Can I practice on my own without a regular teacher?

You can undertake practice yourself, but need basic understanding and continued checks on your direction. A teacher and group can offer reminders when you do not understand, helping avoid unnecessary detours. Going alone calls for greater care. A momentary feeling does not mean you understand everything.

Although I had teachers for divination techniques, many insights into cultivation gradually came through my own experiences and reflection. Having walked this way does not lead me to say self-directed practice has no risks. Precisely because I have done so, I know that with unfamiliar matters we may not even see where the problem lies.

The first work available is examining ourselves. Are we more empathetic and compassionate with others? Is the heart broader, or increasingly selfish and attached? Do we want to become better people, or merely gain special abilities? While the source of perceptions remains uncertain, these are matters we can seriously examine.

Early on, I also checked whether my advice was accurate and helped people. Improvement does not always mean everything ends as desired. Difficulties may remain while someone has greater strength to face them. Through these experiences, I chose to believe I was approaching positive forces, while honestly recognizing that personal feelings cannot directly prove a deity’s identity to others.

Belief therefore still requires judgment. When understanding is needed, seek and compare different advice, leaving room for further thought even when answers agree. If life or character continually worsens, look back at what needs adjustment. Especially notice whether you are clearly wrong yet keep finding reasons to persuade yourself otherwise. Choosing self-directed practice also means accepting responsibility for these judgments and consequences.

Practicing alone does not mean only pursuing special abilities. I have reminded people that basic understanding permits personal practice, but direction must continually be checked. Having perceptions does not mean knowing everything. How much faith has helped also needs examining through character and daily life.

Some friends have very strong perceptions and genuinely seem to see or hear things, making the messages harder to doubt. But a vivid experience differs from understanding its source. I remind people that with an intention to cultivate and basic understanding, self-directed practice is certainly possible. Without understanding, clinging only to abilities can reduce opportunities to check the direction.

Suddenly gaining an ability does not directly establish divine approval either. In my religious understanding, sources can vary, so we still need to learn, ask, and think. When life does not go as expected, we can examine ourselves, but one setback cannot justify concluding that ghosts are influencing us or others. Listening to advice should clarify judgment rather than transfer every decision to someone else.