Deities and Faith
Why does a deity sometimes only smile instead of answering my questions?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
In my experience, this is not always being ignored. After asking, understanding may already be developing within. Rather than clear spoken words, a smile may accompany recognition that I can understand and judge something myself.
Early on I often asked spirit-communicating friends what deities looked like and whether instructions came. Sometimes they conveyed only a smile, ‘understand’ or ‘you know.’ Later personal perceptions of Daode Tianzun and the Bodhisattva helped me appreciate those earlier experiences.
I do not ask everyone to wait for deities to provide complete answers. Consider what happened, your own view and the next response. This is understanding I gained through consultation. Earlier relayed messages and later personal feelings were different stages, and everyone need not perceive identically.