Is there Karma?

"What is the purpose of doing good deeds if we end up like everyone else as ashes and dust?"

For me, that question was settled for me by my own uncle who was the medium for the elephant diety, Ganeshan. I have known this uncle for some years and I know it for a fact that he only helped people to overcome their problems and sicknesses and had never asked anything for himself. As I have written in an earlier posting, he even sacrificed his own marriage to be a medium to help others. When he died, it was in abject poverty as when the mouth does not open to request for donations, only the barest amount will be contribute by the grateful. I know this to be a fact as in my own way I have helped others with their pain.

Yes, it was such an uncle who told me why he had to sacrifice everything he had to assist Ganeshan cure those sick people. It was karma! It was karma that brought Ganeshan back to him. And that was what he told me. If I cannot believe such a loving 'saint' who gave his life so that others may be helped, then who can I believe?

The other day, I was with a Sai Baba devotee when she told me a story. It's an interesting story; so I wish to share this with you. She told me a priest once asked a Sai Baba devotee how he knew there was such a thing as karma.

The man asked the priest," You believe in God, brother?"
And the priest replied, "Yes, of course."
"Do you agreed that God is all loving and He created all of us?"
"Yes, I agree."
"Then, please follow me to a place and I shall show you proof of karma."

So saying, the man took the priest to an orphanage.
"Brother, do you see the people here? Some are blind. There are those who are crippled. Some are fine but they have lost their parents at an early age. Why did our beloved God make them thus? Were they not supposed to be innocent when they were born?"

The priest looked and the children and thought about the situation. He could only drive out the troubled thoughts in his mind with the words,"God works in mysterious ways. The man comes into this world with a purpose only God knows."

"Brother, if all the blind and crippled were to eventually have their roles to play and through their imperfections motivate others, then we can say they have a role to play. But you and I know that there will be some among them who goes through life suffering from their imperfection. Why does it have to be this way?"

There was no answer. The only possible answer, the Sai Baba devotee told him could be karma. That those people were paying the penalty for their wrongs. And if those people could understand this truth, they would attempt to be better people and strive to do right always.

Well, whatever it is that you believe in, everyone has to admit that karma is a great motivating force for good. And with karma, everything in this world come through as fairer and it agrees with our 'You reap what you sow.'

Greed is the cause of so much harm.

It's the twenty-first century. The world ought to have made much progress in every sphere of human endeavour. And in many aspects, that is true. But then, in some very important aspects of being human, we are still in the dark ages where people still kill for power, followers of religions still abuse the name of God to perpetuate wrongs, man still do not understand that boundaries, countries and race are man-created.

Perhaps, hopefully, it is not a poor understanding of such matters. Perhaps, it is the greed in humans that create such misunderstanding.

Greed comes in many forms. There are those who are greedy for popularity to take themselves to positions of power. They form associations for the interest of a particular race. To get themselves noticed, they had to profess that their race is in peril of being marginalised or weakened as the result of the capabilities of other races.

In Malaysia, we have PERKASA, an association for Malays to ensure that their special privileges and supremacy are safeguarded despite the fact that these people proclaimed themselves to be the very religious followers of God. Do these people truly understand God? Do they not know that all living things in this world are His creations. Every human is His creation. As such God would never agree to one human being more privileged than another, not even when that human has not found Him yet for He is known for His compassion to all. Anyway, would any true believer of God believe that Almighty God would ever create the people of a certain race to lord over all the others?

The greed for power has kept this world in turmoil. Man loses his senses in the struggle for power. To achieve this purpose, there are those who would spread lies, exaggerate matters, use religion, abuse the name of God, plot kill and commit foul deeds.

In Malaysia, race has again and again been used to divide the people. The unfortunate thing is the fact that the leaders of the very party with the slogan of One Malaysia are the ones bringing up matters as racial matters even when those matters have nothing to do with race.

People who constantly use race to achieve their objectives should remember that the world have no real boundaries. Boundaries are man-made, merely lines on maps, no lines on the actual land. Countries are also created by humans. Early humans grabbed the land, lord over the people and proclaimed themselves the rulers. All of us belong to the human race. Skin colours and pigments are due to the environment and the amount of exposure to the sun or other elements of weather. Look at India, for example and we find Northern Indians very fair while southern Indians are so dark. As for languages, they are sounds invented by the people of a similar region. Thus, man created countries, names of countries, races and languages.

The only way to peace is through this understanding and the mastering of greed among us. Mastering greed can only be achieved through spiritual understanding, through the true words of God, not versions we ourselves create to achieve human ends.

Look at the world's religions. Humans have put in so much of his/her own interpretation that almost every religion is as divided as humans in this world. Islam has so many sects. So has Christianity. Buddhism has so many groups too. So does Hinduism. The problem is that man has played God.

That is the reason for my being a monotheist, a believer of one God. However, I belong to no religion as religion has changed some of the words of God and interpreted them for their convenience. I pray to God from anywhere for Almighty God hears my prayers, know my wrongs and rights at all times, no matter where I am, not necessarily in a temple, church or mosque, for I believe God is with me always. (Anybody who thinks that is impossible does not know God as nothing is impossible for God.)

God moves in mysterious ways.

Even as Muslims and Christians in Malaysia face the problem in the use of the word ‘Allah’ and due to the fanning of emotions by certain quarters with the disastrous results of places of worship being burnt, seven churches were reported to have been burnt, and stones hurled into the premises of a mosque, a group of Muslim NGOs have come forward with volunteers to help prevent further attacks on churches.

This must be one of those mysterious ways God has to solve the problem of ‘brothers’ being thrown against each other into a conflict that should never be. It is proof that there are people who truly believe in God though we see many who profess their faith in a certain religion, yet act as though they believe otherwise. (I shall write more on this which, in a way explains my inability to ‘belong’ to any religion, for I belong to God and not human-set ideals of what should be. )

I really am impressed by the following words of Muslim Consumers Association Malaysia executive secretary Datuk Nadzim Johan’s, ““We wouldn’t want our Christian brothers to be in danger. This is an offer of peace and goodwill,” He called them his Christian brothers.

