Why do different blessing lamps have different chess pieces beside names?

At the time, Sheng Zhen Men’s practice was to conduct a reading for each lamp first. Within our religious understanding, we looked at which aspects of the person needed support or care. Although all were Brightness Lamps, each person’s condition differed, so the representative chess pieces written beside their names could differ too.

We used Chinese chess arrangements to express what was lacking and what needed to be supplemented, so it involved more than writing down a name. During the reading, we also confirmed the person concerned, their name and other information to establish the religious connection. We then recorded the corresponding pieces on the lamp’s nameplate. This was how arrangements were made individually at the time, not a universal chart of chess pieces applicable to everyone.

At that time, each lamp contained a small deity image and was also blessed and installed for worship. All this required people and time, while space and the number of lamps were limited. Sharing these details explains how we worked then. Other temples have their own methods. Differences in form alone cannot establish that one is necessarily more effective than another.