understand why you are going, rather than merely increasing temple visits. Spiritual meetings have a place in cultivation, but traveling to sacred sites without knowing what you seek, while neglecting work, money, and family feelings, reverses priorities.
Sheng Zhen Men usually first helps students stabilize spontaneous spiritual movement and practice, and understand something of their feelings, spiritual lord, or spiritual mother. Meetings are then arranged according to affinities. Sacred-site visits do awaken some people's spiritual sensations; I have discussed this. But not everyone responds that way, so more visits do not guarantee faster awakening.
Spiritual mothers and affinities may differ, as may suitable meeting sites. Do not copy every destination simply because another practitioner went. Understand your condition, corresponding feelings or guidance, then visit places with affinity for clearer purpose.
Include available time and means. Transport and cost are real conditions of life. You need not spend all your time visiting temples. Establishing practice at a center with affinity and arranging visits when suitable is no worse than constant weekly travel. Attend to practice and life together, keeping balance.