A man who can think of another human being, especially one who is of a different race or religion, as his brother, deserves my respect and love. For someone to treat all fellow humans as his brothers and sisters, he must be someone who truly believes in God, that all of us come from Him and we are all His creations. As such, we should look upon each other as brothers and we are a ‘One World Family’. If all humans can open their minds up to the true will of God, all our earthly petty quarrels become insignificant and not worth any of the precious time God has bestowed upon us to achieve our true mission in life. (One day, I hope to find time to show how those who think that their calling is to destroy some of the creations of God is actually going against God. In fact, think with full awareness of the previous sentence and that realisation can be clearly reached.)

Yes, as Man sincerely reach out to God and believes as well as understand His power and not the power-cravings of another human, he realises that all of us, no matter what religion we belong to, are His creations; that He created us, existed before us and we belong to Him and not Him to us as he is not Man but the all almighty God.

Perhaps, without the problem of fighting over who can call Him ‘Allah’ and the present church burning, there could not have emerged the understanding of Datuk Nadzim Johan’s that all human beings are brothers, that places for worship, regardless of what humans call them are built in the name of GOD. (For me, the most sincere place for worship is my heart. Prayers of truth come from our hearts. Are you aware of this?)

Without the present situation, the thought that our Christian brothers are in danger could not have come about. For someone who is not a Christian to think of the possible danger such acts of violence can cause the Christians, I dare to say, he is a true man of God. If we have everyone as true to God as this, then there can be no possibility of ‘The End of the World’ for God would then certainly look upon us with even greater love. With such thoughts, I see the light of salvation growing stronger and brighter for all mankind.

Perhaps, through this particular problem, we reach a better understanding of God, an understanding which hopefully can reach into the hearts of those who merely claim to believe, yet those words of belief only comes from the mouth and not from the heart.

It is, in fact, this belief in God from the mouth and not the heart, that is the source of our present world problems. (As this is of utmost importance, I will certainly word my thoughts on this matter in future postings.)

Beware of what we teach our children.

In a world where there is the school, the library and the internet with their sources of various kind of knowledge, it is surprising to find that there are still so many people who stick to myths and superstitions learned from their old parents.

One of them is the 'Touch wood' belief that whatever had been mentioned by someone could come to pass. To overcome such a possibility, they touch wood while sounding those words.

Another myth that is still strongly held onto is the belief that bad luck comes to those who cut their finger-nails at night. I received an angry stare from a woman when I enquired her what was wrong with that action. She believed that the spirit will not find or recognise the body again after the night's sleep. How ridiculous can such a belief be! Apparently, there are other things that are not to be done at night. Only the other day, one lady said,"It's alright to cut the plant with its yellowing leaves since it is still not dark yet." As I did not know her well, I just pondered on her words. Something to do with spirits again, I suppose.

Another woman I know would never allow anyone to talk about death in her house. However, she is most inconsistant. There were a number of times she mentioned that unspeakable word. Once, I could hold my tongue no longer and told her that she just voiced the word 'death'. Upon hearing that, she got up, glared at me and walked away in disgust.

Upon enquiring the husbands of such superstitious women, I was given to understand that it was the fault of the parents. It was a 'Don't do this.' or a 'Don't say that.' due to some superstition the parents had a strong belief in.

Well, it looks like such parents are good at teaching as no matter how much their husbands or wifes ridicule them on the matter, the belief persist. Apparently, resisting can only cause them to persist even more. Eventually it is the othe half who desist righting the beliefs of such people. Superstitious persons are too well taught to be uprooted from the myths that they live with.

Great is the Faith of the Faithful.

On the 18th of November, I read in the AP Associated Press about a woman who left $40,000 in rare U.S. coins at the National Shrine Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes near Emmitsburg so that Virgin Mary could help her to keep her savings safe while she left her house empty while she went outstation for a week.

She obviously had great faith in God. She must have strongly believed that the Virgin Mary would ensure the safety of her valueables.

And believe it or not her faith was well placed for despite it being found by the groundskeeper, the money was kept secured and returned to her when she looked for it. Here is a story of not just faith but honesty. The people involved must be truly religious, truly believing in God. They must be beautifully honest!

Not that I know no equally honest people. In the Art of Living, especially amongst those who give their time and effort as volunteers, I have heard and seen of the many generous deeds of these friends of mine. I am truly fortunate to know them.

However, most of the time when we read the news media, we get the feeling that greed for money and power is so prevalent that each day passes with some kind of terrorism and power-struggle.

Therefore, when I read this beautiful story of faith, trust and honesty, I just had to put such information into this blog so that as many people as possible can savour such goodness. In a poor world where greed is so common, it is enriching indeed to know that such lovely, such wonderful people are among us.

To realise how great her faith in God was, I ought to let you know that she merely left her rare coins under some leaves. Great must have been her trust in God as to merely leave them under some leaves. In fact, according to her, she was afraid to leave the coins in her own empty house. Imagine that!

When the money was returned to her, her faith was reaffirmed as she believed that Virgin Mary did watch over it by getting the groundskeeper to find it.

Such faith as this, only true believers have. Honesty here also indicates that the divine spirit is still so evident. Thank God for that.

With such great people on this earth, God certainly would not allow a 2012 end-of-the-world happening. Good karma forces will pull us through and ensure earth's existence.

Doomsday predictions since my schooldays.

Since my teenage years, I have been told about the end of the world. There was this young girl who told me that her mother had gone to a medium their family had faith in and the medium had predicted that the end of the world was getting nearer and advised all the followers to be ready.

Then, about ten years later, another young lady told me a similar story. She was there when the female medium told her devotees to prepare themselves for the end of the world which would take place no later than two years from that time.

Two years came and went. Nothing happened. Of course, this guy took all that was said with a pinch of salt. With my virile youth and the whole bright future in my vision, it failed to dampen or change my lust for happiness in all my activities during those beautiful years, years when I was at the top of my world with a healthy, stronger body through Charles Atlas and throught weight-lifting. Youthful energy ruled my days as I wandered all over Penang Island, a place one friend who knew my wandering ways called ‘my playground’. It was on this delightful island that I would go in search of knowledge, spiritual truth and happiness.

