But before Zhao Chuan had time to think about it, the old man had already started talking about the so-called magic.
When Zhao Chuan heard this, he quickly calmed down and listened, because this magic was not the knowledge of other industries. It was a good thing that was kept secret. Without fate, it was a good thing that could not be bought with any amount of money.
But Zhao Chuan didn't take it seriously at first, but after listening to it, he felt that what the old man said was very interesting. Don't care whether what others say is true or not, but what they say is very convincing.
The old man said this at the beginning:
"Everyone below, what I just talked about was about the five arts, and some people got impatient and left. No matter how you left, it was useless to listen to it without a chance. It would be better to leave as early as possible.
Next, I will talk about one of the Taoist sects that everyone thinks is more magical, which is magic.
The forms of spells can be said to be diverse, such as drawing talismans, chanting incantations, subduing demons, catching ghosts, praying for rain, warding off disasters, etc.
And what are these? In fact, it still does not have the two laws of energy and image.
Among all Taoist spells, no matter what kind of spells they are, such as exorcism of ghosts, summoning gods, suppressing spells, disgusting spells, forbidden spells, etc., they are all inseparable from three things: altar array, spells, and magic weapons.
Let’s take Refa as an example.
The Thunder Method, also known as the Five Thunder Method, is also called the Five Thunder Zhengfa. It is a type of Taoism that is practiced more frequently. Among them, the Zhengdao Shenxiao Sect is the most famous, and the Quanzhen Taoist South Sect also practices both.
Many people's understanding of the Five Thunder Method should be from when Mr. Shu heard about Journey to the West.
There is a section in Journey to the West about a battle between Che and Chi, including a scene of praying for rain and a scene of shooting someone down.
When it comes to praying for rain, it's a competition between Sun Wukong and the Great Immortal Hu Li to see who can pray for rain. When it comes to asking for rain, it's about guessing what's hidden in the cabinet.
Shefu, this belongs to the scope of divination, that is, guessing things through divination, but in Journey to the West, Sun Wukong directly transformed into a villain and went in to change things.
And in the scene of praying for rain, Huli Daxian used the five thunder method.
The Five Thunder Method requires setting up an altar first, and then performing the ritual on the altar. When doing it, you need to hold the token, that is, the magic weapon, and then recite the incantation.
This is a whole process.
So what are the functions of the altar array, spells, and magical instruments here?
Don't leave in a hurry. Let me talk slowly.
Let’s look at the talisman first. What is the talisman?
Talismans are words, while curses are sounds.
Spells are equivalent to the words we write and say.
Spells have a certain power, especially some classic talismans. Their power lies in gathering the power of all living beings.
This is equivalent to an old saying or a common saying. When you tell someone a truth, you may not be able to explain it clearly, but if you say this old saying, it can support many sentences, and it is powerful. So why does this sentence have power? It's because everyone agrees with this sentence, and it's the power of sentient beings' thoughts that gives it power.
For another example, when we treat children who cry at night, we have a very classic formula for blessing you, which is called: Emperor of Heaven, Emperor of Earth, there is a night cryer in my family. A gentleman passing by will recite it three times and sleep until dawn.
Write this mantra on a piece of paper and stick it on the tree on the roadside in front of your door. Everyone will help you recite it, and the child will stop crying. This also uses the thought power of sentient beings.
Are the spells always effective? Of course not.
In the final analysis, a spell is an expression of one's thoughts. Nowadays, we can see many books about talismans, which record many drawing methods of talismans, as well as spells, etc. So what do these actually amount to? It is equivalent to the official document format of current writing.
Whether that talisman works or not, what does it have to do with it? Does it have anything to do with the document format? Of course there is, but it has little to do with it. It mainly has to do with the person who drew the talisman.
This is equivalent to the same sentence, if your brother tells you, you may not listen, but if your grandfather tells you, you may listen.
The same is true for restraining gods and sending generals. The most important thing is not what you write or say, but how capable you are.
Talismans and spells have the same principle. You can use some power, but the most important thing is your personal ability.
So, why did the Five Thunder Techniques of the Great Immortal Huli fail to work in front of Sun Wukong?
Because Sun Wukong has already gone to heaven to say hello to all the gods including Thunder God and Lightning Mother.
Therefore, Sun Wukong does not need talismans, he only needs to point his finger with the golden cudgel, and he can naturally pray for rain.
In the final analysis, this is still related to the size of the energy level.
Spells are mobilized by the power of language and words. They are either a command, a prayer, or a deterrent.
This is just like an army fighting a war. Before starting a war, a division list or a message must be written to motivate the soldiers and issue orders.
If you write well, it will naturally be more effective, but if you write poorly, it doesn't matter, as long as you have enough power.
The purpose of a spell is to win people.
As for the altar array, it depends on gaining ground.
When we fight, we must choose favorable terrain and set up a good formation. This is the role of the altar formation.
For example, when we ask for rain, we cannot choose the weather and time. All we can choose is the right location. Therefore, the purpose of setting up an altar formation is to better gather and use energy, just like an army setting up formations to better gather energy. Same as using military force.
