The other day there was another 3 day Fa Hui ceremony. On each
day there was a different ceremony, each representing something different. On
the Temple’s extended property across the street there was a large stage set
up, with tables in front. To the right of the stage there was another small
room where the priests could come and dress up for the ceremony, and where we
sat between prayers. The priests that came and did the chanting were dressed up
in brightly coloured robes, with different colours and clothes representing
different levels I believe.
The first ceremony on the first day was called Qi An Zhi Fu (which
translates to blessing). It is an opening ceremony that invites the Gods to
come attend the next 3-day Fa hui ceremonies in the statues the groundskeepers
brought down for the ceremony. The following ceremony after this is to increase
your life span.
The second day is called Kai Sui Gui. This event is to help
maintain your finances. People often make money but they don't know why their
money continually leaves their account, and they are left with none at the year
end, so they pray to stop the money from leaving. Some people have the wealth
but don't have the place to store their money, so they pray for somewhere to
put their wealth. Also, it is thought that the amount of effort you put into
saving money will increase how much you get in return.
For every consecutive year someone participates in Fa Hui all the
wealth that was spent in the past year will be returned to you. Also, if you
pray you may feel like you can do/buy more things with less money, making you
feel you don't need as much money. You would feel remorse if you don't feel
this way by making you sick or something or have a shorter life span or make
your family unharmonious. A more serious effect will be it affects your next
generation.
On the third day the first prayers are for a longer life span,
your wealth, and karma. They eliminate your bad luck and in return maintain
your health. It is thought that once you are born your life has already been
decided by the Gods (birth, death, sickness, and age) and you can't change it.
The third days second prayers are about wealth, spending it, and karma. People
keep busy with their own money or business, and this affects their health
negatively. From a Taoist perspective they don't have enough blessings and also
they may have accumulated their past life's negative karma, so they may need to
create positive karma to balance the two lives karma. A person may also have a
lot of wealth but not enough life to spend it. Sometimes daughters or sons wish
to help their parents have a longer life they can get them to sign up for this
ritual. For this ritual you need a script, a candle, a golden box, purified
water, and ashes.
The third days second prayers are about intelligence. They may
help you remember what you studied to recall during an exam. The third days
third prayers are to help you get a good child (maybe in your past life you did
something bad then you pay for it in your current life by having a bad child,
its negative karma!).
