Divination and Guidance
Must every fortune-stick draw be confirmed again with divination blocks?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
It depends on what you originally explained to the deity and the temple’s practice. Some confirm after drawing. When leading groups, I have also sought and confirmed guidance beforehand so companions did not need repeated confirmation afterwards.
For example, at Shoutian Temple, I informed Xuantian Shangdi and used divination blocks before allowing companions to draw. Saying that the first stick had meaning depended on that prior process. This arrangement cannot become a universal rule for every temple.
An accompanying aunt remained uneasy, drew number twenty-four from one container, returned it, and drew from another, again receiving twenty-four. She found it remarkable and I was moved, experiencing divine support through faith. Still, my view was that once matters were clarified, we should seriously understand the first reminder. Repeated doubt and redrawing can sometimes make subsequent results inaccurate.
Questions are welcome. If the process or meaning is unclear, ask for explanation. Clarifying uncertainty reveals what to learn and adjust, unlike simply trying to redraw an answer you prefer.