Sunday 16 March 2008

Wealth, Success & Prosperity. Guaranteed.

The local Chinese temple ran 12 days of celebrations over the CNY (6th Feb - 23 Feb) and their game plan for devotees was comprehensive. Suggested topics for supplication were success at work, excellence in your studies, good interpersonal relationships, good marriage, to ask for a life partner or offspring, avoidance of lawsuits and lastly, safety & security for one's family.

First, to ensure the temple's control of wealth in this year of the Rat, they permitted devotees to nourish their vault (you could donate money to the temple). In fact, three vaults; Heavenly vault for the future, Earthly vault for past debts and the Waterly (sic) vault for the present.

7th day of New Year (13h Feb): Man's Birthday. Deities descend to grant wishes which are granted on the 15th Feb as the heavenly deity, Heavenly First Official Emperor descends from heaven.

8th day (14th Feb): Jade Emperor's Birthday. Celebrations run from 11pm through to 3am with an experienced priest from China officiating. Prayer packs (incense paper, fruits) were available for S$50 (£17).

15th day (21st Feb): Heavenly First Official Emperor. This is an important one as wishes made on this day are said to be 10 times more likely to come true than those made on other days.

Throughout, complimentary vegetarian noodles (bee hoon) were available. Although not a spiritual belief system, renowned feng shui master Mr. LI Yu-Lin was on-site for advice also. I didn't attend but to Westerners (Christians), the unashamed emphasis on self and money is a notable difference of tone.

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