During my years of marriage, I put heart and soul into my home, planning for the years ahead, for a family life. Two children we had and most of the time was spent ensuring they had the best possible education and preparation for life. With that in focus, no end of the world prediction reached my ears.

It is only now when my wife has gone back to God, my children in their universities that once again I read of the Mayan calendar ending in October 2010 that has caused the ‘End of the World’ idea to surface.

From the way I see it, such a prediction is being propagated so as to bring people together for a good number of purposes. Newspapers will get more readers who are curious to know more of the prediction. Blogs, just like mine (See?), will have something to ponder about. Books will be written and its sales will be profitable. They have already made a movie out of 2012, the year of total destruction. Phophecies will be made. More good can also be expected. People will be more willing to donate ALMOST EVERYTHING they have to charity.

And that was what I heard from my group of friends. Someone hopes to get as much good karma as possible by donating almost everything they have before the world disintegrate or is smashed to smittereens. According to them, what's the use of them when there will be no more life.

It is good that people can become generous. It is good to have people think of the value of life. Perhaps,they would be able to appreciate whatever life and health they still have, to look at life in a different perspective.

It is wonderful to think of having good karma too. Nevertheless, even if we do not get karma, it is a fantastic feeling to be able to perform good deeds. The opportunity to help someone is always there and I know it for a fact the wonderful joy you can experience in carrying out such generous, helpful acts, a joy which in itself is sufficient reward. You do not have to believe me. Just do it. Help someone start his motorcycle. Take an old lady across the street. Stop to pick up some papers that had fallen onto the road from someone’s files. Just some simple assistance that do not require spending a single cent. Experience the quiet joy that comes from your heart, from your own inner self. Just experience that and you will know what I am talking about.

However, do not throw away all your wealth or possessions just because you think your world will no longer exist very soon. What if you are wrong? What if it is like the other predictions that never materialise?

As for me, I strongly believe the world will continue to spin around with the sun smiling into my eyes each morning, the rain cooling my body with its massaging flow down my body whenever I am caught in it as I trek up the hill and the cool breeze of the evening caress my cheeks as the setting sun sinks so slowly behind the hills, his embarrassed red face spied by the early eagerly-emerging moon. This beautiful world will still be around after 2012 for me to relish its many wonders.

Why am I so sure about that? Well, for one thing, I have heard people cry ‘wolf’ once too often to believe it.

Spiritualists tell me that for the last ten years nobody has gone to heaven. The implication is that there is no one good enough to enter its gates for that period of time. That is certainly unacceptable. No one? Impossible! You know, if there is a heaven (Sorry but to this day I have found no proof whatsoever of that.), my wife (I do not like to use the word ‘late’ for my deceased wife.) would be one sure candidate for it. I can vouch for her goodness. In fact, one of her niece likens her to ‘The Goddess of Mercy’. She has always been one of the best. And I believe there are many, many more like her. In fact, some of them I know personally. Without a doubt, there are lots of good people in our world. They are often unknown for their deeds are usually unsung, known only to the people who appreciate their presence.

Because there are more good than bad people in our world, the good karma overrides the bad karma and no great harm can happen to the world . In fact, even in ‘bad people’ there is still a lot of goodness in them. Sometimes, circumstances caused them to act badly.

So, let us forget about the end of the world. Let us continue to do whatever we can to improve this world of ours not because the end is near but because there is still sufficient time for all of us to learn, improve and let the divine spirit in each and everyone of us shine out to the whole world, making it an even better place for ourselves in the many future generations to come.

An open mind is the way to universal truth.

Many people find it difficult to accept the knowledge that are not similar to theirs. This is especially true where religion is concerned.

Yet, if we were to allow ourselves to open up to the teachings of every religion in this world, there is actually no conflict of knowledge. That is a fact because all teachings are based on truth. The only difference is the road the followers follow, be it through one who found enlightenment, the various deities or God.

Buddhism teaches us wisdom and our nature, our thoughts and action towards responsible fulfillment and self improvement. Buddha never professed to be God.

The way I look at Buddha's teaching, it is that the life we have is the present. Live it right and well, and the next step must follow. The next step is the future. There is no need to think about it. Just as what is being baked will turn out to be a delicious cake in the few minutes in the future if we concentrate on putting in the right ingredients and kneading the dough well at the present moment.

Taoism is the belief in a universal life force. Thus every follower tries to harmonise himself/herself with the forces of nature. In Taoism, the deities are manifestations of this universal force. Taoism has a strong belief in spirits, some of them good while others are bad. Thus, to achieve harmony, there is the need to turn to the good deities for guidance to a good life as well as appease the bad spirits to avoid unnecessary conflict or problems from them.

That sounds very much like the society we live in. Sometimes we have to pay corrupt officials to avoid problems from them. For example, to obtain a citizenship, some people cannot get theirs approved despite the number of years they have tried and their proficiency in the national language language while people who know how to appease such officials get their approvals very quickly. Help also comes faster if you know the way to get things done, such as knowing the right people in authority.

Hinduism has no founder and it consist of many different religious groups that has evolved many, many years ago. This is the case because there are many deities in Hinduism, perhaps more than can be found in Taoism. Like Taoism, Hinduism has its belief in what is called eternal truth which is similar to Taoism's universal life force. The deities give their worshippers guidance through life with actions of the said deities.

For example, there was the victory of good over evil as celebrated in deepavali. According to Hinduism, the deities reincarnate from time to time to vanquish the forces of evil and bring order back into the world, just as Jesus said he would return from time to time to help the humans God created.

The two religions that are clear-cut about One God is Christianity and Islam. Actually, as far as my knowledge and understanding is concerned, both religions have the same origin. There is merely that little difference that Jesus was the son of God in Christianity while Jesus was believed to be the first while Muhammad is the last of the prophets in Islam. If we go into the teachings of both these religions, they teach us wisdom and our nature, rightful thoughts and actions towards responsible fulfillment and self improvement besides belief in One God.

It is unfortunate that the only two religions that teach us of the same One God have a number of its followers finding fault with each other, sometimes even derogatory towards each other's God, breathing venom on the other's God as though that other God is a different God.

