Spiritual Protection and Energy
Why does Sheng Zhen Men consecrate paper houses even though they will eventually be burned?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
In Sheng Zhen Men’s practice, a paper house is not simply made, offered and burned. We also consecrate it through ritual so that it can provide a place for beings in the unseen world. This is how we understand paper offerings and rituals in terms of energy.
On that occasion, Dao Xuan first thought of giving to unseen beings on the land. After seeking guidance, Dao Xuan also had a dream concerning houses. The arrangements in the dream led us to consider details such as furniture for the paper house. Later, Dao Xuan dreamed of harmful figures lurking inside. I understood this as perhaps reminding us to arrange management and security too. We therefore also made paper guards, consecrated them and asked spiritual troops to help manage the place. Both dreams were shared by Dao Xuan.
The arrangement of the paper house was connected with those dreams, requests for guidance and rituals. What we called gathering those with a connection meant inviting unseen beings connected with Sheng Zhen Men’s deities and Bodhisattvas who were willing to come. It was not assigning a residence to every deceased person.
These experiences led us to make the details of our existing religious practice more thorough. Understanding its purpose requires returning to the circumstances of that occasion. Seeing only the outward form of a paper house or guards does not mean burning similar objects accomplishes the same thing.