Starting Spiritual Practice
Will a ritual implement practiced with by Master work the same way when given to me?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
An implement having been practiced with by Master and given to you does not mean you can immediately produce the same effect. Its existing cultivation is one matter. A different user still needs to understand connection and use.
I compare it to a pet recognizing its owner's voice. An implement held and used in practice over time connects more closely with its original owner. We also give implements names and treat them as practice partners. When transferring one, the owner can express an intention to change ownership and open the connection so the new owner can continue using it. This is our school's religious understanding.
I have given prayer beads I wore to friends who needed them more, explaining to the beads that their owner was changing so the energy could continue. Recipients still need to use them properly and maintain interaction rather than put them away and forget them. Master's practice does not eliminate your own work.
In early cases, we compared reactions when different people used implements. Some jade pendants felt cool to touch while the affected person cried that they were hot; other implements produced no such reaction. Through these religious experiences I understood ordinary cultivation and the object-user connection as affecting function. Holding the same object still requires learning how to use it.