The religions are good but some of the people in them think they are even holier than God. Therein lies the problem of this world. When Man craze for power and prestige, they even use God to serve their purpose.

Once I told a friend,"People who kill others in the name of God, are those who do not truly believe in God." Why? Firstly, do these people believe that God is all powerful. With such power, if God wants someone dead, there is no need for bloodshed; the person would just not wake up from his sleep and that's that." Then, what about God being compassionate. Since God is compassionate, should not there be a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a desire to help them to turn good if it is believed that there are bad. So, by taking God's will into their hands, are these people thinking that God should not be compassionate? Are they saying they are wiser than God?

To these people, I will say, "Trust me. There is no one greater, better or wiser than God."

It is time humans open up their minds and let religious truths of whatever religion they belong to find space in their minds.

What you think affects you and your mind.

Just about an hour ago, I was called to witness once again the power of belief . My neighbor saw me and she told me about her experience in Australia where she went to some months ago to visit one of her children.

This neighbour, together with her husband, was once a Buddhist. Christianity was a religion she did not want to enter into then until her sons persuaded her to go to church.

Attending church lead her nowhere nearer to belief until one day she visited her daughter in another town in Malaysia. While she was there, her daughter took her to a church gathering where a pastor well-known for faith-healing was making an appearance. She told me that was the eye-opening event for her. She saw the blind recover their sight. She saw the crippled walk. She saw a lady feeling her neck so happily as she found the fat lump (Was it goitre which is the increase in size of the neck due to the thyroid gland?)in her throat gone. All those things happened right in front of her eyes. For her, it was the revelation of God's power to cure. It brought the inevitable belief in Jesus and christianity.

She became a Christian. Although her husband followed suit, till this day he is an unbeliever. In many ways, he is still a Buddhist.

Well, this lady told me of her experience in Australia. She occupied a room with two other members of the son's family. She found sleep difficult during the first few nights. There was this pounding sound of some kind of machinery somewhere, as if some workmen were working with the machinery at a development project. Anyway, that was how she described it. The sound kept her awake most of those nights.

After the first two nights, she was curious about the sound. So, she took a walk aound the neighbourhood in the daytime. She looked around but there was no place where a building project could be in progress. That night she asked one of the grandchildren occupying the same room whether they heard any such sound. What shocked her was the reply. They heard no such disturbing sound in the night. Not even in the day-time.

That night, when she heard the sound again, she took out her bible and read a part of it. Then, according to her, the pounding sound stopped. Since then, for the rest of her stay there, she heard no such sound and she could sleep very soundly.

Like many of you, I sometimes do wonder about this. But, I have long ago realised that such things as belief overcoming such problems can and do happen. (Read about my hearing of voices and my nipple being pinched in the middle of the night during the weekends when I was alone in a rented house.)I have learnt to accept it, unless there is some concrete proof that it cannot be.

Belief is a wonderful thing. It has helped many in times of touble. Of course, it could go the other way and cause restless sleep when the belief is negative. What we think affects our mind and whether you believe it or not, that is true. Your own experiences should tell you that.

God, religion and preachers.

The lady neighbour living behind my house saw me this afternoon and called out my name, "Ai Wei, come over here, please."

Thinking that she needed some kind of help, I quickly move to the rear portion of my garden. She beamed me a smile before telling me that I was invited to attend her church next Saturday evening at seven.

Unlike some preachers who would condemn people to eternal damnation if they fail to believe Jesus, the lord, this friendly neighbour is one of God's best disciple. She does not drive you off with ungodly words. She spreads the word of the lord with patience and goodness. She tells of God's miracles and salvation.

Yes, salvation! That is the word God would have his people convey and not damnation. Do some preachers ever stop to think of the implication of damnation? What is damnation? It is to send people to hell. Who would want to sent someone to hell? The answer ought to be: Someone I hate. Right? Loving us, would God want that? Certainly not! God is love. In Christianity, it is proclaimed that God loves us enough to send his own Son to suffer crucifixion for the sins of Man. He did it out of love, not hate. So, if the spirit have not touched the heart of a person and he truthfully could not find it in himself to believe, God would wait patiently for that son. I believe God has the patience to save our souls. He would never vent his wrath with condemnatory speech.

Let me tell you that this writer has been to church many times. When I was a young teacher in the town of Alor Star, i attended the Baptist church. The pastor then was Brother Love. How well his name suited him. He was always smiling and ever so good to everyone, Christian or otherwise. His love for mankind was godly. I can still visualise his perpetually smiling, ruddy face.

Among the few pastors I have known, this was a man of God. Never did I hear an unkind word. He only talks of salvation and the beautiful work of God. Tiredlessly, he went about his work for God. Although I did not become a Christian, it was through no fault of his. The fault must have been mine. Despite my admiration and love for this pastor, i just could not find that something.....

Perhaps, due to curiosity and my study of the other religions I discover and understand that God in His wisdom gives us choices, the roads to reach him are many and so are the ways to answer our prayers. Believe it, no matter where you are, whatever religion you belong to, God works in mysterious ways and He will be there.

Back to Brother Love. This was a man who got me to eagerly attend church, to enjoy the beautiful hymns such as 'Amazing Grace'. Not only that, it was a time when I studied the bible and went to the pulpit to talk on something in the bible. No other pastor has ever got me to do that.

I believe if more pastors are like Brother Love, more lost sheep would be found. Of course, there will still be a few stubborn sheep who would wander far afield.

In contrast to Brother Love and my friendly neighbour was another pastor who, in his sermon, told the people present in his church that a certain well-known man was condemned forever to hell despite his great wealth because he did not become a Christian. That well-known man was long dead, unable to defend himself and his own belief. When I heard that, my distaste for such damnation left me certain of never ever listening to another of his sermon.

How can anyone give such a sermon if he understands God; that everyone who has not yet found his way to God is a lost sheep. Did this pastor search for his lost sheep? Did he continue to assist the lost soul by praying for its safe journey home? Would not shouting and condemning drive away the children of God?

Why do these faults of mortal man surface so frequently as he stands as the representative of God? I believe we have to return to God, to the words of our loving God. Follow the example of Brother Love and success in bringing the sheep home can be achieved.

