Deities and Faith
How does Master seek guidance and adjust plans before a pilgrimage?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Even after making an itinerary, we need to adjust to circumstances rather than insist on going no matter what. When Sheng Zhen Men goes on pilgrimages or attends activities, we inform the deities, light lamps to pray for safety, and sometimes perform a divination reading to see whether the arrangement is suitable. This is how we bring faith into our travel planning.
Sometimes we originally feel we should visit a place but change the itinerary after an unfavorable reading. In my understanding of faith, divine reminders have their reasons. They might concern magnetic fields or energy, or risks such as mountain roads and rain. These are possible reasons, however. A single reading does not establish that we have investigated and identified something happening at that location.
We also need to respond to actual situations. Once, we planned to worship and stay overnight in Yilan but were stuck in traffic for over an hour before even reaching the Xueshan Tunnel. Realizing that continued delays would leave little time after arrival, we changed destinations on the spot. A plan helps arrange a journey; it should not bind us. Seeing current circumstances clearly and being willing to adjust are what matter.