Must I keep following a spiritual center after my original teacher dies and someone else takes over?

A change of teacher or leader does not mean you must leave, nor that you must stay. First observe whether the successor continues the original core ideas, whether their character and conduct earn your confidence, and whether you still find meaningful learning there.

People may have different connections with the deities, and a successor may have their own methods. Differences in form and style do not immediately mean abandoning the lineage. But if even the original intention to help people and the teacher's teachings have changed, reconsideration is needed. I want Sheng Zhen Men's core ideas clearly organized so that later generations know what is to be passed on. Methods may adjust, but the direction cannot casually be diverted.

Believing in the original deities and having to accept everything the current leader does are different matters. You can respect that faith while continuing to observe the person's actions. Where you can offer your own views, explain them properly. Taking over a position does not place someone beyond questions or judgment.

If you have made an effort to get along and tried for some time, yet cannot recover the original joy, happiness, and abundance of practice or connect with its aspiration, perhaps the relationship has changed. Consider the actual circumstances. You need not leave simply because leadership changes, nor stay trapped in an unsuitable state just to remain attached to a place.