Deities and Faith
Why is a memorial prayer text submitted during a ceremony, and what does it tell the deities?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Submitting a memorial prayer text clearly states the request of the ritual and formally reports it to the deities. Removing misfortune, praying for blessings, and replenishing fortune each involve a direction in which help is sought. It is not a matter of writing on paper without knowing what is being requested.
The text explains which temple, Taoist institution, or organization submits it, why the ceremony is held, which principal deity is asked to help, and what assistance is hoped for. I compare it to a company submitting an official document. Besides its contents, we need to know who proposes and submits it, and their relationship with the recipient. A temple's seal also identifies the organization issuing the request.
In my understanding of faith, the writing expresses the intention of the prayer. The person submitting it completes the report through their learning, mission, and connection with the deities. I have also compared it to conveying a voice, letting the relevant deities know what ritual will take place at this location. Understanding what is being expressed prevents the text from remaining merely a mysterious term.
I too gradually learned how to explain matters clearly to the deities after initially not knowing how to write these texts. The official-document comparison helps explain the purpose of reporting. It does not mean that writing a few sentences guarantees everything will happen as we wish. The request, the deity addressed, and the officiant's cultivation and connection all need to be understood together.