If people compete over powers and create disputes during a ceremony, does that mean the entire ceremony has no effect?

Seeing some disorder does not establish that the entire ceremony is ineffective. I have attended ceremonies elsewhere and experienced the process of deities compassionately helping unseen beings move on. But many people gather at ceremonies: some compare, create disputes or cause disruption. The ceremony’s function and participants’ habits need separate consideration.

At several large ceremonies I attended, some people were very attached to supernatural abilities and felt they could communicate with heaven and earth. Others claimed to be demons coming to test practitioners. These describe phenomena I saw then and those people’s own claims. A religious gathering also resembles a small society. Human habits do not all disappear simply because it is a ceremony.

Others’ attachments should remind us about ourselves too. Exchange and learning are possible, but focusing only on whose powers are stronger departs from practice’s original direction. Especially when perceptions intensify, do not assume you understand more or stand higher than others. After observing and listening, bring back self-reflection, continue developing knowledge and wisdom, and attend to your own cultivation.