Although this post is on one particular religion, what is written applies to all religions. Those who wish to represent God must be almost; I accept that they are human after all; godly.

The Return of the Nine Emperor Deities bringing protection and salvation to mankind.

Here is the newly selected trustee. The trustee at the head of the procession to the river.

The procession begins.

At the river, the deities are invited into the bodies of the humans. However, with too many people crowding around, that could not be seen. Possibly, the atmsophere is recorded as people moves away from the river with the arrival of each deity.

The deities move to the chariots to return to the temple.


Here's one of the Nine Emperor Deities walking and dancing to the temple through the streets in the darkness of the night.
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The Nine Emperor Deities Festival which starts on Sunday, the 18th of October, 2009 is a Taoist festival which celebrates the return of the Nine Emperor Deities from heaven to earth. These Nine Emperor Deities or Kew Ong Yah(九皇爺) are worshiped as one deity known as 'Thien Hou', the Taoist goddess of the sea and queen of heaven who represents health, wealth and prosperity. The festival is celebrated for nine days, from the first day to the ninth day of the ninth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar.

Starting from the evening of the eve of the first day of the ninth moon, Devotees gather at 'Kew Ong Yah temples everywhere for the festival. These nine deities are believed to dwell in the stars in the Northern Heaven.Each year, they are requested to return to give salvation and protection to mankind.

About a week before the eve of the Chinese Ninth Lunar, each Nine Emperor Deities' temple would choose a trustee, usually a wealthy businessperson, would be chosen from among a good number of applicants for the post, to manage the festival.

So, on the eve of the Chinese ninth moon, the Nine Emperor Deities' temples hold a ceremony to welcome the return of the Nine Emperor Deities. Since these deities' passage from heaven to earth is through the waterways, a place at a river or the sea would be selected to welcome them. Sometimes symbolic lions, with lion dancers as well as drums and cymbals are used to welcome them. In the evening, devotees holding joss-sticks would follow a procession to the river to welcome the spirits. The spirits would enter the bodies of humans who had gone through a cleansing of the body. These humans would go into a trance. Later in the night, the devotees would accompany the Nine Emperor Deities back to the temple.

For the next nine days, the Nine Emperor Deities would go through the business centres or areas to bring luck, prosperity and protection.

As we can see, as in all religions, spirits, deities and Gods bring peace of mind as well as a sense of security to all devotees. Through the divine spirit, Man has been able to face the unknown and all other challenges to stay secure in his faith in the divine.

Only belief can bring confidence.

The above are pictures of me on my motorbike during my younger days. In a previous post is a photograph of an older me.

And here I am with one of my favourite students who could speak English very well.
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Have you seen those advertisements in which they show a fat guy being transformed into a slim, muscled one with the stomach muscles clearly defined, chest muscles taut and hard, big strong shoulders and arms? Yes, we see them in advertisements which claim to give any obese person such a body within a certain period of time with either a slimming diet or some kind of device which is not supposed to develope muscles.

Whenever, I see such an advertisement, I always wonder how the owners of the advertisement could expect people to believe that they can achieve such a ridiculous result.

Come on! If the method used does not involve some kind of exercise which can build muscles, how do such muscles come about from someone who has always been obese? Do these advertisers mean to tell us that such well defined muscles are just below the fat of obese people?

I have been exercising almost all my life. In school, I have done cross-country running, 800 metres, round-the-house relays, gymnastics, football, rugby and tae-kwon-do but I have never had such beautiful stomach muscles as the ones advertised.

As a teacher, I have been a very active Kedah state gymnastic coach as well as a physical education teacher. Although I had no weight problem, I never had those prominent stomach muscles.

Today, in retirement, I walk briskly up a hill, run fast at level ground at the top and do all kinds of exercise as I descend every morning for a little more than an hour. Yes, I have a slim, enviable shape but no well-defined muscles, except perhaps the legs.

So, I was indeed truly surprised that people who go through such slimming therepy are able to achieve such fantastic results.

Others may believe it can happen. I don't know. I just cannot believe it. I mean, well-defined muscles only come people who carry weights, do daily tough manual tasks, practise high-wire circus acts and martial arts exponents who practise powerful moves daily. Certainly not merely through a simple no-sweat slimming therapy.

What I am saying is that such advertisements should make people believe the results are possible.

When we advertise, we are selling something. In order to sell, we must get the targeted customers to believe. If the pictures of the results, no matter how attractive they may be, are difficult to believe, can the results be good? Can it give the targeted group the confidence to believe in your product?

In life, every individual also sells himself/herself. What you says or claim must be believable. Do people believe in you? Do you give them the confidence to rely on you for certain results, to expect that you would deliver whatever you promise?

For example, if I claim to be an English Language teacher who can help your son improve his English Language proficiency but my speech or writing in the language is full of mistakes, would you believe me? Would you expect me with my my broken English to deliver the expected result?

Certainly not! You must be really naive, if you do.

If I claim I can walk briskly up a hill and run at certain parts of it but I am grossly overweight, would you believe me? Certainly not!

And getting people to believe in us is of utmost importance as people act just on belief, even though the belief can be wrong sometimes.

And belief in oneself is what brings us to the achievement we become capable of. It is through belief that confidence and courage takes us against any challenge that life throws at us.

Belief in God brings peace of mind.

Since the beginning of time, Man has always believed in one or more spiritual powers. It is a belief that is necessary for a sense of security and well-being. Man has always believed that such spiritual powers can give him protection, good health, good luck and assistance to overcome problems.

Wherever there are people, at any period in history, there are religious beliefs and practices. Early man worshipped the sun, the moon, the earth, the stars, lightning and thunder.

Then the ancient Egyptians had their gods such as Osiris, Anubis and Horus. These Gods represent the power that lay behind all natural phenomenon. And just as natural forces sometimes combine its power, as felt recently through the earthquake and the powerful waves that descends upon us as tsunami, the Egyptians also combine their gods to give them more power to assist them in bringing hope and solutions to things unfathomable. For example, the god of hidden power, Amun, was combined with the god of the sun, Ra, to become Amun-Ra.

