Deities and Faith
Why does an Earth Official pardon ceremony require repentance first?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Seeking pardon is not only asking a deity to remove negatives. Face your own shortcomings too. Recognizing possible harm, admitting it, and apologizing willingly form repentance.
People still learning make mistakes and act incompletely. Sincere repentance faces these matters, hoping to stop being held by guilt and inner darkness and gradually return to clarity. Seeking benefits while refusing self-examination misses this transformation.
Our ceremonies invoke deities, recite relevant texts, and attend to participants' intentions. Within faith, this seeks the Earth Official's compassion to transform wrongdoing. Daily reflection need not wait. Discussing past lives does not exclude present shortcomings, which also require facing.
This intention matters with Heavenly Official blessings and Water Official resolution too. Examine intentional, unintentional, and careless mistakes. Acknowledgment and reflection open room for inner honesty and light, rather than only demanding improved outside circumstances.