Miracle Works

By Temple MasterHenry Chu

Introduction

• This discuss aims to reveal the temple’s perspective on miracle works and the role that each member can take on miracle works

• There is also a ritual that we can conduct when it comes to beseeching for miracles

• It is also the understanding that the greater your Merits, the more potent your prayer will be when it comes to miracle works

Miracle Works

• The first perspective on Miracle Works is that this world is God’s world and not our worlds

• Therefore God already have everything mapped out, which is what we understood to be the concept of predestination

• Predestination is absolutely necessary because this world is vastly complex so predestination offers guidance and stability

Miracle Works

• With Predestination in mind, the second perspective on Miracle Works is the notion of infinite possibilities of the future (and thus infinite possible worlds)

• Only God has perfect information and knows the ultimate consequences of every decision in this world (therefore God is also the Ultimate Decider)

Miracle Works

• The final perspective on Miracle Works is that we are all co-creators in this world and our jobs is to offer genuine perspective (which means that our opinions are valuable)

• God has sent us here to assist with making sense and giving meanings to the world so our opinions (or decisions) do matter to God

• The greater our perspective, the more valuable our opinions

Miracle Works

• With the understanding of these perspectives, now let’s talk about Miracle Works– Miracle Works are essentially interventions– When the predestined path of the world is not

agreeable to us, then we have the tendency to want a change

– Most of these prayers for change are ego driven, so they are usually for wealth, health, fame, power, romance, etc.

Miracle Works

• Due to the fact that we do not have perfect information, we really do not know the consequence of what we are praying for

• A lot of times, what we prayed for only satisfies our short term pleasure but have long term consequences that are catastrophic (i.e. winning the lottery but destroys the family)

• This is why most of these prayers are not granted

Miracle Works

• Members of the temple are not encourage to make those frivolous prayers because that would only diminish the spirits’ opinions of us

• The proper prayers for temple members are for spiritual elevation (such as those in the morning and evening prayers)– Gratitude, penitence, aspiring to heavenly mission,

Summoning of Buddha

Miracle Works

• The decision to grant a wish depends on multiple elements (people involved, future consequence, etc.)

• The value of our prayers depends on our Merits (this also means when we pray, there is a spiritual exchange)

• This also means that we take our words very seriously (there is no such thing as a joke when it comes to spirituality)

Miracle Works

• Our spiritual rank also has a great deal to do with the potency of our prayer

• The higher the rank the more value Heaven will place on our prayers

• This is true because spirits with divine rank are here for divine missions

• However, sometimes different divine missions may come to places of conflicts with each other

Miracle Works

• Therefore, the greater the divine mission the greater the influence on the final outcome

• Many instances of great miraculous manifests in our temple community are all due to the fact that the temple community is here for the great mission of the Great Salvation

• Countless miracles from various temple communities all are affirmation of the true Mandate of Heaven

Miracle Works

• Ritual for Miracle Works:– Take a full bath and put on clean clothes– It is preferred to hold vegetarian diet for 3 days– Come to the temple and complete entrance bow– Light the Altar candles and offer a full incense

bundle– Do ten bows– Kneel straight and pray to the spirits

Miracle Works

• Ritual for Miracle Works:– Make your request very clear and distinctly and do

not leave any room for question– If this is a significant request and you do not

believe you have sufficient Merits then make a promise (a Vow) to the Spirit for future Merits (it is absolutely important that you fulfill your future Merits once your wish has been fulfilled—there are many instances of terrible consequences on people who forgotten their vows)

Miracle Works

• Ritual for Miracle Works:– Bow to God for the request (the number of bows

depends on the significance of the request)• 300 bows for minor requests (500 for veteran members)• 500 bows for intermediate requests (1000 for veteran

members)• 1000 bows for significant requests (3000 for veteran members)

– Ten thousand bows are reserved for extremely significant requests (something on the scale of life and death)

Miracle Works

• Ritual for Miracle Works– After bowing to God, follow the Evening Prayer

ritual and thank every deity accordingly– It is important to consult with the Temple Master

to determine the severity of the request and solicit opinion on the appropriateness of the Vow

– Continue to hold the request to heart and pray regularly until the decision has been manifested

Conclusion

• Miracle works is essentially an intervention and there is a spiritual price to be paid

• Our level of merits, cultivation and divine rank all played a role in the potency of our prayer

• Due to the complexity of the creative process, not all prayers will be answered

• It is important to accept God’s decision so as not to bring hindrances to ourselves

Question