The Malays in Malaya, before the coming of Islam, also had their deities. They too believed in spirits then. There was a time the 'Tujuh Likur night' oil lamps were lit to attract to attract spirits of dead relatives and angels. Nowadays, the lamps are still lit but just as a decoration.

On Hari Raya day, Muslims, after their prayers, visit the graves of their dead loved ones to pray for god's blessings. The belief in the existence of the spirits of the dead is very much alive in almost every culture.

When the Chinese came to Malaya, they brought along their Datuk Kong (
拿督公). In order that there be peace amongst the Chinese and Malay deities, the Chinese gave the local deities just as much attention as those they brought along. And that is how Keramats came into being. The Keramats are the fusion of pre-Islamic spirit belief and Chinese spiritual belief. As a result, today, we have many Keramats in shrines all over Malaysia.

Why do the Chinese pray to so many Keramats and Chinese deities? You see, the Chinese are a very pragmatic people. they would accept any spirit, any deity, any God; be it a Muslim God, a Hindu God or God by any name Man has given Him; that can offer solutions to problems that science may not be able to present. After all, where science has a solution, the Chinese or I believe anybody, would turn to science for its solution. They do not stick to one fixed idea or thinking. Whatever is suitable for the particular time, place and circumstance will be accepted as the right procedure or the right solution. With such kind of attitude towards the unknown, solutions are more easily available. Any solution that serves a purpose well is certainly of value. And these deities and Keramats do serve many important purposes.

When the people feel insecure in a place, a sense of spiritual security no police or psychiatrist can offer, they have a guardian deity, a 'te-tu-gong'(the guardian of a place). And the beautiful part of it is, the people concerned could find peaceful slumber, believing sincerely in their hearts and minds that the Guardian Deity will look after them. With sickness, when doctors do not seem to be able to bring about a cure, they turn to the deities. Again, many find the miraculous cures which only god can give. When things go bad, be it business or the home, they turn to the Goddess of Mercy and the storms were calmed and all that is desirable returns. With such results, could anyone blame these people for turning to the only last resort that is available? And when the deities appear to grant the people their wishes or their prayers, could anyone blame them for their gratitude?


At the entrance to the apartments of Lorong Semarak Api, Bandar Baru, Air Itam, Penang Island, is a community of deities comprising of various races. They are there for the peace of mind of the people in that place.


One of the pre-Islamic Malay deities, Tok Nenek, is reverred and has a place in the lives of the residents.



Above is Datuk Kuning, a Malay Keramat bestowed a place of honour in the community of deities.


And Datok Jin,


For the Chinese, the Buddha and his wisdom as well as his teachings will forever be guiding the people to a better life. Truth in his teachings can be seen in our everyday life.


And here are some of the taoist deities that play a part in the lives of the Chinese.


Even Indian dieties are not forgotten. As long as these deities continue to bring calmness and peace of mind to the residents, there is always a place for them.




Another group of Chinese deities.


Here's another deity




And here's the Goddess of Mercy, a lady whom the people have always turned to for help in times of trouble.


And here is a resident in need of a deity's help, hoping that his prayers will be answered.

What I have just written happens, not just today, not just yesteryear, not just before the appearance of the modern religions but since the beginning of time when Man, in his despair at his motality in the face of the forces of nature, turned to the spirits, the deities and God for solutions to seemingly unfathomable and unconquerable challenges. For centuries after this, Man will still have to depend upon God for his peace of mind, for his continuing existence. I will let history prove this to those who do not believe.

For the unbelievers, those who asks for proofs and evidence, I wish to point out that science has not reached the stage where cameras can clearly capture things in the spiritual world. However, I believe there will come an inventor who will be able to have a camera good enough to show us proof of spiritual existence. I know that is possible for, there are individuals who are able to see such beings. some are born with such ability while others, through opening of the third eye, can look into the realm of spiritual beings, able to see such deities.

For me, God exists from the beginning of time. He, the perfect power, created this perfect earth. Look around us. Before Man in his greed for wealth and power started to mess up everything, thinking only for himself, this universe was a perfect place with everything in it for everyone created by Him. Now, some of His creatures have been swept from existence. The turbulence in our weather forecasts that more tragedies can come. Think of that.

Whatever it is, it is belief in God or gods and deities that brought Man a peace of mind, a sense of security and a confidence in facing life.

Read my experience on finding solace and peace of mind in the belief of God when I heard and was disturbed by spirits in a house in Alor Star in 'A night to remember dated 12th of March, 2009.

You are where you are because someone believes.

There was this story in the email about a child waiting for his mother at a junction. A stranger came along and stopped in front of the boy.
"Can you show me the way to the post office?" the stranger enquired.
"Of course! Just go down that street and you'll see the post office on the right side." the boy told him.
"Thanks. One day, I hope to have the opportunity to show you the way to heaven," the man who was a pastor said.
Upon hearing that, the boy said,"Aw! Forget it. How can you know the way to heaven when you don't even know the way to the post office?"

Of course, as adults, we understand that the pastor could be new in town and, therefore, do not know his way around. For the young boy, he just could not believe that a person who does not even know the way to the opost office could direct him to heaven.

This just shows that we have to be careful with how we approach young minds. With young minds, there has to be appropraite explanations; without which, the conclusions may be different. For example, if the pastor had told the child that he is new to the place, a total stranger to the town, the child would be able to understand his predicament. And if he had told the child that he was a pastor, the child could have understood how it was possible for him to know about heaven.

Belief is important to all of us. When we were young, our parents allowed us to be taken off their hands by another individual because they believe we would be safe with the person. We were sent to kindergarten because our parents believed that it would help put us in good standing with other children academically. We were allowed to go to the sundry-shop by ourselves because our parents believe we know the way and how to cross the road safely. We were given pocket money because our parents believed we knew how to count and use them correctly.

How did we managed to have our parents believe us? Easy. We learned all that was to be learned and showed them that we could do it.

Then, when we grew up, we managed to get an employer to believed that we could do a good job and was employed. If we happen to be at the top tier of the company, we must get our colleagues to believe we can help them to improve their financial position and their status in the company as well as in society if they work together with us to improve the production or the company. On the other hand, if we are in the lower rank and hope to climb up the promotion ladder we must get the head of our department to believe that we are an asset to him/her, that we can do the job and do it excellently.

