Deities and Faith
Does joining a free blessing ceremony leave me owing merit or a favor to the Bodhisattva?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
If organizers sincerely vow to provide free blessings, enrolling does not create a debt of merit or favors to the Bodhisattva. Deities wish to help living beings, not later use that help to demand repayment.
Dao Shun relayed that someone had discouraged family from attending free blessings because they would owe the Bodhisattva. My response addressed that claim: if organizers sincerely offer the work freely and willingly contribute their strength, we cannot turn around and say recipients have incurred a debt.
Religious services sometimes charge fees for human costs such as livelihood and labor in carrying out the work. My comparison to a processing fee meant assistance involves corresponding costs, not that payment purchases a specified result from a deity.