Spiritual Cultivation and Movement
Does being able to see ghosts mean knowing how to handle other people’s unseen problems?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Seeing, understanding and being able to handle something are different. Some people perceive another world without having learned its principles. That does not mean they can capture ghosts or perform exorcisms for others.
Playing piano does not make everyone Jay Chou. People working in the same company likewise do not all understand the same things or bear identical responsibilities. A perception only indicates an experience in that area. Much still remains to learn and understand.
Early on, some friends and students saw me recite sacred names and scriptures, thought it looked simple and went to friends’ homes to try helping. Later I heard that they had not succeeded, and some may themselves have been affected. They had learned outward actions without also understanding faith, compassion, aspirations and the work of becoming attuned to deities.
It is like driving a car and having watched someone drive a bus: that does not mean you can immediately drive a bus yourself. Religious service is similar. Repeating the same gestures and words does not produce identical understanding and ability. To help people, study seriously and know how much you currently understand and can shoulder.