Again, no matter who we may be, all we need to do is to show others that we can and will do it. Looking at our performance and listening to others on our reputation, people will know what we are capable of. So, perform well as a good manager/employer who cares for his workers or as an efficient worker who cares for his or her manager/employer and the company at all times.

Then, one day someone believed that we could make his/her life even happier and we got married. From then on till we leave this earth, whatever we get or not get depends on just one important factor; belief. In marriage, we must give our spouse the confidence and security of a happy marriage. It must be consistent so that all our efforts create the belief that we are the right people in our spouses' lives.

Love by itself cannot bring belief. We may care for a person very much but if we do not act consistantly for both persons' happiness, it can never be a happy marriage.
I know this for a fact. You see, though I loved someone, I knew there was no happiness I could bring her. So, I changed from the positive person I usually am to the negative person that was not my nature. As expected, without belief in the person, the relationship failed. So, love alone cannot create a happy relationship. Love must be followed by positive actions to create a belief that the relationship will work.

In life, all kinds of success comes only with belief.
I will be writing more on this as belief is of utmost importance in our lives.

The King of Hades.

It's 1.30pm. Nobody except for the organisers are around. The show has started its entertainment for the King of Hades.


And here's the King of Hades in all his glory.


The King is given a feast too by the people.


Prayers are offered for a peaceful time with the spirits wandering around for a month.


Look at the food and joss-sticks.

Here's the first part of the show on the first day.


Here's another part.
(I see what I can add for the night.)

The seventh lunar month this year started on the 20th of August. The 15th day of this lunar month was the 3rd of September. From this day, the Chinese who believes in the spirit world organises shows for the King of Hades to watch. These shows are known as the 'Por Tor He'. The organisers would have the shows start at noon and have a break at four o'clock in the evening. Then, at eight in the evening, the show continues and finishes at midnight. Usually, in the afternoons, very few people attend such shows. Still it is shown as scheduled. The reason is that the show is for the diety, not so much for humans. This goes to show how strong the belief must be. How did this belief started. According to a friend of mine, one person saw in a vision his own dead mother suffering from hunger. He believed that was a kind of SOS message from his beloved mother. He went to request for help from the diety. Eventually, to reward him for his filial piety, approval was given for the gates of Hades to be opened for a month so that human who have lost their loved ones could pray and offer food to these spirits. And to thank the King of Hades for his kindness, shows are organised for him to watch. I know, some people may be pooh-poohing such a belief. Well, I do not blame them, especially those who are scientific minded. Everything needs a logical explanation, failing which it is not possible. Let me ask these individuals: Before we understood telecommunications and such things, before even telegraphy was invented, would anyone be able to see any logic, be able to explain how moving pictures can go through the air, through walls to reach a box, known as the television, to entertain us? Definitely not! Why? It was because they were not privy to such knowledge then. Today, with hindsight and the knowledge brought to us by the inventors, people can understand the logic behind moving pictures from a box. Today, there are cameras able to detect what had not been detected before. Soon, perhaps, we will know that spirits do exist. Then, scientists will explain the existence of such spirits. What logic and knowledge have not been sufficient to explain, some human eyes have been able to see. My own father is one of those people who have such eyes. I believe he is not a very rare case. There are others like him in this world, quiet because of their fear of being considered weird. (I will be writing about what he and my uncles had told me in a later post. In an earlier post, I have also written about a personal experience of watching a Malay boy going into a trance in front of a temple. Those who have experiences on this matter could put them in the comments. Please do so in order that others may realise there is nothing to fear from such happenings.) Whether we believe this or not, the Chinese find a peace of mind in offering the King of Hades prayers, food and entertainment. Peace of mind is important to a happy life. Spirits are also appeased and there is most probably less mischief from some of the naughtier spirits. Do you know that they spend thousands of ringgit to put up such shows? Usually, residents of the area contribute whatever they can. At the end of the three or sometimes more days of entertaining the King of Hades, the excess funds are given to charitable organisations.

The devotees are living testimony of the goodness of a deity.

The devotees start to gather for the procession.


One of the young devotees who took part in the dance and show.


Another young participant of the dance in front of the chariot.


Wow! Look at those performers! Unfortunately, it's quite dark at almost midnight.


And at one side of the road is this deity. Frankly, I don't know about this. Those knowledgeable ones, please enlighten us. Please write in your comments.


Just look at the big turnout!


That's Lord Ganesan's chariot.


A closer look at the chariot.


Look at those horses! It's supposed to be drawn by them.


Another part of the chariot.


Another look at the chariot.


This is how the back of the chariot look. Why do I look show every side. Well a four sided things is like a sculpture. It must be just as interesting and beautiful no matter which angle you look at it. So is life. (I'll write about that in another post.)


A closer look at the back.


That's the entrance to temple of Lord Murga. Do you know who Lord Murga is? Please read on and find out for yourself.

************************************

The day before, it was Lord Ganesan's birthday. The next day, there was an even greater crowd at night as the devotees accompanied Lord Ganesan in a procession or wait for him to reach their abode when they could pray to him with trays of food, candles and joss-sticks.

Those who accompanied him were dressed in their finest attire, making this outing a fantastically glorious journey through the part of town which was near the temple, from the temple to Jalan Sekarat, Jalan Kuala Ketil, Jalan Ibrahim towards the bus-station and then back to the temple. It ended well past midnight.

In fact, at midnight, it had just reached the temple of Lord Murga which is situated in Jalan Kuala Ketil with the entrance facing Jalan Sekarat. The procession went into Lord Murga Temple as Lord Murga is Lord Ganesan's younger brother. It was to pay respect to his brother that Lord Ganesan stopped there for a while. That was at midnight.

The procession was slow as the chariot with Lord Ganesan, the elephant deity, had to stop every so often to all the thousands of devotees to come forward to pray at the chariot. Despite the drizzle, devotees lined the streets and followed the chariot through part of the town back to the temple. The thousands of devotees seen last night is clear indication of the popularity of Lord Ganesan. He must have helped a lot of people to find peace and good health as well as give miraculous recovery from some kind of sickness.

