Why does Master Ji Gong emphasize joy and good connections when seeking wealth?

Master Ji Gong reminds people to be happy when seeking wealth because happiness makes it easier to act with confidence and carry out our work smoothly. At the same time, he reminds us to attend to our everyday conduct, form good connections with others and accumulate blessings. All of these need to be done together.

I once asked why Master Ji Gong could bestow wealth. With a laugh, he reminded me not to assume that he could not do so simply because of his human image as a beggar. Deities and Buddhas have their own powers; we cannot understand them solely through their appearance.

One point he emphasises when discussing prayers for wealth is that blessings are needed for wealth. If we are ordinarily willing to form good connections with others and accumulate blessings, those blessings can more readily turn into worldly financial resources to help us when we need to seek wealth. This is how we understand the principles of seeking wealth within our faith. It has also made me pay more attention to how I get along with others and whether I maintain a happy, confident state of mind.

Once we receive wealth, we should also consider how to use it. When our own circumstances improve, can we care for others and give generously so that more people benefit? If seeking wealth is about more than satisfying our own desires, and we are willing to use what we receive to benefit others, the prayer carries greater meaning.

There was also a very practical reminder in that discussion: if ordinary people are still struggling to get by, it is not wrong for them to begin by praying for themselves. But once their circumstances improve, they should still be willing to share with others. What matters to me is whether the heart gradually opens and goodwill continues to spread, rather than the question becoming only whether I personally received something.