Nowadays, Feng Shui pays attention to the layout, which can actually be regarded as a kind of altar array.
Apart from the altar formations and talismans, the rest are magical weapons, which are just like the weapons used by soldiers in war.
Magical weapons use the mutual interdependence of different things in nature. For example, the peach wood sword can control the house, cinnabar can ward off evil spirits, etc. This is most commonly used in the magic of suppression.
This is the basic content of spells, and any spell is basically inseparable from spells, altar formations, and magic weapons. These three things represent gaining people, gaining land, and gaining things respectively.
Whether a spell is effective or not depends mainly on the cultivation of the caster, but not on the spell itself.
Okay, I’ve basically finished telling you about Taoism, mainly so that everyone can have a basic understanding and not be confused by the many weird alchemy out there.
So as a Taoist, do you have to practice these alchemy techniques? If you don’t practice, what should you do in daily life?
In other words, we have talked so much, so where should we start practicing Taoism?
We say that spiritual practice is a way of life. For most people, let’s talk about the entry and advanced methods of daily spiritual practice.
When ordinary people practice Taoism, they should start with daily practice.
What is the daily lesson? That is the homework that should be done every day.
The daily classes mainly include two aspects, one is physical exercise, and the other is life on the ground.
How do you say that a person has started to practice Taoism? The first sign that a person begins to practice Taoism is to start paying attention to his body and practice Taoist health-preserving exercises for longevity. The other sign is that he starts to pay attention to his own life and use Taoist ideas to guide his behavior. , so that life can be at ease, this is the purpose of long happiness. These two points are the starting point.
Physical exercises, such as sitting upright, guiding, etc., should be practiced consistently. As for life, you should only seek peace of mind in internal affairs, and seek comprehensiveness in external affairs. This is the landing.
After a person can achieve physical health and inner peace, he can then engage in advanced practice.
It mainly includes two aspects, one is the recitation of classics, and the other is the practice of alchemy.
Reciting classics is to learn from the saints and sages. You can read Tao Te Ching, Yin Fu Jing, Nan Hua Sutra and other Taoist books. This is to increase knowledge and enlighten wisdom. The practice of alchemy is to practice the method of concentration, and ultimately, it is to continuously improve one's energy level.
This is an advanced practice after entry.
That is to say, we must first fulfill the ways of humanity, and then follow the ways of heaven. We often say that we should do our best in human affairs and obey the destiny of heaven. If we do everything in human affairs, then the way of heaven will reveal itself.
Okay, that’s all for today. Do you have any questions?
The old man finished speaking and looked at everyone with a smile.
The people below were silent, no one spoke.
But then something went wrong, because there were two children carrying plates and starting to ask for money one by one.
But after collecting money from several people, some people started to cheat, saying they didn't understand anything and didn't want to give money.
At this moment, Zhao Chuan suddenly realized that the sermon he was scheduled to give was not free.
Someone wanted to sneak away and quietly stepped back, while turning around and looking back.
Zhao Chuan also wanted to leave, but subconsciously looked behind him.
But when I saw it, I felt like I couldn't leave, because at some point, there were several people guarding the door.
"Is this a storyteller or a sermon? You didn't say you wanted to charge money when you came in?" someone in the crowd shouted.
"Someone just said that this additional lecture is free!" Another person continued to shout.
"Tao should not be preached lightly! Those who are destined to listen to the Tao, those who are not destined to listen to the book!" Fei Hongjin, standing next to the old man, responded loudly.
After Fei Hongjin shouted, there was a buzz immediately.
"After listening to what I just preached, anyone who can raise the questions in their mind doesn't need to charge him any money." Seeing this, the old man said with a smile.
As soon as this statement came out, there were people immediately whispering among themselves.
After a while, someone asked: "Isn't it true that high-level people do things right? If low-level people see this high-level person doing something wrong, it would be difficult to persuade him to correct it, right?"
The old man said that whether it is correct or not depends on how you define it.
Someone then asked: Just like a very big official, his level should be higher than ordinary people, but he is engaging in corruption and bribery. Isn't this wrong? However, it would be difficult for people at a lower level than him to ask him to change, right?
The old man said yes, it must be difficult.
Some of the people below started to boo, saying that if the world is like this, what is good and evil, right and wrong?
The old man sighed and said that I have been telling you these two days in vain. It seems that few of you fully understand what I mean.
Everyone looked at each other.
The old man cleared his throat, raised his voice and said, "Let me put it more plainly for you."
Everyone needs to understand one thing. Why did I talk about energy symbols and numbers at the beginning, and talk about seeking good luck and avoiding bad luck, but rarely talk about good and evil, right and wrong?
Because this world, or this human world, is not distinguished by good and evil, right and wrong, and the replacement of the sun and the moon. This is why I want to explain kindness.
For example, Yang Zhu's school of thought has a saying, plucking a hair can benefit the world, but do not do it. Is this right or wrong? In The Romance of the Gods, Empress Nuwa asked Daji to harm King Zhou, causing wars in all directions and causing countless casualties. Is this right or wrong?