When it comes to miraculous cures, I have heard from my own father how my uncle, Lim Eu Hor, the medium for Lord Ganesan, had done that merely with a touch of the hand even before a temple was built for him. Lord Ganesan had used him to cure the sick. I was able to talk with my uncle for some years before he passed on.

Lord Ganesan's devotees from the old Tai Pee San Temple at Tanjung Bunga can attest to the cures.

However, the old temple had been demolished and a new temple to replace it is some distance away.

God works in mysterious ways, ways we humans find hard to fathom. Every now and then someone is cured miraculously. Even those who belong to religions which do not believe in spirits and deities have come across such stories from people, sometimes believable rlatives, who have recieved such blessings.

Nevertheless, such miracles do occur when someone reaches out in belief to God through any medium.

Pray For Peace and Good Health.

Look at the number of devotees of Lord Ganesan!


The big 'umbrella' is ready for the next day's procession.


So splendidly decorated!



The top part of the temple.


An image of the deity.


Decoration done at the place immediately after the entrance to the temple.


It's all about the elephant deity.


At the entrance into the temple is the sculpture of an elephant.


On another side of the entrance is another elephant sculpture.


The AOL stall set up near the temple with volunteers happily doing whatever they can.




People stop at The Art of Living Stall for a cup of enzyme drink and information.

**********************************

The 23rd of August, a Sunday, was Lord Ganesan’s birthday and this day was celebrated by devotees of Lord Ganesan, the elephant deity, throughout the world. Lord Ganesan’s birthday is known as Vinayagar Sathurthi.

In Sungai Petani, although there was rain throughout the day, devotees went to the temple to pray to Lord Ganesan. After prayers, at noon, food was distributed to the devotees by the temple. The next night, Monday night, there would be a procession in which a chariot would be drawn through certain streets of Sungai Petani.

All that celebration took place at the Arulmigu Sri Sitha Vinayagar Alayam Temple in Sungai Petani. It is a well decorated temple as can be seen from the carvings, pictures and sculptures found all over the place in the temple. I took some pictures of the decorations that temple officials and devotees put up on the 22nd of August in readiness for Vinayagar Sathurthi. You can see the splendour of the temple from the pictures I have posted.

The founder, Mr. And Mrs. K. Vello Muthaliar s/o Kanniah Muthaliar and devotees have done a tremendous job of building this majestic temple with its beautiful sculptures and pictures in memory of a deity who must have brought much peacefulness and health to the people.

Just as the Chinese built shrines to commemorate spirits for their assistance in providing health and peace to the residents, the Indians have such temples for the same purpose. No matter what our religion is, we should always respect any deity or spirit which helps people to find peace and regain health. Miraculous healing does take place. When such healing takes place, it must be the work of God, for who has such power but God. Goodness can only come from a good source. As the Christians say: God works in mysterious ways. And being God, it is possible to reach out to His people through one of the deities such as Ganesan. To God, I believe nothing is impossible. What we see must be one of God’s ways.

Blogger’s note: Where the elephant deity is concerned, I have a special interest in him as I have personally known a medium of the deity in the Tai Pee San Temple in Tanjung Bunga, Penang Island; a very special medium and the medium was my uncle. I shall write about him in a future posting.

The power of God through Rev. Roy Durman.

A band played and sang praises to God as they all awaited the arrival of Rev. Roy Durman.


Here's Rev. Roy Durman at the mike.


The reverend addressed the crowd with the help of a Mandarin speaker and a Tamil speaker.


Rev. Roy Durman knealing down to heal.


Woman pushing her own wheelchair.


A video showing Rev. Roy Durman in a wheelchair being pushed by the woman God cured.


A scene at Healing Rally.


A man unconscious as God's healing takes place.



A band playing christian songs in praise of God. Was I in the right place? There were so many Indians around. Nevertheless, I parked my car and walked ot one of the parking attendants to enquire if it was a Christian function in which a Rev. Roy Durman was to appear to get Jesus to heal the sick. The man confirmed it.

I had just heard about this faith healing that morning and wanted to witness such an occassion. Actually, this is not the first time I have known a faith healer because one of my uncles was a faith healer. I shall tell you his story in another posting. It was a healing rally at Sin Kwang Chinese Primary School at Bakar Arang in Sungai Petani, Kedah. According to the information gathered, Rev. Roy Durman would be there for three nights and this was the last night.

The person who told me about this faith healing had told me the blind will get to see, the crippled will get to walk and the deaf will get to hear. It was something i just had to see. I cancelled all other appointments.

I went early to be assured of a seat as near to the stage as possible so that I could photograph and see clearly all that was to take place. There was a band playing modern Christian songs which I was not familiar with as church hymns in the 1970's were different with the likes of 'Amazing Grace'.

Then, three persons, each through either English, Mandarin or Tamil, addressed the crowd and welcome everyone to witness the healing power of God through Rev. Roy Durman. A little later, Rev. Roy Durman and his wife were welcome onto the stage. The reverend told the crowd of the previous day's healing and know that more would be healed that night. More songs were sung in praise of God. From the crowd, the reverend asked for those who had migraine or head tumour to go onto the stage. He told them those who believe in Jesus will be saved. Believe and they can be saved.

There were about eight such cases and the reverend told them it was not him but god who would heal them. as he touched each of them by the shoulders, they fell backwards unconscious, helped to the floor by some Christian assistants. Then a piece of cloth was placed on each body. Next, the reverend returned to bend down on each body and held and shook the head. This apparently awaken the person and the person claim to be cured upon being asked how he/she felt. Apparently, they were cured by Jesus. After that those who came in wheel-chairs were able to walk. The reverend even got one of the recovered old ladies to push him around in her wheel-chair just to let the crowd see that she could walk.

Finally, those with eye problems such as cataracts and one case with a peirced retina due to an accident were apparently cured. If those people were truly cured of their sicknesses, then I must admit that miraculous healing did take place that night. I certainly am interested to know more about Rev. Roy Durman and the fantastic miraculous healing that took place that night.