Traps at the temple

Brahma, four faced buddha 四面佛/四面神/创造神大梵天王

It was the first time I step into the temple as an adult. The only reason I went to the temple, was the Buddha, the four face buddha 四面佛，rumored to grant any wish. 

The statue of buddha that I worshipped, had 4 faces in 4 direction, each face has 2 hands. Each hands holding different tools and forming different mudra(hand sign).
To pray to the 4 face buddha, the worshiper should be aware that each direction is in charge of 4 specific areas, achievement (work and education), relationship, wealth and health. 

Note: A buddhist prayer is different than most religion. To understand how prayer works, my dear reader, you should understand the concept of karma, cause and effect. I began with reading Liao Fan's 4 Lessons了凡四训，the book covers how Liao Fan, changed his predestined life.

It was a Thai temple, housing Thai monks nearby where I live in Kuching. As I finished my prayers, a staff of the temple asked if I wanted fortune readings and blessings from the monk. I went along with the idea. The monk, LP Prasit, gave me 2 blessed accessories. One of it is a tangkai. See image below.

A chinese auntie saw my tangkai, she told me unlike the other gift, the tangkai was not always given. She also told me, if I have a wish, I should pray to the tangkai.

One of the core concept of Buddhism is the element of emptiness 空性。To understand nothing, first you must begin with something. We can see movements of the wind as the grass move, but the movement of the grass does not tell you much about the wind. So if I blindly pray to the tangkai, then I would have missed the teachings of Buddhism. Later in my journeys, I understand that most if not all, Buddhism accessories, is more than a blessing, it also acted as a reminder the importance of Buddha Dharma*.

Dharma 法-the word not just cover the teachings of Buddhism, also means method, and nature's law. In my context, is it about the cultivation.


At the 2nd half of 2011, I visited a famous northern school as a volunteer for a leadership camp organized by the temple. In those busy moments, I happen to have the privilege to asked a nun about a meditation term. We're happy to have that conversation. Later I bump into the host of the temple 主持, I approached her with my question regarding Tibetan Buddhism (my Tibetan practise started on Dec 2011). She briefly explained to me and scolded me for chasing after supernatural powers. I did not understand her teachings nor scoldings. Later in life, I realized that monks and nuns while they are supposed to be knowledgeable in Dharma, it is rare to find one that master in Buddhism, often, they just specialized in their own school's teaching. Looking back with my present knowledge, she didn't have the answers. That wasn't her field.

To talk about another practice  or to summarize, by just reading a book, went for a seminar by an experienced man, or tried the practice once, is never a good idea. It's like you try to talk about love without ever experience love by just reading one single poem by Shakespeare. 

Religion, because there's no organization body for standard, I have to use my own judgement and be aware of my direction. It's not easy. 

_/\_
Lotus Li Hong