Deities and Faith
Are the scriptures and guiding deities the same for every pet’s deliverance ritual?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Not necessarily. Pets have different circumstances, so the scriptures, their quantities, and the deities guiding them may differ too. We first learn about the pet’s situation, then seek guidance on how to help.
In Sheng Zhen Men’s past deliverance work for pets, we first used Chinese chess divination to understand the situation, then asked the deities how to proceed. In our understanding of energy, each pet has different needs, so we made individual arrangements for the scriptures and quantities.
The guiding deities also varied. We have sought help from Guanyin Bodhisattva, Erlang Shen, and the Great Sage. In an early deliverance ritual for a dog, I thought of General Xiaotian Quan beside Erlang Shen. Since both were dogs, I felt he might be able to guide the pet, and sought guidance along those lines. These were religious experiences at the time. Actual arrangements still depend on understanding the pet’s circumstances and seeking guidance; every type of animal does not have one fixed corresponding deity.
When comparing the Emperor Liang Repentance Ceremony with our approach, first distinguish taking refuge from deliverance: they are different matters. My understanding is that both approaches to deliverance involve scripture recitation, accumulating merit, and dedicating it. Sheng Zhen Men places more emphasis on first understanding a relative’s or pet’s needs before choosing the scriptures. This describes our way of working and our experience, not a claim that other ceremonies are universally ineffective.
Nor must we imagine that deliverance means arriving in the Western Pure Land immediately when the ritual ends. From my understanding, I have suggested that they might first learn beside deities and Buddhas in a better place before continuing onward. In Dao Shun’s dream, Haku had a familiar room, classes, and a place he wanted to go later. This was Dao Shun’s personal dream account. It cannot establish an identical destination, timetable, or level for every pet.